7day menu planner

Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff

SUNDAY: Treat the family to Baked Chicken With Feta (see recipe). Alongside, serve orzo, steamed fresh zucchini and whole-grain bread. Buy a lemon meringue pie for dessert.

Plan ahead: Prepare enough plain chicken and save enough pie for Monday.

MONDAY: Use the leftover cooked chicken for Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas for an easy meal. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1 1/4 cups canned black beans (rinsed), 1/2 cup salsa and 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Spread 1/4 of mixture on lower half of each of 4 large tortillas. Top each with 1/2 cup cooked (leftover) chicken cut into strips. Fold down upper half of tortillas to cover filling. Coat outsides of tortillas with butter-flavor cooking spray. Place on baking sheet; bake 10 to 15 minutes or until heated and cheese is melted. Serve with extra salsa. Add a sliced avocado salad (on shredded lettuce). Enjoy leftover pie for dessert.

TUESDAY: Keep it simple with a Beef Caesar Salad. Combine 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (yellow part only) and prepared Caesar dressing from a 10-ounce packaged salad kit; set aside the croutons and parmesan cheese from the kit. Cut 12 ounces (1/4-inch thick) deli roast beef into 2-by-3/4-inch strips. In a large serving bowl, combine beef, salad greens and 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved). Pour dressing over mixture; toss to coat. Garnish with croutons and parmesan cheese. Serve with bean soup and crackers. Add peaches for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough peaches for Thursday.

WEDNESDAY: With lots of crunch and good flavor, no-meat Asian Noodles With Broccoli and Carrots (see recipe) is sure to please. Serve it with a spinach salad and whole-grain bread. Plums are your dessert.

THURSDAY: Say "pizza," and say no more to the kids. This Grilled Chicken Pizza will bring them to the table in a hurry. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a 10-inch baked pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread 1 cup pizza sauce over crust. Top with 1 (6-ounce) package refrigerated grilled chicken breast strips (such as Tyson or another brand) and 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and edge of crust is golden. Serve with deli carrot salad. For dessert, tapioca pudding topped with leftover diced peaches is simple.

FRIDAY: Keep food costs down with ham steak (cook according to package directions). Toss 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple with 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro to go alongside the ham. Add canned black-eyed peas (rinsed), coleslaw and biscuits. Kiwi is a colorful dessert.

SATURDAY: Serve your guests easy and delicious Beef Stroganoff (see recipe) for a special meal. Serve it over noodles. Add green beans, a romaine salad and sourdough bread. Fruit tarts are a perfect dessert.

THE RECIPES

Baked Chicken With Feta

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

Coarse salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided use

1 (3.5-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with basil and tomato

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Flatten chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Coat chicken with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Arrange chicken on a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Top with cheese; drizzle with remaining lemon juice. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices are clear and registers 165 degrees. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with bell pepper and parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reduced-fat feta) contains approximately 206 calories, 35 g protein, 6 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate, 103 mg cholesterol, 393 mg sodium and no fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 0.

Asian Noodles With Broccoli and Carrots

12 ounces multigrain thin spaghetti

1 bunch fresh broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds) cut into bite-size florets

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup sliced green onions

Crushed red pepper for garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions; add broccoli the last 6 minutes of cooking.

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic; mix well. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return spaghetti/broccoli mixture to pot. Add reserved water to peanut butter mixture and stir until smooth. Add to pasta; toss to mix and coat. Top with carrots and green onions and toss again. Garnish with red pepper if desired and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 312 calories, 15 g protein, 12 g fat, 41 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 305 mg sodium and 7 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 3.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound top round steak

1 clove garlic, minced

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided use

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces whole crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 (3/4-ounce) envelope brown gravy mix

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup sour cream

4 cups cooked egg noodles

Cut steak in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips. Toss with garlic. Heat half the oil in a large skillet on medium-high until hot. Add half of beef; stir-fry 1 minute or until outside surface is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove. Repeat with remaining beef. Season with salt and pepper.

In same skillet, heat remaining oil on medium-high until hot. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Add gravy mix and water to skillet; blend well. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 minute or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in beef; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Serve with noodles.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with less-sodium gravy mix, reduced-fat sour cream and no-yolk egg noodles) contains approximately 389 calories, 31 g protein, 11 g fat, 40 g carbohydrate, 65 mg cholesterol, 389 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 2 1/2.

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

[email protected]

Food on 10/19/2016

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