Sunday: Family
For family day, serve your own ROASTED TURKEY BREAST AND GRAVY along with APPLE CINNAMON RICE and GREEN PEAS (frozen). Add a MIXED GREEN SALAD and CRUSTY BREAD. For dessert, ANGEL FOOD CAKE and CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM are a perfect pair.
Plan
Save enough turkey and cake for Monday and enough turkey and ice cream for Tuesday.
Shopping List
turkey breast to roast, gravy, butter, cinnamon, apples, walnuts, onion, celery, brown rice, apple juice, coarse salt, frozen green peas, mixed greens, crusty bread, angel food cake, chocolate ice cream.
APPLE CINNAMON RICE
Servings: makes 10 servings
Prep time: about 15 minutes
Cook time: less than 15 minutes, plus rice and walnuts
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 medium unpeeled apples, cored and chopped
- 1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 3 cups cooked brown rice (cooked in equal parts water and apple juice)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
In a large skillet, heat butter and cinnamon on medium-high until butter is melted. Add apples, walnuts, onion and celery; cook 12 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in cooked rice, water and salt. Heat through and serve.
Per serving: 175 calories, 4 grams protein, 9 grams fat (46% calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 114 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
TURKEY CORN CHOWDER makes good use of leftover turkey. Mix together and heat (on medium) 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup, 2 soup cans 1% milk, 1 (11-ounce) can rinsed no-salt-added corn, 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey and 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon. Ladle into bowls. Add a SPINACH SALAD with red onion rings on the side and SESAME BREAD STICKS. Serve leftover CAKE with SLICED PEACHES for dessert.
Plan
Save enough peaches for Wednesday.
Shopping List
canned condensed cream of potato soup, 1% milk, canned no-salt-added corn, dried tarragon, fresh spinach, red onion, sesame bread sticks, sliced peaches.
Tuesday: Express
For a quick meal, BLACK BEANS AND RICE fits the bill. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil on medium-high. Add 1 (10-ounce) package refrigerated chopped onions and cook about 4 minutes or until softened; drain. Add 1 cup quick rice with 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Return to low heat and add 1 (1.31-ounce) package sloppy Joe seasoning mix and 1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans (rinsed). Cook until hot. Stir in some (leftover) chopped cooked turkey and serve. Add a packaged CAESAR SALAD and warmed CORN TORTILLAS. Leftover ICE CREAM is good for dessert.
Shopping List
canola oil, refrigerated chopped onions, quick rice, sloppy Joe seasoning mix, canned reduced-sodium black beans, packaged Caesar salad, corn tortillas.
Wednesday: Budget
ITALIAN POT ROAST WITH RED WINE SAUCE is easy on the budget and packed with flavor. Serve with MIXED GREENS and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Leftover PEACHES are a simple dessert.
Shopping List
red potatoes, baby carrots, onion, brown gravy mix, flour, Italian seasoning, celery salt, lean boneless beef chuck roast, dry red wine or unsalted beef broth, dried parsley flakes, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls.
ITALIAN POT ROAST WITH RED WINE SAUCE
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours on low
- 1 1/2 pounds medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound baby carrots
- 1 large onion, thickly sliced, separated into rings, divided
- 2 (0.87- to 1.2-ounce) packages brown gravy mix
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds lean boneless beef chuck roast, well-trimmed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or unsalted beef broth
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place potatoes, carrots and half the onion slices. Combine gravy mix, flour, Italian seasoning and celery salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of mixture over beef. Turn beef and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture; cut beef into 8 to 10 chunks. Place in cooker and top with remaining onion slices. Combine water and wine and pour over all. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add parsley flakes; stir. Remove beef and vegetables to serving platter. Spoon some sauce over all. Serve remaining sauce on the side.
Per serving: 338 calories, 33 grams protein, 7 grams fat (19% calories from fat), 2.6 grams saturated fat, 31 grams carbohydrate, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 566 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Thursday: Kids
The kids will learn their letters with ALPHABET BEAN SOUP. Add canned reduced-sodium black beans (rinsed) to canned alphabet soup for extra fiber. Prepare according to soup directions. Serve with PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES on whole-grain bread. (Don't forget to cut off the crusts!) How about CELERY STICKS with some DIP to munch on, too? For dessert, enjoy ANIMAL COOKIES, of course!
Shopping List
canned reduced-sodium black beans, canned alphabet soup, peanut butter, whole-grain bread, celery sticks, dip, animal cookies.
Friday: Meatless
Try no-meat but "meaty" MUSHROOM CHILI. Mix together 3 (8-ounce) packages sliced cremini mushrooms, 1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium kidney beans (rinsed), 2 (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups hot water and 1 (1.25-ounce) package less-sodium chili seasoning mix. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mushrooms are tender and flavors are blended. Serve with a LETTUCE WEDGE with sliced hard-cooked eggs and CORNBREAD (from mix). Slice some KIWIS for dessert.
Shopping List
sliced cremini mushrooms, canned reduced-sodium kidney beans, no-salt-added tomato sauce, less-sodium chili seasoning mix, lettuce, eggs, cornbread mix, kiwis.
Saturday: Entertain the Family
SKILLET SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA will delight your family. Add a ROMAINE SALAD and FRENCH BREAD to round out the meal. Buy FRUIT TARTS for dessert.
Shopping List
extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, grape tomatoes, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, dried oregano, coarse salt, black pepper, frozen medium shrimp (peeled and tails removed), block Greek feta cheese, fresh parsley, romaine, French bread, fruit tarts.
SKILLET SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 10 minutes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds frozen medium shrimp, thawed, peeled and tails removed
- 1 (8-ounce) block Greek feta cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil for 1 minute. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add all tomatoes, oregano, salt and black pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes to bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and push down on grape tomatoes with the spoon to break them open further. Add shrimp and stir. With the spoon, clear an area in center of sauce and add feta. Cook, stirring shrimp a few times carefully around the feta (to keep cheese block intact), 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through and have just turned pink. Remove skillet from heat; break up feta with a serving spoon. Top with the parsley and serve. (Adapted from "Easy Everyday Mediterranean Diet Cookbook," Serena Ball RD & Deanna-Seagrave-Daly RD, HMHCO.)
Per serving: 264 calories, 23 grams protein, 14 grams fat (48% calories from fat), 6.5 grams saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 177 milligrams cholesterol, 776 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.