Sunday: Family
Serve the family your own ROAST CHICKEN with BROWN RICE and GRAVY today. Alongside, try delicious APPLE FENNEL REMOULADE, steamed fresh BROCCOLI SPEARS and DINNER ROLLS. For dessert, buy a BLUEBERRY CRISP (frozen).
Plan
Save enough chicken, rice, gravy and crisp for Monday.
Shopping List
chicken to roast, brown rice, gravy, low-fat mayonnaise, whole-grain mustard, lemons, capers, fennel, celery, apple, salt, pepper, broccoli, dinner rolls, blueberry crisp.
APPLE FENNEL REMOULADE
Servings: makes 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: none
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons rinsed capers plus 1 tablespoon brine
- 1 fennel bulb
- 4 celery ribs, sliced thinly on bias
- 1 apple, cored and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fennel fronds, minced
Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and brine together in a large bowl. Halve fennel bulb; core and slice thinly crosswise. Add fennel bulb, celery, apple and capers to bowl; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with fronds and serve. (Adapted from "Modern Bistro," America’s Test Kitchen.)
Per serving: 47 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram fat (14% calories from fat), no saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 195 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Make OPEN-FACE CHICKEN SANDWICHES for a quick meal. Place slices of leftover chicken over dense white bread and cover with hot leftover GRAVY. Add the leftover RICE along with a SPINACH SALAD on the side. The leftover CRISP is dessert.
Shopping List
dense white bread, fresh spinach.
Tuesday: Kids
This BAKED ZITI-BEEF CASSEROLE is just right for kids: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large nonstick skillet, cook 1/2 pound lean ground beef and 1 small chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia) on medium for 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add 1 chopped medium zucchini; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano and coarse salt and pepper to taste; bring to a boil. Toss with 8 ounces cooked ziti pasta. Spoon into baking dish; cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 3/4 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with CELERY STICKS and DIP, along with SOFT ROLLS. APPLE SLICES are good for dessert.
Shopping List
cooking spray, lean ground beef, sweet onion (such as Vidalia or another variety), zucchini, canned no-salt-added tomato sauce, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, dried oregano, coarse salt, pepper, ziti pasta, part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, celery, dip, soft rolls, apples.
Wednesday: Meatless
Enjoy the Indian spices in CHICKPEA STEW. Serve the aromatic combo over BASMATI RICE. Add a LETTUCE WEDGE and FLATBREAD. For dessert, APRICOTS are easy.
Shopping List
olive oil, onion, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, sugar, curry powder, coarse salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, canned reduced-sodium chickpeas, garam masala, fresh cilantro, basmati rice, lettuce, flatbread, apricots.
CHICKPEA STEW
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: less than 25 minutes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chickpeas, rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, curry powder, salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chickpeas and garam masala; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle each serving with cilantro.
Per serving: 313 calories, 14 grams protein, 5 grams fat (16% calories from fat), 0.5 gram saturated fat, 49 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 316 milligrams sodium, 11 grams fiber.
Thursday: Budget
Pasta is a low-cost meal and easy to prepare, like this SPAGHETTI WITH PARSLEY AND CHEESE: Cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to directions; drain. Meanwhile, combine 5 minced cloves garlic and 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high for 1 minute. Add the parsley-garlic mixture. Stir well to combine with the oil; remove skillet from heat. Add cooked pasta to skillet; toss well to coat. Add 1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese, plus coarse salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
Serve with a ROMAINE SALAD and GARLIC BREAD. Fresh PINEAPPLE is a simple dessert.
Shopping List
spaghetti, garlic, fresh flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, Romano cheese, coarse salt, pepper, romaine, garlic bread, fresh pineapple.
Friday: Express
Make it quick tonight with SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN MELTS: In a medium bowl, mix together 4 to 5 ounces (half a package) Southwestern-flavored cooked sliced chicken breast, 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise. Spoon mixture onto 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas; top each with 2 slices tomato and 1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve with canned CHILI BEANS and GUACAMOLE. Make instant BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING with 1% milk for dessert.
Shopping List
packaged Southwestern-flavored cooked sliced chicken breast, salsa, low-fat mayonnaise, corn tortillas, tomatoes, Monterey jack cheese, canned chili beans, guacamole, instant butterscotch pudding, 1% milk.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Tonight, serve your guests HONEY-AND-SPICE-GLAZED PORK CHOPS, along with MASHED SWEET POTATOES (fresh or refrigerated) and STEAMED FRESH SNOW PEAS. Add a BIBB LETTUCE SALAD and a BAGUETTE. Buy FRUIT TARTS for dessert.
Shopping List
honey, Dijon mustard, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, boneless center-cut loin pork chops, coarse salt, pepper, sweet potatoes to mash or refrigerated, fresh snow peas, bibb lettuce, baguette, fruit tarts.
HONEY-AND-SPICE-GLAZED PORK CHOPS
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: less than 10 minutes
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine honey, mustard, ginger, cinnamon and cloves; mix well and set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, turning chops once. Serve chops with sauce.
Per serving: 198 calories, 19 grams protein, 6 grams fat (25% calories from fat), 1.5 grams saturated fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 57 milligrams cholesterol, 433 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.