A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families
SUNDAY: Let your slow cooker do the work and prepare Barbecue Eye of Round for the family today. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place a 3- to 5-pound eye of round (halved). Mix together 2 cups barbecue sauce, 2 cups water and 2 large, thinly sliced sweet onions; pour over meat. Cook on low 7 hours; remove roast. Cool slightly, slice and serve with barbecue sauce. Texas Two-Step Black-Eyed Pea Salad (see recipe) slides right onto the plate alongside. Add a mixed green salad and crusty bread. Raspberry-Chocolate Cream is a luscious dessert. Divide half of 1 (8-ounce) thawed container frozen whipped topping among 4 dessert dishes. Layer each with 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup and ¼ cup fresh raspberries; repeat layers once more and serve.
Tip: Cook the brown rice for the Texas Two-Step Black-Eyed Pea Salad the day before.
Plan ahead: Save enough barbecue beef, black-eyed pea salad, raspberries and whipped topping for Monday.
MONDAY: Dinner is almost ready because you're having leftover barbecue beef on toasted whole-grain hamburger buns and leftover pea salad. For dessert, leftover raspberries with whipped topping are waiting for you.
TUESDAY: Make an easy, low-cost dinner tonight with Italian Chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet on medium until hot; cook 1 pound chicken tenders 2 minutes per side or until browned. Mix together 1 (10 ¾-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, 5 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 2 chopped plum tomatoes; add to skillet. Cover and simmer 3 minutes or until heated through. Serve over cooked spaghetti. Add green beans and whole-grain rolls. Scoop strawberry ice cream for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: Get your grass skirt ready for Hula Ham Sandwiches. Drain 1 (20-ounce) can sliced pineapple. Slice 5 kaiser rolls in half and spread 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard on each bottom half. Layer each with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 slices Swiss cheese, 2 ounces deli-sliced smoked ham and 1 drained pineapple slice; cover with top of roll. Serve with oven fries and a lettuce wedge salad. Peanut butter cookies are your dessert.
THURSDAY: It's time to teach the kids how to cook Ravioli Casserole. Crumble ½ pound lean ground beef and ½ cup finely chopped carrots into a 2-quart baking dish. Cover and microwave on 100% power 4 to 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and carrots are tender; drain. Stir in 2 (15-ounce) cans beef ravioli. Cover and microwave 5 to 7 minutes or until hot, stirring after 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Serve with celery sticks and Italian bread. Spoon marshmallow topping over leftover ice cream for dessert.
FRIDAY: Skip the meat and enjoy Chunky Vegetable Chili (see recipe). Serve with mixed greens and cornbread (from mix). Peaches make dessert easy.
SATURDAY: Your family will enjoy Walnut-Crusted Pesto Salmon (see recipe). Serve the salmon over orzo along with Citrus Marinated Tomato Salad: In a medium bowl, combine ¼ cup Italian dressing with ½ teaspoon lemon zest (yellow part only). Add 1 pound ripe diced tomatoes (about 2 ½ cups); toss gently and let stand 15 minutes. Add sourdough bread, and buy a cheesecake for dessert.
THE RECIPES
Texas Two-Step Black-Eyed Pea Salad
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed
1 (11-ounce) can no-salt-added corn, rinsed
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 cup salsa
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, mix together rice, black-eyed peas, corn, avocado, salsa, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, salt and pepper. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.
Makes 10 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-sodium black-eyed peas and no-salt-added corn) contains approximately 156 calories, 4 g protein, 4 g fat, 27 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 198 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.
Chunky Vegetable Chili
5 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 medium zucchini, cubed
Microwave the carrots, potatoes, onion and bell pepper 8 minutes on 100% power; drain. Add microwaved vegetables to a Dutch oven along with the chile powder, cumin, tomatoes, vegetable broth, garbanzo beans, black beans, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Cover; bring to boil on medium-high. Reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes. Add zucchini; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
Makes 14 cups.
Nutrition information: Each cup (prepared with unsalted tomato products and reduced-sodium beans) contains approximately 105 calories, 5 g protein, no fat, 23 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 124 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.5.
Walnut-Crusted Pesto Salmon
4 (6-ounce) boneless salmon filets
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup walnuts
4 teaspoons canola oil
¼ cup pesto
Heat oven to 425 degrees; line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Sprinkle both sides of salmon with salt and pepper; set aside. Pulse walnuts in food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Place them in a pie plate. Press salmon into walnut crumbs to coat on all sides. Place filets on baking sheet; drizzle with oil. Bake 10 minutes. Broil on high 3 minutes or until tops of salmon are golden. Remove from oven; top each salmon with pesto. Let stand 3 minutes. (Adapted from keviniscooking.com.)
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 439 calories, 40 g protein, 30 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, 83 mg cholesterol, 383 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email:
susan@7daymenu.com
Food on 05/13/2020