A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families.
SUNDAY: For a delicious dinner on family day, prepare your own roasted chicken. Alongside, add Creamed Onion Bake (see recipe), parsley buttered baby carrots, a spinach salad and whole-grain rolls. Buy a lemon pie for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough chicken and pie for Monday.
MONDAY: Turn Sunday's entree into a savory Quick Green Chicken Chili (see recipe). Serve over rice. Add sliced avocado on shredded lettuce. For dessert, slice the leftover pie.
Plan ahead: Save enough chili and cook extra rice for Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Hot Dog Heaven is every kid's dream. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 1 1/3 cups instant mashed potato flakes according to package directions but without salt. Stir in ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon instant minced onion and 2 teaspoons yellow mustard. Spread mixture in an ungreased 1-quart casserole. Arrange 4 to 6 hot dogs (cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise) around edge of mashed potatoes by standing them like fence posts. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is hot. Serve with baked beans, red bell pepper strips and any vegetable dip. Kiwis are dessert.
WEDNESDAY: The leftover chili will be even better tonight as the flavors will have blended. Serve it with leftover rice and a mixed green salad. Make cornbread from a mix. Enjoy fresh pineapple chunks for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough cornbread for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Pan-fry a ham steak for a quick meal. Serve it with refrigerated mashed sweet potatoes, peas and carrots (tossed with chopped fresh parsley), mixed greens and leftover cornbread. Apple slices are good for dessert.
Tip: If you have peas and carrots leftover from earlier meals this week, use them instead of the frozen combination.
FRIDAY: Skip meat for Noodle Soup With Kale and White Beans. In a Dutch oven, cook 3 medium chopped carrots and 1 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil on medium heat for 10 minutes or until soft and golden brown; remove to a bowl and wipe pot if necessary. Heat another tablespoon oil on medium-high in same pot. Add 1 cup broken (2- or 3-inch pieces) angel hair pasta and cook 3 or 4 minutes or until dark golden brown; stir often. Add 8 cups unsalted chicken broth and stir. Scrape bottom of pan to release any pasta stuck on pot. Add the carrots and onions, 6 cups roughly chopped fresh kale (ribs removed), 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (rinsed), 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat; stir in ¼ cup chopped cilantro. Before serving, add more lime juice and pepper if desired. Serve with a lettuce wedge with chopped hard-cooked egg garnish and crackers. Strawberry ice cream is a cool dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
SATURDAY: Lentil Salad With Seared Shrimp (see recipe) will impress. Serve the combo with a bibb lettuce salad and a baguette. For dessert, chocolate wafer cookies and leftover strawberry ice cream go well together.
THE RECIPES
Creamed Onion Bake
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided use
- 1 ½ cups cornbread stuffing
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 onions, halved and cut into slices
- 1 (10 ¾-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup frozen tiny green peas
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Heat 2 tablespoons the butter in a 1-quart pan on medium heat until melted. Remove pan from heat. To butter, add stuffing and parsley; mix lightly and set pan aside.
Heat remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add onions and cook 6 minutes or until softened. Stir in soup, milk and peas. Spoon soup mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and stuffing mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-fat and reduced-sodium soup, 1% milk and reduced-fat cheese) contains approximately 176 calories, 6 g protein, 10 g fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 26 mg cholesterol, 304 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
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Quick Green Chicken Chili
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed (see note)
- 1 cup tomatillo salsa
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, sour cream and tortilla chips for garnish
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and salt; cook about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook about 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in broth, beans and salsa; bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes or until flavors blend. Using back of wooden spoon, mash some of beans against side of pot until slightly thickened. Stir in chicken and cilantro and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir and serve with garnishes. (Adapted from "The Chicken Bible," America's Test Kitchen.)
Makes 4 servings.
Note: I added an extra can of white chili beans, a small can of corn and extra salsa with good results.
Nutrition information: Each serving without garnishes contains approximately 440 calories, 41 g protein, 9 g fat, 39 g carbohydrate, 89 mg cholesterol, 1,335 mg sodium and 9 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.5.
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Lentil Salad With Seared Shrimp
- 8 ounces lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 large ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided use, plus extra for garnish
- 8 extra-large (16- to 20-count) or 16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
- ½ cup finely chopped and packed fresh flatleaf parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a 4-quart saucepan, combine lentils, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, 3 cups water and 3 sprigs thyme. Heat to boiling on medium-high. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer 25 to 35 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, from remaining thyme sprig, remove leaves and finely chop; discard stem. In medium bowl, combine shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil and chopped thyme. Let stand 15 minutes while lentils simmer.
Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium-high. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until browned. Turn; cook 2 minutes longer or until shrimp are opaque throughout.
Drain lentil mixture; transfer to large bowl. Remove and discard bay leaf and thyme stems. Toss lentil mixture with parsley, vinegar, mustard and remaining olive oil, along with the salt and pepper. Divide lentil mixture among serving plates; top each serving with shrimp; garnish with thyme sprig.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 344 calories, 24 g protein, 11 g fat, 41 g carbohydrate, 71 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium and 9 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