Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Saturday, April 26, 2008
7-Day Menu Planner
Family Sunday
Enjoy a family picnic with your own grilled chicken. Accompany it with this flavor-packed finalist recipe from the 42nd Pillsbury Bake-Off, You Won’t Know It’s Not Potato Salad (see recipe). Add baked beans (canned) to the plate. Fill the breadbasket with multigrain rolls. For a sweet treat, buy a coconut cake for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Prepare enough chicken for Monday; save enough potato salad and cake for Tuesday.
SHOPPING LIST: chicken to grill, eggs, frozen cauliflower florets, frozen peas and carrots, reduced-fat mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cider vinegar, yellow mustard, celery, onion, canned baked beans, multigrain rolls, coconut cake.
Heat and Eat Monday
With some of the leftover chicken, make Creamed Chicken (see recipe) and serve over rice. On the side, add a spinach salad and biscuits. For dessert, try pears.
SHOPPING LIST: flour, 2 percent milk, frozen tiny green peas, dried sage, butter, jar of diced pimentos, lemon, black pepper, rice, fresh spinach,
biscuits, pears.
Express Tuesday
Mediterranean Tuna is quick and tasty. In a medium bowl, combine 2 (6-ounce) cans drained water-packed light tuna, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon drained capers and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; mix well. Lightly coat 8 slices whole-wheat bread with butter and then top 4 slices with hummus. Layer sandwiches with tomato slices and the tuna mixture. Top with remaining 4 slices of bread, butter side down.
Serve with leftover “potato salad,” baked chips and pickles. Slice some leftover cake for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: water-packed light tuna, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, capers, pepper, whole-wheat bread, butter, hummus, tomatoes, baked chips, pickles.
Kids Wednesday
Sing “Happy Trails” as you prepare Cowboy Tacos for the kids. In a shallow bowl, combine 1 pound boneless pork loin cut into 1-inch-by-1-inch-by-1/4-inch strips and 1 (1.25-ounce) package reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix; toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high until hot. Add pork; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in 1 cup drained chunky salsa, 1 cup undrained chili beans and 1/4 cup apricot preserves. Reduce heat to low; simmer
10 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 6 taco shells as directed. To serve, spoon 1/3 cup pork mixture into each taco shell. Top with reduced-fat sour cream. Serve with guacamole and shredded lettuce.
For dessert, a homemade rootbeer float is extra-special. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and
1 cup boiling water; stir until dissolved. Add 11/2 teaspoons root beer concentrate. Chill. When ready to serve, combine root beer mixture with 1 quart club soda. Stir slowly to mix. Place 2 scoops fat-free vanilla ice cream in a tall glass.
Slowly pour root beer between ice cream and side of glass. Serve immediately and slurp away.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough taco mixture and guacamole for Thursday.
SHOPPING LIST: boneless pork loin, reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix, canola oil, chunky salsa, canned chili beans, apricot preserves, taco shells, reduced-fat sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, sugar, root beer concentrate, club soda, fat-free vanilla ice cream.
Budget Thursday
Save some bucks tonight and make Taco Cornbread. Heat the leftover pork taco mixture and spoon over squares of cornbread (from a mix). Serve with steamed carrots and leftover guacamole. Make flan (from a mix) for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: cornbread mix, carrots, flan mix.
Meatless Friday
Fusilli with Broccoli and Potatoes (see recipe) is an easy no-meat dinner. Serve with mixed greens and garlic bread. For dessert, try red and green grapes.
SHOPPING LIST: fusilli pasta, vegetable broth, extra-virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper, black pepper, garlic, red potatoes, broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, salad greens, garlic bread, red and green grapes.
Entertaining Saturday
It’s quick, it’s flavorful and it’s perfect for guests, so Parmesan Herb Shrimp is on the menu tonight. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet on low. Add 1 pound uncooked large peeled and deveined shrimp; cook and stir on medium heat 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in
2 tablespoons Parmesan
herb seasoning blend, 2 tablespoons dry white wine and
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley.
Serve over rice. On the side, add sugar snap peas, a Bibb lettuce salad and baguettes. Buy fruit tarts for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: butter, large uncooked shrimp, Parmesan herb seasoning blend, dry white wine, fresh parsley, rice, sugar snap peas, Bibb lettuce, baguettes, fruit tarts.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian.
You Won’t Know It’s Not Potato Salad
4 hard-cooked eggs
2 (1-pound) packages frozen cauliflower florets
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots
13/4 cups reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup minced onion
Chop eggs; set aside. In a large bowl, microwave cauliflower, peas and carrots according to directions. Drain in colander; rinse with cold water. Place colander in bowl and cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes minimum. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper, 1/8 teaspoon paprika, the vinegar and mustard; set aside. Remove vegetables from refrigerator; discard any liquid in bowl. Pat drained vegetables dry with paper towels; chop any large cauliflower pieces into 3/4-inch chunks. Place vegetables in same bowl. Add celery, onion and eggs. Pour mayonnaise mixture over salad; stir until vegetables and eggs are well-coated. Sprinkle with remaining paprika. Chill before serving.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 125 calories, 5 grams protein, 7 grams fat (45 percent calories from fat), 1.7 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 71 milligrams cholesterol, 576 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Creamed Chicken
1/2 cup flour
21/4 cups 2 percent milk, divided
1 cup frozen tiny green peas, thawed
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups leftover cooked diced chicken
1 (4-ounce) jar drained diced pimentos
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. In a large saucepan on medium, whisk flour and 1/2 cup milk together until smooth. Stir in remaining milk. Cook 5 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add peas, sage, butter, chicken and pimentos, stirring to combine. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in juice and pepper. (Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.)
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 291 calories, 30 grams protein, 7 grams fat (23 percent calories from fat), 3.3 grams saturated fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 162 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Fusilli with Broccoli and Potatoes
8 ounces fusilli pasta
1 cup vegetable broth
11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cups cubed red potatoes (about 1 pound)
2 pounds broccoli florets
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine broth, oil, red pepper, black pepper and garlic. Cook potatoes in boiling water about 7 minutes or until tender; drain. Cover and microwave broccoli 10 minutes on high (100 percent power); drain well and cool. To broth mixture, add potato, broccoli and pasta. Toss, sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 285 calories, 13 grams protein, 7 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 1.8 grams saturated fat, 46 grams carbohydrate, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 214 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian.
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