A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families.
SUNDAY: Take it easy and serve the family a heat-and-serve baked ham today. Add mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli, a spinach salad and cornbread to accompany the ham. Indulge in Apple-Cinnamon Pockets for dessert: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll 1 (15-ounce) package of 2 refrigerated pie crusts (on wax paper for easy cleanup) according to package directions. Cut each crust into fourths. Divide 2 (12-ounce) packages frozen cinnamon-spiced apples (defrosted) into 8 portions and place in center of each crust; sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired. Pull corners over apples, pinching to seal. Brush bundles evenly with lightly beaten egg white; place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Plan ahead: Save enough ham and apple pockets for Monday.
MONDAY: Use some of the leftover ham in Turkey Cuban Sandwiches. Spread 8 slices Italian bread with Dijon mustard. Top each of 4 slices bread with 1 slice Swiss cheese, thin slices of leftover ham, deli sliced turkey, another slice of cheese and slices of dill pickle. Top with second slice of bread. Coat bread with cooking spray, place in a hot nonstick skillet, press down with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Turn and repeat browning. Serve with baked chips and a packaged green salad. For dessert, warm the leftover apple pockets and top with light whipped cream.
TUESDAY: Chicken Rice Bake is mild in flavor and will suit kids' taste requirements. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, 1 (14-ounce) can unsalted chicken broth, ¾ cup buttermilk, ½ cup dry white wine or additional chicken broth, 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon coarse salt. Spoon mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place 3 ½ pounds bone-in skinless chicken breasts and thighs in dish. Sprinkle chicken with paprika. Cover with nonstick foil; bake 1 ½ hours or until internal temperature of thighs reaches 165 degrees. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve with chopped lettuce and soft rolls. Orange sections are good for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough chicken and rice for Wednesday; save enough orange sections for Friday.
WEDNESDAY: Heat the leftover Chicken Rice Bake, and dinner will almost be ready. Add a green salad and whole-grain rolls on the side. Fresh or frozen blueberries, sprinkled with a little brown sugar, will make a fine dessert.
THURSDAY: Turkey-Couscous Meatloaves (see recipe) received gold stars at our house for their excellent flavor. Serve them with a baked potato, steamed carrots, a lettuce wedge and whole-grain bread. Enjoy red and green grapes for dessert.
FRIDAY: Forget about meat and enjoy Spicy Linguine With Garlic and Oil (see recipe) tonight. Add a romaine salad and garlic bread. Sprinkle leftover orange sections with toasted coconut for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough coconut for Saturday.
SATURDAY: Anyone would enjoy the flavors of Honey-Ginger Grilled Salmon (see recipe). Serve with brown rice, tiny frozen green peas, an arugula salad and bread sticks. For dessert, vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce and leftover coconut is a fine finish to a delicious meal.
THE RECIPES
Turkey-Couscous Meatloaves
- ¾ cup unsalted chicken broth
- ½ cup whole-wheat couscous
- 1 medium coarsely grated zucchini
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- 4 teaspoons rubbed (crumbled) sage
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds ground turkey breast
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 3 slices bacon, halved
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil broth; stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to a large bowl, fluff with fork. Stir in zucchini, onion, sage, salt and pepper. Add turkey and egg and mix to combine. Shape into 6 loaves, each about 1 ½ inches thick. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick foil.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, mustard and tomato paste until blended and smooth; brush most of mixture over loaves. Lay a bacon piece diagonally over each loaf. Brush bacon with remaining mustard mixture. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until loaves' internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. If desired, broil 1 minute to crisp bacon.
Makes 6 mini loaves.
Nutrition information: Each loaf contains approximately 262 calories, 29 g protein, 4 g fat, 28 g carbohydrate, 92 mg cholesterol, 381 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.
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Spicy Linguine With Garlic and Oil
- 1 ¾ teaspoons coarse salt, divided use
- 16 ounces linguine or spaghetti
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil on medium high; add 1 ¼ teaspoons salt. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about ½ cup water. Return pasta with a few tablespoons of the water back to the pot.
In a large skillet on medium, heat oil. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring frequently so as not to burn, 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup of pasta water to skillet; cook, stirring 2 minutes to make a loose sauce. Add cooked pasta to skillet; mix together with tongs. Heat 1 minute. Remove from stove and add parsley, cheese and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Mix together one last time and serve. (Adapted from "Easy Everyday Mediterranean Cookbook" by Serena Ball, MSRD & Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.)
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 381 calories, 11 g protein, 11 g fat, 58 g carbohydrate, 3 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 4.
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Honey-Ginger Grilled Salmon
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup less-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 ½ pounds salmon filets
In a resealable plastic bag, combine juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic powder and onion. Add salmon; turn to coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes to 1 hour. Discard marinade, pat salmon dry with paper towels. Grill on medium-high 6 to 8 minutes per side or bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 230 calories, 36 g protein, 8 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 80 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com