A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families.
SUNDAY: Make a special family Easter meal and serve a spiral-sliced ham, your macaroni salad and a spinach salad with sliced red onion and egg wedges. Add biscuits alongside. For dessert, buy an Easter cake.
Plan ahead: Save enough ham and macaroni salad for Monday; save enough cake for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Use the leftover ham for Ham Sandwiches With Brie and Pesto. Layer ham and sliced brie on sliced Italian bread spread with prepared pesto. Add leftover macaroni salad and deli coleslaw on the side. Enjoy fresh pineapple for dessert.
TUESDAY: Skip meat for Rosemary Spaghetti With Roasted Asparagus (see recipe) and enjoy a flavor-packed entree. Serve it with mixed greens and garlic bread. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Kids big and little will like the flavor of Italian Chicken With Noodles (see recipe). Serve it with baby carrots and bread sticks. Sprinkle sliced apples with cinnamon sugar for dessert.
THURSDAY: Make it a quick meal tonight and put turkey kielbasa with grainy mustard, dill pickles, deli German-style potato salad and pickled beets (from a jar) on the menu. Add rye bread. For dessert, keep it light with peaches.
FRIDAY: This Slow Cooker Chicken Chili (see recipe) is simple and inexpensive. Wrap the chili in warmed flour tortillas and serve it with lime wedges and a lettuce wedge. Fresh tropical fruit is a refreshing dessert.
SATURDAY: Invite friends for colorful Cod With Fennel and Olives: Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, combine 1 large thinly sliced fennel bulb and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 15 minutes. Stir in 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with liquid. In the dish, arrange 4 (5-ounce) cod filets in a single layer. Season with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Top with ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives. Spoon fennel mixture over fish. Roast 10 minutes or until fish is opaque throughout. Serve with brown rice and broccoli for a pretty plate. Add a red-tipped lettuce salad and whole-grain bread. Buy a carrot cake for dessert.
THE RECIPES
Rosemary Spaghetti With Roasted Asparagus
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 ½ cups unsalted vegetable broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread asparagus on a rimmed baking pan in a single layer; brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast 7 to 12 minutes or until fork-tender. Shake pan halfway through cooking to redistribute stalks. Cut stalks into 1 ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large deep skillet, melt butter on medium-low. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add broth and chopped rosemary; increase heat to medium-high and reduce liquid by half.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Add pasta to butter mixture. Add cheese and asparagus; gently toss. Garnish each serving with a rosemary sprig and pass additional parmesan to sprinkle.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 291 calories, 10 g protein, 6 g fat, 49 g carbohydrate, 10 mg cholesterol, 171 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3
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Italian Chicken With Noodles
- 1 ½ pounds well-trimmed boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 or 6 pieces
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ¾ cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, with liquid
- 1 ½ cups sliced carrots
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 3 cups uncooked egg noodles
- ¾ cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
Sprinkle chicken with thyme and oregano; set aside.
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes and their liquid, carrots and onion. Place chicken on top of all. Cover; cook on low 7 to 8 hours. Stir in noodles and peas. Cover; cook 15 minutes on high or just until the noodles are tender.
Makes about 9 ½ cups.
Nutrition information: Each cup (prepared with no-salt added tomatoes) contains approximately 180 calories, 17 g protein, 3 g fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 67 mg cholesterol, 128 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 ½
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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 (1.25-ounce) packet chili seasoning
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa
- 1 (14.75-ounce) can shoepeg corn, rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Toss chicken and chili seasoning until evenly coated; arrange in a slow cooker. Combine salsa, corn and black beans; pour over chicken. Cook 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions and chopped cilantro.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium beans and reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar) contains approximately 398 calories, 45 g protein, 10 g fat, 30 g carbohydrate, 131 mg cholesterol, 798 mg sodium and 7 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com