Lemon Dijon Cod Saute. PHOTO BY GWYNN GALVIN, SWIRLSOFFLAVOR.COM
7-Day Menu Planner
SUNDAY (Family)
Put a little spice in family day with Chipotle-Roasted Chicken with Potatoes. Serve the flavor-enriched chicken with green beans. Add a Bibb Lettuce Salad and crusty bread. Slice Angel Food Cake and top it with sliced peaches and light whipped cream for dessert.
PLAN AHEAD: Save 2 chicken breasts and enough cake for Monday; save enough peaches for Wednesday.
MONDAY (Heat and Eat)
Use the leftovers for Chicken Tacos: Heat and shred the 2 leftover chicken breasts and spoon into warmed taco shells. Top the filling with salsa verde, shredded lettuce and reduced-fat sour cream. Alongside, add canned reduced-sodium pinto beans. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.
TUESDAY (Kids)
Treat your buckaroos to Bison Cheeseburgers using 2% American cheese slices on whole-grain buns. Of course, your cowpokes will want lettuce, tomatoes and low-fat mayonnaise on their burgers. Serve with oven fries (from frozen). For a fun dessert, ice cream sandwiches are perfect.
TIP: Use lean ground beef in place of the bison if you prefer.
WEDNESDAY (Express)
Make a quick dinner of Corned Beef Hash and Steamed Eggs: Spread 2 (15-ounce) cans corned beef hash in a large nonstick skillet and cook 8-10 minutes on medium or until hot. Using the back of a large spoon, make 4 indentations into hash. Break 1 egg into a cup and slip into an indentation in hash. Repeat with 3 more eggs. Sprinkle eggs with coarse salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes or until eggs are set and cooked to desired doneness. Serve with pickled beets, a packaged green salad and rye bread. Leftover peaches are a simple dessert.
THURSDAY (Budget)
Sometimes when we want Chili, I prepare one of the packaged mixes (with less sodium when available) and use either ground chicken or ground turkey breast instead of ground beef for a different flavor and to reduce saturated fat. You can choose your favorite beans to suit your family’s taste. I often add an extra can of beans to stretch it. Serve the low-cost dish with coleslaw and cornbread muffins (from a mix). How about plums for dessert?
TIP: Thin the leftover chili with broth for a delicious soup.
FRIDAY (Meatless)
For a no-meat meal, Couscous with Peppers and Olives hit the spot at our house. Serve with a Spinach Salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs and flatbread. Enjoy red and green grapes for dessert.
SATURDAY (Easy Entertaining)
Invite friends for Lemon Dijon Cod Saute. Serve the cod over orzo along with Citrus Marinated Tomato Salad on the side: In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup Italian dressing with 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (yellow part only). Add 1 pound diced ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups); toss gently and let stand 15 minutes. Serve with sourdough bread. Buy fruit tarts for dessert.
CHIPOTLE-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES (Sunday)
Makes 6 servings of chicken; 4 servings of potatoes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 1 hour
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 pounds medium red potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
6 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chipotle chili pepper seasoning, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and cumin; mix well. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil and 1 teaspoon of spice mixture. Mix brown sugar with remaining spice mixture; set aside. Cover large baking sheet with nonstick foil. Rub sugar mixture on both sides of chicken pieces. Arrange chicken on one half of baking sheet. Arrange potatoes in single layer on other half of baking sheet. Loosely cover chicken and potatoes with foil and bake 35-40 minutes; remove foil. Turn and rearrange potatoes. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until chicken is 165 degrees and potatoes are tender.
Per chicken breast (1 serving): 168 calories, 30 grams protein, 4 grams fat (21% calories from fat), 0.8 gram saturated fat, 2 grams carbohydrate, 91 milligrams cholesterol, 295 milligrams sodium, no fiber.
Carb count: 0.
Per potatoes (1 serving): 163 calories, 4 grams protein, 4 grams fat (20% calories from fat), 0.3 gram saturated fat, 30 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 61 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber. Carb count: 2.
COUSCOUS WITH PEPPERS AND OLIVES (Friday)
Servings: Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes, plus couscous
2 pounds butternut squash (peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces) (see NOTE)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
10 ounces couscous (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put squash, bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a roasting pan; toss to coat. Spread in a single layer. Roast, turning once, 25 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring water, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, cumin, curry powder and remaining salt to boil. Stir in couscous and raisins. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork; stir in roasted vegetables and olives and serve.
NOTE: Many supermarkets offer butternut squash already peeled and cut.
Per serving: 369 calories, 9 grams protein, 7 grams fat (16% calories from fat), 0.9 gram saturated fat, 71 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 371 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Carb count: 4.5.
LEMON DIJON COD SAUTE (SATURDAY)
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 thinly sliced lemons
2 thinly sliced shallots
1/3 cup chopped green olives with pimentos
2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine or unsalted chicken broth
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add lemon slices and cook until golden around edges, turning once. Remove from skillet; set aside. In same skillet, cook shallots and green olives about 3 minutes or until shallots are just tender. Stir in mustard and wine or broth; cook 1 minute. Season cod with thyme, salt and pepper; add to skillet. Arrange lemon slices on top of cod. Cook, covered, 5 minutes or until fish is opaque throughout and flakes with a fork. Transfer cod to serving dish and drizzle with sauce. Add extra olive oil if desired.
Per serving: 151 calories, 19 grams protein, 6 grams fat (36% calories from fat), 0.8 gram saturated fat, 3 grams carbohydrate, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 593 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Carb count: 0.
Dining and Cooking