7 day menu planner

Texas Peach Cobbler

Texas Peach Cobbler

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

SUNDAY: The family will enjoy another version of Chicken Pollo (see recipe). Serve with corn-on-the-cob and a lettuce wedge. Pick up a loaf of Cuban or French bread at the bakery. For dessert, buy or make flan.

Plan ahead: Save enough chicken, topping and corn for Monday.

MONDAY: For a simple meal, top heated canned black beans (rinsed) with slices of leftover chicken and the onion/parsley topping. Alongside, add leftover corn and crusty bread. For dessert, fresh pineapple garnished with toasted coconut will work.

TUESDAY: We might all sing the blues sometimes, but not when Uptown Blues Wraps are for dinner. Spread 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing almost to edge of 4 (10-inch) whole-grain tortillas. Spread 2 cups cooked rice and 2 cups barbecued shredded chicken (such as Lloyd's or another brand) evenly over dressing; top each with lettuce leaf. Place 1 large piece of roasted red pepper (from 7 ounce jar) on lettuce. Fold edge of each tortilla up about 1 inch over filling; roll each tortilla tightly to make wrap. Cover with waxed paper and microwave tortillas 1 to 2 minutes on 100 percent power or until hot. Serve with coleslaw. Enjoy fresh cherries for dessert.

WEDNESDAY: Try Tortellini Soup for a no-meat dinner. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-low in a 4-quart pot. Stir in 2 ribs celery (chopped), 1 medium carrot (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped) and 4 cloves garlic (minced); cover and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add 3 (14-ounce) cans vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Bring to boil; stir in 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini and cook according to package directions. Stir in 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (rinsed), 1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat through. Serve with a packaged green salad and garlic bread. Fresh apricots are dessert.

THURSDAY: Take the night off and buy the kids a pizza for dinner. They'll like dipping Red Bell Pepper Strips into ranch dressing on the side. For dessert, make a Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie. In a blender, combine 1 cup fresh strawberries, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 cup ice cubes and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.

Plan ahead: Buy enough strawberries for Friday and save enough ice cream for Saturday.

FRIDAY: Save some electricity and prepare Strawberry and Chicken Salad tonight. Toss 8 cups torn romaine lettuce with 1 (8- to 10-ounce) package oven-roasted chicken breast, 3/4 cup orange sections, 2 cups sliced leftover fresh strawberries, 1/2 medium sliced red onion and 1/2 cup creamy poppy seed dressing. Garnish with toasted sliced almonds. Serve with whole-grain rolls. For dessert, top instant chocolate pudding with whipped cream.

SATURDAY: Serve your guests Broiled Lamb Chops. Brush the chops with a mixture of olive oil, garlic and dried oregano. Broil 1-inch-thick chops 3 to 4 inches from heat for 7 to 11 minutes; turn once. Serve with Wild Rice and Orzo (see recipe). Add spinach salad garnished with goat cheese and toasted sliced almonds along with crusty rolls. Texas Peach Cobbler (see recipe) served with leftover ice cream got rave reviews from the guests.

THE RECIPES

Chicken Pollo

8 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 tablespoons mojo marinade (such as Goya or Badia)

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided use

8 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Lime wedges for garnish

Combine chicken breasts with mojo marinade; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally. Combine onion and parsley; set aside.

Remove chicken and pat dry; discard marinade. Cook chicken in 2 batches. For each batch, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add 4 pieces chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Drizzle each breast with 1 teaspoon lime juice; top each serving with 2 tablespoons onion mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 207 calories, 30 g protein, 7 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, 91 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 0.

Wild Rice and Orzo

1 cup wild rice

1 cup orzo

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups frozen petite green peas, thawed

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup sliced green onions

Cook rice and orzo separately according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion; cover and cook on medium 15 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute. Drain rice and orzo; pour into serving dish. Stir in onion mixture and green onions and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 200 calories, 7 g protein, 2 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate, 4 mg cholesterol, 166 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 21/2.

Texas Peach Cobbler

3 1/2 pounds ripe medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla extract; set aside.

Place butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; melt butter in oven.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and milk. Mix until lightly blended. Spoon mixture over melted butter. Don't stir. Pour the peach mixture over batter. Bake 45 minutes. As the cobbler bakes, the batter oozes up and around fruit, creating a cobbler with a moist, golden-brown crust.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with 1 percent milk) contains approximately 243 calories, 4 g protein, 5 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate, 13 mg cholesterol, 92 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 3.

Recipe adapted from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison, Harvard Common Press, 2014

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

[email protected]

Food on 07/30/2014