7-day menu planner

— SUNDAY: Prepare Apple-Glazed Lamb Chops for family day. Trim fat from 4 (6-ounce) lamb rib chops; set chops aside. Combine 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice, 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chops and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours; turn bag occasionally.

Heat broiler; remove chops from bag and reserve marinade. Place chops on broiler rack coated with cooking spray and place rack in broiler pan. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat 9 minutes per side or to desired doneness, basting frequently with marinade. Serve the chops with brown rice and green beans. Add dinner rolls.

For dessert, top angel food cake with strawberries.

MONDAY: For an amazing meal, serve your guests Porcini-Dusted Tenderloin With Wine Sauce (see recipe) and make it a special New Year’s Eve celebration.

Alongside, add oven-roasted potato wedges, a mixed-greens salad and whole-grain rolls. Ring in 2013 with a toast, serving chocolate cake and hot fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream for a grand finale.

Plan ahead: Save some cake for Tuesday, enough ice cream for Thursday and some fudge sauce for Saturday.

TUESDAY: Make New Year’s Day fun and economical with lots of good luck thrown in while you enjoy Smoked Sausage Creole With Black-Eyed Peas (see recipe). Serve with a lettuce wedge and cornbread muffins (from a mix). Slice the leftover cake for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough muffins for Wednesday; save enough Smoked Sausage Creole for Thursday.

WEDNESDAY: It’s time to take it easy, so use your slow cooker for chili, using McCormick’s (or another brand) chili slow-cooker mix. Serve it with a romaine salad and leftover muffins. Keep dessert light with grapefruit sections.

THURSDAY: Dinner will be ready as soon as you warm the leftover Smoked Sausage Creole. Add a spinach salad and crusty rolls on the side. Leftover ice cream is dessert.

FRIDAY: Serve this simple Italian White Bean Soup for an easy meal. Puree 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans (rinsed) and 2 cups vegetable broth in a blender (or use an immersion blender) until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Add another can of rinsed beans, 2 more cups broth, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 3 cloves garlic (minced), 6 plum tomatoes (seeded and diced), 2 teaspoons dried basil, 11/4 teaspoons dried thyme and1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring to boil on medium high; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until desired doneness. (Recipe adapted from American Institute for Cancer Research.) Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches and a red-tipped lettuce salad.

Try fresh pineapple spears for dessert.

SATURDAY: Serve your guests Pan-Roasted Scallops With Sesame Sauce (see recipe) with rice and snow peas on the side. Add sourdough bread.

For dessert, top peppermint ice cream with leftover fudge sauce.

THE RECIPES Porcini-Dusted

Tenderloin With Wine Sauce 1 (14-ounce) can beef broth 1 cup dried porcini

mushrooms, divided use 2 tablespoons grated

parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon ground black

pepper 1 (2- to 3-pound) center-cut

beef tenderloin roast 3 cups seeded and finely diced

fresh tomatoes 1 cup dry red wine Coarse salt Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring broth to a boil in amedium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 cup mushrooms; let stand 10 to 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened.

Place remaining 1/4 cup mushrooms in food processor container. Cover; process until finely ground.

Combine ground mushrooms, cheese and pepper;

press evenly onto all surfaces of beef roast. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Do not add water or cover. Roast 35 to 40 minutes for medium-rare; 45 to 50 minutes for medium-well.

Remove roast when internal temperature reaches 135 degrees for medium-rare; 150 degrees for medium-well.

Meanwhile, add tomatoes and wine to mushroom mixture;

bring to a boil. Reduce heat;

simmer 30 to 45 minutes, or

until sauce is reduced to 2 1/2

cups and is a rich, brown color;

stir occasionally. Season with

salt and pepper, as desired.

Transfer roast to carving board;

tent loosely with foil. Let stand

15 to 20 minutes. Carve roast

into slices. Season with salt and

pepper as desired. Serve with

porcini wine sauce.

Makes 5 to 8 servings.

Smoked Sausage Creole

With Black-Eyed Peas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth

3/4 cup water3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup orzo pasta 2 (14-ounce) cans black-eyed

peas (rinsed) 1 large zucchini, quartered

lengthwise and sliced 1/2-

inch thick Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high. Add onion and bell pepper; cook and stir 4 minutes. Add sausage and carrot; cook and stir 5 minutes or until sausage is browned.

Stir in Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper, bay leaf, broth, water and tomato paste.

Return to boil, stirring frequently.

Add orzo and peas; stir. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes. Add zucchini; cook 5 more minutes or until orzo and zucchini are tender, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes about 10 cups.

Pan-Roasted Scallops With Sesame Sauce 1 1/4 pounds sea scallops 1 green onion, sliced (white

and green sections reserved

separately) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy

sauce 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice

vinegar 3 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon dark (toasted)

sesame oil 1/8 teaspoon crushed red

pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1/8 teaspoon ground black

pepper

Bring scallops to room temperature (about 10 minutes).

In a small bowl, whisk together white pieces of onion, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil and crushed red pepper; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium. Add scallops;

sprinkle with pepper. Cook 3 minutes on one side, or until

golden. Turn; cook 2 or 3 more

minutes, or until browned.

Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

Whisk sauce and add to skillet.

Cook 45 seconds, or until sauce

boils and thickens slightly;

remove pan from heat. Divide

scallops among 4 dinner plates

and drizzle some sauce over

each portion. Sprinkle with green

onion pieces for garnish.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each

serving contains approximately

162 calories, 18 g protein, 5 g

fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 34 mg

cholesterol, 752 mg sodium and

no fiber.

Recipe adapted from Health

magazine

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta

based cookbook author and

registered dietitian. She can be

reached by e-mail:

menuplanner@mindspring.com

Food, Pages 23 on 12/26/2012

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