Seven-Day Menu Planner
SUNDAY (FAMILY)
Your family likes your own
POT ROAST WITH POTATOES, CARROTS AND CELERY best, so make them happy and serve it for family day. Add a SPINACH SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy a CHERRY COBBLER for dessert and top it with a little VANILLA ICE CREAM.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough beef, vegetables and cobbler for Monday; save enough ice cream for Saturday.
TIP: Use a cooking bag with seasonings to make the pot roast preparation even easier.
SHOPPING LIST: pot roast, potatoes, carrots, celery, fresh spinach, whole-grain rolls, cherry cobbler, vanilla ice cream.
MONDAY (HEAT AND EAT)
Slice and heat the leftover beef and layer it on dense white bread. Top with beef gravy for OPENFACED BEEF SANDWICHES. Serve the leftover VEGETABLES on the side along with a MIXED GREEN SALAD. Warm the leftover COBBLER for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: dense white bread, beef gravy, mixed greens.
TUESDAY (MEATLESS)
Full-flavored and meatless, MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH PEAS (see recipe) is a delicious dinner. Add a ROMAINE SALAD and GARLIC BREAD on the side. Slice KIWIS for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: butter, assorted sliced fresh mushrooms (such as button, cremini, shiitake), onions or shallots, garlic, Arborio rice, unsalted vegetable broth, dry white wine, cracked black pepper, frozen peas, Asiago cheese, Italian parsley, romaine, garlic bread, kiwis.
WEDNESDAY (KIDS)
Make the kids happy with SLOPPY JOES (see recipe). Serve with RED POTATO WEDGES, buttered and roasted. Halved RED AND GREEN GRAPES are good for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: sweet onion, ground beef (93% lean or leaner), green bell pepper, unsalted tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard, coarse salt, whole-grain hamburger buns, dill pickle slices, coleslaw, sliced American or cheddar cheese (if desired), red potatoes, butter, red
and green grapes.
THURSDAY (EXPRESS)
Perk up ordinary chicken breasts and turn them into SANTA FE CHICKEN. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon Southwestern seasoning and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Brush mixture on both sides of chicken and bake 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Serve with canned reducedsodium BLACK BEANS,
YELLOW RICE (from mix) and SOURDOUGH BREAD. PEACHES are good for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooking spray, butter, Southwestern seasoning, lemon, canned reduced-sodium black beans, yellow rice mix, sourdough bread, peaches.
FRIDAY (BUDGET)
Buy or make EGG SALAD for SANDWICHES and spread on whole-grain toast. Add a little dill to the egg salad for a flavor boost. Garnish the sandwich with LEAF LETTUCE. Accompany the sandwiches with deli (or canned) TOMATO RICE SOUP. (If you have any leftover rice from Thursday, add it to the soup.) Finish with PLUMS.
SHOPPING LIST: egg salad, whole-grain bread, dill, leaf lettuce, deli (or canned) tomato rice soup, plums.
SATURDAY (ENTERTAIN THE FAMILY)
Invite friends for ITALIANSTYLE HALIBUT WITH TOMATOES AND WHITE
BEANS (see recipe). Serve with steamed fresh BROCCOLI SPEARS, SALAD GREENS and a BAGUETTE. Top leftover ICE CREAM with HOT FUDGE SAUCE for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: olive oil, green onions, garlic, canned diced tomatoes with basil, onions and oregano, canned reduced-sodium Great Northern or cannellini beans, red wine vinegar, fresh or dried basil, halibut or cod fillets, coarse salt, pepper, cooking spray, fresh broccoli, salad greens, baguette, hot fudge sauce.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlantabased cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com. Follow Susan on Twitter: @7DayMenu. The Menu Planner is also accessible at 7daymenuplanner.com. Read Susan’s blog: makingthemenu. com. And check out Susan’s book! “7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies” is on shelves now. Order yours on Amazon.com today!