Sunday: Family
Prepare a BAKED HAM for family day. Serve it with RICE tossed with some lemon zest, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh tarragon and green peas. Make or buy COLESLAW, and add SOURDOUGH BREAD. Buy a BOSTON CREAM PIE for dessert.
Advertisement
Plan
Save enough ham, coleslaw and pie for Monday; cook and freeze enough plain rice for Wednesday.
Shopping List
baked ham, rice, lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh tarragon, green peas, coleslaw, sourdough bread, Boston cream pie.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Use the leftover ham to make HAM-STUFFED POTATOES for dinner. Serve with leftover COLESLAW and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Bring out the leftover PIE for dessert.
Shopping List
baking potatoes, butter, onion, garlic, reduced-fat sour cream, coarse salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, fresh chives, whole-grain rolls.
HAM-STUFFED POTATOES
Servings: makes 8 potato halves
Prep time: about 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 to 55 minutes
- 4 large (10 to 12 ounces each) baking potatoes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh chives for garnish
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave potatoes 15 to 18 minutes on high (100% power). Wrap potatoes in white paper towels, then in a terry towel; let stand 5 minutes. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them lengthwise. Scoop out pulp and place in a bowl, leaving shells intact; set shells and pulp aside. Melt butter in a medium skillet on medium-high. Add ham, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Meanwhile, mash potato pulp. Stir in ham mixture, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stuff shells; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chives.
Per serving: 269 calories, 16 grams protein, 10 grams fat (33% calories from fat), 4.7 grams saturated fat, 30 grams carbohydrate, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 894 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Tuesday: Budget
Count the savings when you prepare FETTUCCINE WITH PROSCIUTTO, PRUNES AND BLACK PEPPER. Add a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. PEACHES are your dessert.
Plan
Thaw leftover rice for Wednesday.
Shopping List
dry fettuccine, extra-virgin olive oil, red onion, prosciutto, pitted prunes, pepper, Parmesan cheese, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, peaches.
FETTUCCINE WITH PROSCIUTTO, PRUNES AND BLACK PEPPER
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
- 8 ounces dry fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into half-rings
- 2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 8 pitted prunes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Cook fettuccine according to directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 3 minutes. Add prunes and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup reserved pasta water and stir until everything is mixed well. Using tongs, transfer cooked fettuccine to skillet and toss to coat. Stir frequently until liquid is almost all absorbed, about 1 minute. Add additional 1/3 cup pasta water. Continue to stir frequently until almost all liquid is absorbed, about another minute. Add 1/4 cup cheese and mix well. Mix in 2 to 3 additional tablespoons pasta water to help incorporate the cheese and toss well. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining 1/4 cup cheese and toss well, until pasta is coated and all the liquid is absorbed. Top pasta with more black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately. (Adapted from "The Smart Mediterranean Diet Cookbook," Serena Ball, MS, RD, and Deanna Seagrave-Daly, RD, Ben Bell Books.)
Per serving: 395 calories, 15 grams protein, 12 grams fat (28% calories from fat), 3.3 grams saturated fat, 58 grams carbohydrate, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 456 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Wednesday: Meatless
Skip meat tonight and enjoy a SPINACH FRITTATA using leftover rice. Serve with your own BROILED TOMATOES and toasted whole-grain ENGLISH MUFFINS. Make instant VANILLA PUDDING with 1% milk and top with FRESH STRAWBERRIES for dessert.
Plan
Buy enough strawberries for Friday, and cut and freeze watermelon chunks for Thursday.
Shopping List
olive oil, onion, eggs, frozen chopped spinach, 1% or 2% cottage cheese, 1% milk, Parmesan cheese, coarse salt, nutmeg, ingredients for broiled tomatoes, whole-grain English muffins, instant vanilla pudding mix, fresh strawberries.
SPINACH FRITTATA
Servings: makes 8 wedges
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: less than 30 minutes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 8 egg whites
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 8 ounces 1% or 2% cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup 1% milk
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large nonstick oven-safe skillet, heat oil on medium. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together egg whites, whole eggs, spinach, rice, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt and nutmeg until blended. Stir egg mixture into onion in skillet and place in oven. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until frittata is set in center. Remove from oven and cut into wedges to serve.
Per serving: 137 calories, 12 grams protein, 4 grams fat (27% calories from fat), 1.3 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 50 milligrams cholesterol, 386 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Thursday: Kids
Calling all kids for PIZZA tonight! Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 (12-inch) ready-to-bake thin whole-grain pizza crust on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Evenly spread 3/4 cup any pizza sauce over crust, leaving a small border around the rim. Evenly top with 1 (8- to 10-ounce) package cooked carved chicken breast, 10 slices pepperoni and 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Serve with GREEN BEANS. For dessert, make a WATERMELON SLUSHY: Puree frozen chunks of watermelon in a food processor until smooth. Add sugar and fresh lemon or lime juice to taste; process until blended. Serve immediately.
Shopping List
ready-to-bake thin whole-grain pizza crust, any pizza sauce, cooked carved chicken breast, sliced pepperoni, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, green beans, watermelon, sugar, lemons or limes.
Friday: Express
Stay cool with deli (or your own) TUNA SALAD. Spoon it over a bed of MIXED GREENS. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and add DEVILED EGGS and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS on the side. Spoon leftover STRAWBERRIES over VANILLA ICE CREAM for dessert.
Shopping List
tuna salad, mixed greens, walnuts, deviled eggs, whole-grain rolls, vanilla ice cream.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Your lucky guests will rave over your SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil on medium. Add 1 medium chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 minced large garlic clove and cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions with liquid, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; cook over medium-high 6 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 pound uncooked deveined shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque.
Serve over COUSCOUS and top with crumbled reduced-fat Greek feta cheese. Serve with ASPARAGUS and a BAGUETTE. For dessert, FRESH PINEAPPLE drizzled with orange liqueur (or honey) and sprinkled with shredded toasted coconut is smashing.
Shopping List
olive oil, onion, garlic, canned diced tomatoes with garlic and onions, dried oregano, dried thyme, fresh shrimp, couscous, crumbled reduced-fat Greek feta cheese, asparagus, baguette, fresh pineapple, orange liqueur (or honey), shredded coconut.