7 day menu planner

Fennel-Stuffed Potatoes

Fennel-Stuffed Potatoes

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

SUNDAY: Prepare your own flank steak for family day. Serve the thinly sliced beef with Spicy Cheese Rice Bake (see recipe).

Steam fresh broccoli spears and offer sourdough bread on the side. For dessert, strawberry ice cream is good.

Plan ahead: Save enough beef and casserole for Monday; save enough ice cream for Thursday.

MONDAY: These Beef Roll-Ups are easy. Cut the leftover beef in strips, heat and place on a warmed flour tortilla. Top with coleslaw and roll. Serve the roll-ups with the leftover spicy cheese rice bake. Pineapple chunks are good for dessert.

TUESDAY: Friends and registered dietitians Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames’ new book, Nutrition Twins Veggie Cure, has some great vegetarian recipes. Try their Fennel-Stuffed Potatoes (see recipe) for dinner tonight. Green beans add more color to the plate. Alongside, spinach salad with egg wedges and whole-grain rolls round out the meal. How about instant chocolate pudding with a dollop of whipped cream for dessert?

WEDNESDAY: Linguine With Tomatoes and Artichokes (see recipe) is a money stretcher.

Serve it with a salad and garlic bread. Plums are dessert.

THURSDAY: The kids are usually in the mood for pasta and sauce.

Choose any pasta and top with any tomato-based sauce. Let them munch on carrot sticks on the side. Leftover ice cream makes a good dessert.

FRIDAY: Take it easy tonight and enjoy egg salad on a bed of mixed greens. Sprinkle with fresh dill. Have tomato basil soup and bread sticks on the side. For dessert, peanut butter cookies add a sweet touch.

SATURDAY: Treat your guests to Tuna With Pesto. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 medium sliced green onions;

cook 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in ½ cup pesto and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Top with 1 pound ( ¾ -inch thick) fresh tuna cut into 4 pieces.

Heat skillet until hot; reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until desired doneness. Serve with angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Add a Boston lettuce salad and crusty rolls. For dessert, Baked Pears will wow any guest. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain 1 (28-ounce) can pear halves on paper towels. Place pears, cut sides down, in a pie plate coated with cooking spray. Drizzle ¼ cup caramel topping over pears.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until warm. Spoon topping over pears in dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add vanilla ice cream to take it up a notch.

THE RECIPES

Spicy Cheese Rice Bake

1 1/3 cups long-grain rice

2 2/3 cups chicken broth

1 (14 ½ -ounce) can Mexican style stewed tomatoes

¾ cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook rice, using the broth as liquid, according to rice package directions.

Meanwhile, coat a 7-by-11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes with juice and sour cream. Layer half the cooked rice, half the tomato mixture and half the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and casserole is bubbly. Garnish with peppers and cilantro.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving prepared with reduced fat sour cream and cheese contains approximately 192 calories, 8 g protein, 5 g fat, 30 g carbohydrate, 19 mg cholesterol, 624 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.

Fennel-Stuffed Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes, about 1 ½ pounds total

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 ½ cups diced fennel

½ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup diced zucchini

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Coarse salt to taste

¼ cup vegetable broth

2 teaspoons chopped fennel fronds (green part)

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided use

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub potatoes; pierce skin in several places. Bake them about 1 hour; cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat oil on medium-high.

Add fennel, onion and garlic;

cook 2 minutes, stirring, or until softened. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.

Stir in the chopped pine nuts and basil. Remove from heat; set aside.

When the potatoes are cool, cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the potato pulp, leaving ¼ inch of flesh in the potato skin.

Brush the insides of the potato shells lightly with olive oil and season with salt, if desired; set aside. In a medium bowl, place 1 cup pulp. Add broth, fennel fronds and black pepper. Mash until almost smooth. Stir in reserved vegetables and all but 2 tablespoons cheese. Divide the filling mixture into the 4 prepared potato shells. Heat in the oven 20 more minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and sprinkle tops of potatoes with remaining cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving prepared with reduced sodium broth and reduced fat cheese contains approximately 237 calories, 8 g protein, 8 g fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 3 mg cholesterol, 53 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.

Recipe adapted from Nutrition Twins Veggie Cure by Tammy Lakatos Shames and Lyssie Lakatos (Skirt! Books, 2014)

Linguine With Tomatoes and Artichokes

8 ounces linguine

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic

1 (14 ½ -ounce) can chopped Italian-style tomatoes, lightly drained

1 (12-ounce) jar marinated quartered artichokes

¼ cup water

Crumbled herb feta cheese

Cook linguine according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium.

Add garlic; cook about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain artichokes; reserve ¼ cup marinade. Add artichokes to tomato mixture; cook 2 minutes. Stir in water and reserved marinade. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly. Spoon linguine into a warmed serving bowl. Add tomato-artichoke mixture; toss to coat. Garnish with cheese.

Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 300 calories, 8 g protein, 8 g fat, 53 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 405 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.

Susan Nicholson can be reached by email: [email protected]

Food, Pages 33 on 01/08/2014