7-Day Menu Planner
Chicken dishes make fast work of midweek
Family Sunday Serve the family baked ham today. Alongside, add sweet potato-leek casserole (see recipe). Serve with green beans, mixed green salad and whole-wheat rolls. Enjoy a piece of apple pie for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough ham and pie for Monday.
Shopping list:Ham to bake, sweet potatoes, leeks, canola oil, butter, fat-free half-and-half, dry white wine, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cooking spray, panko bread crumbs, almonds, green beans, salad greens, whole-wheat rolls, apple pie.
Chicken for Tuesday.
Heat and Eat Monday Make baked rotini with ham (see recipe) using some of the leftovers. Serve it with a spinach salad and Italian bread. Slice some leftover pie for dessert.
Shopping list: Tri-color rotini, refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauce, skim milk, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, pepper, Parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, Italian bread.
Express Tuesday You can get chicken, broccoli and mushrooms with brown rice on the table in a hurry. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir 1 (18.3-ounce) carton garden broccoli soup,
1 cup instant brown rice, vcup water, 1 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms and 1 medium, finely chopped onion together in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Sprinkle the chicken with paprika and black pepper. Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Serve with a packaged green salad and multigrain rolls. Plums are your dessert.
Shopping list: Carton garden broccoli soup (such as Campbell’s V8 or another brand), instant brown rice, fresh sliced mushrooms, onion, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, paprika, black pepper, packaged green salad, multigrain rolls, plums.
Meatless Wednesday Penne alla vodka is a good reason to skip meat tonight. Cook 1 (12-ounce) package mini-penne pasta as directed. Meanwhile, slice a large sweet onion, 2 medium zucchini andxcup fresh basil leaves. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet on medium-high; cook onion 2 minutes. Add zucchini; cook 3 more minutes or until just tender. Add a 24-to 26-ounce jar vodka pasta sauce to skillet to heat. Drain pasta; toss with sauce mixture and basil. (Adapted from Woman’s Day magazine.) Serve with a lettuce wedge and garlic bread. Make instant butterscotch pudding with 1 percent milk, for dessert. Top with fat-free whipped cream.
Shopping list: Mini penne pasta, sweet onion, zucchini, fresh basil, olive oil, jar vodka pasta sauce, lettuce, garlic bread, instant butterscotch pudding, 1 percent milk, fat-free whipped cream.
Budget Thursday Asian barbecue chicken thighs and broccoli slaw (see recipe) makes a fine low-cost dinner. Serve it with jasmine rice and bread sticks. Sliced kiwi fruit is your dessert.
Shopping list: Ketchup, hoisin sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, dark sesame oil, bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, packaged broccoli slaw, unseasoned rice wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, jasmine rice, bread sticks, kiwi fruit.
Kids’ Friday Make fish tacos for the kids tonight. Bake 1 (11-to 12-ounce) package frozen, baked, breaded fish sticks according to directions. Cut in half crosswise.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Add 1 1/2 cups packaged coleslaw mix; toss to coat. Spoon some of the mixture into a warmed taco shell (8 shells total). Add fish; top with mango salsa. (Adapted from “Supermarket Shortcuts,” Jan Miller, Tricia Laning, Lois White; Wiley Publishing, $19.95.) Serve with pinto beans. For dessert, you’ll hear cheers for fat-free chocolate ice cream, topped with strawberries.
Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream and strawberries for Saturday.
Shopping list: Frozen-baked-breaded fish sticks, low-fat mayonnaise, lime, packaged coleslaw mix, taco shells, mango salsa, pinto beans, fat-free chocolate ice cream, strawberries.
Easy Entertaining Saturday
Treat special guests to flat-iron steaks with paprika cumin sauce. Heat a large, nonstick skillet on medium until hot. Place 2 (8-ounce) steaks in skillet; cook 14 to 18 minutes for medium-rare (145 degrees) to medium-doneness (160 degrees), turning occasionally. Transfer to carving board; keep warm. Add 1 cup low-sodium beef broth, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cumin andnteaspoon garlic powder to skillet. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes on medium until browned bits in skillet are dissolved and sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in 1 tablespoon butter. Carve steaks into slices; serve with sauce. Add corn-on-the-cob and a romaine salad. For dessert, top angel food cake with leftover ice cream and strawberries.
Tip: Flat-iron steaks have a tendency to “puff” or expand in the center as they cook. Medium-rare (145 degrees) to medium-doneness (160 degrees) guarantees best results. Your meat thermometer is your friend. Use it!
Shopping list: Flat-iron steaks, low-sodium beef broth, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, butter, corn-on-the-cob, romaine, angel food cake.
The Recipes
Sweet Potato-Leek Casserole
Preparation time: 25 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes
3 pounds peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 chopped leeks (white part only)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover potatoes with cold water in medium saucepan, put on lid and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until very tender. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook leeks in oil 5 minutes or until softened; set aside. Drain potatoes; return to pan. Add butter and mash with fork until smooth. Stir in half-and-half until smooth and light. Add leeks, wine, nutmeg, salt and pepper; mix well.
Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake 15 minutes; remove from oven; coat top with cooking spray; sprinkle with bread crumbs and almonds. Bake uncovered 10 more minutes or until top is golden. Cool slightly and serve. Makes 10 servings.
Per serving: 190 calories, 4 grams protein, 4 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 1.7 grams saturated fat, 34 grams carbohydrate, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Baked Rotini with Ham
Preparation time: 20 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 minutes, plus pasta; standing time: 10 minutes.
8 ounces tri-color rotini (3 cups)
1 (10-ounce) container refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauce (such as Buitoni)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped leftover cooked ham
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions; drain and return to pot. Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, mozzarella, ham and Italian seasoning and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with nonstick foil. Bake 45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir before serving. (Adapted from “Supermarket Shortcuts.”) Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 411 calories, 22 grams protein, 13 grams fat (29 percent calories from fat), 7 grams saturated fat, 51 grams carbohydrate, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 792 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Asian Barbecue Chicken Thighs and Broccoli Slaw
Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 55 minutes.
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skinless, well-trimmed chicken thighs
1 (12-ounce) package broccoli slaw
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. In a small saucepan, stir together ketchup, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and oil. Cook on medium 5 minutes or until bubbling. Reserve 3 tablespoons ketchup sauce; set aside for broccoli slaw. Place chicken on baking sheet meaty-side down. Brush ketchup mixture on top of chicken. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Turn chicken, brush with any remaining ketchup mixture. Increase temperature to 400 degrees. Bake, uncovered, 20 more minutes or until internal temperature is 180 degrees. While the chicken bakes, mix together the broccoli slaw, reserved sauce, vinegar and salt and pepper. Refrigerate slaw until ready to serve with chicken. (Adapted from Family Circle magazine.) Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 253 calories, 28 grams protein, 12 grams fat (42 percent calories from fat), 3.2 grams saturated fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 422 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
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