SUNDAY
Family
Serve Eastern Spice Chicken Bake, lettuce wedge, flatbread and pie.
The plan: Save enough chicken and leftover vegetables for Monday.
The list: chicken, onions, potatoes, allspice, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, lettuce, bread, pie.
MONDAY
Heat & Eat
Make whole-wheat pita sandwiches with the chopped leftover chicken mixed with plain yogurt, chopped cucumbers and red bell pepper. Line pita with lettuce leaf. Heat any leftover vegetables. Add deli tabbouleh.
The list: pitas, yogurt, cucumbers, bell pepper, lettuce, tabbouleh.
TUESDAY
Budget
Take ordinary Salisbury steak to new heights with roasted Salisbury steak with mushrooms. Heat oven to 425 F. Cut 12 ounces (of 16 ounces total) fresh mushrooms into halves; finely chop the remaining 4 ounces. To the halves, add 2 medium onions, each cut into 6 wedges. Combine finely chopped mushrooms with 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Form into 4 oval steaks. Gently toss mushroom halves and onion wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put steaks on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange mushrooms and onions around steaks. Roast 20 minutes or until steaks are cooked through and vegetables are tender, turning steaks once and stirring vegetables. Serve steaks topped with vegetables. Add corn on the cob, salad and wheat rolls.
The list: mushrooms, onions, beef, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, corn, salad, rolls.
WEDNESDAY
Meatless
Enjoy Sesame Noodles, bread sticks and lemon yogurt mixed with chopped peaches.
The list: mushrooms, noodles, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, pepper sauce, onions, sesame seeds, bread sticks, yogurt, peaches.
Thursday
Kids
Make kids happy with tomato mac ‘n’ beef. Heat skillet on medium-high; add 1 pound lean ground beef and 1/2 cup each finely chopped onion and finely chopped carrots. Cook 6 minutes; drain. Add 14-ounce can undrained diced tomatoes with mild green chilies and 1 cup water; boil. Stir in 1 cup elbow macaroni. Cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup 50 percent light shredded cheddar. Top with low-fat sour cream. Serve with celery sticks and dip and rolls. For dessert, stir bananas into instant chocolate pudding made with skim milk.
The list: beef, onion, carrots, tomatoes, pasta, cheese, sour cream, celery, dip, rolls, bananas, pudding, milk.
Friday
Express
Dinner is quick with egg salad on toasted whole-wheat English muffins. Top with tomatoes, lettuce and Canadian bacon. Add baked chips.
The list: egg salad, English muffins, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, chips.
Saturday
Easy Entertaining
Present Asian Flounder Bake, jasmine rice and broccoli salad. Dessert: blueberry pudding pie. Fill graham cracker crust nearly to top with fresh berries and spread with layer of vanilla pudding. Chill and serve.
The list: sherry, sugar, ginger, carrots, spinach, fish, onions, sesame seeds, rice, broccoli, lettuce, crust, berries, pudding.
Eastern Spice Chicken Bake
Yield: 6 servings.
6 to 8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 2 to 2 1/4 pounds)
3 medium onions, cut into 2-inch wedges
4 large potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon each: allspice, cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
4 medium peeled and quartered tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Put chicken, onions and potatoes in 4-quart ovenproof pan. Sprinkle with allspice, cinnamon, salt and red peppers; stir to coat well. Arrange chicken on top; add tomatoes around chicken. Coat chicken with cooking spray. Drizzle oil over all.
3. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover, reduce heat to 350 F. Continue baking 1 hour.
Nutrition information per serving
Calories 294 Fat 8 g (2 sat.)
Fiber 6 g Sodium 450 mg
Carbohydrate 38 g Protein 18 g
Sesame Noodles
Yield: 4 servings.
2 teaspoons canola oil
8-ounce package sliced white or crimini mushrooms
8 ounces thin rice noodles
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tablespoon each: rice wine vinegar, dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Hot pepper sauce to taste
1/4 cup green onions
Sesame seeds for garnish
1. In skillet, heat canola oil on medium until hot. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Prepare noodles according to directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid; rinse noodles under cold water.
3. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and pepper sauce until smooth; stir in reserved cooking liquid. Fold in onions, noodles and mushrooms. Top with sesame seeds.
Nutrition information per serving
Calories 380 Fat 14 g (2.3 sat.)
Fiber 3 g Sodium 789 mg
Carbohydrate 55 g Protein 9 g
Asian Flounder Bake
Yield: 4 servings.
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon each: sugar,
grated fresh ginger, dark sesame oil
10-ounce package shredded carrots
10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 (5- to 6-ounce) flounder fillets
1 thinly sliced green onion
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1. Heat oven to 450 F.
2. Mix soy sauce, sherry, sugar, ginger and oil.
3. In bottom of 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, spread carrots evenly. Spread spinach over carrots, then top with fish. Pour soy sauce mixture over flounder evenly. Bake 12-14 minutes or until fish turns opaque throughout. Sprinkle with green onions and top with sesame seeds.
Recipe note: Adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine.
Nutrition information per serving
Calories 198 Fat 4 g (0.8 sat.)
Fiber 3 g Sodium 788 mg
Carbohydrate 11 g Protein 27 g
