7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Prepare a spiral-sliced ham for family day. Serve with Sweet Potato Wedges: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges, coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 30 minutes or until tender; serve warm. Add deli broccoli salad and wholegrain rolls. Buy a chocolate meringue pie for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough ham, broccoli salad, rolls and pie for Monday. MONDAY: Use the leftover ham and make Ham-Stuffed Potatoes (see recipe). Serve with leftover broccoli salad and whole-grain rolls. Slice the leftover pie for dessert. Tip: If sodium is a concern, substitute shredded cooked chicken for the ham. TUESDAY: The kids will be happy when you prepare Chicken Tacos. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoons salsa; set aside. Combine 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and ½ cup more salsa; microwave on 100 percent power for 1 minute or until chicken lettuce, hot. shredded mixture, Fill taco shredded shells Mexicanblend with cheese and fresh cilantro leaves to taste; drizzle with sauce. Serve with carrot salad. Watermelon Slush for dessert is all about the kids. In a food processor, blend frozen chunks of watermelon with sugar and fresh lemon or lime juice to taste; process until smooth. Serve immediately. WEDNESDAY: Forget meat tonight and enjoy Tortellini Soup. Cook 1 pound frozen tortellini in 6 cups unsalted vegetable broth. Add 1 pound chopped fresh broccoli rabe and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more or until tender. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a romaine salad and cheese toast. Fresh plums are for dessert. THURSDAY: Bratwurst With Peppers and Onions (see recipe) keeps the budget in line. Add a lettuce wedge. Fresh blueberries are a summertime dessert. FRIDAY: Make it quick and call it Pizza Night! Buy single-serving cheese pizzas and everyone’s favorite toppings to make it a personal pizza. Serve with packaged Caesar salad. Fresh peaches are great for dessert. SATURDAY: Make your guests feel special and serve them PanAsian Orange Poached Fish (see recipe). Serve with brown rice tossed with toasted chopped pecans, a Boston lettuce salad and sourdough bread. Fresh pineapple drizzled with orange liqueur (or honey) and sprinkled with shredded toasted coconut is a smashing dessert.
THE RECIPES Ham-Stuffed Potatoes
4 (10- to 12-ounce) baking
potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups chopped leftover ham 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sour cream Coarse salt and ground black
pepper to taste Freshly grated parmesan
cheese for garnish Chopped fresh chives for
garnish
Heat Microwave oven to potatoes 350 degrees. 15 to 18 minutes on 100 percent power. Let stand 3 minutes. When potatoes are cool enough to touch, halve them lengthwise. Scoop out pulp and place in a bowl, leaving shells intact; set shells and pulp aside. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add ham, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Mash potato pulp; stir in ham mixture, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stuff shells; sprinkle with some parmesan cheese. Place potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until hot. Garnish with chopped fresh chives and serve. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-fat sour cream) contains approximately 475 calories, 27 g protein, 16 g fat, 58 g carbohydrate, 79 mg cholesterol, 1,285 mg sodium and 4 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 4.
Bratwurst With Peppers and Onions
2 large red bell peppers, cut
into strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut
into strips
2 large sweet onions, cut into
strips
1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon ground black
pepper
6 uncooked bratwurst sausages (about 1 ½ pounds)
6 hoagie rolls, split and lightly
toasted
the black Heat In bell pepper; a large peppers, oven bowl, to spread 375 onions, toss degrees. in an together oil even and layer on a heavy-duty foil-lined baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Pierce each sausage several times with a skewer or fork. Place sausages 3 to 4 inches apart on top of pepper mixture. Bake for 40 minutes; increase temperature to broil. Broil 6 to 8 minutes, or until sausages are browned, turning sausages halfway through. Place 1 sausage in each roll; top with pepper mixture. (Adapted from One Sheet Eats, Oxmoor House/Time Inc. Books.) Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 524 calories, 19 g protein, 30 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate, 56 mg cholesterol, 965 mg sodium and 5 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Pan-Asian Orange Poached Fish
1 ¾ cups orange juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy
sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown
sugar
2 tablespoons minced green
onion
2 tablespoons packed minced
fresh ginger
1 tablespoon packed minced
garlic 1 tablespoon packed minced
fresh cilantro
4 (4-ounce) pieces mahi-mahi or other firm white fish, such as halibut
2 cups broccoli florets
skillet, for a simmer boil, In poaching a then combine large 10 to reduce saute liquid. 15 all minutes, heat ingredients pan Bring or and to or until fish, skin slightly side reduced. up, in pan. Place Poach on low heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Turn fish, cover and poach 2 to 3 minutes more. Add broccoli, cover and poach 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit covered 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 125 calories, 23 g protein, 1 g fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 83 mg cholesterol, 213 mg sodium and 1 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: ½.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: