A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families.
SUNDAY: Show Mother you learned your lessons well and prepare her favorite — French toast. Add this delicious Strawberry Baby Greens Salad With Buttery Spiced Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe) alongside. Serve with Canadian bacon. End the celebration with cupcakes from the bakery.
Plan ahead: Save enough cupcakes for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Try budget-friendly Tuna Noodle Casserole (see recipe) tonight. Serve the comfort food star with steamed fresh broccoli and whole-grain rolls. Enjoy crunchy sliced apples for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough of the casserole for Tuesday.
TUESDAY: Your leftover casserole is ready to heat and eat. Serve it with a spinach salad and bread sticks. Have leftover cupcakes for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: The kids will want seconds of Pasta Pizza Pie (see recipe). Serve with carrot sticks. For dessert, sliced peaches are easy.
THURSDAY: For a super-quick meal, Chicken Salad-Stuffed Avocados are as easy as can be. Halve ripe avocados; sprinkle with lemon juice and fill with deli chicken salad. Place on a bed of red-tipped lettuce and serve with hard-cooked egg and tomato wedges. Add crusty rolls. Munch on oatmeal cookies for dessert.
FRIDAY: You'll enjoy Curried Lentils for a meat-free meal: Cook 2 cups lentils according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil on medium. Add 2 medium chopped onions, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon dried coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, 3 whole cloves, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper; cook 10 minutes or until onions are softened, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup diced fresh or drained canned tomatoes and the drained lentils; simmer on low 3 minutes. Discard cloves. Stir in 1/3 cup sliced green onions and tops and ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander, if desired. Serve immediately with a Caesar salad and flatbread. How about instant vanilla pudding for dessert?
SATURDAY: Your guests will enjoy the flavor of these Grilled Lamb Chops: Rub both sides of 12 lamb loin chops with olive oil, 2 mashed cloves garlic, chopped leaves from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, some lemon juice and coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Season with coarse salt and additional pepper; grill 4 to 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Serve with potatoes au gratin, green beans, a spinach salad and sourdough bread. Pick up a lemon meringue pie for the perfect ending to a delicious meal.
THE RECIPES
Strawberry Baby Greens Salad With Buttery Spiced Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt, divided use
- 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
- 1 cup pecans
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups baby greens
- 8 strawberries, trimmed and quartered, about 1 cup
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
In medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add cinnamon, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt and chipotle pepper. Stir in pecans. Cook until pecans are fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer to waxed paper; cool. In serving bowl, combine olive oil, strawberry preserves, vinegar, basil, black pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk until blended. Add greens, strawberries, onion and pecans. Toss until evenly coated.
Makes 10 cups.
Nutrition information: Each cup contains approximately 158 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 3 mg cholesterol, 136 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.5.
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Tuna Noodle Casserole
- 8 ounces no-yolk egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 ¾ cups milk
- 4 ounces softened Neufchatel cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
Heat broiler.
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
Heat a large skillet on medium; add oil to coat pan. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook 7 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk, until slightly thick. Stir in cream cheese, mustard and pepper. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in noodles, peas, almonds and tuna. Spoon mixture into a broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with 1% milk) contains approximately 300 calories, 18 g protein, 11 g fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 27 mg cholesterol, 269 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.
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Pasta Pizza Pie
- 2 cups rotini pasta
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ cup minced onion
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 beaten egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided use
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add onion and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes or until the onion is softened and the mushrooms have lost most of their liquid. Remove from heat; set aside. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix the egg, milk, cooked pasta and ½ cup of the cheese. Spread the pasta mixture evenly on the pizza pan. Bake 20 minutes. Spread the marinara sauce over pasta "crust." Top with onion mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake 18 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is hot and bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with 1% milk) contains approximately 327 calories, 16 g protein, 11 g fat, 41 g carbohydrate, 65 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2.5.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com