7-Day Menu Planner
SUNDAY: The family will enjoy the wonderful aroma and delicious flavor of Pork Tenderloin With Broiled Apples: Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine ½ cup apple jelly, ¼ cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; blend well. Place 2 pounds pork tenderloins in a shallow roasting pan; brush with half the jelly mixture. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Place thinly sliced apple from 4 cored, unpeeled red apples on broiler pan coated with cooking spray; brush with remaining jelly mixture. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Slice pork; serve with apple slices. Alongside, add baked sweet potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, mixed greens and dinner rolls. For dessert, try vanilla ice cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
MONDAY: I’m always up for another Meatloaf recipe because of the flavor and low cost. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover and microwave on high ¾ cup chopped onion 2 minutes or until tender; drain. In a large bowl, combine onion, 3 tablespoons ketchup, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon less-sodium Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon coarse salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1 pound lean ground beef and 1 egg; mix lightly. Place meat mixture on a rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray; shape into an 8-by-4-inch loaf. Brush top with 3 more tablespoons ketchup. Bake 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 8 slices and serve. My favorite accompaniments are mashed potatoes and green beans, creating a meal straight from my childhood. Add wholegrain bread. Peaches are your dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough meatloaf and potatoes for Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Chipotle Black Bean Soup With Corn and Tomatoes (see recipe) is a quick no-meat dinner. Serve it with a Caesar salad and garlic bread. Make instant vanilla pudding for dessert. Stir crushed pineapple into the pudding for a little extra flavor.
WEDNESDAY: Slice the leftover meatloaf and make Meatloaf Sandwiches. Place the meatloaf slices on whole-grain bread slathered with a little mayonnaise and a leaf or two of red-tipped lettuce. Use the leftover mashed potatoes for Potato Patties: Stir 1 beaten egg into the potatoes, shape into patties, coat with flour and pan-fry in a little olive oil until browned on both sides and heated through. Serve carrot sticks alongside. Make dessert easy with kiwis.
THURSDAY: “Yum, yum!” is the perfect description for Saucy Italian-Style Chicken Thighs (see recipe). Serve them over brown rice to soak up some of the flavorful sauce. Add an arugula salad and Italian bread. For dessert, plums are good.
FRIDAY: The kids will love Rice Hiding Under Creamy Chicken. In a 2-quart saucepan, blend ½ cup milk and 1 (10 ¾-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup; heat on medium, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 (12-ounce) can (drained) chicken breast in water (or 1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast), a 4.5- to 6-ounce can or jar (drained) sliced mushrooms, ½ cup cooked sliced carrots and 1 (14.5-ounce) can (drained) diced tomatoes; heat through. Serve over rice and add celery sticks. For dessert, the kids will love Cinnamony Sweet Noodle Pudding (see recipe).
Plan ahead: Cook enough rice for Saturday.
SATURDAY: It’s easy and delicious, making Smoky Maple-Mustard Salmon the perfect entree for your guests. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 3 tablespoons wholegrain or Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle pepper, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt; mix well. Place 4 (4-ounce) salmon filets (skin side down) on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spread mustard mixture evenly over salmon. Roast 8 to 12 minutes or until opaque throughout. Serve with roasted asparagus, your rice pilaf, a bibb lettuce salad and whole-grain rolls. Celebrate the season with Christmas cookies and leftover ice cream for dessert.
Tip: Salmon skin will stick to uncoated foil for easy skin removal.
THE RECIPES Chipotle Black Bean Soup With Corn and Tomatoes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
2 to 3 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
½ cup frozen corn
½ teaspoon grated lime zest, plus lime wedges for serving
Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium until it shimmers. Add onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in beans, 2 cups water and chiles; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans begin to break down. Using potato masher, coarsely mash beans in saucepan until they are mostly broken down and soup is thickened. Stir in corn and return to a brief simmer. Off heat, stir in lime zest and season with coarse salt and black pepper to taste. Divide tomatoes, yogurt and cilantro evenly to top each serving. Serve with lime wedges. (Adapted from “The Everyday Athlete Cookbook,” Alicia Romono, America’s Test Kitchen)
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reducedsodium beans and low-fat yogurt) contains approximately 257 calories, 13 g protein, 5 g fat, 46 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 339 mg sodium and 16 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3
Saucy Italian-Style Chicken Thighs
12 skinless boneless chicken
thighs (about 3 pounds) 1 (14-ounce) can Italian-style
diced tomatoes, with liquid 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
with Italian seasoning ½ cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon dried Italian
seasoning
¼ teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon pepper In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, arrange chicken.
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; mix well. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour; reduce heat to low and cook 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Makes 12 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 164 calories, 23 g protein, 5 g fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 107 mg cholesterol, 362 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: ½
Cinnamony Sweet Noodle Pudding
2 cups medium wide noodles (about 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and toss with the oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta cheese, yogurt, sugar and cinnamon. With a wooden spoon, stir in drained noodles and raisins. Spoon into baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until mixture is set in center and lightly browned. Cool before serving.
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 326 calories, 16 g protein, 13 g fat, 40 g carbohydrate, 165 mg cholesterol, 126 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2 ½