Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUSAN NICHOLSON
SUNDAY: Today, serve the family Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes (see recipe) for a flavorful entree. Add mixed greens and bread sticks. Enjoy lemon sorbet for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough chicken, potatoes and vegetables for Monday.
MONDAY: Make Stuffed Pitas tonight by chopping the leftover chicken and adding it and any leftover vegetables into whole-grain pitas lined with lettuce leaves. Top with sliced cucumber and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with a spinach salad and whole-grain crackers. Try tapioca pudding for dessert.
TUESDAY: What kid doesn’t like Chicken Fingers? Not this one! Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup panko crumbs, ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon EACH dried thyme and dried basil. Coat 1 pound chicken strips in cooking spray, then roll in crumb mixture. Place chicken on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake 20 minutes. Serve with frozen oven fries, celery sticks and dip, along with soft rolls. Peaches are good for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Enjoy the seasonings in Vegetable Chili. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine 1 medium red onion (chopped), 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped), 4 cloves garlic (minced) , 1 tablespoon chile powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (yes, cocoa powder), ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 (28-ounce) can undrained fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1 (15.5-ounce) can EACH black beans and kidney beans (rinsed), 1 (8-ounce) sweet potato (peeled and cut into ½-inch slices) and 1 cup water. Cover; cook on low 6 to 7 hours or until potatoes are tender and chili has thickened. Garnish with sour cream and sliced green onions. Serve with a
lettuce wedge and hard-cooked egg slices and whole-grain rolls. Fresh pineapple is good for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough chili for Friday.
THURSDAY: Pasta is a low-cost meal and easy to prepare, as is this Spaghetti With Parsley and Cheese. Cook 8 ounces wholegrain spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, combine 5 cloves garlic (minced) and 1/ cup
3 chopped flat-leaf parsley. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high for 1 minute. Add the parsley-garlic mixture; stir well to combine with the oil and remove skillet from heat. Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss well to coat. Add ¼ cup freshly grated Romano cheese and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Serve with a romaine salad and Italian bread. Orange sections are a simple dessert.
FRIDAY: Make it quick tonight and heat the leftover chili. Serve it over brown rice. Add a packaged green salad and cornbread. Keep dessert easy and serve pears.
SATURDAY: Tonight, serve your guests Sweet and Smoky “Pork and Beans” (see recipe). Serve the combo with broccoli florets, a red tip lettuce salad and baguettes. For dessert, try this fresh blueberry dessert, Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars (see recipe).
THE RECIPES Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 pound sweet or gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 (10-ounce) package brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 cup chopped onion
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, honey, olive oil, Dijon, garlic, salt and red pepper until blended. Place chicken in another bowl and add 3 tablespoons balsamic mixture, tossing until chicken is coated; let stand.
In another bowl, combine potatoes, brussels sprouts and onion and toss with remaining balsamic mixture until evenly coated. Arrange chicken in center of baking sheet. Arrange potato mixture on each side of chicken. Roast 40 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees and potatoes and vegetables are tender. Transfer to serving platter and drizzle any pan juices over chicken, potatoes and vegetables.
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 375 calories, 33 g protein, 11 g fat, 36 g carbohydrate, 125 mg cholesterol, 421 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2 ½
Sweet and Smoky “Pork
and Beans”
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as Thai Kitchen)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, divided use
¾ teaspoon garlic powder, divided use
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (1 ½-pound) pork tenderloin
2 slices diced bacon
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can adzuki beans or small red beans, rinsed 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Heat oven to 350.
In a small bowl, mix honey, fish sauce, lime juice, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and red pepper until well-blended. Brush on pork. Roast 25 to 30 minutes or until internal temperature is 150 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet on medium until crisp. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining paprika and garlic powder, ginger, salt and pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in beans. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Slice pork on an angle into thin slices; serve over bean mixture. Garnish with onions. Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with no salt-added tomato products and reduced-sodium beans) contains approximately 292 calories, 30 g protein, 6 g fat, 28 g carbohydrate, 80 mg cholesterol, 536 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2
Blueberry Oatmeal
Crumble Bars
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For crust and topping:
2 cups rolled oats
¾ cup flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons orange zest
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces butter, melted
In medium pan, stir together all filling ingredients. Bring to boil on medium-high 15 minutes, stirring often to reduce until mixture is thick and berries break down.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar, zest and baking soda; add butter and blend. Reserve ¾ cup mixture for topping. Transfer remaining mixture to a 9-by-9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Press firmly in bottom to form a crust. Spoon filling in an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining topping. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Makes 18 (1-by-2-inch) bars.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 172 calories, 2 g protein, 6 g fat, 29 g carbohydrate, 14 mg cholesterol, 61 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2