7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUSAN NICHOLSON
SUNDAY: Enjoy applause from the family when you present Classic Corned Beef With Cabbage and Potatoes (see recipe). Add mixed greens and rye bread. Buy chocolate mint brownies for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough corned beef, rye bread and brownies for Wednesday. MONDAY: Pinch those pennies with Southwestern Chicken and Corn Dinner: Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a roasting pan, place 4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts and 4 bonein skinless thighs with 2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning blend. Arrange chicken and 3 ears fresh or frozen corn on the cob (cut into pieces), 1 medium red bell pepper and 1 medium green bell pepper, both cut into 1-inch pieces, and 1 medium onion, cut into eighths, in an even layer. Sprinkle 2 more teaspoons seasoning blend over vegetables. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Arrange on a platter and serve. Add deli three-bean salad, mixed greens and dinner rolls. Fresh strawberries are a delicious dessert.
TUESDAY: This Baked Chicken and Spaghetti (see recipe) is just mild enough for children, and there’s a bonus: one casserole for tonight and another for the freezer for another night. Serve with a chopped lettuce salad and whole-grain rolls. Sliced peaches are an easy dessert. WEDNESDAY: Who would turn down a Grilled Corned-Beefand-Swiss Sandwich using leftover corned beef and rye bread? Add deli coleslaw and baked carrot chips. Leftover brownies are your dessert. THURSDAY: Another easy sandwich favorite is tonight’s French Dip Sandwiches. Heat slices of deli roast beef in au jus gravy. Serve on toasted split French bread with small bowls of gravy for dipping. Add oven fries and a packaged green salad. Chocolate ice cream is a welcome dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
FRIDAY: Keep it simple tonight with Ravioli With Peas and Pesto: Cook refrigerated cheese ravioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning (drained) and 1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil leaves. Place 2 cups tiny frozen green peas in a large colander. Drain ravioli over peas. Transfer mixture to a large serving bowl and toss with ¼ cup refrigerated basil pesto; top with tomato mixture. Season with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Serve with mixed greens and garlic bread. Pears are your dessert.
SATURDAY: Invite friends for Marinated Pork Roast (see recipe). Serve with Chickpeaand-Parsley Salad: Whisk together 2 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Add 1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (rinsed and drained), 1 pint halved grape tomatoes, 1 ½ cups finely chopped parsley and 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions. Toss to coat; serve. Add a red-tipped lettuce salad and sourdough bread to your meal. Make Chocolate Sundaes for dessert: Top leftover chocolate ice cream with warm hot fudge sauce. Add a dollop of whipped cream.
THE RECIPES Classic Corned Beef With Cabbage and Potatoes
1 corned beef brisket (2 ½ pounds)
1 medium head cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 wedges
8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, cut into wedges
½ pound carrots, cut into
1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons melted butter ½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place corned beef and 3 cups water in large stockpot or Dutch oven, fat side up. (If seasoning packet is included with corned beef, pour it over brisket after water is added.) Bring to a simmer. (Do not boil.) Cover tightly and cook in oven 2 ½ to 3 hours until fork-tender. Transfer brisket to cutting board, reserving any liquid; cover brisket with foil. Let stand 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 2 cups water reserved liquid in the pot used to cook the brisket. Place steamer basket in pot. (Liquid should not touch bottom of basket.) Place cabbage, potatoes and carrots in basket. Bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat and steam 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
Remove fat from brisket. Carve into thin slices across grain. Combine butter, salt and pepper in small bowl. Drizzle over vegetables. Serve brisket and vegetables together.
Makes 8 servings Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 372 calories, 23 g protein, 24 g fat, 15 g carbohydrate, 119 mg cholesterol, 1286 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1
Baked Chicken and Spaghetti
8 ounces spaghetti
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery ½ medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons butter
1 cup no-salt-added chicken broth
2 cups frozen tiny green peas, thawed
¼ teaspoon black pepper 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 (7 ½-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided use
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cover and microwave bell pepper, celery and onion on 100% power for 5 minutes or until softened; drain. Add butter, broth, peas and black pepper; microwave 3 minutes more. Stir in chicken, mushrooms and cooked spaghetti. Mix well. Divide mixture and spoon into two (8-by-8-inch) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle each with cheese. Cover and bake one casserole 20 minutes; uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Label, date and freeze the other casserole for a future meal.
Makes 8 servings (two 8-by8-inch casseroles).
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 284 calories, 25 g protein, 7 g fat, 30 g carbohydrate, 67 mg cholesterol, 318 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2
Marinated Pork Roast
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (about 1 ounce)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (4-pound) well-trimmed boneless rolled pork loin roast
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Combine wine, sugar, ketchup, 1/3 cup water, oil, garlic, soy sauce, curry powder, ginger and pepper in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; mix well. Add pork, seal, turn to coat and marinate in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight; turn occasionally.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove pork from marinade; reserve 2 cups. Bring reserved marinade to a boil; whisk in cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Pat pork dry and place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees in the thickest part. Remove from oven, let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve with reserved sauce.
Makes 16 (3-ounce) servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 194 calories, 26 g protein, 5 g fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 71 mg cholesterol, 184 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: ½