A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families
SUNDAY: Start Mom's special day with a glass of tomato juice and Caprese Skewers (see recipe). After that, Mom will love this easy Breakfast Skillet Hash. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in large nonstick skillet on medium. Add 4 ½ cups (¾ of 30-ounce package) frozen shredded hash browns (partially defrosted) and 1 tablespoon bacon-and-chive seasoning. Coat back of large spoon with cooking spray and use it to make 4 indentations in potatoes. Break 1 egg into each indention. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until eggs are set. Add biscuits on the side. A bowl of blueberries, garnished with a mint sprig, is the perfect ending for Mom's special meal.
Plan ahead: Save enough blueberries for Monday.
MONDAY: For a fast meal, serve Roast Beef Wrap With Horseradish Slaw. For 2 wraps: In a medium bowl, combine ¼ cup sour cream and 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish. Fold in 1 cup coleslaw mix. Dividing evenly, top 2 (10-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas with 2 cups baby spinach, 8 ounces deli sliced roast beef, 2 ounces sliced cheddar cheese and the slaw mixture. Roll tightly, folding the sides. Slice on the diagonal and serve. Add baked chips and grape tomatoes to the plate. Enjoy leftover blueberries for dessert.
TUESDAY: Forget meat tonight when you serve Grilled Cheese and Tomato Paninis. Spread sliced Italian bread with pesto; layer with tomato and part-skim mozzarella cheese. Coat outside of bread with cooking spray; brown in a skillet on medium heat, pressing sandwiches with a spatula, until cheese melts. Add split pea soup. Make the meal special and add your deviled eggs. For dessert, try plums.
WEDNESDAY: Serve the kids Sweet and Sour Meatballs tonight. In a large pot, heat beef gravy (from can or jar) on medium with seedless red raspberry jam to taste. Add any prepared frozen meatballs (thawed); heat through. Stir in some sour cream and chopped fresh parsley. Spoon over cooked noodles to serve. Add green peas (from frozen) and soft rolls. For dessert, how about a big bowl of fresh strawberries?
THURSDAY: You'll save money, and you'll love the flavor of Quinoa and Black Bean Salad (see recipe). Serve it with chicken noodle soup and sesame bread sticks. Pears are an easy dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough quinoa and black bean salad for Friday.
FRIDAY: Dinner is almost ready when you use your leftovers to make Chicken and Quinoa. Toss carved, refrigerated cooked chicken breast pieces with the leftover quinoa salad. Moisten with a little olive oil. Serve with mixed greens and whole-grain bread. Sliced kiwis are dessert.
SATURDAY: Entertain your friends with Chicken Paprika (see recipe). Serve over noodles. Add a romaine salad and whole-grain rolls. Buy a carrot cake for dessert.
THE RECIPES
Caprese Skewers
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced to paste
- 10 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 8 ounces fresh baby mozzarella cheese balls
Whisk oil and garlic together in small bowl.
In separate bowl, toss tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. On short wooden skewers, lace tomatoes, basil leaves and mozzarella balls in this order from top to bottom: tomato half, basil leaf (folded if large), mozzarella ball, tomato half with flat side facing down. Use flat side of bottom tomato to stand each skewer upright on serving platter. Drizzle with remaining garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve. (Adapted from "The Complete Small Plates Cookbook," American's Test Kitchen.)
Makes 30 skewers.
Nutrition information: Each skewer contains approximately 28 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0
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Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
For the salad:
- 1 ½ cups quinoa
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups cooked frozen corn
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 pickled jalapeno peppers, rinsed, seeded and minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the dressing:
- 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cumin
- ¼ cup olive oil
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water for 2 minutes or until water is clear; drain well.
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, toss beans with vinegar, salt and pepper. Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl; let cool. Add bean mixture, corn, bell pepper, jalapenos and cilantro. Toss to mix.
Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt and cumin. Add oil, whisking. Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss to mix.
Makes about 10 cups.
Nutrition information: Each cup (prepared with reduced-sodium beans) contains approximately 208 calories, 7 g protein, 7 g fat, 30 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 114 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2
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Chicken Paprika
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips
- 2 ½ teaspoons paprika, divided use
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added or regular fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
- ⅓ cup half-and-half
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (if desired)
Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the paprika, salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes per side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet. Add onion to skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in tomatoes and remaining paprika; bring to a boil. Return chicken and accumulated liquid to skillet. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in half-and-half until well blended. When serving, sprinkle with parsley (if desired).
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 230 calories, 27 g protein, 9 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 90 mg cholesterol, 198 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com