This week's guide, 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 is in for a treat when you prepare Herbed Cornish Hens. Heat broiler. In a small container, combine 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard and olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Place 2 (20- to 22-ounce) Cornish hens, halved, skin side up, on broiler pan rack. Brush mustard mixture on hens. Broil 5 inches from heat about 25 minutes or until cooked through, turning once. Serve the hens with packaged rice pilaf and steamed green beans. Add crusty bread. For dessert, Sunshine Pie (see recipe) will brighten your day.
Plan ahead: Save half the pie for Monday.
Tip: To cut fat and calories, discard the skin of the hens.
Monday/Meatless
With Rodeo Rice and Beans you can rope 'em and ride 'em and leave the meat in the ring (see recipe). Serve with a mixed green salad and bread sticks. Bring on the sunshine with leftover pie.
Tuesday/Budget
Burger-time is save-money-time, and tonight's Tuna Burgers do just that (see recipe). Serve the burgers on multigrain rolls and top with sliced red onion, tomato and lettuce. Frozen hash-brown potatoes and your own coleslaw are good accompaniments. Add fresh fruit for dessert.
Wednesday/Kids
Here come the kids for Chill-Out Chili (see recipe). Serve the tummy-warmer with homemade or store-bought carrot-pineapple salad. Add store-bought corn muffins. Watch the children make instant banana pudding with skim milk. Some fresh sliced bananas will give the pudding extra pep. A little light whipped cream wouldn't hurt, either.
Plan ahead: Save half the chili for Thursday.
Thursday/Heat and Eat
Make chili dogs for a quick meal tonight. Heat the leftover chili and cook fat-free hot dogs. Warm hot dog buns. Place hot dogs in buns. Spoon chili over the hot dogs and top with reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Serve the spicy dogs with carrot sticks and baked corn chips. How about some store-bought fat-free pound cake for dessert?
Plan ahead: Save enough cake for Friday.
Friday/Express
There we were with nothing for dinner, and I remembered a package of pasta mix jumping into my shopping cart a few weeks earlier. You know, the kind you only have to add meat to. We tried a Southwestern beef flavor, although I used ground turkey breast instead of beef to lower the fat. We added hot sauce to the dish at the table. I wouldn't serve the dish to Julia Child or Jacques Pepin, but sometimes a woman's gotta cook what a woman's gotta cook. You'll want to add a green salad and crusty bread. For dessert, leftover pound cake and sliced peaches will work if Julia and Jacques happen to drop by.
Saturday/Entertaining
Invite your friends for Lamb Kebabs tonight (see recipe). Serve this favorite with Mexican-style corn and black beans. Rinse and drain an 11-ounce can of the corn and a 15-ounce can of black beans. Combine them in a serving bowl and squeeze a fresh lime over the combination; mix well. Serve with a romaine salad and sourdough bread. For dessert, lighten up with angel food cake topped with berries of your choice and light whipped cream.
Shopping List
What you'll need for this week's menus (consult recipes for exact amounts)
Sunday
fresh rosemary
Dijon mustard
olive oil
garlic
salt
pepper
Cornish hens
packaged rice pilaf
green beans
crusty bread
packaged lemon pudding and pie filling
sugar
egg
frozen reduced-fat whipped topping
shredded sweetened coconut
reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust
Monday
cooking spray
onion
garlic
green bell pepper
beef broth
canned diced tomatoes and green chilies
long-grain rice
canned ranch-style (or other) pinto beans
salad greens
bread sticks
Tuesday
red onions
water-packed tuna
egg
bread crumbs
Dijon mustard
pepper
flour
cooking spray
multigrain rolls
tomato
lettuce
frozen hash-brown potatoes
ingredients for coleslaw
fresh fruit
Wednesday
onions
green bell pepper
lean ground beef
ground turkey breast
canned Mexican-style tomatoes
tomato sauce
ketchup
chili powder
salt
pepper
kidney beans
carrot-pineapple salad or ingredients to make your own
prepared corn muffins
instant banana pudding
skim milk
bananas
light whipped cream
Thursday
fat-free hot dogs
hot dog buns
reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
carrot sticks
baked corn chips
fat-free pound cake
Friday
packaged pasta mix (to which you add meat)
ground turkey breast
hot sauce
salad greens
crusty bread
sliced peaches
Saturday
leg of lamb for cubes
zucchini
cherry tomatoes
whole white mushrooms
olive oil
fresh rosemary
dried basil
salt
pepper
canned Mexican-style corn
canned black beans
lime
romaine lettuce
sourdough bread
angel food cake
berries
light whipped cream
Sunshine Pie (Sunday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 5 minutes
Chilling time: 40 minutes or more
1 (4-ounce serving size) package lemon pudding and pie filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups water
1 slightly beaten egg
1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
1 prepared reduced-fat graham-cracker crust
In a medium saucepan, beat together pudding mix, sugar, 1/4 cup of the water and egg. When well-blended, add remaining water and blend well. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature; stir occasionally. When cooled, whisk lightly. Fold in whipped topping and coconut until evenly mixed. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until set, about 40 minutes.
Per serving: 268 calories, 2 grams protein, 7 grams fat (25 percent calories from fat), 4.5 grams saturated fat, 47 grams carbohydrate, 27 milligrams cholesterol, 190 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber
Rodeo Rice and Beans (Monday)
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 (14 1/2 -ounce) can beef broth
1 cup water
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style (or other) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
In a large, nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook onion and garlic until onion is softened, or about 5 minutes. Stir in green pepper, beef broth, water, tomatoes and green chilies and rice. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in beans. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender or liquid is absorbed.
Per serving: 285 calories, 11 grams protein, 1 gram fat (4 percent calories from fat), 0.1 grams saturated fat, 57 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 695 milligrams sodium, 8 grams fiber
Tuna Burgers (Tuesday)
Makes 4 burgers
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 (6-ounce) cans water-packed tuna, well-drained
1 lightly beaten egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
flour for coating burgers
cooking spray
In a medium bowl, combine onion, tuna, egg, bread crumbs, mustard and pepper; mix well. Shape into four 4-inch patties. Coat lightly in flour. Heat a large, nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray until hot. Cook patties about 3 minutes a side or until browned.
Per serving: 180 calories, 22 grams protein, 3 grams fat (15 percent calories from fat), 0.7 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 74 milligrams cholesterol, 436 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber
Chill-Out Chili (Wednesday)
Makes 10 cups
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour
cooking spray
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound each: lean ground beef and ground turkey breast
1 (14 1/2 -ounce) can chopped Mexican-style tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 or 2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (15 1/2 -ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
In a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, cook onion and green pepper until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add ground meats and cook until they are no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally; drain well. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans; simmer 15 more minutes.
Per cup: 233 calories, 25 grams protein, 5 grams fat (19 percent calories from fat), 1.8 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbohydrate, 47 milligrams cholesterol, 871 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber
Lamb Kebabs (Saturday)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes
12 cubes (1 by 1 1/2 inches) from well-trimmed leg of lamb (about 1 pound)
12 (1-inch-thick) sliced zucchini chunks
12 cherry tomatoes
12 whole white mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon each: salt and pepper
In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients. Thread 4 skewers alternately with lamb cubes, zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms (three of each ingredient per skewer). Brush with herb mixture. Broil 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning once.
Per serving: 236 calories, 26 grams protein, 12 grams fat (45 percent calories from fat), 3.7 grams saturated fat, 7 grams carbohydrate, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 137 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail: menuplanner@mindspring.com.
Pub Date: 03/07/99