SUNDAY (Family)
Tickle the family's taste buds with your own roast beef. Serve your masterpiece with goat cheese mashed potatoes.
Cook 3 pounds potatoes (cut into chunks) in boiling water 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain well. Mash with 1 cup hot skim milk, 6 ounces softened goat cheese and 2 tablespoons butter until smooth.
Season with coarse salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with chickpea and cucumber salad. In a medium bowl, toss 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed chickpeas, thinly sliced English cucumber, cup torn basil leaves and 1 small thinly sliced shallot with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, and coarse salt and pepper to taste; toss to mix. (Adapted from Real Simple magazine.) add dinner rolls.
For dessert, top angel food cake slices with fat-free chocolate ice cream.
;">Plan ahead: Save enough beef, potatoes and cake for Monday.
Save enough ice cream for Thursday and Saturday.
;"> Shopping list: Beef to roast, potatoes to mash, skim milk, goat cheese, butter, coarse salt, pepper, canned chickpeas, English cucumber, fresh basil, shallot, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dinner rolls, angel food cake, fat-free chocolate ice cream.
MONDAY (Heat and Eat)
Slice the leftover beef and make open-face hot roast beef sandwiches (on dense white bread) with gravy (from a jar) for an easy meal. On the side, add leftover potatoes and mixed greens.
Spoon strawberry sauce over the leftover cake for dessert.
;"> Shopping list: Dense white bread for sandwiches, jarred gravy, salad greens, strawberry sauce.
TUESDAY (Budget)
For a low-cost, good-tasting meal, try penne with sausage and peppers (see recipe).
Serve it with a spinach salad and Italian bread.
Tropical fruit is your dessert.
;"> Shopping list: Penne pasta, mild or hot Italian turkey sausage, olive oil, green bell peppers, onion, garlic, canned crushed tomatoes with basil, coarse salt, black pepper, fresh spinach, Italian bread, tropical fruit.
WEDNESDAY (Kids)
Make it a spooky Halloween dinner with ugly intestines topped with icky blood sauce (your spaghetti and red pasta sauce). Add chopped lettuce.
Finish with ghoulish red velvet vampire cupcakes. Prepare 1 (18-ounce) package red velvet cake mix according to directions for cupcakes; cool. Divide 1 (16-ounce) container cream cheese frosting in half.
PENNE WITH SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS
Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Makes 8 servings
1 pound penne pasta 12 ounces mild or hot Italian turkey sausage (removed from casing) 1 teaspoon olive oil 3 green bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil teaspoon coarse salt teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions: 1. Cook pasta according to directions. 2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet on medium for 5 minutes or until browned and crumbly. Remove to plate. 3. Add oil, peppers and onion to skillet. Cook, be sure to stir occasionally, 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. 4. Push vegetables aside in skillet, add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. 5. Add sausage, tomatoes, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. 6. Drain pasta, transfer to large serving bowl and add sausage and peppers. Toss to mix and serve.
Nutritional information per serving: Per serving: 338 calories, 15 grams protein, 6 grams fat (15 percent calories from fat), 1.4 grams saturated fat, 54 grams carbohydrate, 36 milligrams cholesterol, 778 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber
Recipe adapted from: Woman's Day magazine CARIBBEAN BEANS AND RICE
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: less than 20 minutes Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 each medium red and yellow bell pepper, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun or jerk seasoning mix teaspoon dried oregano 2 (15-ounce) cans rinsed reduced-sodium black beans 1 cup vegetable broth 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice teaspoon coarse salt 2 cups hot, cooked brown rice
Directions: 1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. 2. Add onion, peppers, garlic, seasoning and oregano. 3. Cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are softened. 4. Add beans, broth, juice and salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 to 10 minutes. 5. Serve over rice.
Nutritional information per serving: 380 calories, 15 grams protein, 7 grams fat (17 percent calories from fat), 1 gram saturated fat, 64 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 480 milligrams sodium, 11 grams fiber
TANDOORI CHICKEN
Prep time: 10 minutes Marinating time: 12 to 24 hours Cooking time: about 1 hour Makes 8 servings
1 (8-ounce) container plain fat-free yogurt 1 teaspoon coarse salt teaspoon black pepper teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 1 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon coriander 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Directions: 1. In medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except chicken. 2. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. 3. Pour yogurt/spice mixture over chicken. Turn to coat. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours; turn occasionally. 4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 5. Remove chicken; discard marinade. Place chicken on rack in broiler pan coated with cooking spray. 6. Bake 50 to 55 minutes (or until chicken registers 165 degrees with thermometer). 7. Broil 5 minutes, then serve.
Nutritional information per serving: 170 calories, 22 grams protein, 8 grams fat (41 percent calories from fat), 2.1 grams saturated fat, 2 grams carbohydrate, 121 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium, no fiber
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Scare up some devilishly delicious red velvet vampire cupcakes next week.