SUNDAY: Keep family day simple and prepare your own roast turkey breast, adding canned whole-berry cranberry sauce on the side. Serve with your potatoes au gratin and these Green Beans in Olive Oil: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil on medium-high. Add 1 pound fresh green beans (rinsed, trimmed and halved) and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, adding more water as necessary for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add 4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed) and coarse salt to taste; stir. Cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat; add a handful of chopped cilantro. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with additional olive oil. (Adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi, Running Press.) Add a lettuce wedge and dinner rolls. For dessert, buy a chocolate layer cake.
Plan ahead: Save enough turkey, cranberry sauce and cake for Monday.
MONDAY: Make simple Turkey-Cranberry Wraps for dinner tonight. Heat 6 large flour tortillas according to package directions. Mix together 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce, 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Spread evenly on one side of each tortilla. Top with thinly sliced or chopped leftover turkey breast, sliced green onions, toasted chopped pecans and shredded lettuce. Roll and serve with oven fries. Add pickles, olives and tomato wedges on the side. Dessert is leftover cake.
TUESDAY: Skip meat tonight and prepare Ziti Baked With Spinach, Tomatoes and Smoked Gouda (see recipe). Serve with a red-tipped lettuce salad and garlic bread. Pears are for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough baked ziti for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: Gather 'round the campfire for a low-cost dinner with Happy Trail Burgers. Broil any burgers. Meanwhile, heat a 20-ounce can of vegetarian baked beans with 1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce. Spoon over burgers; garnish with chopped sweet onion. Serve with any soup and coleslaw. Enjoy fresh strawberries for dessert.
Plan ahead: Buy enough strawberries for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Heat the leftover ziti for a quick meal. Serve with carrot salad and whole-grain rolls. Buy tapioca pudding for dessert and top with leftover strawberries.
FRIDAY: The kids will love Mexican Chicken and Beans (see recipe). Accompany the soon-to-be kid-favorite with baby carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes and a dip, along with flour tortillas. For dessert, slurp on any frozen fruit juice bars.
SATURDAY: Your guests will feel special when you open your Global Pantry and take them to Thailand for Thai Shrimp With Coconut-Almond Rice (see recipe). Add sugar snap peas, a boston lettuce salad and sourdough bread. For dessert, make peach shortcake by spooning Nutella onto shortcake shells and covering with sliced peaches. Garnish with a dab of whipped cream.
THE RECIPES
Ziti Baked With Spinach, Tomatoes and Smoked Gouda
10 ounces ziti pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans undrained diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) shredded smoked gouda, divided use
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high. Add onion and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook 30 seconds or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add pasta and 3/4 cup cheese to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 267 calories, 12 g protein, 7 g fat, 39 g carbohydrate, 20 mg cholesterol, 591 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2 1/2.
Mexican Chicken and Beans
1 pound chicken breast strips
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
1 (11-ounce) can corn with red and green peppers with liquid
1/4 cup water
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook and stir on medium-high 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in taco seasoning mix, beans, corn and water. Cook 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve warm.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 295 calories, 31 g protein, 3 g fat, 33 g carbohydrate, 73 mg cholesterol, 995 mg sodium and 7 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.
Thai Shrimp With Coconut-Almond Rice
1 cup jasmine rice
Canned light coconut milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup Thai-style chile sauce (use less for milder flavor)
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
Chopped green onions for garnish
Prepare rice according to package directions, replacing half the water called for on package with light coconut milk. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until pink. Add chile sauce and stir until heated through. Stir almonds into cooked rice and top with shrimp mixture. Garnish with onions and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 407 calories, 29 g protein, 13 g fat, 43 g carbohydrate, 183 mg cholesterol, 452 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com
Food on 05/16/2018