7day menu planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUNDAY: Make Dad smile and serve him Marinated Beef Roast (see recipe) today. He’ll like these Yogurt-and-Chive Mashed Potatoes, too: Make 2 pounds of your mashed potatoes, adding ¼ cup snipped fresh chives, 8 ounces plain yogurt and ½ cup warmed milk instead of the usual milk or cream. Also serve steamed sliced carrots, a lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing and diced tomato garnish along with crusty bread. For the finale, present warm peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough beef and cobbler for Monday. Save enough ice cream for Tuesday. MONDAY: Use the beef leftovers for Oven Fajitas. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine 2 tablespoons canola oil, 2 teaspoons chile powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon coarse salt; mix well. Add 1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1 medium green bell pepper and 1 medium red bell pepper cut into thin strips, and 1 thinly sliced onion. Mix well. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir in 2 cups (leftover) cooked beef, cut into strips. Bake 10 more minutes. Serve beef mixture wrapped in warm whole-grain tortillas. Add rice on the side and sliced avocado. Warm the leftover cobbler for dessert.
TUESDAY: It’s hard to beat Tuna Melts for flavor and simplicity. Buy 2 cups tuna salad from the deli and spread it over 4 wholegrain English muffin halves; top each with a tomato slice and a slice of Swiss cheese. Broil 6 inches from heat 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve with baked potato chips and a mixed green salad. Spoon strawberries over leftover ice cream for dessert. WEDNESDAY: Tonight, make a meal of Southwestern Baked Potatoes. Scrub, pierce and microwave 4 (8-ounce) baking potatoes 10 to 12 minutes on 100% power or until almost tender. Wrap potatoes in paper towels and then in a terrycloth towel 5 minutes (to absorb moisture). Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large skillet on medium. Add 1 medium onion (chopped) and cook 10 minutes or until golden. Add 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 clove minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add 2 cups mild salsa and 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (rinsed) and cook 5 minutes or until hot. To serve, split potatoes and divide bean mixture among them. Top with chopped cilantro and plain yogurt. Serve with deli coleslaw and whole-grain rolls. Tapioca pudding is dessert. THURSDAY: The whole family will enjoy Mexican Flatbread Pizzas. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 4 flatbread wraps on an ungreased cookie sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon salsa over each flatbread. Divide and sprinkle each flatbread evenly with 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese blend and ½ cup sliced ripe olives. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is crisp. Sprinkle pizzas with 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes; top with avocado slices. Serve with carrot sticks. For a light dessert, bite into a juicy nectarine.
FRIDAY: Korean Beef-and-Cabbage Stew (see recipe) is packed with flavor. Serve with a spinach salad and bread sticks. Apricots are good for dessert. SATURDAY: Our guests ate all of the Fettuccine With Chicken, Goat Cheese and Spinach (see recipe), and so will yours. Serve this winner with a Boston lettuce salad and a baguette. For dessert, enjoy lemon sorbet with chocolate wafer cookies.
THE RECIPES Marinated Beef Roast
1 (3- to 4-pound) beef rump roast, well-trimmed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
10 cloves garlic, halved
1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Pierce roast with meat fork at 1-inch intervals and place in large resealable plastic bag. Combine oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic and pour over roast. Seal bag and refrigerate up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove roast; discard marinade. Place roast on rack coated with cooking spray in broiler pan; sprinkle with pepper. Bake 30 to 35 minutes per pound, about 1½ to 2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees (for medium-rare). Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes, covered. Slice thinly and serve. Makes 12 to 16 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium soy sauce and reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce) contains approximately 160 calories, 25 g protein, 6 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 66 mg cholesterol, 246 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.
Korean Beef-and-Cabbage Stew
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 (2-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
¼ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 onion, halved
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cups chopped Napa cabbage
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup kimchi
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add beef; cook, turning once, until wellbrowned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add wine, sugar and soy sauce to skillet; bring to a boil on medium-high. Pour over beef; stir in stock, onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions and discard. Transfer beef to large bowl. Coarsely shred it using 2 forks; return to cooker. Stir in cabbage, salt and black pepper. Cover; cook on low 10 minutes until cabbage is wilted. Ladle into bowls; top evenly with kimchi and green onions. (Adapted from Everyday Slow Cooker, Oxmoor House.) Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium soy sauce) contains approximately 209 calories, 23 g protein, 6 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 44 mg cholesterol, 522 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Fettuccine With Chicken, Goat Cheese and Spinach
1 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)
2 small shallots, minced
5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled and room temperature
½ teaspoon coarse salt, divided use
¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided use
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (5- to 6-ounce) package baby spinach
9 ounces refrigerated fettuccine
2 tablespoons fresh basil
In a small saucepan, combine wine and shallots.
Bring to boil on mediumhigh; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Whisk in the goat cheese until smooth; season with half the salt and black pepper; add the red pepper and set aside.
Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet on medium. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from skillet; let stand 2 minutes, covered with foil. To skillet, add remaining oil and spinach; cook, turning with tongs, 2 minutes or until wilted. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions; reserving ½ cup cooking water, drain and place in a large bowl. Add goat cheese sauce, spinach and chicken with any juices. Slowly add reserved pasta water until the sauce is the desired consistency. Stir in remaining salt and black pepper; serve topped with basil. Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 370 calories, 28 g protein, 16 g fat, 26 g carbohydrate, 73 mg cholesterol, 426 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.5.