Sunday: Family
Make an oldie but goody family favorite for today's gathering: SWISS STEAK. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 2 pounds (1/2-inch thick) boneless beef round steak (visible fat removed) into 8 serving-size pieces. Place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with 1 thinly sliced medium onion, 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms and 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce. Cover and bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until steak is tender. Serve with your own MASHED POTATOES, GREEN BEANS, MIXED GREENS and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, this CINNAMON APPLE TART is hard to resist.
Plan
Save enough steak and sauce for Monday; save enough tart for Wednesday.
Shopping List
boneless beef round steak, cooking spray, pepper, onion, sliced fresh mushrooms, canned no-salt-added tomato sauce, potatoes to mash, green beans, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, refrigerated pie crust, frozen cinnamon apples, lemon, cinnamon, egg, sugar.
CINNAMON APPLE TART
Servings: makes 10 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 2 (10- to 12-ounce) packages frozen cinnamon apples, partially thawed
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unfold crust and place on nonstick foil and then onto a baking sheet; press out folds. In a large bowl, combine apples and lemon peel. Spoon onto crust, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border; sprinkle apples with cinnamon. Fold edges over filling, making pleats as you go. Brush edges of pastry with egg white; sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30 minutes or until crust is golden. Use a spatula and transfer to a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving: 144 calories, 1 gram protein, 6 grams fat (33 percent calories from fat), 2.4 grams saturated fat, 24 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 116 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Monday: Kids
It's HOAGIE SANDWICHES for the kids tonight. Chop and heat leftover steak and sauce and spoon onto sliced, toasted hoagies (or any sandwich rolls). Serve with CURLY FRIES (from frozen). Add deli CARROT SALAD on the side. Make dessert simple with STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM.
Plan
Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
Shopping List
hoagies or other sandwich rolls, frozen curly fries, deli carrot salad, strawberry ice cream.
Tuesday: Meatless
How about a no-meat PIZZA WITH PEPPERS tonight? Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 (12-inch) ready-to-heat whole-grain pizza crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 cup (of 2 cups total) shredded reduced-fat cheese blend, half a (1-pound) bag (thawed and drained) frozen pepper stir-fry mix (green, red and yellow peppers and onions) and the other 1 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve with a SPINACH SALAD. How about PEACHES for an easy dessert?
Plan
If time permits, assemble Wednesday's meatloaf tonight.
Shopping List
ready-to-heat whole-grain pizza crust, shredded reduced-fat cheese blend, frozen pepper stir-fry mix (green, red and yellow peppers and onions), fresh spinach, peaches.
Wednesday: Budget
Easy, unique and affordable, CHICKEN PARMIGIANA-STYLE MEATLOAF has lots of flavor. Serve with BAKED POTATOES, BROCCOLI and a MIXED GREEN SALAD. Add WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, warm the leftover TART.
Plan
Save enough meatloaf for Thursday.
Shopping List
ground chicken or turkey breast, onion, eggs, dry bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, no-salt-added marinara sauce, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, potatoes to bake, broccoli, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls.
CHICKEN PARMIGIANA-STYLE MEATLOAF
Servings: makes 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours on low
- 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey) breast
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cup no-salt-added marinara sauce, divided
- 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken or turkey, onion, eggs, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 cup marinara sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Using hands, mix lightly but well and press into a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Place loaf pan in an oval (4-quart or 6-quart) slow cooker. Spread the remaining marinara sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover; cook on low 8 hours or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
NOTE: If you don't have a 4-quart or 6-quart slow cooker, make a loaf "pan" from double layers of heavy-duty foil to fit your cooker.
Per serving: 242 calories, 27 grams protein, 9 grams fat (34 percent calories from fat), 3.9 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 129 milligrams cholesterol, 388 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Thursday: Heat and Eat
Make MEATLOAF SANDWICHES on dense white bread for a quick meal. Top with LETTUCE. Alongside, add deli COLESLAW. For dessert, enjoy PINEAPPLE CHUNKS.
Plan
Buy enough coleslaw for Friday.
Shopping List
dense white bread, lettuce, deli coleslaw, pineapple chunks.
Friday: Express
You could go to a fast-food place, but why not make your own FISH 'N' CHIPS for a quick meal instead? Prepare frozen fish fillets and frozen potato wedges according to package directions. Place fish into heated taco shells and spoon leftover coleslaw over fish. Now, cool down with ORANGE SHERBET for dessert.
Shopping List
frozen fish fillets, frozen potato wedges, taco shells, orange sherbet.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Our guests enjoyed BRAISED COD PEPERONATA, and so will yours. Serve with BROWN RICE to catch all the juices. Add a ROMAINE SALAD, steamed sliced ZUCCHINI and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy a CHOCOLATE CAKE for dessert and serve it with leftover ICE CREAM.
Shopping List
extra-virgin olive oil, onion, red bell peppers, coarse salt, garlic, paprika, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, dry white wine, fresh or dried thyme, skinless cod fillets, black pepper, fresh basil, sherry or balsamic vinegar, brown rice, romaine, zucchini, whole-grain rolls, chocolate cake.
BRAISED COD PEPERONATA
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 20 minutes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Sherry or balsamic vinegar to taste
Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium until shimmering. Add onion, bell peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in garlic and paprika; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, wine and thyme; bring to a simmer. Season cod with salt and pepper to taste. Nestle cod into pot and spoon some sauce over fish. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 10 minutes or until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with basil and sherry (or vinegar) and drizzle with extra oil before serving. (Adapted from "Cook It in Your Dutch Oven," America's Test Kitchen.)
Per serving: 255 calories, 29 grams protein, 8 grams fat (29 percent calories from fat), 1.2 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 349 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.