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
The family will enjoy your own recipe for broiled lamb chops. With the chops, serve baked potato wedges. Toss baking potatoes, cut in eight wedges, with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese and roast 35 to 45 minutes in a 425-degree oven. Minted Cucumber Salad (see recipe) is a perfect side dish. Add sourdough bread. Finish with fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt and store-bought fudge sauce.
Plan ahead: Save enough yogurt for Wednesday.
Monday/Meatless
Never mind meat with vegetarian chili (see recipe). Serve with quick brown rice. Add a mixed green salad and corn muffins from a mix. Fresh fruit is a light dessert.
Plan ahead: Save half the chili for Tuesday.
Tuesday/Heat and Eat
Dinner will be quick tonight with chili stuffed potatoes. Bake 4 (8- to 10-ounce) potatoes. Cut a cross (X) on top and push open potato. Stuff potato with heated leftover chili. Top with salsa and some black olives (sliced and rinsed).
Continue this easy meal with a green salad. You'll want crusty bread, too. For dessert, heat up a frozen peach cobbler.
Plan ahead: Save leftover cobbler for Wednesday.
Wednesday/Express
Make a quick stop at the store and make chicken BLTs tonight. Prepare 4 frozen baked chicken breasts according to directions. Cook 4 slices bacon. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish and 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Spread mixture on 4 split whole-wheat hamburger buns along with sliced tomatoes and lettuce leaves. Add a cooked chicken breast and a bacon strip to each bun.
Serve with canned cheese-potato soup and crackers. For dessert, warmed leftover peach cobbler and fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt will be welcome.
Thursday/Kids
The children will think you're silly and funny when you serve them something called Doggie Boats With Grass for dinner. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Split 6 fat-free hot dogs lengthwise. Top with an 8-ounce can of sauerkraut (rinsed and drained). Add 1 1/2 cups of store-bought or homemade mashed potatoes and 1/3 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, both divided equally. Bake in a baking dish coated with cooking spray about 15 minutes or until hot. Serve the boats with baked corn chips and carrot sticks. And for dessert, ice cream sandwiches are easier than pie.
Friday/Budget
Hold the line on food costs but not on flavor with Ginger Beef and Noodle Soup (see recipe). Serve with crackers and a green salad. For dessert, canned apricots and oatmeal-raisin cookies are easy.
Saturday/Entertaining
Your guests won't have to go to Normandy in France to enjoy Turkey Cutlets With Apples (see recipe). Use calvados, a brandy made with apples, for an authentic flavor (or use another brandy). Serve with rice. On the side, frozen French-cut greens beans are a good choice. Add dinner rolls.
For dessert, Maggie's Morsels (see recipe) will melt in your mouth, while refreshing sorbet carries on the French theme.
Shopping List
What you'll need for this week's menus (consult recipes for exact amounts)
Sunday
well-trimmed lamb chops
baking potatoes
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
cucumbers
yellow bell pepper
scallions
fresh mint
lemon
balsamic vinegar
fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt
fudge sauce
Monday
diced tomatoes and green chilies
canned black beans
frozen corn and roasted red peppers
tomato paste
limes
fat-free sour cream
quick brown rice
salad greens
corn muffin mix
fresh fruit
Tuesday
baking potatoes
salsa
black olives
salad greens
crusty bread
frozen peach
cobbler
Wednesday
frozen baked chicken breasts
bacon
low-fat mayonnaise
horseradish
Worcestershire sauce
whole-wheat hamburger buns
tomatoes
lettuce
canned cheese-potato soup
crackers
Thursday
fat-free hot dogs
canned sauerkraut
prepared mashed potatoes or ingredients to make your own
reduced-fat shredded cheese
cooking spray
baked corn chips
carrot sticks
ice cream sandwiches
Friday
cooking spray
lean ground beef
ground ginger
black pepper
beef broth
baked beef-flavored instant ramen noodles
frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable mix
crackers
salad greens
canned apricots
oatmeal-raisin cookies
Saturday
turkey cutlets
salt
dried thyme
cooking spray
butter or margarine
Granny Smith apples
leeks
apple cider
cider vinegar
calvados or other brandy
evaporated skim milk
rice
frozen French-cut green beans
dinner rolls
eggs
white vinegar
sugar
vanilla extract
pecans
reduced-fat chocolate baking chips
sorbet
Minted Cucumber Salad (Sunday)
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
3 cups seeded, thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 small diced yellow bell pepper
2 thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers, bell pepper, scallions and mint. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, vinegar and salt. Toss dressing with vegetables and serve chilled. (Adapted from "Memorable Menus Made Easy," Robyn Webb; American Diabetes Association, $19.95.)
Per serving: 23 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram fat (43 percent calories from fat), 0.2 grams saturated fat, 3 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 100 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Vegetarian Chili (Monday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
4 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn and roasted red peppers
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
fat-free sour cream for garnish
In medium saucepan, heat tomatoes and green chilies, beans, corn, peppers, tomato paste and lime juice 8 to 10 minutes or until hot. Top with sour cream if desired.
Per serving: 187 calories, 10 grams protein, 2 grams fat (7 percent calories from fat), 0.1 grams saturated fat, 39 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 1,049 milligrams sodium, 10 grams fiber.
Turkey Cutlets With Apples (Saturday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 15 minutes
4 (4- or 5-ounce) turkey cutlets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter or margarine, divided
2 small Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
2 sliced medium leeks, white part only
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons calvados or other brandy
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
Flatten cutlets to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of waxed paper. Season with salt and thyme. In a large, nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, melt half the butter or margarine over medium heat. Add turkey, two cutlets at a time, and cook, turning, until golden brown on outside and no longer pink on inside, or about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with other two cutlets and remaining butter or margarine. Remove cutlets from skillet and keep warm. Add apples to skillet. Cook, turning and stirring gently, until softened and lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet. Add leeks to skillet and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cider, cider vinegar and calvados. Simmer 1 minute. Add milk and apples to skillet. Simmer 2 minutes. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve turkey and apples with sauce spooned on top.
Per serving: 265 calories, 31 grams protein, 3 grams fat (12 percent calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbohydrate, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 262 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Ginger Beef and Noodle Soup (Friday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes
cooking spray
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
1 (3-ounce) package baked
beef-flavored instant ramen noodles, broken up
3 cups frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable mix
In a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, cook ground beef over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain well. Season with ginger and pepper. Stir in water, broth and seasoning packet from noodles; bring to boil. Stir in noodles and broccoli vegetable mix; return to boil and continue cooking 2 3 minutes or until noodles are tender. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 198 calories, 17 grams protein, 6 grams fat (27 percent calories from fat), 2 grams saturated fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 37 milligrams cholesterol, 997 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Maggie's Morsels
Makes 45 to 50 cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes plus time to toast pecans
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces toasted pecans, coarsely ground or chopped (see note)
4 ounces reduced-fat chocolate baking chips
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites with vinegar and salt until stiff but not dry. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until meringue forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in vanilla, pecans and chocolate chips. Line 3 or 4 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Place in oven and bake until firm, about 45 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets. Store in a tin or an airtight glass jar.
Note: To toast pecans, spread on baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; cool and chop.
Per cookie: 46 calories, 1 gram protein, 2 grams fat (38 percent calories from fat), 0.5 grams saturated fat, 7 grams vTC carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 17 milligrams sodium, trace fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail: menuplanneindspring.com.
Pub Date: 11/15/98