Sunday: Family
For a special family day, prepare GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN. Season a 1-pound pork tenderloin with coarse salt and pepper. Mix together 1/4 cup mustard and 3 tablespoons apricot preserves. Grill pork on medium for about 15 minutes, turning several times, or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees; brush with mustard mixture the last few minutes. Remove from grill and tent with foil; let stand 5 minutes and then slice.
Serve with BROWN RICE and BAGUETTES. Enjoy SLICED CUCUMBERS and ONIONS in Italian dressing. Make or buy a PEACH COBBLER for dessert.
Plan
Save enough cobbler for Monday.
Shopping List
pork tenderloin, coarse salt, pepper, mustard, apricot preserves, brown rice, baguettes, cucumbers, onions, Italian dressing, peach cobbler.
Monday: Budget
Keep food costs down with tasty QUICK GREEK STEW. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high and cook 1 pound lean ground beef for 5 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 (5- or 6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach leaves; cover and cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts.
Serve over COUSCOUS and garnish with toasted pine nuts. Add a LETTUCE WEDGE and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Heat the leftover COBBLER for dessert.
Plan
Marinate Tuesday's beef overnight.
Shopping List
lean ground beef, canned no-salt-added tomato sauce, cumin, coarse salt, dried oregano, cinnamon, packaged fresh baby spinach, couscous, pine nuts, lettuce, whole-grain rolls.
Tuesday: Family
Gather the family and celebrate the Fourth of July with SALSA BRISKET. Serve with CORN-ON-THE-COB, BAKED BEANS, COLESLAW and CRUSTY ROLLS.
Keep the festivities going with STAR-TOPPED BLUEBERRY PARFAITS. Cut a 10 3/4-ounce frozen low-fat poundcake loaf into 14 slices (1/4 inch thick); refreeze remaining cake. Spread 7 slices with 1/4 cup red fruit jelly or jam (any flavor); top with 7 plain slices. Trim and discard crusts of the 7 "sandwiches." With a 1 1/4-inch star cookie cutter, cut a shape from 4 sandwiches; set aside. Cut sandwich trimmings and remaining whole sandwiches into 3/4-inch squares.
Into 4 (8-ounce) parfait or wine glasses, place half the cake squares, 1 cup (2 cups total) fresh blueberries and 9 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt (from 2 (6-ounce) containers), dividing equally. Top with remaining cake squares and 1 cup blueberries. Spoon dollops of remaining yogurt on top of each parfait; top with a star and serve.
Plan
Save enough brisket and buy enough blueberries for Wednesday.
Shopping List
beef brisket, coarse salt, pepper, garlic powder, light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle or other salsa, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, coleslaw, crusty rolls, poundcake loaf, any flavor red fruit jelly or jam, fresh blueberries, low-fat vanilla yogurt.
SALSA BRISKET
Servings: makes 16 servings (3 ounces cooked weight)
Prep time: about 15 minutes; marinating time: overnight
Cook time: 5 to 6 hours
- 1 (5-pound) trimmed beef brisket
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups chipotle or other salsa
Season brisket with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and salsa; spread over brisket. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place brisket and marinade in a heavy pot. Bake, covered, 5 to 6 hours or until tender. Slice meat across grain and serve.
Per serving: 224 calories, 29 grams protein, 6 grams fat (27 percent calories from fat), 2.3 grams saturated fat, 11 grams carbohydrate, 88 milligrams cholesterol, 248 milligrams sodium, no fiber.
Wednesday: Heat and Eat
Enjoy yesterday's brisket in today's BRISKET SANDWICHES (use whole-grain buns). Add deli POTATO SALAD and SLICED LETTUCE AND TOMATOES to the meal. Leftover BLUEBERRIES are good for dessert.
Shopping List
whole-grain buns, deli potato salad, lettuce, tomatoes.
Thursday: Meatless
ZITI WITH CHARD gives a new flavor to pasta. Serve the slightly salty-flavored greens and pasta combo with SALAD GREENS and GARLIC BREAD. Fresh PLUMS are a light dessert.
Shopping List
ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta, olive oil, Swiss chard, garlic, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, lemon, coarse salt, black pepper, Romano or parmesan cheese, salad greens, garlic bread, fresh plums.
ZITI WITH CHARD
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes, plus pasta
- 8 ounces ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup shaved fresh Romano or parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add chard and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Combine chard mixture, pasta, tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, salt and pepper, tossing well. Top with cheese and serve.
Per serving: 353 calories, 11 grams protein, 11 grams fat (29 percent calories from fat), 1.9 grams saturated fat, 53 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 724 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Friday: Kids
Tell the kids they are having MUFFIN HEADS for dinner and watch them smile. Top each toasted English muffin half with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce and slices of 50 percent light cheddar cheese; broil until cheese is melted. Top with a silly vegetable face using halved red bell pepper rings (for the mouth), baby corn (for the nose), sliced black olives (for the eyes) and julienne carrots (for the hair).
Continue the fun with APPLE PIE IN A BOWL for dessert. In a small bowl, spoon alternating layers of chunky applesauce, vanilla low-fat yogurt and crumbled gingersnaps; dust with cinnamon.
Shopping List
English muffins, spaghetti sauce, 50 percent light cheddar cheese, red bell peppers, baby corn, black olives, carrots, chunky applesauce, vanilla low-fat yogurt, gingersnaps, cinnamon.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
You'll want to invite special friends over to enjoy CUMIN AND MUSTARD RACK OF LAMB AND WHITE BEAN SALAD. Serve it with BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD and SOURDOUGH BREAD. CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES is an outstanding dessert.
Shopping List
racks of lamb, Dijon mustard, whole cumin seeds, coarse salt, pepper, canned no-salt-added butter beans, celery, red chili pepper, sweet Peppadew peppers, fresh basil, lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, Boston lettuce, sourdough bread, cheesecake, fresh raspberries.
CUMIN AND MUSTARD RACK OF LAMB AND WHITE BEAN SALAD
Servings: makes 8 servings (2 ribs each serving)
Prep time: about 10 minutes
Cook time: about 25 minutes; standing time for lamb: 5 minutes
- 2 frenched lamb racks (about 2 pounds each)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- For the salad:
- 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added butter beans
- 3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 small red chili pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced sweet Peppadew peppers (see Note)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Carefully trim top layer of fat from lamb racks. Rub each rack with mustard. Sprinkle each rack with 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat gas grill to high; scrape grates clean and brush with oil. Place racks on grill, fat-side down; cook until browned and racks can be easily flipped, about 5 minutes. Flip racks; grill about 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook racks about 15 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees for medium-rare. Remove to clean plate; let rest 5 minutes. Carve racks into chops, carefully slicing between each bone.
For the salad: In a large bowl, combine beans, celery, chili pepper, Peppadew peppers, basil, lemon juice and oil; toss to combine. Top with extra basil and serve with lamb.
Note: According to Chowhound, "Cherry tomato–size, maraschino-red Peppadews are often available hulled, seeded and pickled in brine. ... They stay pretty crisp in the pickle brine, and the hot ones are about as spicy as pickled jalapenos, though with enough natural sweetness to balance the burn." Look for them in the pickle aisle at the supermarket.
Per serving: 323 calories, 33 grams protein, 13 grams fat (35 percent calories from fat), 3.5 grams saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 648 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.