A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families
SUNDAY: Fire up the grill for flatiron steaks (or other grilling steaks), and offer horseradish sauce on the side. Serve the steaks with Hasselback Roasted Potatoes (see recipe). Add a romaine salad and whole-grain rolls. For dessert, top angel food cake with strawberry ice cream.
Plan ahead: Cook enough steak, bake 1 extra plain potato and save enough cake for Monday. Save enough ice cream for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Make Steak Salad for dinner. Buy any packaged green salad and any salad dressing; toss with diced baked potato, halved cherry tomatoes and any other raw vegetables you desire. Layer slices of leftover steak over top of salad. Sprinkle with crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Serve with bread sticks. For dessert, spoon sliced peaches over leftover cake.
TUESDAY: For a quick and easy no-meat dinner, Ravioli and Pesto fits the bill. Cook 2 (13-ounce) packages frozen cheese ravioli and toss with refrigerated pesto. Add a romaine salad and garlic bread. Scoop leftover ice cream for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Make it fast tonight with Fish Wraps. Prepare any packaged frozen breaded fish according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat whole-grain tortillas. Place fish in tortillas, top with deli coleslaw and wrap. Serve with hash-browned potatoes and petite green peas. Bite into nectarines for dessert.
THURSDAY: The kids can help prepare Southwestern Layered Salad. In a large skillet, cook 1 pound lean ground beef 6 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Add 1 (11-ounce) can Southwestern-style corn with the liquid. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) less-sodium taco seasoning. Cook on medium 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until blended and thoroughly heated. Meanwhile, on a large platter, arrange 6 cups torn romaine. Arrange beef mixture over lettuce. Sprinkle with ½ cup Mexican cheese blend. Drizzle with ½ cup ranch dressing; top with 1 cup corn chips. Garnish with salsa. Serve with carrot and celery sticks. Add fresh cherries for dessert.
FRIDAY: This economical Spicy Chicken Stew (see recipe) goes into our "favorites" file. Add a green salad on the side and crusty rolls. Kiwi slices are an easy dessert.
SATURDAY: Treat your guests to Tandoori Turkey With Grilled Onions (see recipe). Serve with basmati rice, fresh green beans and naan. For dessert, buy fruit tarts.
THE RECIPES
Hasselback Roasted Potatoes
4 medium gold potatoes
1 lemon, halved and thinly sliced
2 to 3 ounces prosciutto
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Chopped chives for garnish
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each potato across its width into thin slices, stopping ½ inch before the bottom so the slices are still joined at the base. Insert one lemon slice, one strip prosciutto and one garlic slice into each cut. Place potatoes in roasting pan; season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Roast 1 hour or until golden and tender. Garnish with chives.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 258 calories, 9 g protein, 2 g fat, 51 g carbohydrate, 12 mg cholesterol, 271 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.5.
Spicy Chicken Stew
1 cup brown rice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons Caribbean jerk seasoning
½ teaspoon cracked pepper
¼ cup dry red wine or unsalted chicken broth
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes with juice
Cook rice according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until tender.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, curry, jerk seasoning and pepper. Add chicken mixture to skillet; cook 4 minutes. Stir in wine, capers, beans and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Serve over rice.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium beans) contains approximately 309 calories, 24 g protein, 5 g fat, 43 g carbohydrate, 48 mg cholesterol, 387 mg sodium and 8 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Tandoori Turkey With Grilled Onions
1 (16-ounce) container plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ¼ pounds turkey cutlets
Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 small white onions
Whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, curry powder and cinnamon. Pour marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Season turkey with salt and pepper and add to bag. Seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours (the longer it marinates the spicier it will be).
When ready to cook, heat grill or broiler. Peel and cut onions into quarters. Remove turkey cutlets and place on grill or broiler. Brush with marinade if desired. Coat onions with cooking spray and place on grill or broiler. Grill turkey 4 to 5 minutes total, turning once and basting with marinade. Discard remaining marinade. Grill onions 5 minutes; turn and grill 5 to 7 minutes more or until soft.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with nonfat yogurt) contains approximately 227 calories, 37 g protein, 4 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 97 mg cholesterol, 93 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.5.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com
Food on 09/04/2019