Sunday: Family
Keep it simple today and prepare your own ROAST TURKEY BREAST. Add canned whole-berry CRANBERRY SAUCE on the side. Serve with NEW POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS WITH DILL SAUCE. Add a ROMAINE SALAD and DINNER ROLLS. For dessert, make PEACH SHORTCAKE by spooning Nutella on shortcake shells and covering with sliced peaches. Garnish with light whipped cream.
Tip
Keep it simple today and prepare your own ROAST TURKEY BREAST. Add canned whole-berry CRANBERRY SAUCE on the side. Serve with NEW POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS WITH DILL SAUCE. Add a ROMAINE SALAD and DINNER ROLLS. For dessert, make PEACH SHORTCAKE by spooning Nutella on shortcake shells and covering with sliced peaches. Garnish with light whipped cream.
Plan
Save enough turkey, half the cranberry sauce, and enough peaches and shortcakes for Monday.
Shopping List
turkey breast, canned whole-berry cranberry sauce, vegetable bouillon cube, flour, new potatoes, fresh green beans, pepper, fresh dill, lemon, romaine, dinner rolls, Nutella, shortcake shells, peaches, light whipped cream.
NEW POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS WITH DILL SAUCE
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: less than 30 minutes
- 2 cups water, divided
- 1 extra-large vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 pounds small new potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Bring 1 3/4 cups water and bouillon cube to a boil in a large skillet, stirring until cube dissolves; cool slightly. Whisk flour gradually into remaining 1/4 cup water; add to broth and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Reduce heat to medium; add potatoes and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Add beans and cook, covered, 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in pepper, dill and lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 213 calories, 6 grams protein, no fat (no calories from fat), no saturated fat, 48 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 373 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Make simple TURKEY-CRANBERRY WRAPS for dinner tonight. Heat 6 large flour tortillas according to directions. Mix together leftover cranberry sauce, 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Spread evenly on one side of each tortilla. Top with thinly sliced or chopped leftover turkey breast, 3 sliced green onions, 2 tablespoons toasted pecans and 1 cup shredded lettuce. Roll and serve with PLANTAIN CHIPS. Add PICKLES, OLIVES and CELERY STICKS to munch on. Dessert is leftover SHORTCAKES topped with leftover PEACHES.
Shopping List
large flour tortillas, spicy brown mustard, ground ginger, green onions, pecans, lettuce, plantain chips, pickles, olives, celery.
Tuesday: Budget
Save some money tonight and prepare CAJUN BEEF SKILLET. Serve with COLESLAW and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. PEARS are dessert.
Shopping List
lean ground beef, onion, canned crushed tomatoes, Cajun spice mix, thin spaghetti, frozen sliced okra, coleslaw, whole-grain rolls, pears.
CAJUN BEEF SKILLET
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: less than 10 minutes
Cook time: about 20 minutes
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken into 4-inch pieces
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced okra
Cook beef and onion in a nonstick skillet for 6 minutes on medium or until beef is no longer pink and onions are softened; drain. Add tomatoes, water and spice mix and bring to a boil. Stir in spaghetti. Gently boil 6 minutes uncovered or until liquid has thickened and spaghetti is limp, stirring often. Reduce heat to low, stir in okra and cook 6 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed but still saucy.
Per serving: 381 calories, 22 grams protein, 7 grams fat (17 percent calories from fat), 2.2 grams saturated fat, 58 grams carbohydrate, 32 milligrams cholesterol, 213 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Wednesday: Meatless
You'll be glad you made SPAGHETTI WITH ARUGULA PESTO for dinner tonight. Cook 12 ounces whole-grain spaghetti according to directions; reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Meanwhile, with the motor running, drop 2 peeled medium cloves of garlic in a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process until minced. Stop the machine and add 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts and 4 cups arugula; process until finely minced. With motor running, add 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Toss with spaghetti; add enough reserved pasta liquid to make the pasta a little saucy. Divide among pasta bowls; garnish with 2 cored, seeded and diced plum tomatoes. (Adapted from "50 Best Plants on the Planet," Cathy Thomas, Chronicle Books.) Add a SPINACH SALAD WITH HARD-COOKED EGG WEDGES and ITALIAN BREAD. Enjoy FRESH STRAWBERRIES for dessert.
Plan
Buy enough strawberries for Thursday.
Shopping List
whole-grain spaghetti, garlic, pine nuts, arugula, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, pepper, plum tomatoes, fresh spinach, eggs, Italian bread, fresh strawberries.
Thursday: Express
Make it quick tonight with PIEROGIES PICANTE. In a large pan, heat 1 (16.9-ounce) package frozen potato-and-onion pierogies in boiling water for 5 minutes or until they float; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet combine 1 (15-ounce) can chili with beans and 1 cup salsa or picante sauce. Cook and stir on medium-high for 4 minutes or until bubbly. Stir in 1 cup frozen corn; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir 7 minutes or until hot. Spoon chili sauce over hot pierogies; sprinkle with 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese. Serve with a packaged GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Make instant LEMON PUDDING with 1 percent milk for dessert. Top with leftover STRAWBERRIES.
Shopping List
frozen potato-and-onion pierogies, canned reduced-fat chili with beans, salsa or picante sauce, frozen corn, shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, packaged green salad, whole-grain rolls, instant lemon pudding, 1 percent milk.
Friday: Kids
Both you and the kids will appreciate letting them pick their favorite frozen or take-and-bake PIZZA for tonight. Dip BABY CARROTS and CELERY STICKS into light ranch dressing as an accompaniment. PLUMS are your dessert.
Shopping List
frozen or take-and-bake pizza, baby carrots, celery, light ranch dressing, plums.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Invite guests for PAN-ROASTED HALIBUT. Serve with GREEK RICE-STUFFED TOMATOES. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice tops off of 8 large tomatoes and remove a thin slice from bottom (for stability). Scoop out insides of tomatoes and discard. Turn tomatoes over on paper towels to drain. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups cooked rice, 1/2 cup minced red onion, 3/4 cup crumbled Greek feta, 1/2 cup chopped parsley and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; mix well. Divide rice mixture evenly and fill tomatoes, drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Add a BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD and SOURDOUGH BREAD. For dessert, spoon HOT FUDGE SAUCE over VANILLA ICE CREAM.
Shopping List
halibut (or cod) fillets, unsalted butter, coarse salt, pepper, panko, olive oil, grape tomatoes, fresh spinach, large tomatoes, rice, red onion, Greek feta, parsley, cooking spray, Boston lettuce, sourdough bread, hot fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream.
PAN-ROASTED HALIBUT
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: fewer than 20 minutes
- 4 (6-ounce) halibut (or cod) fillets
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups panko
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush fish with melted butter; season with salt and pepper. Coat fish evenly with panko, pressing to adhere. Cook fish in hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet on medium-high for 3 minutes. Turn; add tomatoes. Bake 10 minutes or just until opaque. Cover and microwave spinach in 2 teaspoons water 2 to 3 minutes on high (100 percent power) or until wilted; drain. Serve fish over spinach. (Adapted from "Martina's Kitchen Mix" by Martina McBride, Time Inc.)
Per serving: 395 calories, 37 grams protein, 18 grams fat (41 percent calories from fat), 7 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 106 milligrams cholesterol, 452 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.