Advertisement Serve a spiral-sliced ham for an easy summer family meal. Add baked sweet potatoes on the side, along with Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower (see recipe). Add sourdough bread. For dessert, top angel food cake with fresh blueberries and light whipped cream.
PLAN AHEAD: Save some ham and cake and bake enough potatoes for Monday.
SHOPPING LIST: spiral-sliced ham, sweet potatoes to bake, cauliflower, extra-virgin olive oil, dried marjoram, salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, sourdough bread, angel food cake, fresh blueberries, light whipped cream.
Heat and Eat Monday
Enjoy a cool supper with summer subs. Spread 3 ounces fat-free cream cheese (softened) on a loaf of unsliced French bread halved lengthwise. Layer with leftover ham, sliced provolone cheese, drained sliced mushrooms (from jar), sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion, banana peppers and shredded lettuce. Replace top; slice into 11/2-inch pieces.
Slice the leftover potatoes into lengthwise wedges. Coat with cooking spray; bake in a
425-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. Serve the leftover cake with fat-free chocolate ice cream for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough ice cream for Thursday.
SHOPPING LIST: fat-free cream cheese, loaf French bread, sliced provolone cheese, jar sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, red onion, banana peppers, lettuce, cooking spray, fat-free chocolate ice cream.
Budget Tuesday
Serve economical ravioli with sausage and peppers tonight. Cook 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated cheese ravioli according to directions. Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add 2 sliced green bell peppers and 1 small onion cut into wedges; cook 4 minutes. Add 1 (12-ounce) cooked Italian chicken or turkey sausage cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth; remove skillet from heat. Drain ravioli and add to sausage and peppers. Sprinkle with
2 tablespoons fresh sliced basil. (Adapted from Woman’s Day magazine.)
Serve with a lettuce wedge and garlic bread. Fresh peaches are your dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: refrigerated cheese ravioli, canola oil, green bell peppers, onion, cooked Italian chicken or turkey sausage, garlic, fat-free chicken broth, fresh basil, lettuce, garlic bread, fresh peaches.
Express Wednesday
Make it quick tonight with layered roast beef sandwich. In a glass bowl, layer shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, canned artichokes, strips of deli roast beef and cheese. Top with reduced-fat ranch dressing. Serve with bean soup and flatbread. Juicy watermelon is the perfect dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, canned artichokes, deli roast beef, any cheese, reduced-fat ranch dressing, bean soup, flatbread, watermelon.
Kids Thursday
Kids are always ready for a burger, and tonight’s Greek Turkey Burgers (see recipe) will make the adults happy, too. Serve with oven fries (frozen). Leftover chocolate ice cream with marshmallow topping is just for the kids.
SHOPPING LIST: fresh parsley, ground turkey breast, canola oil, pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, red onion, whole-wheat hamburger buns, frozen oven fries, marshmallow topping.
Meatless Friday
Start your no-meat dinner with refreshing
gazpacho. Stir finely chopped red onion, seeded cucumbers, tomatoes and a yellow bell pepper into pureed chilled canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the hot-weather soup with egg salad sandwiches on whole-wheat toast with lettuce. Munch on peanut butter cookies for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, egg salad, whole-wheat bread, lettuce, peanut butter cookies.
Entertaining Saturday
Invite guests to a picnic starring Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders (see recipe). Make or buy potato salad and coleslaw to serve on the side, along with sliced tomatoes and bicuits. Present fruit tarts for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: multigrain crackers, almonds, paprika, salt, pepper, egg, flour, chicken tenders, make or buy potato salad and coleslaw, tomatoes, biscuits, fruit tarts.
Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
1 large head cauliflower, florets cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup freshly gated Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss cauliflower with oil, marjoram, salt and pepper until coated. Spoon onto a large rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick foil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cauliflower starts to soften and brown. Remove from oven. Toss cauliflower with vinegar and cheese. Return to oven; roast 5 to
10 more minutes or until cheese melts and any moisture has evaporated. (Adapted from Eating Well magazine.)
Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 88 calories, 5 grams protein,
4 grams fat (40 percent calories from fat),
1.5 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 242 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Greek Turkey Burgers
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
4 slices red onion
4 toasted whole-wheat hamburger buns
In a medium bowl, mix together parsley, turkey, oil, pepper, salt, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic powder and feta. Divide into 4 patties. Broil 5 to 6 minutes on each side until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Serve with onions on buns. (Adapted from Health magazine.)
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 312 calories, 35 grams protein, 8 grams fat (22 percent calories from fat), 2.2 grams saturated fat, 26 grams carbohydrate, 84 milligrams cholesterol, 771 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders
6 crushed multigrain crackers
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg white
3 tablespoons flour
8 chicken tenders (about 1 to 11/4 pounds)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together crackers, almonds, paprika, salt and pepper; place in pie plate or other flat pan; set aside. In another pie plate, whisk egg white until foamy. Place flour in third flat pan. Place a wire rack coated with cooking spray on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Coat chicken in flour, then in egg white and finally in cracker mixture. Lightly coat chicken on each side with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on wire rack; bake 18 to 20 minutes, turning after 12 minutes. (Adapted from Southern Living magazine.)
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 187 calories, 29 grams protein, 4 grams fat (17 percent calories from fat), 0.5 gram saturated fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 66 milligrams cholesterol, 278 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail @ menuplanner@mindspring.com.
