Sunday: Family
Prepare a SPIRAL-SLICED HAM for family day. Serve with SWEET POTATO WEDGES: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges, coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 30 minutes or until tender; serve warm. Add deli BROCCOLI SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy a CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PIE for dessert.
Plan
Save enough ham, broccoli salad, rolls and pie for Monday.
Shopping List
spiral-sliced ham, butter, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, sweet potatoes, cooking spray, cinnamon, broccoli salad, whole-grain rolls, chocolate meringue pie.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Use the leftover ham and make HAM-STUFFED POTATOES. Serve with leftover BROCCOLI SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Slice the leftover PIE for dessert.
Shopping List
baking potatoes, butter, onion, garlic, reduced-fat sour cream, coarse salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, fresh chives.
HAM-STUFFED POTATOES
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 to 50 minutes
- 4 (10- to 12-ounce) baking potatoes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups chopped leftover ham (see NOTE)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish
- Chopped fresh chives for garnish
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave potatoes 15 to 18 minutes on high (100 percent power). Let stand 3 minutes. When potatoes are cool enough to touch, halve them lengthwise. Scoop out pulp and place in a bowl, leaving shells intact; set shells and pulp aside. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add ham, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Mash potato pulp; stir in ham mixture, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stuff shells; sprinkle with some parmesan cheese. Place potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until hot. Garnish with chopped fresh chives and serve.
Per serving: 475 calories, 27 grams protein, 16 grams fat (30 percent calories from fat), 7.1 grams saturated fat, 58 grams carbohydrate, 79 milligrams cholesterol, 1,285 milligrams sodium), 4 grams fiber.
Tuesday: Kids
The kids will be happy when you prepare CHICKEN TACOS. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoons salsa; set aside. Combine 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and 1/2 cup more salsa; microwave on high (100 percent power) 1 minute or until hot. Fill taco shells with chicken mixture, shredded lettuce, shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese and fresh cilantro leaves to taste; drizzle with sauce. Serve with CARROT SALAD. WATERMELON SLUSH for dessert is all about the kids. In a food processor, blend frozen chunks of watermelon with sugar and fresh lemon or lime juice to taste; process until smooth. Serve immediately.
Shopping List
low-fat mayonnaise, cumin, salsa, cooked chicken, taco shells, lettuce, shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese, fresh cilantro, carrot salad, watermelon, sugar, lemon or limes.
Wednesday: Meatless
Forget meat tonight and enjoy TORTELLINI SOUP. Cook 1 pound frozen tortellini in 6 cups unsalted vegetable broth. Add 1 pound chopped fresh broccoli rabe and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more or until tender. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a ROMAINE SALAD and CHEESE TOAST. Fresh PLUMS are for dessert.
Shopping List
frozen tortellini, unsalted vegetable broth, broccoli rabe, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, romaine, cheese and bread for toast, plums.
Thursday: Budget
BRATWURST WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS keeps the budget in line. Add a LETTUCE WEDGE. FRESH BLUEBERRIES are a summertime dessert.
Shopping List
red and yellow bell peppers, sweet onions, olive oil, black pepper, cooking spray, uncooked bratwurst sausages, hoagie rolls, lettuce, blueberries.
BRATWURST WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 50 minutes
- 2 large red bell peppers, cut into strips
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2 large sweet onions, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 uncooked bratwurst sausages (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 6 hoagie rolls, split and lightly toasted
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the bell peppers, onions, oil and black pepper; spread in an even layer on a heavy-duty foil-lined baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Pierce each sausage 6 times with a wooden pick. Place sausages 3 to 4 inches apart on top of pepper mixture. Bake for 40 minutes; increase temperature to broil. Broil 6 to 8 minutes, or until sausages are browned, turning sausages halfway through. Place 1 sausage in each roll; top with pepper mixture. (Adapted from One Sheet Eats, Time Inc. Books.)
Per serving: 524 calories, 19 grams protein, 30 grams fat (50 percent calories from fat), 9.4 grams saturated fat, 47 grams carbohydrate, 56 milligrams cholesterol, 965 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Friday: Express
Make it quick and call it PIZZA NIGHT! Buy single-serving cheese pizzas and everyone's favorite toppings to make it a personal pizza. Serve with packaged CAESAR SALAD. Fresh PEACHES are great for dessert.
Shopping List
single-serving cheese pizzas, the family's favorite toppings, packaged Caesar salad, fresh peaches.
Saturday: Wild Card
Make your guests feel special and serve them PAN-ASIAN ORANGE POACHED FISH. Serve with BROWN RICE tossed with toasted chopped PECANS, a BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD and SOURDOUGH BREAD. FRESH PINEAPPLE drizzled with ORANGE LIQUEUR (or HONEY) and sprinkled with shredded TOASTED COCONUT is a smashing dessert.
Shopping List
orange juice, limes, low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, green onions, fresh ginger, garlic, fresh cilantro, mahi-mahi or firm white fish such as halibut, broccoli florets, brown rice, chopped pecans, Boston lettuce, sourdough bread, fresh pineapple, orange liqueur or honey, coconut.
PAN-ASIAN ORANGE POACHED FISH
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 20 to 25 minutes; standing time: 2 to 3 minutes
- FOR THE POACHING LIQUID:
- 1 3/4 cups orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced green onion
- 2 tablespoons packed minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon packed minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon packed minced fresh cilantro
- FOR THE FISH:
- 4 (4-ounce) pieces mahi-mahi or other firm white fish, such as halibut
- 2 cups broccoli florets
In a large saute pan or skillet, combine all ingredients for poaching liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Place fish, skin side up, in pan. Poach (see Note) on low heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Turn fish, cover and poach 2 to 3 minutes more. Add broccoli, cover and poach 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit covered 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Note: To poach is to cook food gently in a liquid just below the boiling point.
Per serving: 125 calories, 23 grams protein, 1 gram fat (7 percent calories from fat), 0.2 gram saturated fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 213 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.