Each day of the week offers a menu aimed at a different aspect of meal planning. There's a family meal, a kids' menu aimed at younger tastes, a heat-and-eat meal that recycles leftovers, a budget meal that employs a cost-cutting strategy, a meatless or "less meat" dish for people who may not be strict vegetarians but are trying to cut down on meat, an express meal that requires little or no preparation, and an entertaining menu that's quick.
Sunday/Family
Prepare your own roast chicken for the family. Choose a 4- to 6-pound hen, if possible. Accompany the chicken with Black-Eyed Pea Salad (see recipe). Add sourdough bread. For dessert, top a fat-free pound cake with fresh fruit.
Tip: For best results with the salad, use freshly cooked or canned black-eyed peas; the frozen ones are too mushy.
Plan ahead: Chop 2 cups leftover chicken and save for Monday, along with leftover cake and half the salad.
Monday/Leftovers
Tonight's chicken-pea salad is easy. Combine Sunday's leftover salad with the 2 cups of chopped, cooked chicken; season with salt and pepper. Serve on a bed of red-tip lettuce. Start your meal with canned tomato-basil soup and crackers. Just add leftover cake for an easy finish.
Tuesday/Kids
No problem getting the kids to the table when you serve Taco Soup (see recipe). Serve with baked corn chips. For an easy dessert, sliced pears and cookies fill the bill.
Wednesday/Meatless
Forget about meat with Two-Cheese Veggie Pizza. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, toss 8 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) sliced fresh mushrooms, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper; set aside. Place a 12-inch prebaked pizza shell on a baking sheet. Top with 2 cups trimmed fresh spinach leaves, 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese, 3 sliced plum tomatoes and the mushroom mixture. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and another ] cup mozzarella; bake until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a green salad and fresh orange sections for dessert.
Thursday/Budget
What a delicious way to save money. Angel-Hair Pasta With Tomato Cream Sauce is flavorful and easy (see recipe). Serve with a mixed green salad and Italian bread. Instant fat-free pistachio pudding made with skim milk is a perfect dessert for an easy meal.
Friday/Express
Your family won't believe you didn't spend all day preparing Chicken With Couscous and Spinach (see recipe). But only you need to know how quick this delicious combo is. You only need to work with five ingredients (plus water), and dinner is ready in under 20 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and fat-free %o strawberry ice cream.
Saturday/Entertaining
Take a trip to South America with Grilled Steak and Potatoes With Chimichurri Sauce (see recipe). Accompany the steak with a Boston lettuce salad with toasted walnuts and a light vinaigrette. Fruit sorbet and sugar cookies make a light dessert.
Tip: Chimichurri is a pesto-like mixture of fresh parsley, oil and garlic that originated in South America. Vinegar is added in the recipe given to help tenderize the top round.
Shopping List
What you'll need for this week's menus (consult recipes for exact amounts)
Sunday
roasting hen
canned or dried black-eyed peas
long-grain rice
red onion
red bell pepper
carrot
canned green chili peppers
fresh parsley
fresh basil
limes
olive oil
garlic
cumin
salt
black pepper
sourdough bread
fat-free pound cake
fresh fruit
Monday
salt
black pepper
red-tip lettuce
canned tomato-basil soup
crackers
Tuesday
ground turkey
salsa
reduced-sodium chicken broth
canned fat-free refried beans
carrots
cumin
chili powder
lettuce
fat-free sour cream
baked corn chips
pears
cookies
Wednesday
fresh mushrooms
Italian seasoning
salt
black pepper
prebaked pizza shell
fresh spinach
reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
plum tomatoes
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
salad greens
oranges
Thursday
angel-hair pasta (capellini)
marinara sauce
frozen petite green peas
fat-free sour cream
salad greens
Italian bread
instant fat-free
pistachio pudding
skim milk
Friday
couscous with Parmesan or other flavor mix
packaged fresh spinach
skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
canned diced tomatoes
feta cheese, tomato-and-basil-flavored or plain
crusty bread
fat-free strawberry
ice cream
Saturday
flat-leaf parsley
olive oil
white vinegar
garlic
salt
beef top-round steak
sweet potatoes
Yukon Gold (or other "yellow") potatoes
Boston lettuce
walnuts
light vinaigrette
fruit sorbet
sugar cookies
Black-Eyed Pea Salad (Sunday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour
3 cups cooked or canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked long-grain rice (1/3 cup uncooked)
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chili peppers, drained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and black pepper, to taste
In a large bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, rice, onion, red pepper, carrot, chili peppers, parsley and basil. Toss to mix. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, garlic and cumin. Mix well. Add to salad and toss to mix. Season with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
(Adapted from "Low-Fat Living Cookbook," by Leslie Cooper, Rodale, 1998, $27.95)
Per serving: 133 calories, 3 grams protein, 4 grams fat (25 percent calories from fat), 0.5 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 47 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Taco Soup (Tuesday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: under 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 15 minutes
12 ounces ground turkey
2 cups salsa
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 cup shredded carrots
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
shredded lettuce for garnish
fat-free sour cream for garnish
In a large saucepan, cook turkey until no longer pink, or about 5 minutes. Add salsa, broth, beans, carrots, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Spoon into individual bowls. For the adults: top each serving with lettuce and a dollop of sour cream.
Per serving: 260 calories, 28 grams protein, 1 grams fat (4 percent calories from fat), 0.3 grams saturated fat, 26 grams carbohydrate, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 1,278 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Angel-Hair Pasta With Tomato Cream Sauce (Wednesday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: under 5 minutes
Cooking time: under 5 minutes, plus time to cook pasta
12 ounces angel-hair pasta (capellini)
1 (14-ounce) jar marinara sauce (1 2/3 cups)
3/4 cup frozen petite green peas
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Meanwhile, bring marinara sauce to a boil over low heat. Stir in frozen peas, cover and simmer 2 minutes or until peas are tender. Reduce heat to low, add sour cream and stir until blended. Toss pasta and sauce and serve.
(Adapted from Woman's Day magazine)
Per serving: 426 calories, 15 grams protein, 3 grams fat (6 percent calories from fat), 0.2 grams saturated fat, 83 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 639 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Chicken With Couscous and Spinach (Friday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: under 5 minutes
Cooking time: under 10 minutes
1 (5.9-ounce) package couscous with Parmesan or other flavor mix
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, stemmed and rinsed
4 (4- or 5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
4 ounces feta cheese, tomato-and-basil-flavored or plain (crumbled)
Place couscous and contents of spice packet in a small bowl. Add boiling water, stir, cover and let stand at room temperature. Meanwhile, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of spinach, cooking just until wilted. Add rest as first half cooks down. Drain and arrange on serving plate. Place chicken smooth side down in skillet; cover and cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes until lightly browned. Turn, spoon tomatoes on chicken; pour tomato juice into pan. Top tomatoes with cheese. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Spoon couscous on spinach; top with chicken; spoon on pan juices.
(Adapted from Woman's Day magazine)
Per serving: 206 calories, 28 grams protein, 1 gram fat (4 percent calories from fat), 0.3 grams saturated fat, 26 grams carbohydrate, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 1,278 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Grilled Steak and Potatoes With Chimichurri Sauce (Saturday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 6 to 8 hours or overnight
Grilling time: 25 to 28 minutes (steak), 18 to 21 minutes (potatoes)
For the sauce and marinade:
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the steak and potatoes:
1 (1 1/2-pound) beef top-round steak, 1 1/2 inches thick
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
4 Yukon Gold (or other "yellow") potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cut lengthwise in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
In medium bowl, combine parsley, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt; mix well. Remove 1/4 cup for sauce; cover and refrigerate. Place steak and remaining mixture in resealable plastic bag. Turn to coat steak. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
In large bowl, combine potatoes, oil and salt; toss to coat. Set aside. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Heat grill. Place steak on grid over medium ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 25 to 28 minutes for medium-rare, turning occasionally. Grill potatoes, covered, 18 to 21 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring refrigerated sauce to room temperature. Trim fat from meat; carve into thin slices. Serve with potatoes and reserved sauce.
Per serving: 309 calories, 23 grams protein, 11 grams fat (32 percent calories from fat), 2.5 grams saturated fat, 30 grams carbohydrate, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 216 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail: menuplanneindspring.com.
Pub Date: 9/27/98