Advertisement Liven up family day with Cajun Roast Pork Loin (see recipe). Serve it with Creole Potato Salad by doctoring your favorite potato salad with some diced red and green bell pepper, diced onion and diced celery. Season with spicy brown mustard and a dash of hot pepper sauce. Add sliced tomatoes and baguettes on the side.
For dessert, spiced tapioca with fruit salsa makes a sweet statement. Combine 4 cups store-bought tapioca pudding with 1/4 teaspoon allspice and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Separately, combine 11/2 cups fresh diced strawberries, 1 diced kiwifruit, 1/4 teaspoon allspice and 2 teaspoons lime juice; toss to mix. Spoon pudding into 8 stemmed dessert dishes and top with salsa.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough pork and dessert for Monday.
SHOPPING LIST: boneless pork loin roast, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, white pepper, cumin, nutmeg, your favorite potato salad, red and green bell peppers, onion, celery, spicy brown mustard, hot pepper sauce, tomatoes, baguettes, store-bought tapioca pudding, allspice, lime, fresh strawberries, kiwifruit.
Heat and Eat Monday
Use some of the leftover pork for Pork Sub Sandwiches. Cut a 1-pound loaf French bread in half horizontally. Spread bottom half with fat-free cream cheese; layer with sliced pork, sliced provolone cheese and canned drained sliced mushrooms. Replace top. Cut loaf in half; wrap in paper towels. Microwave on high 45 seconds. Remove top; add shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onion and thinly sliced banana peppers. Replace top; cut into serving portions.
Serve with baked chips and pickles. Present the leftover tapioca for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: loaf French bread, fat-free cream cheese, provolone cheese, canned sliced mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, banana peppers, baked chips, pickles.
Budget Tuesday
You could buy one, but why not prepare this Tuscan Pizza? Heat oven to 425 degrees. Thinly slice 1/2 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage and cook in a large nonstick skillet about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet; set aside. To skillet, add 2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges, and 1 each red and green bell pepper, cut into thin strips; cook on medium about 10 minutes or until softened. Spread 11/2 cups pasta sauce on a ready-to-bake pizza crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mixed cheeses. Top cheese with sausage and onion and pepper mixture. Sprinkle with one more cup cheese and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.
Serve with a spinach salad. For dessert, oatmeal cookies are everyone’s favorite.
SHOPPING LIST: spicy Italian turkey sausage, onions, red and green bell peppers, pasta sauce, ready-to-bake pizza crust, shredded mixed cheeses, dried oregano, fresh spinach, oatmeal cookies.
Meatless Wednesday
Skip meat tonight and enjoy Vegetable Curry (see recipe). Serve over basmati rice and add a lettuce wedge and flatbread alongside. Enjoy pears for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: onion, Yukon gold potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower florets, canned rinsed chickpeas, red bell pepper, canned light coconut milk, flour, red curry paste, frozen green peas, fat-free sour cream, fresh cilantro, basmati rice, lettuce, flatbread, pears.
Kids Thursday
The adults might want to eat out tonight while the children make their own Peanut Butter and Sliced Apple Sandwiches. (Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon.) Add carrot salad to the plate. Dessert is chocolate pudding with fresh strawberries and light whipped cream.
SHOPPING LIST: peanut butter, bread, apples, cinnamon, carrot salad, chocolate pudding, fresh strawberries, light whipped cream.
Express Friday
For a quick meal, Grilled Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwiches on Italian bread are a twist on an old favorite. Serve with minestrone soup. Fresh pineapple is a summery dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, Italian bread, minestrone soup, fresh pineapple.
Entertaining Saturday
Chicken Paprika (see recipe) is a great meal for guests, and the recipe is going into my favorites file. Serve the easy, flavor-packed dish over noodles (no-yolk). Add a Bibb lettuce salad and whole-wheat rolls. Buy a carrot cake for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: boneless, skinless chicken breasts, paprika, kosher salt, ground black pepper, olive oil, onion, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, coffee creamer or light cream, parsley, no-yolk noodles, Bibb lettuce, whole-wheat rolls, carrot cake.
Cajun Roast Pork Loin
1 (2- to 21/2-pound) boneless pork loin roast, well-trimmed
3 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all seasonings and rub all over surfaces of roast. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan lined with foil. Roast 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Remove from oven; tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Per serving: 173 calories, 23 grams protein, 8 grams fat (40 percent calories from fat), 2.7 grams saturated fat, 3 grams carbohydrate, 63 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Vegetable Curry
1 large chopped onion
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
4 cups butternut squash, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
4 cups cauliflower florets
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed chickpeas
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup flour
2 to 3 teaspoons red curry paste (see note)
1 cup frozen green peas
Fat-free sour cream for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place onion, potatoes, squash, cauliflower, chickpeas and bell pepper; mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, flour and curry paste. Pour over vegetables. Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
Note: For a spicier curry, add more red curry paste.
Makes 9 cups.
Per serving: 199 calories, 7 grams protein, 3 grams fat (13 percent calories from fat), 1.5 grams saturated fat, 38 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 199 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Chicken Paprika
4 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
21/2 teaspoons paprika, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 (141/2-ounce) can no-salt added undrained diced tomatoes
1/3 cup coffee creamer or light cream
Chopped parsley for garnish
Flatten chicken between 2 pieces of wax paper until an even thickness (1/2 inch). Season with 1/2 teaspoon paprika and the 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; cover to keep warm. Add onion to skillet; cook and stir 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and remaining paprika. Bring to boil. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cream until well-blended. Garnish with parsley as desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 221 calories, 28 grams protein, 6 grams fat (26 percent calories from fat), 0.9 gram saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 66 milligrams cholesterol, 357 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail at menuplanner@mindspring.com.
