A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families.
SUNDAY: Make the family happy and serve them grilled chicken, your potato salad and this beautiful Cucumber, Kalamata and Tomato Salad (see recipe). Add crusty rolls. Buy a yellow layer cake for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough cake for Monday.
MONDAY: How about Barbecue Meatloaf (see recipe) for dinner tonight? Serve the comfort food with mashed potatoes, green beans and whole-grain rolls. For dessert, slice the leftover cake and top it with blueberries.
Plan ahead: Save enough meatloaf for Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Turkey-Raisin Picadillo Sliders (see recipe) have great kid appeal. Serve the little sandwiches with baked chips and celery sticks. Try peaches for a simple dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Here comes your favorite part of leftover meatloaf: Meatloaf Sandwiches! Use whole-grain bread and slather a little low-fat mayonnaise on it, along with a layer of lettuce. Serve the sandwich with hash browns and coleslaw. Slice kiwis for dessert.
THURSDAY: Gnocchi With Tomato Sauce hits the spot for a no-meat dinner. Add 1 (16- to 18-ounce) package gnocchi to a pot of boiling water; cook according to package directions and remove with slotted spoon when they float to top. Add 1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach to water once gnocchi has been removed. Boil spinach 1 to 2 minutes; remove with slotted spoon; drain. Set aside. Meanwhile, puree 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper to skillet; cook 1 minute, stirring. Stir tomatoes into skillet. Cook 4 minutes to thicken. Stir cooked gnocchi and spinach into skillet. Divide mixture among 4 bowls; top each with 2 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil. Serve with a green salad with egg wedges and garlic bread. How about banana pudding for dessert?
FRIDAY: Make a quick meal of Thai Beef and Noodle Salad. Put 1 (3 ¾-ounce) package cellophane noodles and ¾ cup halved snow peas in a large bowl. Pour 4 cups boiling water over all. Let sit 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Drain; rinse under cold running water and drain again. Shake colander to remove excess water; return to bowl. Combine ¼ cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger and ½ teaspoon coarse salt in a jar; shake to dissolve sugar. Pour dressing over noodles and snow peas. Add 8 ounces thickly sliced deli roast beef (cut into strips), 1 ½ cups sliced seedless cucumber and ½ cup chopped fresh mint. Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve. Alongside, add packaged salad greens and sesame bread sticks. Enjoy pears for dessert.
SATURDAY: Invite friends for Parma-Style Flounder. In a small bowl, mix ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ¼ teaspoon coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Brush one side of 4 (6-ounce) flounder filets with olive oil; sprinkle each with spice mixture. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around center of each filet; set aside. In an 8-by-11-inch baking dish, arrange 8 tomato slices in a single layer; drizzle with another teaspoon oil. Microwave on 100% power for 1 minute. Place flounder in a single layer on tomatoes; cover with waxed paper. Microwave on high 3 minutes or until opaque throughout. Remove from microwave; let stand 2 minutes, covered. Serve with roasted red potatoes, steamed sliced zucchini, an arugula salad and sourdough bread. For dessert, raspberry sorbet and butter cookies are company fare.
THE RECIPES
Cucumber, Kalamata and Tomato Salad
- 3 large seedless cucumbers, chopped
- 5 small red and yellow tomatoes, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced into half-moons
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup crumbled Greek feta cheese
In a large serving bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and olives.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; pour over cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Top with feta before serving. (Adapted from "Y'all Come Over: Charming Your Guests With New Recipes, Heirloom Treasures, and True Southern Hospitality," Rebecca Lang, Rizzoli International Publications.)
Makes 12 cups.
Nutrition information: Each cup contains approximately 114 calories, 1 g protein, 10 g fat, 5 g carbohydrate, 4 mg cholesterol, 311 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: ½
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Barbecue Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds very lean ground beef
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, divided use
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons chile powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 egg whites
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, onion, 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce, mustard, chile powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and egg whites. Shape mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread remaining barbecue sauce over top of loaf. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into slices.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 254 calories, 26 g protein, 9 g fat, 15 g carbohydrate, 64 mg cholesterol, 391 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1
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Turkey-Raisin Picadillo Sliders
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ¼ pounds ground turkey breast
- Coarse salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (6-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato paste
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 8 whole-grain slider rolls
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil on medium in a Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. Add bay leaves, cumin, chile powder and allspice; stir together for 1 to 2 minutes. Add turkey, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, ¾ cup water and raisins; cook 5 minutes to blend flavors. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes or until thickened. If mixture is too thick, add a little more water. Toast rolls in oven until lightly browned. Remove bay leaves. Spoon turkey mixture onto rolls and serve.
Makes 8 sliders.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 237 calories, 21 g protein, 5 g fat, 28 g carbohydrate, 41 mg cholesterol, 223 mg sodium and 2 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