Family Sunday

Grilled flat iron steaks are a special family summer meal. The steaks will go well with Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon (see recipe). Add fresh asparagus and whole-wheat rolls. Make plum cobbler for dessert. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put 3 pounds (about 8 medium) ripe, black plums (each one cut into 8 wedges) in a baking dish. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water; toss gently to mix and coat. Cover with foil; bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile stir 1 bag (7.75 ounces) cinnamon swirl complete biscuit mix (such as Bisquick) and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl until a soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls in 8 evenly spaced mounds on the fruit. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until biscuits are golden. Serve warm. (Adapted from Woman’s Day magazine.)
PLAN AHEAD: Grill enough steak and save enough orzo salad for Monday.

SHOPPING LIST: flat iron steaks, orzo pasta, green onions, reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill, canned chickpeas, lemons, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, garlic, fresh asparagus, whole wheat rolls, black plums, sugar, cinnamon swirl complete biscuit mix.

Heat and Eat Monday

For a simple meal, prepare steak roll-ups. Thinly slice leftover steak and place on fat-free whole wheat tortillas. Top with crumbled blue cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped cherry tomatoes. Roll up and enjoy the simple entree with leftover orzo salad. Serve blackberries for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: fat-free whole wheat tortillas, crumbled blue cheese, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, blackberries.

Meatless Tuesday

Any burger is a good burger and tonight’s Grilled Portobello Burgers (see recipe) are no exception. Serve the no-meat entree with oven fries (frozen). Fat-free strawberry ice cream is your dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough ice cream for Thursday.

SHOPPING LIST: portobello mushrooms, balsamic vinaigrette, reduced-fat mayonnaise, jar roasted red peppers, whole wheat hamburger buns, cherry tomatoes, Boston lettuce, frozen oven fries, fat-free strawberry ice cream.

Budget Wednesday

I’m always happy when dinner is low cost and also delicious as are these Turkey Enchiladas (see recipe). Serve them with a guacamole and shredded lettuce salad. Make flan from a mix for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: cooking spray, cooked turkey or chicken, no-salt-added canned corn, reduced-fat sour cream, reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese, fresh cilantro, corn tortillas, canned enchilada sauce, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, flan mix.

Express Thursday

Take the night off and buy deli shrimp salad and spoon it over a packaged green salad for dinner. Start the meal with a glass of chilled tomato juice. Scoop leftover ice cream for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: deli shrimp salad, packaged green salad, tomato juice.

Kids Friday

Make the kids happy with giant chicken tost-achos. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush 4 fat-free flour tortillas with olive oil. Bake 5 minutes. In a large nonstick skillet on medium, heat 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and 1 cup mild salsa 5 minutes. Top each tortilla (leave on baking sheet) with 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture and some shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Return tortillas to oven and bake 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Top the tortillas with chopped lettuce, a few chopped green onions and some sliced olives and serve. (Adapted from “Yum-O! The Family Cookbook,” Rachael Ray; Clarkson Potter, $22.50.) Serve the fun kid-food with carrot sticks. How about oatmeal-raisin cookies for dessert?

SHOPPING LIST: fat-free flour tortillas, olive oil, cooked chicken, mild salsa, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, lettuce, green onions, olives, carrot sticks, oatmeal-raisin cookies.

Entertaining Saturday

Prepare your own trout almandine for guests, and serve the familiar dish with parsley buttered brown rices, green beans, a spinach salad and multigrain rills. Chocolate layer cake is always good for dessert.

SHOPPING LIST: ingredients for trout almandine, parsley, butter, brown rice, green beans, fresh spinach, multigrain rolls, chocolate layer cake.

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail at menu planner@mindspring.com.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon

1 cup orzo pasta

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

1 (19-ounce) can rinsed chickpeas

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon cold water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Cook orzo pasta according to directions. Drain, rinse in cold water and rinse again. In a large bowl, combine orzo pasta, onions, cheese, dill and chickpeas; toss gently to combine. Whisk together juice, oil, water, salt and garlic. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. (Adapted from “Cooking Light Pasta,” Terri Laschober, Editor; Oxmoor House, $17.95.)

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 173 calories, 8 grams protein, 5 grams fat (24 percent calories from fat), 1.1 grams saturated fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 450 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

Grilled Portobello Burgers

4 large portobello mushrooms

3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers

4 split whole-wheat hamburger buns

Sliced cherry tomatoes

Boston lettuce leaves

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat ridged grill pan or skillet on medium high until hot. Place mushrooms, stem side down, in pan. Brush with half of the vinaigrette and grill 5 minutes. Turn; brush with remaining vinaigrette and grill 5 minutes or until very tender. Meanwhile, in blender, blend mayonnaise and red peppers, and toast hamburger buns. To serve, spread red pepper mayonnaise on cut sides of bottom buns. Place mushrooms on top. Add tomatoes, lettuce and bun tops and serve. (Adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine.)

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 230 calories, 5 grams protein, 12 grams fat (45 percent calories from fat), 2.1 grams saturated fat, 28 grams carbohydrate, 7 milligrams cholesterol, 482 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Turkey Enchiladas

2 cups cooked chopped turkey or chicken

1 (8.75-ounce) can drained no-salt-added corn

1 (8-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

11/2 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

10 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 cup salsa

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine turkey or chicken, corn, sour cream, half of cheese and half of cilantro. Wrap 5 tortillas in a damp paper towel; microwave them on high (100 percent power) 30 seconds to soften. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place about 1/3 cup mixture on each tortilla and roll tightly. Arrange in baking dish, seam side down. In a bowl, combine enchilada sauce with salsa; pour over tortillas. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese melts and enchiladas are heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

Makes 10 enchiladas.

Per enchilada: 224 calories, 16 grams protein, 8 grams fat (34 percent calories from fat), 4.2 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbohydrate, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 429 milligrams sodium, 2 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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