Sunday: Family
For the family-day feast, HAM WITH APPLE RAISIN SAUCE is perfect.
Serve it with ROASTED SWEET POTATOES. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel 3 (8-ounce) sweet potatoes; cut into 8 wedges and halve crosswise. Toss with a little olive oil; season with coarse salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes, turn once and bake until brown and tender.
Serve with BAKED VIDALIA ONIONS. Trim tops and bottoms, leaving enough of the roots to hold onions together; cut an "X" in center of tops. Cover and microwave on high (100 percent power), 6 minutes per pound. Let stand 3 minutes. Drizzle with butter and serve.
Add DINNER ROLLS. For dessert, top ANGEL FOOD CAKE with PINEAPPLE SHERBET.
Plan
Save enough cake for Monday.
Shopping List
flour, apple, apple juice, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, boneless fully cooked ham, whole cloves, sweet potatoes to roast, olive oil, coarse salt, pepper, Vidalia onions, butter, dinner rolls, angel food cake, pineapple sherbet.
Monday: Family/Memorial Day
Celebrate Memorial Day and start the official grilling season with your own GRILLED STEAK. CORN-ON-THE-COB and deli COLESLAW will make this a "here comes summer" meal.
For dessert, top the leftover CAKE with BLUEBERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES for a red-white-and-blue kind of day.
Plan
Save enough coleslaw for Tuesday.
Shopping List
steaks to grill, corn-on-the-cob, deli coleslaw, blueberries, strawberries.
Tuesday: Express
Buy refrigerated or frozen SALMON PATTIES (follow the package directions) for a quick meal. Garnish with low-fat TARTAR SAUCE. Serve with frozen OVEN FRIES, leftover COLESLAW and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS alongside. For dessert, scoop fat-free STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM.
Plan
Save enough ice cream for Friday.
Shopping List
refrigerated or frozen salmon patties, low-fat tartar sauce, frozen oven fries, whole-grain rolls, fat-free strawberry ice cream.
Wednesday: Budget
"Low price, high flavor" is a good way to describe SPINACH AND BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD. Cook 4 strips of bacon until crisp; crumble. Combine 1 pound fresh spinach leaves, 2 (15-ounce) cans rinsed black-eyed peas, 2 medium tomatoes (cut into wedges) and 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion; toss with 1/4 cup vinaigrette dressing. Sprinkle with the bacon.
Serve with deli SOUP. Make CORNBREAD from a mix. For dessert, PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES add some interest.
Shopping List
bacon, fresh spinach, canned black-eyed peas, tomatoes, red onion, vinaigrette dressing, any deli soup, cornbread mix, peanut butter cookies.
Thursday: Meatless
Enjoy WHOLE-WHEAT FUSILLI WITH SPICY ESCAROLE, TOMATOES AND OLIVES. Add GARLIC BREAD. For dessert, PEAR HALVES garnished with low-fat ricotta cheese is simple.
Shopping List
escarole, garlic, crushed red pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives or other imported olives, whole-wheat fusilli, pecorino-Romano cheese, garlic bread, pear halves, low-fat ricotta cheese.
Friday: Kids
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy TEX-MEX QUESADILLAS. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. Place 2 fat-free whole-grain tortillas on each sheet. Combine 1 1/4 cups canned, rinsed, reduced-sodium black beans, 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese. Divide the mixture among the tortillas. Press a second tortilla on top of each quesadilla. Bake 10 minutes or until quesadillas are crisp and lightly browned. Carefully turn and bake 5 more minutes. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Garnish with reduced-fat sour cream and salsa.
Serve with RICE. Add CELERY STICKS to dip into light ranch dressing. Teach the kids how to make their own ICE CREAM SANDWICHES with soft chocolate cookies and leftover ice cream.
Shopping List
cooking spray, fat-free whole-grain tortillas, canned reduced-sodium black beans, carrots, reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, reduced-fat sour cream, salsa, rice, celery sticks, light ranch dressing, soft chocolate cookies.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Your guests will enjoy GRILLED CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS AND PEAS.
Serve the pretty dish with a CUCUMBER AND BEET SALAD. Thinly slice a seeded cucumber. Toss with drained pickled beets and low-fat yogurt to coat. Add SOURDOUGH ROLLS.
For dessert, TROPICAL AMBROSIA is heavenly. In a medium serving bowl, toss together 2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks and 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves; stir occasionally. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut and 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts.
Shopping List
apricot or peach preserves, coarse-grain or Dijon mustard, ground ginger, garlic-flavored cooking spray, chicken cutlets, coarse salt, pepper, fat-free chicken broth, frozen petite green peas, couscous, slivered almonds, cucumber, pickled beets, low-fat yogurt, sourdough rolls, fresh pineapple chunks, sugar, sweetened flaked coconut, macadamia nuts.