Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, July 25, 2008
7-Day Menu Planner
Sunday (Family)
Make family day special with Turkey and Vegetable Skewers with Walnut Lime Curry Sauce (see recipe). Serve the colorful entree with brown rice and dinner rolls. Buy a peach pie and top each slice with fat-free vanilla ice cream for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough turkey and vegetables, rice and pie for Monday; save enough ice cream for Thursday.
SHOPPING LIST: boneless, skinless turkey breast, red, green and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, bay leaves, olive oil, salt, pepper, walnuts, low-fat plain yogurt, limes, curry powder, brown rice, dinner rolls, peach pie, fat-free vanilla ice cream.
Monday (Heat and Eat)
With Sunday’s leftover turkey and vegetables, make a quick stir-fry. To the leftovers, add thinly sliced carrots and some sliced mushrooms to a large nonstick skillet. Cook
3 minutes. Finish it with bottled stir-fry sauce. Serve it over leftover rice. Add a mixed green salad and baguettes. Leftover pie makes a good dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: carrots, fresh sliced mushrooms, stir-fry sauce, salad greens, baguettes.
Tuesday (Meatless)
Confetti Quinoa Salad (see recipe) goes into our favorites file. Serve it with a spinach salad and whole-wheat bread. Fresh plums are good for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: quinoa, walnut oil, lemon, dried oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, frozen corn, cucumber, grape tomatoes, walnuts, reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese, kalamata olives, fresh parsley, fresh spinach, whole-wheat bread, fresh plums.
Wednesday (Kids)
Baked Ziti is all about kids. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss cooked ziti with the kids’ favorite pasta sauce and shredded part-skim mozzarella in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and is bubbly.
Munch on celery sticks on the side and add soft rolls. Pop red and green grapes in your mouth for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: ziti pasta, kids’ favorite pasta sauce, shredded part-skim mozzarella, cooking spray, celery, soft rolls, red and green grapes.
Thursday (Express)
There will be no cooking tonight with tuna pitas for
dinner. Stuff whole-wheat pitas with deli tuna salad mixed with a little fresh lemon juice and some capers. Add chopped lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Serve with baked chips and some olives. Scoop the leftover ice cream for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: whole-wheat pitas, deli tuna salad, lemon, capers, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, baked chips, olives.
Friday (Budget)
Rosemary Chicken with Cannellini Beans (see recipe) is delicious and low in cost at the same time. Serve the meal-in-one with a romaine salad and crusty rolls. For dessert, sliced cantaloupe is just right.
SHOPPING LIST: Italian dressing, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, carrots, celery, sunndried tomatoes in oil, fresh or dried rosemary, canned cannellini beans, romaine, rolls, cantaloupe.
Saturday (Easy Entertaining)
Invite guests for easy garlic shrimp. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium; add 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Cook 30 seconds; add 1 pound medium uncooked shelled and deveined shrimp. Cook 2 or
3 minutes or until pink. Serve over rice; garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Add sugar snap peas, a Bibb lettuce salad and baguettes to round out a fine meal.
Chocolate-dipped strawberries will wow any guest. Wash and chill 12 large strawberries with caps. Melt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir in
1 tablespoon shortening until melted. Dip berries into chocolate to come halfway up sides. Place on foil until set. Serve with almond cookies.
SHOPPING LIST: butter,
garlic, uncooked shrimp, rice, parsley, sugar snap peas, Bibb lettuce, baguettes, fresh strawberries, semisweet chocolate chips, shortening, almond cookies.
Turkey and Vegetable Skewers with Walnut Lime Curry Sauce
For the skewers:
2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey breast cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
2 green bell peppers cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
2 yellow bell peppers cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
8 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
For the Walnut Lime Curry Sauce:
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
Juice and zest of 2 limes
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the skewers: Divide turkey, peppers, tomatoes and bay leaves among 8 metal skewers, adding them in an alternating pattern. Brush each skewer with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning often, 12 to 15 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink (170 degrees).
For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine walnuts, yogurt, lime juice and zest and curry powder; mix well. Add salt. Serve sauce with skewers.
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 323 calories, 34 grams protein, 15 grams fat (40 percent calories from fat), 1.9 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 78 milligrams cholesterol, 183 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Confetti Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
3 tablespoons walnut oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked frozen corn kernels
1 medium peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumber
1 pint halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Rinse quinoa under cold water for 2 minutes or according to directions. Combine quinoa and water in a 2-quart pan and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes and fluff with fork.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Add corn, cucumber, tomatoes, walnuts, feta, olives, parsley and cooked quinoa; stir gently. Refrigerate until serving time.
Makes about 6 1/2 cups.
Per cup: 303 calories, 9 grams protein, 18 grams fat (50 percent calories from fat), 2.5 grams saturated fat, 30 grams carbohydrate, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 396 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Rosemary Chicken with Cannellini Beans
1/2 cup Italian dressing
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds) (see Note)
1/3 cup water
1 cup sliced carrots (2 medium)
1 cup sliced celery (2 medium ribs)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1 (19-ounce) can rinsed cannellini beans
In a large nonstick skillet, heat dressing on medium-high. Flatten chicken to an even thickness. Cook chicken in dressing 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, carrots, celery, tomatoes and rosemary to skillet. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes or until carrots are tender and internal temperature of chicken is 170 degrees. Stir in beans; cook 3 minutes or until beans are heated through.
Note: Avoid chicken that has been “enhanced” with salt, sodium, broth or brine as indicated on the label.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 377 calories, 39 grams protein, 12 grams fat (29 percent calories from fat), 2 grams saturated fat, 27 grams carbohydrate, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 895 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail at menu planner@mindspring.com.
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