7-day menu planner, June 23-29

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough pork for Monday.

MONDAY (Heat and eat)

Use leftover pork for soft pork tacos. Cut the leftover pork into strips. Spread warm corn tortillas with heated canned vegetarian refried beans. Top with pork, shredded lettuce, chopped onion and large chunks of salsa. Ride and eat. Serve with steamed zucchini slices and avocado slices. Prepare a flan (from a mixture) for dessert.

TUESDAY (Budget)

Two-cheese pasta saves time and money. Cook 10 ounces of rotini (twists) according to directions and add 2 cups (lightly packed) of the frozen cauliflower, broccoli, and carrot mixture during the last 5 minutes of cooking; draining. In the heated saucepan, combine 1 cup 1% milk, 3 ounces low-fat cream cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until the cream cheese melts. Return the pasta and vegetable mixture to the pasta pot. Stir to coat with cream cheese mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately with mixed green salads and garlic bread. Fresh pineapple chunks with toasted coconut are a light dessert.

WEDNESDAY (Express)

Be a hero by making a quick Meatball Heroes meal. Heat the grill. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 package (12 ounces) frozen precooked turkey meatballs (thawed), 1 1/2 cups red pasta sauce and 1/4 cup water until boiling . Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until meatballs are heated through; stir occasionally. Meanwhile, place 4 Hero (or other) sandwich rolls (sliced ​​horizontally almost all the way through) cut side up on a large cookie sheet. Sprinkle rolls with 1/2 to 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Grill 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Place meatballs and sauce on bottom of buns; close the sandwiches and cut them in half. Serve with baked chips, dill pickles and lettuce wedge salad. Nectarines are desserts.

THURSDAY (Children)

Who can resist Mexican pizza for its flavor and simplicity? Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a thin 10-ounce ready-to-bake whole grain pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread with 1 (16 ounce) can vegetarian refried beans; sprinkle with 1 cup (4 ounces) packaged reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese melts. Top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sweet taco sauce and chopped cilantro. Slice and serve with carrot sticks. For dessert, prepare an instant Chocolate Pudding with 1% milk and add a few slices of banana.

FRIDAY (without meat)

Sauté the meat and serve Greek Island Pasta (see recipe). Add a romaine salad and Italian bread. Red and green grapes are dessert.

SATURDAY (easy entertainment)

Special guests will enjoy your Cilantro Lime Chicken (see recipe). Serve with rice. Add fresh asparagus, arugula salad and baguettes to accompany your delicious meal. For dessert, the cheesecake with raspberries and toasted flaked almonds is a special ending to a good meal.

STUFFED PORK LOIN WITH TROPICAL SALSA (Sunday)

Servings: makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes per pound; rest time: 10 minutes

1 tablespoon of butter

6 large onions, sliced

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 (3 pounds) boneless pork loin roast

2 cups of salsa

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir 15 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in the pine nuts; Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Roast butterflied and stuff (see note) with about 2 cups of onion mixture. Tie the roast. Spread the remaining onion mixture evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Place roast on top of mixture. In a saucepan, combine the salsa and pineapple. Cook and stir until heated through. Pour the mixture over the roast. Bake 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slice and serve roast with salsa mixture.

Note: “Butterfly” means cut almost through and open the sides to look like a butterfly.

Per serving: 253 calories, 25 grams protein, 11 grams fat (40% calories from fat), 3.8 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, 67 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium, 2 grams of fiber.

Number of carbohydrates: 1.

GREEK ISLAND PASTA (Friday)

Servings: makes 8 servings

Preparation time: less than 15 minutes

Cooking time: pasta only

12 ounces radiatori (or ruffle) pasta

1 cup sliced ​​kalamata olives, rinsed

1 can (28 ounces) small diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled together and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions; draining. Meanwhile, combine the olives, tomatoes, basil and oil and mix well. Stir and pour the sauce over the pasta. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with parmesan if desired.

Per serving: 272 calories, 7 grams protein, 10 grams fat (35% calories from fat), 1.4 grams saturated fat, 37 grams carbohydrates, no cholesterol, 449 milligrams sodium, 3 grams of fiber.

Number of carbohydrates: 2.5.

CORIADON AND LIME CHICKEN (Saturday)

Servings: for 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 14 minutes

For the salsa:

2 cups fresh corn kernels (4 medium ears)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh red onion

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon cilantro-lime seasoning or taco seasoning

1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt

For the chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)

1 tablespoon cilantro-lime seasoning or taco seasoning

1 tablespoon of olive oil

For the salsa: In a large mixing bowl, combine corn kernels, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of cilantro-lime seasoning (or taco seasoning) and salt. Stir until well combined and set aside. For the chicken: Rub both sides of the chicken with cilantro seasoning or taco seasoning. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and cook chicken until cooked through, turning once, about 5 to 7 minutes each side (until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Arrange chicken on a serving plate and top with fresh corn salsa. Garnish with lime slices and cilantro.

Per serving: 290 calories, 41 grams protein, 7 grams fat (21% calories from fat), 1.4 grams saturated fat, 17 grams carbohydrates, 124 milligrams cholesterol, 353 milligrams sodium, 2 grams of fiber.

Number of carbohydrates: 1.

Susan Nicholson is a cookbook author and dietitian based in Atlanta. She can be reached by email: susan@7daymenu.com. Follow Susan on Twitter: @7DayMenu. The menu planner is also accessible on 7daymenuplanner.com. Read Susan’s blog: makingthemenu.com. And check out Susan’s book: “7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies” is on shelves now. Order yours on Amazon.com.

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