SUNDAY: Take it easy with a heat-and-serve pot roast such as Tyson or Hormel (fully cooked roast with gravy). Serve it with mashed potatoes and mix in some fresh snipped chives. Alongside, add Roasted Ratatouille (see recipe) and crusty rolls. For dessert, buy a Boston cream pie.
Plan ahead: Save enough roast, gravy, potatoes and pie for Monday.
MONDAY: Make Open-Face Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches for dinner. Place the heated sliced beef on dense white bread and spoon hot gravy over it all. Heat the leftover potatoes to accompany the easy meal.
Add a lettuce wedge for some crunch. Slice the leftover pie for dessert.
TUESDAY: Dinner will be on the table in no time with any refrigerated pasta tortellini.
Spoon your favorite jarred marinara sauce over the pasta and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a packaged green salad and garlic bread. Fresh pineapple chunks work for dessert.
WEDNESDAY: You’ll want Portobello Mushroom Stew (see recipe) in your permanent collection of favorites. Serve the flavor-loaded stew over egg noodles. Add a romaine salad and toasted cheese Italian bread (place any shredded cheese on sliced Italian bread; broil until cheese melts). Instant butterscotch pudding is dessert.
THURSDAY: The kids will have their hands and faces washed early for Spaghetti Pie (see recipe). Serve with bugs on a log (celery sticks stuffed with cream cheese and topped with raisins) and soft rolls. Apricots are for dessert.
FRIDAY: Save money with Tex-Mex Chicken. In a Dutch oven on medium, combine 2 cups cooked chicken or 1 (12-ounce) can chicken breast, 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed), 1 (11-ounce) can Mexicorn (drained), 2 cups salsa and 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth. Heat through and ladle into bowls; garnish with a lime wedge. Serve with a sliced avocado salad and tortilla chips. Sugar cookies are dessert.
SATURDAY: Serve your own grilled shrimp to your guests with Herbed Polenta on the side. Bring 3 cups chicken broth and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in 1 cup yellow cornmeal, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, 10 minutes or until polenta is thick. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon EACH finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley and fresh basil. Serve immediately. Add a spinach salad and baguettes.
For dessert, make a rainbow parfait by layering orange, lime and raspberry sherbets.
THE RECIPES
Roasted Ratatouille
8 to 9 cups fresh vegetables cut into chunks (such as eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers and tomatoes)
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
5 or 6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Toss vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Spread vegetables, rosemary and thyme in a single layer in a large baking dish; roast 25 minutes. Sprinkle garlic over vegetables; mix in and continue roasting 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and collapsed and browning around edges. Transfer to serving bowl. Cover; let vegetables steam 4 minutes. Fold in vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 173 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 13 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Recipe adapted from Fresh Food Nation by Martha Holmberg (The Taunton Press, 2013)
Portobello Mushroom Stew
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried OR 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 (6-ounce) packages portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced ½ - inch thick
1 pound white mushrooms (stems removed), cut into ¼ -inch slices
1 (14 ½ -ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon dry sherry OR white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add onion and rosemary and cook on medium 12 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Remove to a medium bowl. Return skillet to stove and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium until hot. Add portobello mushrooms and cook 7 minutes or until browned. Add portobellos to onion mixture.
Repeat cooking procedure with white mushrooms and remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
Return onion mixture and mushrooms to skillet, along with the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, water and sherry;
mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper to taste and add the crushed red pepper.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (made with no salt added tomato products) contains approximately 163 calories, 7 g protein, 8 g fat, 20 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 277 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Spaghetti Pie
8 ounces spaghetti
½ pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground turkey breast
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 ½ cups sour cream
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup Neufchatel cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and place in a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
Meanwhile, cook beef and turkey in a large skillet on medium heat 6 minutes or until no longer pink; drain and return to skillet. Stir in salt, pepper and tomato sauce. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20minutes. Combine sour cream, green onions and cream cheese in a small bowl. Spread over cooked spaghetti. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with no-salt added tomato sauce and reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese) contains approximately 316 calories, 24 g protein, 12 g fat, 29 g carbohydrate, 69 mg cholesterol, 249 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Food, Pages 33 on 09/25/2013