Sunday: Entertaining
Invite friends for the Super Bowl and start the fun with MEATBALL JALAPENO POPPERS. Pass around a deli VEGETABLE TRAY WITH DIPS. For the halftime entertainment, present your own CHILI, topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions. Add baked TORTILLA CHIPS. For an easy dessert, buy BROWNIES.
Plan
Save enough chili and brownies for Monday.
Shopping List
fresh jalapeno peppers, reduced-fat cream cheese, frozen fully cooked meatballs, bacon, deli vegetable tray with dips, ingredients for chili, cheddar cheese, green onions, baked tortilla chips, brownies.
MEATBALL JALAPENO POPPERS
Servings: makes 26 appetizers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes
- 13 medium fresh jalapeno peppers
- 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- 13 frozen, fully cooked meatballs (such as Casa Di Bertacchi or another brand), thawed and halved
- 13 slices uncooked bacon, halved
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Halve each pepper lengthwise, remove seeds, rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Divide and spread cheese in each pepper half. Place each meatball half, cut side down, on cheese. Wrap each pepper with bacon; secure with wooden pick. Place on baking sheet; bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bacon is browned. Serve immediately.
Per appetizer: 66 calories, 4 grams protein, 5 grams fat (72 percent calories from fat), 2.6 grams saturated fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, 14 milligrams cholesterol, 162 milligrams sodium, no fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Serve the leftover CHILI over TOASTED CORN MUFFINS. Buy or make the muffins; split and broil them 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Spoon the heated chili over the muffins. On the side, deli COLESLAW goes well. Leftover BROWNIES and SLICED PEACHES make a good dessert.
Plan
Save enough peaches for Tuesday.
Shopping List
corn muffins, deli coleslaw, peaches.
Tuesday: Express
Make SPAGHETTI WITH WHITE CLAM SAUCE for a quick meal. In a saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil; add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add 1 (10.5-ounce) can or 1 (12-ounce) jar clam sauce; heat through. Toss sauce with cooked spaghetti. Serve with a packaged GREENS SALAD and GARLIC TOAST. Leftover SLICED PEACHES are an easy dessert.
Shopping List
olive oil, garlic, canned or jarred clam sauce, spaghetti, packaged greens salad, garlic toast.
Wednesday: Budget
Soup is always a good way to stretch the budget, and HAM AND BLACK BEAN SOUP fits the bill. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup cubed cooked ham, 1 cup salsa, 1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans (rinsed) and 1 (14-ounce) can unsalted chicken broth. Bring to boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve with a SPINACH SALAD and CRACKERS. Try SLICED APPLES for dessert.
Shopping List
cubed cooked ham, salsa, canned reduced-sodium black beans, canned unsalted chicken broth, green onions, fresh spinach, crackers, apples.
Thursday: Kids
These HOT DOG SMILEY-FACE SANDWICHES will surely win over the kids. For each serving, cut 1 lowest-fat, lowest-sodium hot dog at 1/2-inch intervals almost completely through (leave 1/4 inch intact). Cook in small nonstick skillet on medium 3 to 4 minutes on each side until browned and hot dog has curled; remove from skillet.
Meanwhile, for each serving, place 1 slice 2-percent cheese on whole-grain bread slice. Place in skillet. Cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes over low or until cheese melts. Remove from skillet. Place hot dog on bread for mouth of "face." To complete the face, use sliced pimiento-stuffed olives for eyes, cherry tomato halves for the nose, small potato chips for ears and finely shredded lettuce for hair. Serve with baked WAFFLE FRIES (frozen). TROPICAL FRUIT is easy for dessert.
Shopping List
lowest-fat, lowest-sodium hot dogs, sliced 2-percent cheese, whole-grain bread, pimiento-stuffed olives, cherry tomatoes, potato chips, lettuce, frozen waffle fries, tropical fruit.
Friday: Meatless
Your no-meat dinner will be delicious tonight with ITALIAN WHITE BEANS. Serve over sliced POLENTA. Add a LETTUCE AND TOMATO SALAD and CRUSTY BREAD. PEARS are a simple dessert.
Tip
Your no-meat dinner will be delicious tonight with ITALIAN WHITE BEANS. Serve over sliced POLENTA. Add a LETTUCE AND TOMATO SALAD and CRUSTY BREAD. PEARS are a simple dessert.
Shopping List
olive oil, onion, crushed red pepper, garlic, bay leaves, canned reduced-sodium cannellini beans, white wine vinegar, coarse salt, black pepper, refrigerated or prepared polenta, lettuce, tomato, crusty bread, pears.
ITALIAN WHITE BEANS
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons water (see Note)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans reduced-sodium cannellini beans, rinsed
- 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion; cook 6 minutes. Add red pepper, garlic and bay leaves; cook 4 minutes. Stir in water and beans. Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves and serve.
Note: If beans become too dry, thin with broth or additional water.
Per serving: 178 calories, 7 grams protein, 6 grams fat (28 percent calories from fat), 0.6 gram saturated fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 207 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Serve guests BROILED FLOUNDER WITH LEMON. Heat broiler. Coat baking rack with cooking spray. Lay fish on rack and brush with olive oil; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Broil 2 to 3 inches from heat, 2 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness), until fish is just cooked through and edges flake with fork. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over fillets and serve immediately.
On the side, CREAMY BLUE CHEESE RICE WITH SPINACH AND WALNUTS is a worthy accompaniment. Add a BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD and BAGUETTES. RASPBERRY SORBET with BUTTER COOKIES is a simple dessert.
Shopping List
flounder, cooking spray, olive oil, coarse salt, pepper, lemons, packaged reduced-fat cream cheese, frozen chopped spinach, crumbled blue cheese, rice, walnuts, Boston lettuce, baguettes, raspberry sorbet, butter cookies.
CREAMY BLUE CHEESE RICE WITH SPINACH AND WALNUTS
Servings: makes 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: less than 15 minutes, plus rice and walnuts
- 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and undrained
- 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (see Note)
In a large skillet on medium, heat cream cheese and water; cook and stir 3 or 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Add spinach, blue cheese and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add rice; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through, Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and serve.
Note: To toast walnuts, heat oven to 350 degrees, spread on flat baking sheet, and bake 5 to 10 minutes or until golden.
Per serving: 256 calories, 10 grams protein, 15 grams fat (53 percent calories from fat), 7.2 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 31 milligrams cholesterol, 346 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.