Advertisement Impress the family with Rosemary Lamb Kebabs with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms (see recipe). Serve the aromatic lamb with couscous, an arugula salad and flatbread. Buy a lemon meringue pie for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save 2 lamb kebabs and some pie for Monday.
SHOPPING LIST: balsamic vinegar, garlic, fresh rosemary leaves, cumin, salt, black pepper, ground coriander, lamb leg or shoulder, whole mushrooms, bell peppers (any color), red onion, zucchini, couscous, arugula, flatbread, lemon meringue pie.
Heat and Eat Monday
Use the leftover lamb for lamb pitas with cucumber dressing. Chop leftover lamb and stuff into whole-wheat pitas. Spoon dressing over pitas. Mix 1 cup plain yogurt and diced cucumber with
1 teaspoon cumin. Add sliced cucumbers on the side. Slice the leftover pie for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: whole-wheat pitas, plain yogurt, cucumbers, cumin.
Express Tuesday
Make it quick tonight with taco veggie burgers on whole-wheat buns. Brush taco sauce on veggie burgers the last
3 minutes of cooking. Serve more sauce on the side, along with sliced onions and avocados. Add deli potato salad. Enjoy kiwifruit for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: any veggie burger, whole-wheat buns, taco sauce, onions, avocados, deli potato salad, kiwifruit.
Budget Wednesday
Careful, or you’ll lick your plate of Pappardelle with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil, a delicious low-cost dinner. In a large bowl, add 8 large diced seeded and peeled tomatoes (or two drained 141/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes with Italian herbs),
1/4 to 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, 1 clove minced garlic,
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt; mix well. Cover and let stand at room temperature 2 hours.
Cook 8 ounces pappardelle pasta or no-yolk extra-wide noodles as directed. Top hot pasta with sauce; garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve mixed greens and Italian bread. How about plums for dessert?
TIP: Quickly peel tomatoes by placing whole tomatoes in boiling water 10 seconds. Remove, run under cold water and peel.
SHOPPING LIST: fresh or canned tomatoes with Italian herbs, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper, kosher salt, pappardelle pasta or no-yolk extra-wide noodles, parmesan cheese, salad greens, Italian bread, plums.
Kids Thursday
Cheesy Chicken Crunchers (see recipe) are a meal kids of all ages will like. Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping. Add oven fries (frozen) and carrot salad. Pears are your dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: flour, eggs,
1 percent milk, shredded wheat, reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, chicken tenders, barbecue sauce, frozen oven fries, carrot salad, pears.
Meatless Friday
Take a meat break and enjoy vegetable stew. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium. Add
2 medium zucchini (halved lengthwise and thinly sliced),
1 peeled medium eggplant (cut into 1/2-inch cubes), 1 medium finely chopped onion and
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender; stir occasionally. Stir in 1 (26-ounce) jar no-salt-added or regular marinara sauce, 1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Serve over couscous;
garnish with crumbled feta cheese. Add garlic bread. For dessert, try red and green grapes.
SHOPPING LIST: olive oil, zucchini, eggplant, onion, salt, pepper, no-salt-added or regular marinara sauce, fresh or dried basil, couscous, crumbled feta cheese, garlic bread, red and green grapes.
Entertaining Saturday
Invite special friends for Seared Salmon with Spinach and Grapes (see recipe). Serve with basmati rice, green beans and crusty rolls. Spoon lemon curd over angel food cake for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: salt, dry mustard, dried thyme, pepper, salmon fillets, honey, olive oil, packaged baby spinach leaves, red seedless grapes, dry red wine, basmati rice, greens beans, crusty rolls, lemon curd, angel food cake.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail menuplanner@mindspring.com.
Rosemary Lamb Kebabs with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon each cumin and salt
1/2 teaspoon each black pepper and ground coriander
1 1/4-pound lamb leg or shoulder, trimmed and cut into 18 cubes
12 medium whole mushrooms
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 large red onion
1 large zucchini, cut into 12 pieces
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, rosemary, cumin, salt, pepper and coriander. Thread 6 (12-inch) metal skewers alternately with lamb, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion and zucchini. Baste with sauce. Broil 4 inches from heat source 4 minutes per side or to desired doneness, 145 degrees to 160 degrees for medium-rare to medium.
Makes 6 kebabs.
Per serving: 172 calories, 20 grams protein, 5 grams fat (27 percent calories from fat), 1.7 grams saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 54 milligrams cholesterol, 345 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Cheesy Chicken Crunchers
1/2 cup flour
2 egg whites
1/3 cup 1 percent milk
1/2 cup crushed shredded wheat
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pound chicken tenders
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil. Place a rack coated with cooking spray in dish; set aside. Place flour in a pie plate. In a second pie plate, mix together the egg whites and milk. In a third pie plate, mix shredded wheat with cheese. Coat chicken strips in flour (shake to remove excess), then egg/milk mixture. Roll chicken in cheese/cereal mixture, coating all sides. (Discard any extra coating mixtures.) Place chicken on rack in dish. Bake 15 minutes; increase oven to 450 degrees. Turn chicken; bake 10 more minutes or until no longer pink.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 200 calories, 32 grams protein, 3 grams fat (15 percent calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 72 milligrams cholesterol, 160 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Seared Salmon with Spinach and Grapes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 (5- or 6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 (5- or 6-ounce) package baby spinach leaves
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup dry red wine
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine salt, mustard, thyme and pepper. Drizzle salmon with honey and sprinkle with seasoning mixture. Reserve any remaining seasoning mixture. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Brown both sides of salmon on medium-high heat about 2 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, toss the spinach with remaining teaspoon oil and arrange in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place salmon on bed of spinach; cover loosely with foil. Bake 8 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
Cook the grapes for 1 minute on medium-high in same skillet. Add wine; bring to boil and cook 4 minutes to reduce by half. Season sauce with remaining spice mixture. Serve salmon with wilted spinach, topped with grapes and wine sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 280 calories, 32 grams protein, 9 grams fat (29 percent calories from fat), 1.4 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 81 milligrams cholesterol, 452 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail menuplanner@mindspring.com.
