SUNDAY: Celebrate Easter in a delicious way with Apricot-Glazed Ham (see recipe). Add Potato Salad With Kefir, a recipe shared by Nancy Waldeck, an Atlanta chef and "partyologist." Cook 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered, 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or kefir (look for kefir with the organic dairy products), 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Season with coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste. (Add more lemon if desired.) Add warm potatoes to bowl and gently stir in 1/2 cup minced red onion, 1 cup minced celery and 1/2 cup chopped stuffed green olives. Stir gently, coating potatoes. Let stand 1 hour before serving; garnish with more fresh dill. Serve with green peas, a romaine salad and dinner rolls. Buy a coconut cake for dessert and decorate the top with jelly beans.
Plan ahead: Save enough ham, potato salad and cake for Monday.
Tip: Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with kefir "grains" (a yeast/bacterial fermentation starter). Nutrition benefits include vitamin B-12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K-2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics.
MONDAY: Turn the leftover ham into Hot Ham and Pepper Cheese Hoagies. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread inside surfaces of 4 hoagie buns (sliced lengthwise) with spicy brown mustard and mayonnaise. Layer leftover sliced ham and sliced pepper jack cheese on bottom half of buns; top with shredded lettuce and sliced tomato. Top with remaining bun half; wrap hoagies in foil and heat 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with leftover potato salad and sliced cucumbers. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.
TUESDAY: Economical and easy to prepare, Sausage and Spanish Rice Skillet is full of flavor. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil on medium-high. Add 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/3 cup chopped celery and 1/4 cup chopped onion; cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add 1 (14-ounce) package fully cooked smoked sausage (sliced), 2 cups water, 1 (10-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes and green chiles and their liquid, 1 (8-ounce) package Spanish rice and vermicelli mix, 1/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; mix well. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Serve with mixed greens and whole-grain rolls. For dessert, tropical fruit is light.
Plan ahead: Prepare Wednesday's lasagna tonight.
WEDNESDAY: Skip meat without missing it in this Tex-Mex Lasagna (see recipe). Serve with a lettuce wedge and garlic bread. Make instant vanilla pudding for dessert. Drizzle with butterscotch topping.
THURSDAY: Treat the kids to Beef 'n' Biscuits tonight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large skillet on medium; add 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1/2 cup chopped onion. Cook 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are softened; drain. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano until blended. Add 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce and 1 (10-ounce) package frozen green peas; simmer 5 minutes. Transfer into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (from 7 1/2 -ounce tube). Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until biscuits are golden. Serve with baby carrots. For dessert, try fresh pineapple spears.
FRIDAY: Stop at the deli for tuna salad. Arrange it on a platter over lettuce, sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds and add some tomato wedges and pickles on the side. Serve with bean soup and whole-grain bread. Munch on chocolate wafer cookies and red and green grapes for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough cookies for Saturday.
SATURDAY: Everyone wanted seconds of Chicken Saute With Creamy Mustard Sauce (see recipe). Serve it with Poppy Seed Noodles. Toss cooked egg noodles with a little olive oil and poppy seeds. Add steamed fresh zucchini and sourdough rolls. For dessert, try peach sherbet with chocolate wafer cookies.
THE RECIPES
Apricot-Glazed Ham
1 (2 1/2-pound) fully cooked boneless ham
3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup apricot nectar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crab apples for garnish, optional
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham on rack in shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, 15 to 18 minutes per pound or until ham registers internal temperature of 140 degrees.
For the glaze, in a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and cloves. Stir in nectar and juice. Cook on medium until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Brush ham with glaze. Continue baking 15 to 20 minutes more, brushing occasionally with glaze, and serve. Garnish with crab apples, if desired.
Makes 12 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 167 calories, 24 g protein, 5 g fat, 5 g carbohydrate, 52 mg cholesterol, 1,255 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1/2.
Tex-Mex Lasagna
1 (24- to 26-ounce) jar any red spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen shoe peg corn, thawed
1 (1.25-ounce) chili seasoning
9 lasagna noodles
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, divided use
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped pickled jalapeno peppers for optional garnish
In a medium bowl, mix together the spaghetti sauce, water, beans, corn and chili seasoning mix. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce. Cover with 1 cup sauce. Spread half the ricotta on top. Arrange another 3 lasagna noodles over ricotta and top with another cup of sauce. Spread remaining ricotta on top. Arrange last 3 lasagna noodles on top. Spread with remaining sauce. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours to overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover dish tightly with nonstick foil; bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and bake 15 more minutes, uncovered. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with jalapeno peppers, if desired.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium beans and reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese) contains approximately 357 calories, 21 g protein, 10 g fat, 48 g carbohydrate, 37 mg cholesterol, 501 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Chicken Saute With Creamy Mustard Sauce
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided use
4 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Chopped fresh dill
In a large skillet, heat oil on medium. Mix flour, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a wide shallow dish. Lightly coat chicken in flour mixture. Add chicken to skillet and cook 6 to 7 minutes, turning once, or until golden on the outside and juices run clear. Remove to a plate; cover to keep warm. Reduce heat to low.
Meanwhile, mix together sour cream, broth, mustard and mayonnaise. Add to skillet. Simmer 1 minute. Serve chicken with sauce. Sprinkle dill over all.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-fat sour cream and low-fat mayonnaise) contains approximately 229 calories, 26 g protein, 9 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 83 mg cholesterol, 453 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1/2.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com
Food on 04/12/2017