7 Day Menu Planner

Plan ahead: Save enough chicken for Monday and enough sherbet for Friday.

6/ 26

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas make good use of leftovers. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded leftover chicken, 8 ounces reduced-fat shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend, 1 2/3 cups plain low-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup melted buttery spread (such as Smart Balance), 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat cream of chicken soup and 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies (drained) in a large bowl. Remove 1 cup chicken mixture; set aside.

Divide remaining mixture and spread 1/2 cup in each of 8 whole-grain flour tortillas; roll. Place enchiladas seam-side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread reserved 1 cup chicken mixture over enchiladas. Cover; bake 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1/2 cup finely shredded 50 percent light sharp cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve the creamy dish with a lettuce wedge. Enjoy blueberries for dessert.

6/ 27

Meatless Tuesday

Cannellini Beans With Sauteed Fennel and Tomatoes (see recipe) is a delicious no-meat dish. Serve with tomato basil soup. Add crusty bread on the side. How about mango chunks for dessert?

6/ 28

Budget Wednesday

Red Beans and Rice keeps the food budget in line. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine 1 pound dried red kidney beans (picked over), 1/2 pound andouille smoked chicken sausage (thinly sliced), 3 sliced celery ribs, 1 chopped green bell pepper, 1 medium chopped onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning and 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high 7 hours or until beans are tender.

Spoon over brown rice and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve with coleslaw and baguettes. For dessert, banana pudding made with 1 percent milk will taste good.

6/ 29

Express Thursday

This is a hot time of year for a cool Summer Salad Platter. Arrange pickled beets, marinated vegetables, deli potato salad and deli chicken salad on a platter lined with lettuce. Serve with whole-grain bread. Juicy peaches are a delicious summertime dessert.

6/ 30

Kids Friday

Treat the kids (and the adults!) with these Turkey Burgers. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/3 pounds ground turkey, 2 chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons white wine and herb chicken marinade, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon pepper. Divide into 5 (4-inch) patties. Heat a cast-iron skillet coated in cooking spray on medium-high. Cook patties 5 to 7 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. Serve on whole-grain buns with sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, lettuce and low-fat mayonnaise.

Add frozen oven fries and steamed carrots. Scoop the leftover sherbet for dessert.

7/ 1

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Invite friends for Shrimp Piccata (see recipe). Serve it over rice. Add sugar snap peas, a red-tipped lettuce salad and sourdough bread.

Easy and elegant, tropical crepes are an impressive dessert. Combine 3 cups assorted sliced fresh fruits (such as mango, papaya, kiwifruit, peaches) with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves (or peach) and 2 tablespoons orange brandy (or almond liqueur). Let stand 30 minutes to several hours.

To assemble, spread 1/4 cup of fruit mixture on each of 4 or 5 ready-to-eat crepes; roll. Spoon chocolate sauce over the crepes. Serve immediately.

Tip: Look for the crepes in the produce department. Substitute brandy with 2 teaspoons brandy extract mixed with 2 tablespoons water.

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THE RECIPES

Oven-Roasted Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken (Sunday)

1 lemon, sliced

Several stems of fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, oregano)

1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken

5 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or fresh thyme)

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange lemon slices and stems of fresh herbs in center of a baking sheet with sides. Place chicken on cutting board, breast-side down and tail up. Using kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of backbone and discard. Turn chicken over and press down in center of the breastbone until you hear a slight crack. Place chicken, cut-side down, on top of lemon and herb bed. In bowl, combine butter, parsley, rosemary, oregano, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of herb butter. Gently loosen skin on chicken. Spread remaining herb butter under skin. Spread reserved 1 tablespoon herb butter over skin. Roast 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees, and serve. (Adapted from Gwynn Galvin’s blog, SwirlsOfFlavor.com.) Makes 6-8 servings.

Per serving (without skin): 207 calories (percent calories from fat, 43), 28 grams protein, no carbohydrate, no fiber, 10 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated fat), 94 milligrams cholesterol, 265 milligrams sodium.

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Cannellini Beans With Sauteed Fennel and Tomatoes (Tuesday)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pint grape tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Black pepper to taste

1 (1 1/2-pound) fennel bulb

1 clove garlic, grated

Pinch crushed red pepper

2 (16-ounce) cans reduced-sodium cannellini beans, rinsed

4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Heat a medium-size skillet. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes on medium-high, shaking the pan, until tomatoes are blistered and beginning to brown. Add salt and a generous grinding of pepper; set aside.

Meanwhile, cut a thin slice from base of fennel. Remove any blemishes. Remove dark green stalks, but reserve enough fernlike fronds to make 1/4 cup chopped. Cut the bulb and white part of stalks into 1/4-inch slices, then cut the slices into 1/4-inch pieces. (This will be about 3 cups.) Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until hot. Add fennel, chopped fennel fronds, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook on medium, stirring, for 5 minutes. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or until fennel is very soft. Add the beans, blistered tomatoes, 2 tablespoons basil and more black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, gently folding to combine on medium-low heat or until heated through. Add 1/4 cup of the grated cheese. Spoon into serving dishes; top with remaining basil and cheese and serve. Serves 4.

Per serving: 386 calories (percent calories from fat, 33), 16 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (3.2 grams saturated fat), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 685 milligrams sodium.

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Shrimp Piccata (Saturday)

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon no-salt-added lemon-pepper blend

1 pound uncooked medium or large shrimp (tails on), cleaned and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup no-salt-added chicken broth

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Combine flour and pepper blend in a shallow dish. Toss shrimp in mixture until coated. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add shrimp and cook 2 or 3 minutes; toss and cook 1 more minute. Remove shrimp to a plate. Add garlic to skillet and cook 30 seconds. Stir in wine, broth, lemon juice and capers. Bring to simmer. Add shrimp and cook another minute or until heated through. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and stir in parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Per serving: 226 calories (percent calories from fat, 39), 24 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, no fiber, 10 grams fat (4.3 grams saturated fat), 198 milligrams cholesterol, 423 milligrams sodium.