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
You'll have ample opportunity for family fun when you serve easy Chicken With Yogurt and Mustard (see recipe). Serve the chicken with parsley-buttered noodles and steamed carrots. Add crusty bread. Frozen Boston cream pie makes a nice, simple dessert.
Plan ahead: Save half the chicken and leftover noodles and carrots for Monday.
Monday/Heat and Eat
Serve Sunday's leftover chicken heated along with canned vegetable soup. Toss the left-over noodles and carrots into the soup. Add a green salad and baguettes for a complete meal.
Tuesday/Meatless
Meat will be a memory with Broiled Portobello Burgers on Toasted Multigrain Rolls (see recipe). Serve with sliced tomatoes and sweet onions. Frozen oven-fries make an easy accompaniment. For dessert, frozen blackberry cobbler satisfies your sweet tooth.
Plan ahead: Save half the cobbler for Thursday.
Wednesday/Express
Chilly fall days call for savory lasagna. Pick up one of the frozen chicken or vegetable types that make four servings. Stop by the produce section for a packaged Italian salad blend.
Serve with crusty bread and fresh fruit.
Some cookies from the bakery would be good, too.
Thursday/Budget
For a quick and penny-pinching meal, Beef and Mushroom-Topped Potato Wedges are just right (see recipe). Serve with frozen green peas and a lettuce and tomato salad. Warm the leftover cobbler and top with fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt
Friday/Kids
The kids will forget fast food when you make your own chicken tacos tonight (see recipe). Serve with canned ranch-style beans. Add a crunch with carrot sticks. For dessert, make instant banana pudding with skim milk. Slice some bananas and stir them into the flavored pudding.
Saturday/Entertaining
Call it co-op entertaining. Call it fun and easy for everyone when each brings a dish.
We prepared Herb-Crusted Pork Loin With Horseradish-Roasted Red Potatoes (see recipe). Our friends brought green beans amandine and multigrain rolls. For dessert, chocolate cake and strawberries were enjoyed by everyone.
Shopping List
What you'll need for this week's menus (consult recipes for exact amounts)
Sunday
plain fat-free yogurt
Dijon mustard
salt
black pepper
fresh thyme
uncooked boneless chicken breasts and thighs
fresh parsley
butter
noodles
carrots
crusty bread
frozen Boston cream pie
Monday
canned vegetable soup
salad greens
baguettes
Tuesday
portobello mushrooms
olive oil
multigrain rolls
tomatoes
sweet onions
frozen oven fries
frozen blackberry cobbler
Wednesday
frozen chicken or vegetable lasagna
packaged Italian salad blend
crusty bread
fresh fruit
cookies
Thursday
baking potatoes
lean ground beef
fresh mushrooms
scallions
salt
pepper
jar or can of beef gravy
fat-free or reduced-fat sour cream
frozen green peas
lettuce
tomatoes
fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt
Friday
canned chicken
taco-seasoning mix
reduced-sodium chicken broth
taco shells
dark-green lettuce
tomatoes
reduced-fat Mexican-style shredded cheese
salsa
canned ranch-style beans
carrot sticks
instant banana pudding
skim milk
bananas
Saturday
red potatoes
margarine or butter
prepared horseradish
salt
black pepper
cooking spray
fine dry bread crumbs
fresh basil
olive oil
fresh thyme
pork tenderloin
fresh parsley
ingredients for green beans amandine
multigrain rolls
frozen chocolate cake
strawberries
Chicken With Yogurt and Mustard (Sunday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
1 1/2 cups plain, fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 pounds skinless chicken parts (4 breasts and 4 thighs)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, mustard, salt, pepper and thyme; coat chicken in mixture. Place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to serving platter. Remove remaining yogurt mixture from baking dish and process in blender or processor; pour into sauce boat. Serve with chicken. (Adapted from "Chez Nous," by Lydie Marshall, HarperCollins, 1995, $25.)
Per serving: 181 calories, 27 grams protein, 6 grams fat (29 percent calories from fat), 1.4 grams saturated fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, 71 milligrams cholesterol, 495 milligrams sodium, 0 grams fiber.
Broiled Portobello Burgers on Toasted Multigrain Buns (Tuesday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
4 portobello mushrooms (about 4 inches in diameter)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 tomato slices
4 sweet onion slices
4 multigrain buns, toasted
Heat broiler. Quickly rinse the mushrooms, remove stems and brush with half the olive oil. Broil in a pan, cup sides up, 4 to 7 minutes 6 inches from heat. Turn and brush with remaining oil and broil 5 to 6 minutes more or until browned. Serve on buns with tomatoes and onions.
Per serving: 213 calories, 8 grams protein, 7 grams fat (28 percent calories from fat), 1 gram saturated fat, 31 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 235 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Beef and Mushroom-Topped Potato Wedges (Thursday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: less than 15 minutes
2 (8- to 10-ounce) baking potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped scallions, divided
1/4 teaspoon each: salt and pepper
1 (12-ounce) jar or can beef gravy
1/2 cup fat-free or reduced-fat sour cream
Pierce potatoes and bake on paper towels in microwave on high 10 to 11 minutes. Wrap in other paper towels and let stand 3 minutes. In a large, nonstick skillet, cook beef, mushrooms and half the scallions over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain well. Season with salt and pepper; reduce heat to low. Stir in gravy and sour cream; heat through, stirring occasionally. Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters; cut each quarter crosswise into halves. Arrange 4 potato pieces on each plate; top with 1/4 of beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining scallions.
Per serving: 280 calories, 18 grams protein, 6 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 2.8 grams saturated fat, 38 grams carbohydrate, 47 milligrams cholesterol, 688 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Chicken Tacos (Friday)
Makes 12 tacos
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes
1 (12 1/2-ounce) can chicken
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco-seasoning mix
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
12 taco shells, warmed
2 1/2 cups dark-green shredded lettuce
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup reduced-fat, Mexican-style shredded cheese
3/4 cups salsa
In a large, nonstick skillet, combine chicken, taco-seasoning mix and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cook 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened.
Fill taco shells with chicken mixture, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Top with salsa.
Per serving: 156 calories, 11 grams protein, 8 grams fat (45 percent calories from fat), 2.3 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 483 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Herb-Crusted Pork Loin With Horseradish-Roasted Red Potatoes (Saturday)
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons melted margarine or butter
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon each: salt and freshly ground pepper, divided
cooking spray
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Peel a 1-inch strip around center of each potato. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add margarine or butter, horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss gently. Spoon potatoes onto broiler rack coated with cooking spray; place in broiler pan. Bake 20 minutes; remove from oven.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, basil, oil, water, remaining salt and pepper and thyme. Moisten tenderloin with water; press crumb mixture over tenderloin and place on rack with potatoes. Bake about 20 minutes or until thickest portion of pork has internal temperature of 155 degrees.
Tent pork with foil and let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until temperature is 160. Spoon potatoes onto serving plate and sprinkle with parsley. Slice tenderloin and garnish with thyme sprigs. (Adapted from Southern Living magazine.)
Per serving: 347 calories, 28 grams protein, 13 grams fat (34 percent calories from fat), 2.8 grams saturated fat, 29 grams carbohydrate, 67 milligrams cholesterol, 556 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: 11/29/98