7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUSAN NICHOLSON
SUNDAY: Feed the family Grill-Roasted Ham. Using a sharp knife, remove skin from a 7- to 10-pound bone-in half ham (preferably shank end). Trim fat to ¼-inch thickness. Cut slits in fat 1 inch apart in diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into meat. Combine ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper in small bowl. Rub mixture all over ham. Transfer to V-shaped roasting rack and let sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. Thread ham with two 12-inch metal skewers on both sides of bone. For gas grill: Turn all burners on high, cover and heat grill for about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burners. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place roasting rack with ham on cooler side of grill. Cover and cook until internal temperature reaches 100 degrees, about 90 minutes. Turn all burners to low. Cook, covered, until ham is highly charred on all sides, about 30 minutes, turning ham every 5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let stand 30 minutes. Carve and serve. (Adapted from “Meat Illustrated,” America’s Test Kitchen) Make it easy and pick up some prepared coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans. Add slider rolls with mustard and mayonnaise, for sandwich-making. Slice pound cake for dessert and top it with strawberries.
Plan ahead: Save enough ham for Monday and Thursday; save enough pound cake for Monday.
MONDAY: Add some of the leftover ham to a Spinach Frittata (see recipe). Serve the cozy dish with deli carrot salad and toasted whole-wheat English muffins. Top leftover pound cake with a dab of chocolate ice cream for dessert. Plan ahead: Buy enough carrot salad for Tuesday. Save enough ice cream for Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Who cares if this Spicy Meatloaf (see recipe) saves money? We liked it for that reason, but more for its flavor. Serve with baked potatoes along with the leftover carrot salad. Add whole-grain rolls. Pears are dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough meatloaf for Wednesday. WEDNESDAY: Make the kids happy with leftover Meatloaf Cheeseburgers. Top hamburger buns with meatloaf and then cover with American cheese slices. Broil until the cheese is melted and meatloaf is hot. Serve with baked kale chips and a lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes. Leftover ice cream is dessert.
THURSDAY: ’Tis the season for soup, and (canned) Lentil Soup fits the bill. Add a can of any white beans (rinsed) and some chopped leftover ham to boost the flavor. Thin with water as necessary. Serve with a packaged Caesar salad and crusty bread. Sprinkle fresh pineapple chunks with toasted shredded coconut for dessert. Plan ahead: Toast enough coconut for Saturday.
FRIDAY: This Black Bean and Turkey Chili With Coriander (see recipe) was created by Atlanta chef Nancy Waldeck, who specializes in flavorful and healthful recipes. Serve it with a sliced avocado and lettuce salad and cornbread. Vanilla pudding is dessert. SATURDAY: Walnut-Crusted Flounder (or tilapia or sole) makes an impressive meal for guests: Combine ½ cup walnut pieces (finely chopped) and
⅓ cup dry breadcrumbs in a pie plate or shallow container. Place ¼ cup flour in a second pie plate. Beat together ¼ cup milk and 1 egg in a third pie plate. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet on medium until hot. Coat 4 flounder filets (about 6 ounces each) on both sides in flour; dip into egg mixture (allowing excess to drip off). Finally, coat with walnut mixture. Cook fish 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve immediately. To make the meal special, serve with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed fresh broccoli. Add a Boston lettuce salad and a baguette. When you top scoops of pineapple sherbet with fresh or frozen (thawed) mango chunks and sprinkle with leftover toasted coconut, you have unique Pineapple Sundaes for dessert.
THE RECIPES Spinach Frittata
6 ounces angel hair pasta
1 (15-ounce) container partskim milk ricotta cheese
12 ounces frozen egg substitute, thawed
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 ounces ham cut into bitesize strips
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon coarse salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce, heated
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Mix together ricotta cheese, egg substitute, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, ham, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta; mix well.
Heat broiler. Heat a broiler-safe skillet on stove at medium-high. When hot, remove from heat. Add oil, tilting to coat. Return to heat. Add pasta mixture; press down with spatula into even layer. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Cover and cook 2 minutes until bottom is lightly browned (top will be slightly wet). Place skillet under broiler; broil 1 to 2 minutes or until top is set and lightly browned. Loosen with spatula; invert onto a platter and cut into 8 wedges. Serve immediately with marinara sauce.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 272 calories, 24 g protein, 7 g fat, 26 g carbohydrate, 25 mg cholesterol, 943 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 ½
Spicy Meatloaf
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 (1- to 1.25-ounce) packet
taco seasoning mix
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 small onion, chopped
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/3 cup ketchup
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, lightly drained
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together beef, turkey, taco seasoning, breadcrumbs, onion, egg whites and ketchup. Shape into a 6-by-10-inch loaf and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lined with nonstick foil. Top evenly with diced tomatoes and chiles. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Pour off pan juices. Cover and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with no-salt added tomatoes and green chiles) contains approximately 220 calories, 25 g protein, 7 g fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 64 mg cholesterol, 431 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1
Black Bean Turkey Chili With Coriander
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (10-ounce) cans no-saltadded diced tomatoes and chiles, partially drained
1 ½ cups canned black beans ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese for garnish
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt for garnish
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high; cook turkey 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove skillet from heat. Remove turkey from skillet; set aside. To same skillet, add oil and heat on medium. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 6 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, crushed red pepper and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes or until spices are fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, beans and cooked turkey; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Serve with garnishes. (Recipe by Nancy Waldeck.)
Makes about 9 cups. Nutrition information: Each cup (prepared with no-salt added tomatoes and green chiles, reduced-sodium beans and fat-free yogurt) contains approximately 178 calories, 15 g protein, 7 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 35 mg cholesterol, 237 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choice: 1