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04/28/2013

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

Gather the family for SMOKY CHIPOTLE POT ROAST (see recipe). Accompany the flavorful dish with CHILI BEANS and SLICED YELLOW SQUASH, along with CORNBREAD MUFFINS (from a mix). For dessert, top PINEAPPLE SORBET with toasted coconut.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough beef, beans and coconut for Monday.
Check out the recipe for this day!

Heat and Eat MONDAY
Slice and heat the leftover beef and make TEX-MEX WRAPS. Put the beef on warm corn tortillas along with sliced avocado, shredded lettuce and reduced-fat sour cream; roll and eat. On the side, add leftover CHILI BEANS, topped with chopped onions. Buy VANILLA CUPCAKES for dessert and sprinkle with leftover coconut.

Budget TUESDAY
Stretch the food dollar with FUSILLI WITH LENTILS, SAUSAGE AND TOMATOES (see recipe). Serve with a LETTUCE WEDGE and CRUSTY BREAD. PEARS are good for dessert.
Check out the recipe for this day!

Meatless WEDNESDAY
Make STUFFED POTATOES for dinner and skip meat. Bake large potatoes, slash the tops, squeeze ends, and top the potatoes with a heated mixture of 1 cup drained salsa, 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium black beans and 1 (11-ounce) can rinsed Mexicorn. Add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. Serve with a packaged CAESAR SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Scoop fat-free STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM for dessert.

Express THURSDAY
Make it quick tonight with this TURKEY REUBEN LOAF. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread bottom half of a split loaf of Italian bread with reduced-fat Russian dressing. Top with refrigerated rinsed and drained sauerkraut, deli sliced turkey and sliced Swiss cheese. Replace top, wrap in foil and bake 30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with DILL PICKLES and BAKED POTATO CHIPS. PLUMS are a light dessert.

Kids' FRIDAY
Surprise the kids with SPAGHETTI SUNDAES tonight. Cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to directions; drain. Fill 4 ice cream sundae glasses half full with the spaghetti. Divide 2 cups heated marinara sauce and pour over the spaghetti. Top with 1 or 2 frozen, thawed and heated meatballs and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Add a CHOPPED LETTUCE SALAD. Pop RED AND GREEN GRAPES into your mouth for dessert.

Entertaining SATURDAY
"Yum yum," said our guests, and yours will too when you serve them MEDITERRANEAN FLOUNDER (see recipe). Serve with ORZO tossed with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Add FRESH BROCCOLI and BAGUETTES. For dessert, make MIXED FRUIT CREPES. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas with 2 tablespoons half-and-half and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover the surface of 1 package (10 total) crepes with the mixture. Drain 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can peaches and 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pears. Cut the fruits into small pieces and lay over the banana mixture. Roll or fold the crepes and place on a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dot tops with butter and bake 15 minutes. Divide among serving plates and garnish with a dollop of light whipped cream.

TIP: Look for packaged crepes in the produce section.

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.