Advertisement Prepare your own 5- to 7-pound roast chicken for the family. Accompany it with cauliflower and couscous pilaf. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan on medium. Add 4 cups finely chopped fresh cauliflower florets (about 1 medium head) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, 3 minutes, stirring until softened. Add 3/4 cup fat-free chicken broth, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice and 1/4 cup currants or raisins. Bring to boil on medium-high. Stir in 2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous and 1/2 cup sliced green onions. Remove from heat; let stand, 5 minutes covered or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork. (Adapted from Eating Well magazine.)
Serve with green beans, Romaine salad and multigrain bread. Buy a Boston cream pie for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough chicken for Monday; save enough pie for Tuesday.
SHOPPING LIST: chicken to roast, olive oil, fresh cauliflower, salt, fat-free chicken broth, orange, currants or raisins, whole-wheat couscous, green onions, green beans, romaine, multigrain bread, Boston cream pie.
Heat and Eat Monday
Take Sunday’s leftovers and turn them into Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms and Asparaus (see recipe). Serve the pasta with a spinach salad and garlic bread. Enjoy peaches for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: multigrain penne pasta, olive oil, garlic, green onions, sliced crimini mushrooms, fresh parsley, dry white wine or fat-free chicken broth, fresh asparagus, parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, garlic bread, peaches.
Budget Tuesday
Be economical and serve Huevos Burritos for a simple meal. Cook sliced onions and bell peppers in a little canola oil until tender. Remove from skillet; scramble some eggs in same skillet. Spoon eggs, onions and peppers and some salsa into warm fat-free flour tortillas. Tuck in sides and roll. Serve with pinto beans and a lettuce and tomato salad. Slice the leftover pie for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: onions, bell peppers, canola oil, eggs, salsa, fat-free flour tortillas, pinto beans, lettuce, tomatoes.
Express Wednesday
Make a quick meal tonight with any lentil soup and roast beef sandwiches. Mix 1/4 cup horseradish mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon mustard. Spread on whole-wheat bread. Layer bread with deli roast beef, lettuce and tomatoes. Finish with chocolate pudding (from a mix) made with 1 percent milk. Top it with strawberry sauce.
SHOPPING LIST: any lentil soup, horseradish mayonnaise, mustard, whole-wheat bread, deli roast beef, lettuce, tomatoes, chocolate pudding (from a mix), 1 percent milk, strawberry sauce.
Kids Thursday
These “Football” Meat Loaves are just right for the kids. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1/4 cup milk and 1 egg with a fork in a large bowl. Mix in 1 pound 95 percent lean ground beef, 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs and 1 (0.4-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix. Shape into 6 football-shaped loaves. Place in an ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan. Brush loaves with 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is 160 degrees or no longer pink and juices are clear. Decorate with strips of cheese for laces. Let stand 5 minutes.
Serve with mashyed potatoes, mixed vegetables and soft rolls. Halve kiwifruit for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: milk, egg, 95 percent lean ground beef, dry bread crumbs, packet ranch dressing mix, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, potatoes to mash, mixed vegetables, soft rolls, kiwifruit.
Meatless Friday
Chickpea and Tomato Curry (see recipe) skips meat and is easy to prepare. Serve it over brown rice. Add mixed greens and flatbread. Apricots are good for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: olive oil, onion, garlic, fresh gingerroot, curry powder (such as hot Madras curry), canned chickpeas, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, lemon, kosher salt, fat-free plain yogurt, brown rice, salad greens, flatbread, apricots.
Easy Entertaining Saturday
Spicy Linguine with Shrimp (see recipe) will please any guest. Add a Bibb lettuce salad and Italian bread. For dessert, keep it simple with citrus sorbet and butter cookies.
SHOPPING LIST: linguine, olive oil, green, red or yellow bell pepper, green onions, garlic, fresh parsley (optional), crushed red pepper, uncooked shrimp, parmesan cheese, Bibb lettuce, Italian bread, citrus sorbet, butter cookies.
Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms and Asparagus
8 ounces multigrain penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup white wine or fat-free chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups leftover cooked diced chicken breast
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium; add garlic, onions, mushrooms and parsley. Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to lose their moisture, stirring occasionally. Add wine or broth and asparagus and cook 8 minutes. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes or until heated through. Add chicken mixture to pasta; toss to mix. Add cheese and toss to coat.
Makes about 9 cups.
Per serving: 183 calories, 16 grams protein, 4 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 1 gram saturated fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 28 milligrams cholesterol, 72 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Chickpea and Tomato Curry
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon curry powder (see Note)
2 (15-ounce) cans rinsed chickpeas
2 (14.5-ounce) cans undrained fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fat-free plain yogurt
Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium. Cook onion, garlic, gingerroot and curry powder about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is softened. Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Garnish with yogurt.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: For testing purposes, I used Hot Madras curry powder. Add more or less to your taste or another type curry.
Per serving: 263 calories, 12 grams protein, 6 grams fat (21 percent calories from fat), 0.5 grams saturated fat, 41 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 1,257 milligrams sodium, 10 grams fiber.
Spicy Linguine with Shrimp
1 (13.25- to 16-ounce) package linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped green, red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan; keep warm. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Cook bell pepper, onions, garlic, parsley and pepper flakes 5 minutes or until bell pepper is softened, stirring frequently. Add shrimp; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink; stir frequently. Add shrimp mixture to pasta; toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese.
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 248 calories, 19 grams protein, 4 grams fat (15 percent calories from fat), 0.9 grams saturated fat, 34 grams carbohydrate, 87 milligrams cholesterol, 172 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail: menuplanner@mindspring.com.
