7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUNDAY: The flavor of Braised Chicken With Fennel and White Beans (see recipe) is hard to beat for family day. Add a romaine salad and dinner rolls. Bake a deep-dish apple pie (from frozen) for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough chicken and pie for Monday. MONDAY: Use the chicken leftovers for Pasta With Chicken and Marinara Sauce: Shred leftover chicken and add it to any marinara sauce. Spoon it over rotini pasta and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Keep it simple with a mixed green salad and wholegrain rolls. Warm the leftover pie for dessert.
TUESDAY: We’re crazy about a bowl of Beef and Vegetable Soup on a cold, wintry night: Peel and cut 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes into ½-inch cubes. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place potatoes, 2 medium onions (chopped), 3 large carrots (sliced) and 3 medium ribs celery (sliced). Place 1 pound well-trimmed ½-inch beef cubes on top of vegetables. Add 3 cups water, 1 (14 ½-ounce) can no-saltadded diced tomatoes with liquid, 3 beef bouillon cubes (crushed), 1/3 cup ketchup,
1 bay leaf and 1/3 cup pearl barley; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaf; stir and serve. Add a spinach salad and whole-wheat crackers. Keep dessert light with sliced peaches.
Tip: For deeper flavor, brown the beef before adding to the slow cooker.
WEDNESDAY: This Lemon and Tomato Risotto (see recipe) will become one of your favorites. Serve with a romaine salad and Italian bread. For dessert, munch on peanut butter cookies.
THURSDAY: The kids will give you a big hug with Skillet Lasagna for dinner. Cook 1 pound lean ground beef, ¼ cup chopped onion and ½ cup chopped carrots in a Dutch oven on medium-high about 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in 1 ½ cups mafalda (mini lasagna noodles) or other pasta, 1 ½ cups water, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 cups red pasta sauce and 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella before serving. Add a chopped lettuce salad. Red and green grapes are an easy dessert. FRIDAY: Tonight’s Ravioli Casserole is quick to put together. Crumble 1 pound lean ground beef into a 2-quart casserole. Add ¼ cup chopped onion. Cover and microwave on 100% power for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 2 (15-ounce) cans beef ravioli. Cover and microwave on high 5 to 7 minutes or until hot. Stir once. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts. Serve with Italian bread and a packaged green salad. For dessert, deli brownies are welcome.
SATURDAY: Invite guests for a delicious Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu With Rigatoni (see recipe). Serve it with a leafy lettuce salad and sourdough bread. For dessert, Triple Berry Granola Crisp is delicious: Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In an ungreased 8-by-8-inch baking dish, mix 1 (8-ounce) bag frozen blueberries, 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen strawberries, 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen raspberries, ¼ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix together until berries are coated. Bake 20 minutes. Stir; sprinkle with 1 ½ cups oat-andhoney granola. Bake 15 minutes longer or until light golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.
THE RECIPES Braised Chicken With Fennel and White Beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 ½ pounds skinless bone-in
chicken breasts
/8 teaspoon black pepper
1
1 small onion, cut into thin
wedges
2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 fennel bulb, quartered,
cored and thinly sliced 1 medium yellow bell pepper,
cut into bite-size strips 1 (28-ounce) can diced firedroasted tomatoes, with liquid
½ cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon chopped fresh
rosemary
1 (15- to 19-ounce) can
cannellini beans, rinsed Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Heat oil in a large deep skillet on medium-high. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Add chicken to skillet; cook 6 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly browned. Remove chicken to a plate.
To skillet, add onion, garlic, fennel and bell pepper. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until vegetables are softened. Return chicken to skillet and add the tomatoes, wine and rosemary. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning chicken once. Uncover; mix in beans. Cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve in shallow bowls; garnish with parsley.
Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium beans) contains approximately 293 calories, 30 g protein, 9 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 103 mg cholesterol, 448 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1
Lemon and Tomato Risotto
4 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 finely chopped shallots
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon lemon zest (yellow
part only)
Heat broth in a 2-quart saucepan on medium until it begins to simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan on medium. Add shallots; cook 3 minutes or until soft. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 2 or 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in 1 cup broth. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another. Cook until rice is tender and mixture has a creamy consistency, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, lemon juice and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with unsalted broth) contains approximately 235 calories, 4 g protein, 4 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 445 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3
Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu With Rigatoni
1 (28-ounce) can no-saltadded whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid 1 cup dry red wine
1 large yellow onion, finely
diced
¼ cup tomato paste ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves OR 1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried red chile
flakes
1 (3-pound) boneless lamb shoulder roast, halved (see note)
2 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine
vinegar
1 pound dried rigatoni Parmesan cheese for grating
In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine tomatoes, wine, onion, tomato paste, oregano, garlic and chile flakes. Season roast with salt; nestle it in the tomato mixture. Cover and cook until the meat is tender and can easily be pulled apart, about 6 hours on high or 9 to 10 hours on low.
Shred the meat with 2 forks; stir it into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt as needed. Add enough vinegar to brighten the flavor.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. After draining, return pasta to the same pot; add just enough of the sauce to coat the noodles, stirring over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Serve the pasta in warm bowls, with another big spoonful of the sauce on top of each and plenty of Parmesan cheese. Makes 10 servings. Note: Can substitute cubed stew beef and reduce the cooking time to about 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 380 calories, 35 g protein, 20 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 109 mg cholesterol, 1,385 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: