Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families SUNDAY:
Family day is always special, but you can make it extra-special with Pomegranate Steak (see recipe) and Quinoa. For quinoa: Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups lower-sodium beef broth as directed on package. Stir in 1 cup thinly sliced fresh baby spinach, ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries and ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts. Serve with fresh broccoli spears, a mixed green salad and wholegrain rolls. Buy a carrot cake for dessert.
Plan ahead: Prepare 1 extra steak for Monday. Save enough cake for Tuesday.
MONDAY:
Nothing warms us more on a cold day than Vegetable Beef Soup: In a large pot, combine 6 cups multi-vegetable juice (such as less-sodium V-8), 1 (14-ounce) can lower-sodium beef broth, ½ packet dry onion-mushroom soup mix, 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables and 3 medium baking potatoes (cubed). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add the leftover chopped steak and heat through. Serve with a romaine salad and sesame bread sticks. Fresh orange sections are good for dessert.
TUESDAY:
Tonight’s no-meat dinner, Creamy Pasta With Tomatoes, gets to the table in a hurry. Cook 12 ounces linguine according to package directions; reserve ½ cup cooking water and drain pasta. Return pasta to pot; add 4 ounces refrigerated light garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (softened), the reserved water and 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved); toss until cheese melts and coats pasta and tomatoes. Serve immediately with a spinach salad and garlic bread. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.
WEDNESDAY:
You won’t know you’re saving money, because the flavor of Hungarian Beef Stew (see recipe) is so rich. Serve it over egg noodles along with a lettuce wedge and crusty bread. Strawberries are a light dessert.
THURSDAY:
Try an Asian quick noodle bowl (one bowl might serve two, depending on the size). If you have any leftover vegetables or chopped chicken, add to the noodles. Accompany the bowls with a packaged green salad and whole-grain rolls. Fresh pineapple is an easy dessert.
FRIDAY:
The kids will think it’s their lucky night when you serve them Mac ’n’ Cheese Soup: Bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil in medium pan. Add shells from 1 (12-ounce) package of macaroni-and-cheese; cook 7 to 10 minutes or until shells are tender; do not drain. Stir in cheese packet, 2 cups milk, 1 cup frozen green peas and 4 thinly sliced hot dogs. Cook 5 to 8 minutes or until soup is heated through. Serve with celery and red bell pepper sticks and a dip, along with soft rolls. Apple slices are good for a crunchy dessert.
SATURDAY:
If you can’t take your guests to the South of France for dinner, serve them Broiled Grouper With Provencal Vegetables (see recipe) instead. Serve the fish with brown rice, sugar snap peas and a baguette. For dessert, peach sorbet and chocolate wafer cookies are just right.
THE RECIPES Pomegranate Steak
1 cup pomegranate juice ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
leaves, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon ground black
pepper
2 boneless beef strip steaks (about 8 ounces each), cut ¾ inch thick
2 ounces goat cheese,
crumbled
In a medium bowl, combine juice, vinegar, rosemary, thyme, oil, garlic, mustard and pepper. Reserve ¾ cup for basting sauce. Place steaks in remaining marinade in resealable plastic; turn to coat. Close and refrigerate 15 minutes to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, pour reserved sauce into small saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cook 15 to 20 minutes or until reduced by half and slightly thickened; stir occasionally. Set aside. Remove steaks and discard marinade.
Prepare grill for medium heat. Grill steaks, covered, 7 to 10 minutes on medium for medium rare (135 degrees) to medium well doneness (150 degrees), turning occasionally and basting with sauce. Makes 4 servings.
Note: To cook in a grill pan, heat nonstick grill pan on medium. Cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally and basting with sauce.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 240 calories, 27 g protein, 13 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, 83 mg cholesterol, 123 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0
Hungarian Beef Stew
1 ¼ pounds beef stew meat, cubed
1 pound fresh carrots, sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
½ cup dry red wine
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (0.9-ounce) package dry onion-mushroom soup mix
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 cup sour cream
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine beef, carrots, onions, cabbage, red wine, 1 ½ cups water, tomato paste, soup mix, paprika and caraway seeds; mix well. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Turn off cooker; stir in sour cream.
Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with no salt-added tomato paste and reduced-fat sour cream) contains approximately 227 calories, 17 g protein, 9 g fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 60 mg cholesterol, 332 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1
Broiled Grouper With Provencal Vegetables
2 cups thinly sliced fennel (about 1 medium bulb)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
12 nicoise olives, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ teaspoon coarse salt, divided use
½ teaspoon pepper, divided use
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 (6-ounce) grouper filets (about 1 inch thick)
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine fennel, orange juice, olives and tomatoes; add half the salt and pepper; toss to mix. Spoon mixture into bottom of broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes; stir once. Combine remaining salt and pepper, oil and garlic; brush evenly over fish. Remove pan from oven. Place fish on rack of pan coated with cooking spray; place rack over fennel. Bake 10 minutes or until fish flakes and is opaque throughout. Serve fish with sauce.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with no salt-added tomatoes) contains approximately 271 calories, 35 g protein, 7 g fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 63 mg cholesterol, 556 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1