Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Saturday, May 10, 2008
7-Day Menu Planner
Family Sunday
Beef Top Loin Steaks with Grilled Red Onion Relish (see recipe) make a special meal for the family. Serve them with roasted potatoes, a green salad and dinner rolls. Everyone will welcome chocolate meringue pie for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough steak and vegetables, the reduced balsamic vinegar and pie, and prepare extra potatoes for Monday.
SHOPPING LIST: balsamic vinegar, garlic-pepper seasoning, boneless beef top loin (strip) steaks, red onions, yellow squash, zucchini squash, olive oil, fresh oregano, salt, potatoes to roast, fresh spinach, dinner rolls, chocolate meringue pie.
Heat and Eat Monday
Make good use of the leftovers and serve Grilled Beef and Onion Salad tonight. In a small bowl, whisk together
1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons leftover reduced balsamic vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Arrange 4 leftover grilled squash halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces, and leftover grilled onion wedges over 8 cups mixed salad greens. Carve the
2 leftover steaks into slices; arrange over salad. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad; toss.
Alongside, add the leftover heated potatoes and add multigrain rolls. Slice the leftover pie for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, multigrain rolls.
Express Tuesday
For a quick meal, Deviled Chicken Tenders are easy to prepare. Heat oven to
425 degrees F. Lightly coat chicken tenders with Dijon mustard. Roll in seasoned dry bread crumbs to coat. Coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes or until crisp. Serve with deli pasta salad and biscuits. Plums are your dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: chicken tenders, Dijon mustard, seasoned dry bread crumbs, cooking spray, deli pasta salad, biscuits, plums.
Kids Wednesday
Let the kids help prepare Chili Dogs (using fat-free hot dogs and vegetarian chili) served on whole-wheat buns. Add oven fries (frozen) and carrot salad (deli). Peaches are an easy dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: fat-free hot dogs, vegetarian chili, whole-wheat hot dog buns, frozen oven fries, deli carrot salad, peaches.
Meatless Thursday
Think warmer weather and serve this delicious Mediterranean Penne Salad (see recipe). Serve with a lettuce wedge and Italian bread. Fresh strawberries make a wonderful dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough pasta for Friday.
SHOPPING LIST: penne pasta, hummus, lemon, olive oil, grape tomatoes, red onion, black or green pitted olives, crumbled fat-free feta cheese, fresh basil, capers, salt, black pepper, slivered almonds, lettuce, Italian bread, fresh strawberries.
Budget Friday
Make Pasta-Stuffed Tomatoes for dinner. Hollow out large tomatoes and fill them with leftover pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with green beans and whole-wheat rolls. Slice mangoes for dessert.
SHOPPING LIST: tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, green beans, whole-wheat rolls, mangoes.
Entertaining Saturday
There were no leftovers of Shrimp with Pasta and Feta Cheese (see recipe) when we served it to our guests.
Add an arugula salad and garlic bread.
Cherry Dream is a company-worthy dessert. Cut 1 (10-ounce) angel food cake into cubes; sprinkle cubes on bottom of a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, fold 11/3 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping (thawed) into 1 (21-ounce) can light cherry pie filling. Spoon mixture evenly over cake. Let chill, covered, several hours or overnight. Garnish each serving with a sprig of mint.
SHOPPING LIST: pasta shells, olive oil, onion, fresh basil, fresh oregano, garlic, canned diced tomatoes with oregano, basil and garlic, plum tomatoes, uncooked shrimp, dry white wine, salt, pepper, crumbled fat-free feta cheese for garnish, arugula, garlic bread, angel food cake, frozen fat-free whipped topping, light cherry pie filling, fresh mint.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail at menu planner@mindspring.com.
Beef Top Loin Steaks with Grilled Red Onion Relish
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons garlic-pepper seasoning, divided
4 boneless beef top loin (strip) steaks, cut 3/4-inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
2 medium red onions, each cut into 12 wedges
2 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise in half
2 medium zucchini squash, cut lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt to taste
Bring vinegar to a boil in a small pan. Lower heat; simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until reduced by half; set aside. Press 2 teaspoons garlic-pepper seasoning evenly onto steaks. Thread onion wedges onto 4 (10-inch) metal skewers. Brush onions and cut sides of squash with oil; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons garlic pepper. Grill steaks, uncovered, 15 to 18 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Grill squash 8 to 12 minutes and onions 12 to 15 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Remove onions from skewers; toss half the onions with 2 tablespoons of the reduced vinegar, oregano and salt to taste. Carve 2 steaks into slices. Serve with half of the onions and half of the squash. (Cover and refrigerate remaining 2 steaks, half the onions and squash and reduced vinegar for Monday.)
Makes 2 steaks with vegetables for now (4 servings) and 2 steaks with vegetables for later.
Per serving: 216 calories, 26 grams protein, 8 grams fat (34 percent calories from fat), 2.3 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 202 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Mediterranean Penne Salad
2-1/2 cups penne pasta (see note)
2/3 cup hummus
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup black or green pitted olives, halved
1/4 cup crumbled fat-free feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
Cook pasta according to directions; rinse in cold water and drain well. Place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine hummus, juice and oil; mix well and set aside. To pasta, add tomatoes, onion, olives, feta cheese, basil, capers, salt and pepper; gently toss to mix well. Spoon hummus mixture over pasta; toss to coat. Cover and chill. Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Note: For testing purposes, I used Dreamfields Healthy Carb Living pasta.
Per serving: 236 calories, 9 grams protein, 10 grams fat (35 percent calories from fat), 1.2 grams saturated fat, 33 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 414 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
Shrimp with Pasta and Feta Cheese
8 ounces pasta shells (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
11/2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (141/2-ounce) can drained diced tomatoes with oregano, basil and garlic
1 cup seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
1 pound uncooked shelled and deveined shrimp
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup crumbled fat-free feta cheese for garnish
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion, basil, oregano and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add both tomatoes, shrimp, wine, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and tomatoes are heated through. Spoon over pasta; garnish with feta cheese.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 404 calories, 30 grams protein, 5 grams fat (12 percent calories from fat), 0.9 gram saturated fat, 56 grams carbohydrate, 168 milligrams cholesterol, 1,027 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail at menuplanner@mindspring.com.
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