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04/14/2013

Plan your meals a week at a time or pick and choose your favorites. Each meal comes with a handy shopping list. Bon Appetite!

Family SUNDAY

The family will give their approval to your PECAN-COATED CHICKEN. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 4 chicken cutlets with a mixture of 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon each coarse salt and pepper; dip cutlets into 2 beaten egg whites. Next, cover chicken in 1 cup finely chopped pecans. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray, 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Serve with RICE and SCALLOPED CABBAGE (see recipe). Add CRUSTY ROLLS. Enjoy BLUEBERRY COBBLER for dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Prepare enough rice and freeze for Friday. Save enough cabbage and cobbler for Monday.
Check out the recipe for this day!

Express MONDAY
Buy and heat BRATWURST for a fast meal. Smear it with spicy brown mustard. Serve with quartered RED POTATOES tossed with butter and chopped fresh dill and the leftover SCALLOPED CABBAGE. Add RYE BREAD. Heat the leftover COBBLER for dessert.

Kids' TUESDAY
All the "kids" at our house enjoyed the sloppy Joe-like BARBECUE TURKEY AND BEANS (see recipe). We served it open-face over toasted whole-grain buns. Add frozen OVEN FRIES and deli CARROT SALAD. PEARS make a good dessert.

TIP: Adults might want to add sliced jalapeno peppers to their sandwiches.

PLAN AHEAD: If time permits, assemble tomorrow's lasagna tonight, and cover and refrigerate.
Check out the recipe for this day!

Meatless WEDNESDAY
LAZY LASAGNA works for me! Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 2 (15-ounce) containers fat-free or reduced-fat ricotta cheese, 4 beaten egg whites, 1 cup (2 cups total) fat-free or part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup (1/2 cup total) freshly grated parmesan cheese; mix well. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup (4 cups total) red pasta sauce. Layer 4 (12 total) uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 cup pasta sauce, 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining 4 noodles and 1 cup sauce. Cover with nonstick foil; bake 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Bake 10 more minutes; let stand 10 minutes.

Serve with a packaged ITALIAN SALAD and GARLIC BREAD. How about TAPIOCA PUDDING for dessert?

TIP: If the lasagna has been refrigerated, add about 10 minutes to the baking time.

PLAN AHEAD: Save half the lasagna for Thursday night.

Heat and Eat THURSDAY
You've done the work, now relax and reheat the leftover LASAGNA for an easy dinner. Serve with a packaged GREEN SALAD and ITALIAN BREAD. Add refreshing LEMON SHERBET for dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Refrigerate frozen rice to thaw for Friday.

Budget FRIDAY
Buy canned tomato soup (choose the lowest-sodium one) and add leftover rice for your own TOMATO RICE SOUP. We liked the soup with GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES and (any) pickles on the side. Make SUNDAES by spooning fresh STRAWBERRIES over fat-free chocolate ice cream.

Entertaining SATURDAY
Prepare ROSEMARY MARINATED LAMB CHOPS (see recipe) and serve with WHITE BEAN SALAD WITH MINT AND RED ONION. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup small diced red onion with 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar; let stand for 15 minutes. In medium bowl, mix the vinegar and onion with 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed white beans, 1/2 cup coarse chopped spearmint or mint leaves, 1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons each rinsed capers and extra-virgin olive oil and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix. (Adapted from "Fine Cooking Cook Fresh," Carolyn Mandarano, editor; The Taunton Press, Inc., 2013.)

Alongside, add fresh sliced ZUCCHINI and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy FRUIT TARTS for dessert.

Check out the recipe for this day!

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. E-mail Susan at menuplanner@mindspring.com.