Sunday: Family
Impress Mother with your cooking skills and prepare NOT YOUR MOM'S EGG CASSEROLE. Start with a glass of TOMATO JUICE and add a GREEN SALAD on the side. AMBROSIA always goes well as a sweet, along with a sweet mom-hug.
Shopping List
turkey breakfast sausage, kale, crusty bread (sourdough, baguette or ciabatta), 50 percent light cheddar cheese, 1 percent milk, eggs, coarse salt, cracked pepper, tomato juice, salad greens, ambrosia.
NOT YOUR MOM'S EGG CASSEROLE
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes; refrigeration time: overnight
Cook time: about 40 minutes
- 1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 4 cups cubed or torn crusty bread, such as sourdough, baguette or ciabatta
- 1 cup shredded 50 percent light cheddar cheese
- 2 cups 1 percent milk
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
In a large iron skillet on medium, cook sausage, stirring until browned. Stir in kale and cook 2 minutes more. Spoon mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add bread and cheese to dish. Toss to combine. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt and pepper until combined. Pour egg mixture evenly over sausage mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until eggs are set. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme, if desired. (Adapted from "The Minimalist Kitchen," Melissa Coleman, Oxmoor House.)
Per serving: 424 calories, 30 grams protein, 24 grams fat (50 percent calories from fat), 7.2 grams saturated fat, 24 grams carbohydrate, 321 milligrams cholesterol, 1024 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Monday: Express
Deli TUNA SALAD is a quick entree. Spread it on WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD and top with LETTUCE AND TOMATOES for a simple dinner. Serve with BAKED SWEET POTATO CHIPS, your favorite PICKLES and CARROT STICKS. Dessert is STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM.
Plan
Save enough ice cream for Tuesday.
Shopping List
deli tuna salad, whole-grain bread, lettuce, tomatoes, baked sweet potato chips, pickles, carrots, strawberry ice cream.
Tuesday: Kids
Remember your scouting days and treats like CAMPFIRE HOT DOGS? Heat canned baked beans and add a little browned lean ground beef along with some ketchup and mustard if you like. Meanwhile, cook 8 low-fat low-sodium hot dogs and arrange them in whole-grain hot dog buns. Spoon the bean-beef mixture over the hot dogs and garnish with light shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with CELERY BOATS stuffed with NEUFCHATEL CHEESE. Leftover ICE CREAM is good for dessert.
Shopping List
canned baked beans, lean ground beef, ketchup and mustard (optional), low-fat low-sodium hot dogs, whole-grain hot dog buns, light shredded cheddar cheese, celery, Neufchatel cheese.
Wednesday: Meatless
You certainly won't miss meat with this delicious FETTUCCINE ALFREDO. Accompany it with a ROMAINE SALAD and ITALIAN BREAD. FRESH TROPICAL FRUIT is good for dessert.
Shopping List
fettuccine or linguine, butter, garlic, flour, 1 percent milk, parmesan cheese, reduced-fat cream cheese, coarse salt, flatleaf parsley, cracked black pepper, romaine, Italian bread, fresh tropical fruit.
FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: less than 10 minutes
- 8 ounces fettuccine or linguine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/3 cups 1 percent milk
- 1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to directions; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons cooking water. Return water and pasta to pot. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup parmesan, cream cheese and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Garnish with parsley and pepper.
Per serving: 407 calories, 21 grams protein, 13 grams fat (30 percent calories from fat), 7.8 grams saturated fat, 50 grams carbohydrate, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 628 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Thursday: Wild Card
Even though my mother did not use a microwave and slow cooker like I do, I keep trying to duplicate her VEGETABLE AND BEEF SOUP. This one is the closest I've gotten. Serve it with a PIMENTO CHEESE TOAST: Toast any bread and spread with a lower-fat pimento cheese mixture. Enjoy PEACHES for dessert.
Plan
Save enough soup for Friday.
Shopping List
frozen lima beans, frozen mixed vegetables, baking potatoes, crinkle-cut carrots, celery, onion, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, dried marjoram, dried thyme, bay leaves, large beef bouillon cubes, beef stew meat, any bread, lower-fat pimento cheese mixture, peaches.
VEGETABLE AND BEEF SOUP
Servings: makes about 14 cups
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours on low
- 1 cup frozen lima beans (thawed)
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
- 2 medium baking potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup crinkle-cut carrots
- 3/4 cup sliced celery
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large beef bouillon cube, crushed
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Microwave lima beans and mixed vegetables 5 minutes on high (100 percent power); drain. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine vegetables, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, bouillon and water. Mix well. Add meat. Cook on low 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and ladle into bowls.
Note: Thin with extra broth or water if desired.
Per cup: 115 calories, 9 grams protein, 2 grams fat (19 percent calories from fat), 0.9 gram saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 120 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Friday: Heat and Eat
Leftover SOUP always tastes better the next day. Add a packaged CAESAR SALAD and CRACKERS. Buy an APPLE PIE for dessert.
Plan
Save enough pie for Saturday.
Shopping List
packaged Caesar salad, crackers, apple pie.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Serve guests SAVORY HERB PORK CHOPS. Rub any savory pork seasoning mixture on 4 pork chops. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Cook chops 3 to 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Serve with ROASTED RED POTATOES, CARROTS and ONIONS. Add GREEN BEANS, a SPINACH SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, warm the leftover PIE and top with a dab of VANILLA ICE CREAM.
Shopping List
any savory herb pork seasoning mixture, pork chops, canola oil, red potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, fresh spinach, whole-grain rolls, vanilla ice cream.