LITTLE ROCK — SUNDAY
: The family always welcomes a Beef Roast for dinner. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine 3 cloves garlic (minced) and 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper; press onto a 4-pound round tip beef roast. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours for medium to medium-well doneness (with an internal temperature of 145 degrees to 160 degrees). Let stand 10 minutes and slice.
Serve it with oven-browned potatoes. Alongside, add glazed carrots (cooked carrots tossed with apricot preserves), a spinach salad and dinner rolls. For dessert, buy a berry cobbler and top it with vanilla ice cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough roast and cobbler for Monday. Save enough ice cream for Tuesday.
MONDAY
: Use the beef leftovers for a Chef’s Salad. Cut beef and 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese into thin strips.
Arrange beef and cheese on lettuce-lined plates along with tomato wedges, rinsed canned chickpeas, hard-cooked egg slices and jarred drained pickled beets. Top with your favorite light salad dressing. Add whole-grain rolls. For dessert, enjoy the leftover cobbler with whipped cream.
TUESDAY
: Watch the kids smile when you serve them all-grown-up Spaghetti With Marinara. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium-low. Add 1 medium onion (finely chopped) and 1 clove garlic (minced); cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained), 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 teaspoonItalian seasoning, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring to simmer on medium-high;
reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 pound spaghetti according to directions. Drain and serve topped with sauce.
(Adapted from Family Circle: Healthy Family Dinners).
Serve with celery sticks and soft rolls. Top leftover ice cream with chocolate sprinkles for dessert.
WEDNESDAY
: Greek Salad Pitas (see recipe) are a great no-meat meal. Serve the pitas with baked chips. For dessert, peaches are simple.
THURSDAY
: For a quick meal tonight, stop by the deli for Turkey and Swiss on Rye sandwiches. While you’re there, pick up some broccoli saladand coleslaw. Tapioca pudding is dessert.
FRIDAY
: Poor Man’s Beef Stroganoff (see recipe) says it all when it comes to flavor and budgeting. Serve it over egg noodles. Add a romaine salad and whole-grain rolls. Red and green grapes are an easy dessert.
SATURDAY
: Any guest will appreciate the flavors of Grilled Salmon With Apricot-Mustard Glaze (see recipe). Serve it with brown rice tossed with toasted chopped walnuts, fresh broccoli, a bibb lettuce salad and baguettes. For dessert, fruit sorbet and butter cookies go well together.
THE RECIPES Greek Salad Pitas
3 tablespoons olive oil 11/2 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt 2/3 cup peeled and chopped
cucumber 1/3 cup chopped green bell
pepper 1/4 cup kalamata olives,
roughly chopped 2 tablespoons chopped red
onion 4 (6-inch) pitas, halved,
warmed 1 (8-ounce) container hummus 4 leaves Boston lettuce 2 large ripe tomatoes, each
cut into 8 slices 3 ounces crumbled feta
cheese (about 2/3 cup)
In a medium bowl, whisk the oil with juice, oregano, sugar and salt. Stir in cucumber, bell pepper, olives and onion to make a “salad.” Spread the inside of each pita with hummus. Top with lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices and about 1/8 of the cucumber salad; sprinkle with feta.
Makes 4 servings.
Poor Man’s Beef Stroganoff 1 tablespoon butter 1 small onion, chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 pound lean ground beef 4 ounces crimini mushrooms,
sliced 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black
pepper 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 11/4 cups beef broth 1 cup sour cream (see note)
In a large skillet, melt butter on medium-high. Stir in onion and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add beef, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
Cook 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Stir in flour;
cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
Slowly stir broth into beef mixture; stir in sour cream.
Reduce heat to low; simmer 7 to 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: Recipe was developed using reduced-fat sour cream.
Grilled Salmon With Apricot-Mustard Glaze For the salmon: 4 (6-ounce) salmon filets
(about 1 inch thick) 11/2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper For the glaze: 1/4 cup apricot nectar 1/4 cup apricot preserves 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 11/2 teaspoons white wine
vinegar 11/2 teaspoons honey 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
Heat grill.
Sprinkle salmon with garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine nectar, preserves, mustard, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
Place salmon, skin side up, on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes; carefully turn and grill 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
Top each filet with 1 tablespoon glaze; grill 30 seconds and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine Susan Nicholson is an Atlantabased cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail:
Food, Pages 38 on 09/26/2012