1/ 29
Family Sunday
Make family day extra-special with Roasted Lamb on the menu. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Crush or finely chop 1 tablespoon fennel seeds. Combine seeds with 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest (yellow part only), 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Rub mixture on 1 (4- to 5-pound) boneless leg of lamb. Place on rack in roasting pan. Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until lamb's internal temperature is 145 to 150 degrees. Remove; cover loosely with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Add your roasted rosemary potatoes, green beans, mixed greens and whole-grain bread. Buy chocolate eclairs for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough lamb for Monday.
1/ 30
Budget Monday
Be money-wise by using some of the leftover lamb for Lamb Chili (see recipe). Top it with tangy plain yogurt. Serve it with a lettuce wedge and cornbread (from a mix). For dessert, sprinkle peaches with cinnamon.
Plan ahead: Save enough chili for Friday.
1/ 31
Meatless Tuesday
Make a delicious no-meat dinner, Ravioli With Pesto, in no time. Toss hot cheese ravioli (refrigerated or frozen) with pesto and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan. Add a spinach salad and garlic bread. Enjoy pears for dessert.
2/ 1
Kids Wednesday
Treat your little heroes to Super Dogs With Avocado Relish (see recipe) on whole-grain buns. Serve with baked tortilla chips. Try fresh orange sections for dessert.
2/ 2
Express Thursday
Make it quick and tasty with New Orleans-style Dirty Rice (such as Zatarain's or another brand). Serve with deli coleslaw and baguettes. Chunky applesauce is a light dessert.
2/ 3
Heat-and-Eat Friday
Heat the leftover Chili and serve it over couscous. (Thin chili with water or broth if too thick.) Add mixed salad greens and whole-grain rolls. Sliced kiwifruit makes a simple dessert.
2/ 4
Easy Entertaining Saturday
Serve your guests flavorful Chicken Piccata (see recipe) over noodles. Add a bibb lettuce salad and crusty rolls on the side. For dessert, mint chocolate cookies with chocolate ice cream is a chocolate lover's dream.
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THE RECIPES
Lamb Chili (Monday)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cups chopped cooked (leftover) lamb
1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium kidney beans with liquid
2 (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add onion and celery and cook 6 minutes or until softened; drain. Add lamb, beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, oregano, basil, sugar and salsa or picante sauce. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low; simmer 20 to 30 minutes, and serve. Serves 8.
Per serving: 171 calories (percent calories from fat, 25), 15 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (1.4 grams saturated fat), 34 milligrams cholesterol, 352 milligrams sodium.
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Super Dogs With Avocado Relish (Wednesday)
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Dash cayenne pepper if desired
1 ripe diced Hass avocado (about 8 ounces)
8 lowest-sodium, lowest-fat hot dogs
8 whole-grain hot dog buns
Brown mustard if desired
For the relish: In a small bowl, combine bell pepper, onion, vinegar, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper; mix well. Gently stir in avocado.
Meanwhile, cook hot dogs according to directions. Spread cut sides of buns with mustard if desired. Place hot dogs in buns; spoon relish on top and serve. Makes 8 hot dogs.
Per hot dog with bun and relish: 277 calories (percent calories from fat, 46), 9 grams protein, 5 grams fiber, 29 grams carbohydrate,15 grams fat (4.4 grams saturated fat), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 837 milligrams sodium.
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Chicken Piccata (Saturday)
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 pound chicken cutlets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
4 lemon slices
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup rinsed capers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
In a shallow container, combine flour, salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken pieces in mixture; reserve remaining flour mixture. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter on medium-high. Cook chicken 2 minutes on each side until browned. Remove to plate and keep warm.
Add wine to skillet; boil 1 minute, scraping any brown bits. Combine reserved flour mixture and broth, stirring until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add lemon slices and reserved chicken to skillet. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through. Stir in spinach, capers, lemon juice and remaining butter. Cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted and butter is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 4.
Per serving: 285 calories (percent calories from fat, 51), 25 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 16 grams fat (5.3 grams saturated fat), 88 milligrams cholesterol, 590 milligrams sodium.
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