Sunday: Family
Serve the family your own (5- to 7-pound) ROAST CHICKEN today. Alongside, add WHITE BEANS WITH LEMON, FENNEL AND AVOCADO. Add MIXED GREENS and CRUSTY ROLLS. Buy a CARROT CAKE for dessert.
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Plan
Save enough chicken and cake for Monday.
Shopping List
large chicken to roast, cooked or canned cannellini beans, bulb fennel, grape tomatoes, red onion, flatleaf parsley, kalamata olives, olive oil, lemon, fresh basil, coarse salt, black pepper, avocados, salad greens, crusty rolls, carrot cake.
WHITE BEANS WITH LEMON, FENNEL AND AVOCADO
Servings: Makes 10 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
- 3 cups rinsed cooked or canned cannellini beans
- 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and shredded
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped flatleaf parsley
- 1/4 cup pitted sliced kalamata olives
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 diced avocados
In a large bowl, combine the beans, fennel, tomatoes, onion, parsley and olives. In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice and basil to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to bean mixture and toss to coat. Fold in the avocado and serve immediately. (Adapted from "Vegetarian Cooking at Home With the Culinary Institute of America," Katherine Polenz; Wiley Publishing, 2012.)
Per serving: 187 calories, 5 grams protein, 12 grams fat (54% calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 18 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 112 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Monday: Budget
Economical SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN AND BARLEY SOUP is easy to prepare. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large saucepan on medium. Add 2 cups chopped onion; cook 7 minutes or until softened. Add 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth and 2 cups water; bring to boil. Stir in 1 cup quick-cooking barley and 1 tablespoon chili powder; simmer 5 minutes. Add 4 cups frozen mixed corn, green beans and peas (or any vegetable mixture); cover and simmer 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in 3 to 4 cups shredded leftover chicken, 2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; heat through. (Adapted from Woman's Day magazine.)
Serve the flavorful soup with an AVOCADO SALAD and TOASTED WHOLE-GRAIN ENGLISH MUFFINS. Leftover CAKE works for dessert.
Plan
Save enough soup for Tuesday.
Shopping List
canola oil, onion, fat-free chicken broth, quick-cooking barley, chili powder, frozen mixed corn, green beans and peas (or any vegetable mixture), canned diced tomatoes and green chiles, fresh cilantro, avocados, lettuce, whole-grain English muffins.
Tuesday: Heat and Eat
You can relax because dinner is ready as soon as you reheat the leftover SOUP. Serve the soup with GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES and add a LETTUCE WEDGE. Juicy PEACHES are dessert.
Shopping List
bread and cheese for sandwiches, lettuce, peaches.
Wednesday: Express
Make it quick and colorful tonight with TUNA-STUFFED AVOCADOS. Buy deli tuna salad and spoon into center of half an avocado. Garnish with a little paprika. Add TOMATO WEDGES and DEVILED EGGS to the plate with a WHOLE-GRAIN ROLL. For dessert, fresh RASPBERRIES are in season. Top them with a little light whipped cream.
Tip
Make it quick and colorful tonight with TUNA-STUFFED AVOCADOS. Buy deli tuna salad and spoon into center of half an avocado. Garnish with a little paprika. Add TOMATO WEDGES and DEVILED EGGS to the plate with a WHOLE-GRAIN ROLL. For dessert, fresh RASPBERRIES are in season. Top them with a little light whipped cream.
Shopping List
deli tuna salad, avocados, paprika, tomatoes, deviled eggs, whole-grain rolls, fresh raspberries, light whipped cream.
Thursday: Meatless
For a unique no-meat dinner, serve ROASTED ZUCCHINI WITH ALMONDS AND OLIVES over BROWN RICE. Add a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, top FRESH PINEAPPLE with TOASTED COCONUT.
Shopping List
zucchini, coarse salt, olive oil, garlic, pimento-stuffed green olives, whole almonds, brown rice, salad greens, whole-grain rolls, fresh pineapple, coconut.
ROASTED ZUCCHINI WITH ALMONDS AND OLIVES
Servings: Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes; standing time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
- 5 medium zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarsely
- 1/4 cup whole almonds, chopped coarsely
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strips and put into medium bowl. Add salt and toss. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add oil, garlic, olives and almonds; toss lightly. Arrange in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 161 calories, 5 grams protein, 13 grams fat (66% calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 371 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Friday: Kids
Make the kids feel special and prepare LAYERED BLACK BEAN AND TORTILLA BAKE. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium black beans, 1 (8-ounce) can rinsed corn and 1 (10-ounce) can drained mild diced tomatoes and green chiles. In an 8-by-8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, place 1 cup lightly crushed tortilla chips (baked or regular) and half the bean mixture. Repeat layer. Top with 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese melts and casserole is heated through. Serve with a CHOPPED LETTUCE SALAD.
For dessert, what kid could resist S'MORE SUNDAES? For one sundae, sprinkle the bottom of a sundae dish with crushed graham crackers. Top with 1 small scoop of fat-free chocolate ice cream. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup miniature marshmallows and more graham cracker crumbs. Top with another small scoop of ice cream; drizzle with warm chocolate syrup and more marshmallows.
Shopping List
canned reduced-sodium black beans, canned corn, canned mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, cooking spray, baked or regular tortilla chips, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, graham crackers, fat-free chocolate ice cream, miniature marshmallows, chocolate syrup.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Your guests will feel extra-special when you serve them MEDITERRANEAN STEAK WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO ORZO. Add a SPINACH SALAD and BAGUETTES.
For dessert, ICE CREAM SOUP is fun. Stir 1 pint slightly softened fat-free strawberry ice cream in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour 1/2 cup into each of 4 small bowls, top each with 1/4 cup any fresh fruit and serve.
Shopping List
boneless beef top sirloin steak, pepper, coarse salt, lower-sodium beef broth, dry red wine, plum tomatoes, capers, garlic, orzo pasta, asparagus, fresh spinach, baguettes, fat-free strawberry ice cream, any fresh fruit.
MEDITERRANEAN STEAK WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO ORZO
Servings: Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 to 25 minutes, plus orzo
- 1 boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1-inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Coarse salt to taste
- 1/3 cup lower-sodium beef broth
- 1/3 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups diced plum tomatoes
- 4 teaspoons capers
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
Press pepper evenly onto steak. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium until hot. Place steak in skillet; cook 12 to 16 minutes for medium-rare to medium-doneness, turning occasionally. Add salt to taste. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Add broth and wine to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to skillet are dissolved. Add tomatoes, capers and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 7 minutes or until thickened.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Add asparagus during last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain. Toss with half the tomato mixture. Carve steak crosswise into slices. Serve steak over pasta. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over steak.
Per serving: 404 calories, 41 grams protein, 8 grams fat (17% calories from fat), 2.7 grams saturated fat, 38 grams carbohydrate, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 173 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.