7-Day Menu Planner

Keep it fresh after all the turkey is gone

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Family Sunday For an extra-special family dinner, try stuffed chicken with bleu cheese, almonds and apples (see recipe). Serve the elegant entree with brown rice, asparagus and dinner rolls. Buy a Boston cream pie for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough pie for Monday.

Shopping list: Cooking spray, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, crumbled reduced-fat bleu cheese or Gorgonzola cheese, slivered almonds, Gala or Fuji apple, fresh dill, salt, pepper, dried minced onion, brown rice, asparagus, dinner rolls, Boston cream pie.

Budget Monday Often a slow cooker meal means a lower cost meal and Tex-Mex pulled pork is no exception. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine 1 (8-ounce) can no-saltadded tomato sauce, 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1 sliced onion, 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies, 4 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon each cumin and oregano andvteaspoon cinnamon. Mix well. Add 1 (2z-to 3-pound) boneless pork loin (cut into 2 or 3 pieces). Spoon sauce over pork. Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours or until pork is tender. Remove pork to cutting board and shred. Serve the pork over heated sliced polenta with sauce on the side. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Add coleslaw. Slice the leftover pie for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough pulled pork and coleslaw for Tuesday.

Tip: Look for tubes of polenta in the produce section.

Shopping list: No-saltadded tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, onion, canned diced green chilies, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, boneless pork loin, polenta, fresh cilantro, coleslaw.

Heat and Eat Tuesday Serve the leftover pulled pork on toasted whole-wheat buns. Top with sliced jalapeno peppers (from a jar). Add leftover coleslaw. Enjoy plums for dessert.

Shopping list: Wholewheat buns, jar sliced jalapeno peppers, plums.

Kids Wednesday Be a hero and serve the kids hot dog and bean bake (see recipe). On the side, munch on celery sticks. For dessert, tropical fruit is light.

Shopping list: Cooking spray, reduced-fat hot dogs, canned vegetarian baked beans, barbecue sauce, light brown sugar, package corn-bread mix (such as Jiffy or another brand), 1 percent milk, egg, celery sticks, tropical fruit.

Express Thursday Make a quick tuna melt for dinner. Heat broiler. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil. Toast 4 slices rye bread under broiler until browned; set aside. Spread a scantzcup deli tuna salad onto each slice of toast. Cover each with slices of 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve each open-faced melt with a slice of tomato on the side. Add frozen O’Brien potatoes and a spinach salad. Try chunky applesauce for dessert.

Shopping list: Rye bread, deli tuna salad, 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese, tomatoes, frozen O’Brien potatoes, fresh spinach, chunky applesauce.

Meatless Friday Skip meat for linguine with pesto and roasted red peppers. Toss cooked and drained linguine with reduced- fat pesto and roasted red pepper strips. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Add a Romaine salad and garlic bread. For dessert, top pineapple with toasted coconut.

Shopping list: Linguine, reduced-fat pesto, jar roasted red peppers, Parmesan, romaine, garlic bread, pineapple, coconut.

Easy Entertaining Saturday Scallops with angel hair pasta (see recipe) will please any guest. Serve it with an arugula salad and sourdough bread. Buy fruit tarts for an easy and pretty dessert.

Shopping list:Angel hair pasta, center cut bacon, sea scallops, fat-free half-and-half, paprika, chili powder, ground ginger, tomatoes, arugula, sourdough bread, fruit tarts.

The Recipes

Stuffed Chicken with Bleu Cheese, Almonds and Apples

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes

4 (5-to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 ounces crumbled reduced-fat bleu cheese or Gorgonzola

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 peeled, cored and diced Gala or Fuji apple

3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

4 teaspoons dried minced onion, divided

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Using a sharp paring knife, slice a pocket into each chicken breast, as if halving a bagel, without completely cutting through the other side. Arrange chicken in prepared pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine cheese, almonds, apple and dill. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the top of each piece of chicken. Divide cheese mixture into 4 equal portions and spoon each portion into the pocket of chicken. Coat top of chicken with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon dried onion. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is 170 degrees. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 338 calories, 43 grams protein, 14 grams fat (37 percent calories from fat), 4.5 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 97 milligrams cholesterol, 477 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

Hot Dog and Bean Bake

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: about 50 minutes

1 (16-ounce) package reduced-fat hot dogs

3 (15.5-ounce) cans vegetarian baked beans, drained

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 (8.5-ounce) package cornbread mix (such as Jiffy or another brand)

1/3 cup 1 percent milk

1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet; cook hot dogs about 3 minutes per side or until browned. On a cutting board, cut them intoz-inch pieces on the diagonal. In a large bowl, mix together hot dogs, beans, barbecue sauce and sugar. Spoon into prepared dish. Prepare cornbread according to directions, using milk and egg. Spread evenly over top of dish. Bake 45 minutes or until bubbly. Cool slightly before serving. (Adapted from Family Circle magazine.) Makes 10 servings.

Per serving: 354 calories, 12 grams protein, 10 grams fat (28 percent calories from fat), 3.8 grams saturated fat, 49 grams carbohydrate, 44 milligrams cholesterol, 1,419 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.

Scallops with Angel Hair Pasta

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: about 15 minutes, plus pasta

8 ounces angel hair pasta

2 strips center cut bacon

1 pound sea scallops

1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes

Cook pasta according to directions; drain and set aside. Microwave bacon 2 minutes on high (100 percent power) or until crisp; crumble and set aside. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium; add scallops and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side or until browned. Cook in batches if necessary. Remove to a plate. Pour half-and-half into skillet, scraping in any bits and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until sauce is reduced by one third, stirring frequently. Stir in paprika, chili powder, ginger and tomatoes. Add scallops and cook until heated through. Serve scallops and sauce over pasta and sprinkle with bacon. (Adapted from “Trim & Terrific Gulf Coast Favorites,” Holly Clegg, Favorite Recipes Press, $24.95.) Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 260 calories, 22 grams protein, 2 grams fat (7 percent calories from fat), 0.5 gram saturated fat, 39 grams carbohydrate, 27 milligrams cholesterol, 232 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

menuplanner@mindspring.com

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