Sunday: Family
For a delicious dinner on family day, prepare your own ROASTED CHICKEN. Alongside, add CREAMED ONION BAKE, PARSLEY BUTTERED BABY CARROTS, a SPINACH SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy a LEMON PIE for dessert.
Plan
Save enough chicken and pie for Monday.
Shopping List
chicken to roast, butter, cornbread stuffing, fresh parsley, onions, canned condensed reduced-fat reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, 1% milk, frozen tiny green peas, 50% light sharp cheddar cheese, baby carrots, fresh spinach, whole-grain rolls, lemon pie.
CREAMED ONION BAKE
Servings: makes 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: less than 40 minutes
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 1/2 cups cornbread stuffing
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 onions, halved and cut into slices
- 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 cup 1% milk
- 1 cup frozen tiny green peas
- 1 cup shredded 50% light sharp cheddar cheese
Heat half the butter in a 1-quart pan on medium heat until melted. Remove pan from heat. To butter, add stuffing and parsley; mix lightly and set pan aside. Heat remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add onions and cook 6 minutes or until softened. Stir in soup, milk and peas. Spoon soup mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and stuffing mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
Per serving: 176 calories, 6 grams protein, 10 grams fat (50% calories from fat), 6 grams saturated fat, 16 grams carbohydrate, 26 milligrams cholesterol, 304 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Turn Sunday's entree into a savory QUICK GREEN CHICKEN CHILI. Serve over RICE. Add SLICED AVOCADO ON SHREDDED LETTUCE. For dessert, slice the leftover PIE.
Tip
Turn Sunday's entree into a savory QUICK GREEN CHICKEN CHILI. Serve over RICE. Add SLICED AVOCADO ON SHREDDED LETTUCE. For dessert, slice the leftover PIE.
Plan
Save enough chili and cook extra rice for Wednesday.
Shopping List
canola oil, onion, pepper, coarse salt, garlic, cumin, unsalted chicken broth, canned reduced-sodium cannellini beans, tomatillo salsa, cooked chicken, cilantro, lime wedges, reduced-fat sour cream, tortilla chips, rice, avocado, lettuce.
QUICK GREEN CHICKEN CHILI
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 20 minutes
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans reduced-sodium cannellini beans, rinsed
- 1 cup tomatillo salsa
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, reduced-fat sour cream and tortilla chips for garnish
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and salt; cook about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook about 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in broth, beans and salsa; bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes or until flavors blend. Using back of wooden spoon, mash some of beans against side of pot until slightly thickened. Stir in chicken and cilantro and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir and serve with garnishes. (Adapted from "The Chicken Bible," America’s Test Kitchen.)
Per serving: 440 calories, 41 grams protein, 9 grams fat (21% calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 39 grams carbohydrate, 89 milligrams cholesterol, 1,335 milligrams sodium, 9 grams fiber.
Tuesday: Kids
HOT DOG HEAVEN is every kid’s dream. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 1 1/3 cup dehydrated mashed potatoes according to directions but without salt. Stir in 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish, 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon instant minced onion and 2 teaspoons yellow mustard. Spread mixture in an ungreased 1-quart casserole. Arrange 4 to 6 lowest-fat lowest-sodium hot dogs (cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise) around edge of mashed potatoes by standing them like fence posts. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is hot.
Serve with VEGETARIAN BAKED BEANS, RED BELL PEPPER STRIPS and any VEGETABLE DIP. KIWIS are dessert.
Shopping List
dehydrated mashed potatoes, sweet pickle relish, low-fat mayonnaise, instant minced onion, yellow mustard, lowest-fat lowest-sodium hot dogs, vegetarian baked beans, red bell pepper, vegetable dip, kiwis.
Wednesday: Heat and Eat
The leftover CHILI will be even better tonight as the flavors will have blended. Serve it with leftover RICE and a MIXED GREEN SALAD. Make CORNBREAD from a mix. Enjoy FRESH PINEAPPLE CHUNKS for dessert.
Shopping List
mixed greens, cornbread mix, fresh pineapple chunks.
Thursday: Express
Pan-fry a HAM STEAK for a quick meal. Serve it with refrigerated MASHED SWEET POTATOES, frozen PEAS AND CARROTS (tossed with chopped fresh parsley), MIXED GREENS and leftover CORNBREAD. APPLE SLICES are good for dessert.
Tip
Pan-fry a HAM STEAK for a quick meal. Serve it with refrigerated MASHED SWEET POTATOES, frozen PEAS AND CARROTS (tossed with chopped fresh parsley), MIXED GREENS and leftover CORNBREAD. APPLE SLICES are good for dessert.
Shopping List
ham steak, refrigerated mashed sweet potatoes, frozen peas and carrots, fresh parsley, mixed greens, apples.
Friday: Meatless
Skip meat for NOODLE SOUP WITH KALE AND WHITE BEANS. In a Dutch oven, cook 3 medium chopped carrots and 1 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil on medium heat for 10 minutes or until soft and golden brown; remove to a bowl and wipe pot if necessary. Heat another tablespoon oil on medium-high in same pot. Add 1 cup broken (2- or 3-inch pieces) angel hair pasta and cook 3 or 4 minutes or until dark golden brown; stir often. Add 8 cups unsalted chicken broth and stir. Scrape bottom of pan to release any pasta stuck on pot. Add the carrots and onions, 6 cups roughly chopped fresh kale (ribs removed), 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium cannellini beans, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Before serving, add more lime juice and pepper if desired.
Serve with a LETTUCE WEDGE with chopped hard-cooked egg garnish and CRACKERS. STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM is a cool dessert.
Plan
Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
Shopping List
carrots, onion, extra-virgin olive oil, angel hair pasta, unsalted chicken broth, fresh kale, canned reduced-sodium cannellini beans, limes, pepper, cilantro, lettuce, eggs, crackers, strawberry ice cream.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
LENTIL SALAD WITH SEARED SHRIMP will impress your family. Serve the combo with a BIBB LETTUCE SALAD and a BAGUETTE. For dessert, CHOCOLATE WAFER COOKIES and leftover STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM go well together.
Shopping List
lentils, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, fresh thyme, large uncooked shrimp, extra-virgin olive oil, flatleaf parsley, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, coarse salt, pepper, bibb lettuce, baguette, chocolate wafer cookies.
LENTIL SALAD WITH SEARED SHRIMP
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: less than 5 minutes, plus lentils; standing time: 15 minutes
- 8 ounces lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 large ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups water
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided, plus extra for garnish
- 8 extra-large (16- to 20-count) or 16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup finely chopped and packed fresh flatleaf parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
In a 4-quart saucepan, combine lentils, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, water and 3 sprigs thyme. Heat to boiling on medium-high. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer 25 to 35 minutes or until lentils are tender. Meanwhile, from remaining thyme sprig, remove leaves and finely chop; discard stem. In medium bowl, combine shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil and chopped thyme. Let stand 15 minutes while lentils simmer. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium-high. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until browned. Turn; cook 2 minutes longer or until shrimp are opaque throughout. Drain lentil mixture; transfer to large bowl. Remove and discard bay leaf and thyme stems. Toss lentil mixture with parsley, vinegar, mustard and remaining olive oil, along with the salt and pepper. Divide lentil mixture among serving plates; top each serving with shrimp; garnish with thyme sprig.
Per serving: 344 calories, 24 grams protein, 11 grams fat (28% calories from fat), 1.5 grams saturated fat, 41 grams carbohydrate, 71 milligrams cholesterol, 338 milligrams sodium, 9 grams fiber.