Sunday: Family
Family Day is always special, so make it extra-special with BEEF AND GREEN OLIVE STEW. Serve the savory dish over your MASHED POTATOES. Add a SPINACH SALAD and CRUSTY ROLLS on the side. How about STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM for dessert?
Plan
Save enough stew for Monday and enough ice cream for Thursday.
Shopping List
flour, black pepper, cayenne pepper, beef stew meat, canola oil, onion, dried oregano, fennel seeds, red wine, canned reduced-sodium beef broth, canned no-salt-added garlic-seasoned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, jar green olives with pimentos, potatoes to mash, fresh spinach, crusty rolls, strawberry ice cream.
BEEF AND GREEN OLIVE STEW
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 4 to 6 hours on high, or 7 to 9 hours on low
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added garlic-seasoned diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 (7-ounce) jar green olives with pimentos, drained
Combine flour, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Lightly coat beef with flour mixture. Coat bottom of a 4-quart or larger slow cooker with oil; add beef, onions, oregano, fennel, wine, beef broth, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir until combined. Cook on high 4 to 6 hours, or on low 8 to 10 hours. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.) Stir in olives and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes; serve.
Per serving: 296 calories, 25 grams protein, 14 grams fat (43% calories from fat), 3.6 grams saturated fat, 14 grams carbohydrate, 71 milligrams cholesterol, 809 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Enjoy the leftover STEW for an easy meal. For a little variety, serve it over BROWN RICE this time. Add a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. Enjoy SLICED ORANGES for dessert.
Shopping List
brown rice, mixed greens, whole-grain bread, oranges.
Tuesday: Meatless
Tonight's no-meat dinner, PENNE PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND CHICKPEAS, has lots of flavor and is easy to prepare. Serve it with a LETTUCE WEDGE and GARLIC BREAD. For dessert, make instant CHOCOLATE PUDDING with 1% milk. Slice a banana and stir it into the pudding for some extra flavor.
Shopping List
olive oil, sweet onion (such as Vidalia), escarole, golden raisins, multigrain penne pasta, canned reduced-sodium chickpeas, Parmesan cheese, lettuce, garlic bread, instant chocolate pudding, 1% milk, bananas.
PENNE PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND CHICKPEAS
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 25 minutes, plus pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced
- 1 large bunch of escarole, torn into pieces
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 8 ounces multigrain penne pasta
- 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chickpeas, lightly drained
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add onion; cook 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Add escarole and raisins; cook, turning occasionally about 3 minutes or until leaves are tender and stem ends still crunchy. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions; drain and return pasta to pot. To escarole mixture, add chickpeas with some liquid. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until heated through. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.
Per serving: 378 calories, 14 grams protein, 6 grams fat (15% calories from fat), 0.5 gram saturated fat, 70 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 303 milligrams sodium, 13 grams fiber.
Wednesday: Budget
You won't know you're saving money, because the flavor of PUEBLO POSOLE WITH PORK AND GREEN CHILIES is so rich. Serve it with a ROMAINE SALAD and CORNBREAD (from mix). STRAWBERRIES are a light dessert.
Shopping List
canola oil, onions, garlic, Mexican or other dried oregano, cumin, boneless pork shoulder, unsalted chicken broth, coarse salt, canned whole white or yellow hominy, canned chopped green chilies, romaine, cornbread mix, strawberries.
PUEBLO POSOLE WITH PORK AND GREEN CHILIES
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 2 hours and 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican or other dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 5 1/4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 (15-ounce) cans whole white or yellow hominy, rinsed
- 1 to 2 (7-ounce) cans chopped green chilies, drained (see NOTE)
In a Dutch oven, heat oil 1 minute on medium-high. Add onions, garlic, oregano and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Add pork, broth, water and salt. Adjust heat so liquid barely ripples; cover and simmer slowly 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally or until pork is nearly tender. Mix in hominy and chilies and simmer, uncovered, until pork is fork-tender and liquid is reduced slightly, about 30 minutes more. Serve warm.
NOTE: The more chilies, the spicier the dish will be.
Per serving: 356 calories, 34 grams protein, 10 grams fat (27% calories from fat), 2.2 grams saturated fat, 31 grams carbohydrate, 94 milligrams cholesterol, 1,113 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Thursday: Express
Give yourself a break tonight and serve your favorite ROTISSERIE CHICKEN. Alongside, how about O’BRIEN POTATOES (from frozen), a packaged CAESAR SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS? Scoop some leftover ICE CREAM for dessert.
Shopping List
any rotisserie chicken, frozen O’Brien potatoes, packaged Caesar salad, whole-grain rolls.
Friday: Kids
Treat the kids to all-beef or turkey hot dogs with the lowest fat and sodium. Serve the dogs in whole-grain buns. Add BAKED CHIPS. Alongside, spread peanut butter on CELERY STICKS to munch on. APPLE SLICES are good for dessert.
Shopping List
all-beef or turkey hot dogs (lowest fat and lowest sodium), whole-grain hot dog buns, baked chips, peanut butter, celery, apples.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Invite your favorite friends for MUSTARD-CRUSTED SALMON: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 4 (4 to 6 ounces each) salmon fillets skin side down on a rimmed, foil-lined baking pan. In a small bowl, mix together 2 to 3 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard and 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup. Spread over each fillet; sprinkle panko breadcrumbs over the mustard mixture. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (according to thickness) or until salmon is opaque in center.
Serve with ROASTED RED POTATOES, SAUTEED SPINACH, a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, PEACH SORBET and CHOCOLATE WAFER COOKIES are a perfect combo.
Tip
Invite your favorite friends for MUSTARD-CRUSTED SALMON: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 4 (4 to 6 ounces each) salmon fillets skin side down on a rimmed, foil-lined baking pan. In a small bowl, mix together 2 to 3 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard and 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup. Spread over each fillet; sprinkle panko breadcrumbs over the mustard mixture. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (according to thickness) or until salmon is opaque in center.
Serve with ROASTED RED POTATOES, SAUTEED SPINACH, a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, PEACH SORBET and CHOCOLATE WAFER COOKIES are a perfect combo.
Shopping List
salmon fillets, coarse-grain mustard, maple syrup, panko breadcrumbs, red potatoes, spinach, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, peach sorbet, chocolate wafer cookies.