A week's worth of quick, healthful meals for budget-minded families
SUNDAY: Add some extra flavor to the usual family feast with Mexican Roast Chicken With Olive Salsa (see recipe). On the side, add packaged yellow rice, pinto beans, a lettuce wedge and flour tortillas. Make Butterscotch Pudding (from a mix) for dessert and top with light whipped cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough chicken, olive salsa and black olives, along with any leftover rice and beans, for Monday.
MONDAY: Make good use of Monday's leftovers and enjoy Chicken Tacos (see recipe) tonight. Serve with a spinach salad and any leftover rice and beans. For a quick dessert, try kiwifruit.
TUESDAY: Skip meat tonight for Pea and Pasta Soup. Bring 6 cups unsalted vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot on medium-high. Add 1 ½ cups frozen green peas, ¾ cup orzo or ditalini pasta and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in 2 tablespoons apple juice. Spoon into bowls; top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches and cherry tomatoes. Pears are an easy dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Keep costs down with Grilled Ham Reuben Sandwiches. Spread rye bread with Russian dressing. Top with sliced ham, rinsed, refrigerated sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and another slice of bread. Coat bread with cooking spray; cook, coated side down, in a nonstick skillet on medium until both sides are browned. Serve with baked chips, dill pickles and celery sticks. Dessert is chunky applesauce.
THURSDAY: Make Stuffed Tomatoes tonight. Hollow out medium-sized ripe tomatoes and stuff with deli seafood salad; garnish with paprika. Add deli coleslaw on the side, along with toasted bagels. Nibble on oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough cookies for Friday.
FRIDAY: The kids will like Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Stir-Fry. In a large nonstick skillet, stir-fry 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces) in 1 tablespoon hot canola oil for 2 or 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. To skillet, add 1 red bell pepper (cut into strips) and 2 carrots (cut into thin strips) and cook 2 minutes. Add juice from 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks and 1 ½ cups stir-fry sauce; cook 5 minutes. Stir in pineapple chunks and chicken; cook 1 minute. Spoon over hot rice. Serve with sesame bread sticks. For dessert, leftover cookies go with halved red and green grapes.
SATURDAY: Serve your lucky guests Spicy Lemon Pesto Flat Iron Steaks (see recipe). On the side, add corn-on-the-cob, mixed greens and whole-grain rolls. Dessert is easy if you buy fruit tarts.
THE RECIPES
Mexican Roast Chicken With Olive Salsa
- 1 (5- or 6-pound) chicken to roast
- Cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons chile powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¾ cup sliced black (ripe) pitted olives
- ¾ cup sliced pimento-stuffed manzanilla olives
- 1 (11-ounce) jar chunky salsa
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat chicken with cooking spray; sprinkle chicken evenly with chile powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast about 1 ¾ to 2 hours or until internal temperature of breast is 165 degrees.
Meanwhile, combine olives, salsa and cilantro; refrigerate until ready to use. (Reserve 2/3 cup olive salsa for later.) Remove chicken from oven; transfer to carving board. Tent with foil; let stand 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve chicken with salsa.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving of white-meat chicken without skin contains approximately 172 calories, 33 g protein, 4 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 108 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium and no fiber.
Nutrition information: Each serving of dark-meat chicken without skin contains approximately 169 calories, 27 g protein, 6 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 128 mg cholesterol, 194 mg sodium and no fiber.
Nutrition information: Each serving of olive salsa contains approximately 46 calories, no protein, 3 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 414 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0
Chicken Tacos
- 2 cups shredded cooked (leftover) chicken breast
- 2/3 cup (leftover) olive salsa
- 8 taco shells (from a 4.6-ounce box with 12 tacos per box), heated
- 1 cup shredded jalapeno cheese
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken and olive salsa; cover and microwave on medium (50% power) 5 minutes or until hot. Divide mixture evenly among taco shells; top with cheese, lettuce, olives and avocado.
Makes 8 tacos.
Nutrition information: Each taco contains approximately 182 calories, 11 g protein, 11 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 24 mg cholesterol, 481 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices 1
Spicy Lemon Pesto Flat Iron Steaks
- 1/3 cup prepared basil pesto sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 beef flat iron steaks (6 to 8 ounces each)
- Coarse salt
In a small bowl, combine the prepared pesto, lemon juice, lemon zest and red pepper; set aside.
Press garlic evenly onto beef steaks. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 10 to 14 minutes, turning occasionally, or until cooked to desired doneness. Season with salt, as desired. Top steaks with pesto.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 398 calories, 36 g protein, 26 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, 114 mg cholesterol, 262 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: