7 day menu planner

Smoky Barbecued Leg of Lamb
Smoky Barbecued Leg of Lamb

SUNDAY: Celebrate Easter with Smoky Barbecued Leg of Lamb. In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander and 1 tablespoon cumin. Add 1 (5-pound) trimmed butterflied leg of lamb to bowl; rub in spices. Let stand 1 hour. Cook on a hot grill 8 to 10 minutes or until charred. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons ketchup.

Turn lamb; brush grilled side with honey glaze. Grill 8 to 10 minutes more, until internal temperature is 135 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes or until the internal temperature rises to 145 degrees for medium-rare.

Thinly slice lamb crosswise.

Accompany it with Potato Salad (see recipe) and any broccoli slaw. Fill the breadbasket with whole-grain rolls. Decorate a coconut cake with old-fashioned jelly beans.

Plan ahead: Save enough lamb and cake for Monday.

MONDAY: For Stuffed Pitas tonight, chop some of the leftover lamb. Mix it with couscous made with coarsely chopped carrots and cucumbers, ¼ cup sliced green onions, ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Stuff mixture into whole-grain pita bread.

(Line the pita with a lettuce leaf.) Serve with baked potato chips. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.

TUESDAY: A good grilled sandwich always gets my attention, and you can see why we saluted this one made with white cheddar cheese, tomato slices and cooked bacon on sourdough bread. On medium heat, grill sandwich on the cheese-side first, so the bacon stays crisp. Add any soup and a packaged green salad for a delicious meal. Have vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Friday.

WEDNESDAY: Be a teacher and show the kids how to make Mini Pizzas. Spread 2 tablespoons meat pasta sauce (any brand) on toasted slices ( ½ -inch thick) of Italian bread. Top each slice with shredded mozzarella cheese. Microwave 1 minute on high (100 percent power) or until cheese melts. Serve with a chopped lettuce salad with orange sections. Wow ’em with Berries and Cream for a fruit-filled dessert. Use a spoon to gently mix together ½ cup blackberries, ½ cup raspberries, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup blueberries and 2 cups whipped topping. Spoon into 4 waffle cones. Dust tops with cocoa powder if desired.

THURSDAY: Skip the high food cost, but enjoy the flavor of Pork Chops With Sauerkraut and Apples (see recipe). Serve with mashed potatoes, pickled beets and rye bread alongside.

Gingersnaps are a simple dessert.

FRIDAY: You won’t miss meat when you serve Tandoori Garbanzo and Tomato Stew (see recipe). It goes well with aromatic rice, such as basmati rice. Serve with a mixed-greens salad and flatbread. Leftover ice cream is an easy dessert.

SATURDAY: Grill steaks for your guests. On the side, slow-roasted Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Carrots are delicious. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place 6 to 8 medium potatoes (peeled and quartered) and 4 medium carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces) in a roasting pan in one layer. Whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Pour over potatoes and carrots; toss to coat. Bake 2 to 3 hours or until tender. Add a romaine salad and crusty bread. For dessert, strawberry sorbet and butter cookies are all you need.

THE RECIPES

Potato Salad

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup sliced green onions

1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds

1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt

Bring potatoes to boil in large saucepan. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain well; cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, celery, onions, mustard seeds and seasoned salt. Add potatoes;toss gently to coat.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced fat mayonnaise and sour cream and reduced-sodium seasoned salt) contains approximately 224 calories, 5 g protein, 3 g fat, 45 g carbohydrate, 7 mg cholesterol, 394 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.

Dietary exchanges: 3 starch.

Pork Chops With Sauerkraut and Apples

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut ½ -inch thick

2 medium onions, chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup water

6 (1-inch thick) boneless pork chops

2 cups refrigerated sauerkraut, rinsed

Place sweet potatoes and onions in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover with apples.

In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pepper, and sprinkle over apples. Add water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook pork chops on medium high 2 minutes on each side to slightly brown. Place over apples. Spread sauerkraut over chops. Cover and cook 5 to 6 hours on low or until chops are 145 degrees.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 278 calories, 25 g protein, 6 g fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 60 mg cholesterol, 414 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.

Dietary exchanges: 1 starch, ½ fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat.

Tandoori Garbanzo and Tomato Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon garam masala or curry powder

2 (14 ½ -ounce) cans fire roasted tomatoes

2 (14 ½ - to 19-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed

Water

½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Coarse salt to taste

½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger root and garam masala or curry powder; cook 2 minutes or until onion is light brown. Stir in tomatoes with juice.

Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garbanzo beans; simmer 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, adding a little water as needed.

Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with yogurt or sour cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving (without garnish) contains approximately 265 calories, 13 g protein, 6 g fat, 40 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, sodium varies and 8 g fiber.

Dietary exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 lean meat.

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: [email protected]

Food, Pages 35 on 04/16/2014

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