SUNDAY: This simple Lemon Roast Chicken is just right for family day. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over a 4 ½ - to 5-pound chicken; put rind in cavity. Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
Brush chicken with vegetable oil; sprinkle with coarse salt and dried thyme. Roast 1 ½ to 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve the juicy bird with your own mashed potatoes and gravy. Add fresh steamed Brussels sprouts and a romaine salad on the side. Don’t forget the dinner rolls. For dessert, strawberry ice cream is simple, too.
Plan ahead: Save enough chicken for Monday. Make 2 extra cups mashed potatoes and save enough ice cream for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Use the leftover chicken in Chicken and Chive Fettuccine (see recipe). Serve with a lettuce wedge with crumbled blue cheese along with bread sticks. For dessert, peaches are just fine.
TUESDAY: Many of us like salmon any way it’s prepared, so this Salmon Chowder fills the bill. Cook 1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn with butter sauce according to package directions.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked corn mixture, 1 (14 ¾ -ounce) can salmon (drained), 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, 1 cup milk and ½ cup chopped red bell pepper.
Microwave on 100 percent power for 3 or 4 minutes or until hot. Mix well; stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Serve with a carrot salad and whole-grain bread. For dessert, leftover ice cream is waiting.
WEDNESDAY: Give yourself a break and pick up a package of heat-and-serve barbecue pork for dinner tonight. Heat it and serve with coleslaw on toasted whole-grain hamburger buns.
Top with sliced dill or jalapeno pickles. For dessert, make instant vanilla pudding and swirl in a little honey.
Plan ahead: Save enough barbecue pork for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Reinvent yesterday’s barbecue pork into Barbecue Tacos. Heat and spoon the leftover meat into warmed taco shells. Add salsa, chopped lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Top with any shredded cheese and sour cream. The tacos go well with refried beans (canned). For dessert, enjoy kiwifruit.
FRIDAY: Keep it simple tonight with Broiled Pepper Jack Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches. Heat broiler. Drain the red peppers (from a jar) on paper towels before placing on rye bread. Top with cheese slices. Broil until cheese melts. Serve with o’brien potatoes and broccoli. Pears are dessert.
SATURDAY: This Shrimp Scampi (see recipe) couldn’t be easier to prepare for guests.
Serve it over orzo. On the side, Green Beans With Gingered Walnuts (see recipe) would impress any guest. Add a mixed greens salad and sourdough bread. Buy fruit tarts for dessert.
THE RECIPES
Chicken and Chive Fettuccine
8 ounces spinach-flavored or other fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3 ounces chive and onion cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Cook fettuccine according to package directions; reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid and drain fettuccine.
In pasta pot, heat oil on low.
Add cooked fettuccine and toss with oil. Add chicken, tomatoes, cream cheese, Italian seasoning and reserved cooking liquid. Stir until cream cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 373 calories, 20 g protein, 13 g fat, 44 g carbohydrate, 50 mg cholesterol, 144 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Dietary exchange: 3 starch, 2 lean meat, 1 fat.
Shrimp Scampi
¼ cup butter
1 pound raw shrimp with tails, peeled and deveined
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine OR lemon juice
Melt butter in a large skillet on medium. Add shrimp, onion, garlic powder, parsley and pepper; cook and stir 3 or 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in wine or lemon juice and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 192 calories, 16 g protein, 13 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate, 173 mg cholesterol, 358 mg sodium and no fiber.
Dietary exchange: 2 lean meat, 2 fat.
Green Beans With Gingered Walnuts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup walnut halves
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Spread the vegetable oil in a small baking pan and place in oven. When the pan is hot, remove it and stir in the soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder.
Add the walnuts and stir to coat.
Bake, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until the nuts are crisp and brown. Remove from oven and cool nuts on a paper towel.
Meanwhile, in a medium pan, steam the beans until softened, about 10 minutes.
In a serving bowl, toss the beans with lemon juice and olive oil. Add the walnuts and toss again. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 160 calories, 4 g protein, 13 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 82 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Dietary exchange: 2 vegetable, 2 ½ fat.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: [email protected]
Food, Pages 33 on 03/26/2014