7 Day Menu

Serve with packaged black beans and rice, coleslaw and baguettes. Buy a coconut cake for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough turkey and cake for Monday.

1/ 23

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Use the turkey leftovers for Grilled Turkey and Provolone Cheese Sandwiches on Whole-Grain Bread. Serve with baked chips and a lettuce wedge. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.

1/ 24

Meatless Tuesday

It's fast and fragrant, so Baked Curried Jasmine Rice and Lentil Pilaf over Spinach (see recipe) will please everyone. Add whole-grain rolls. For dessert, fresh grapes are easy.

1/ 25

Express Wednesday

Try frozen veggie burgers for a quick meal tonight. Enjoy them on toasted whole-grain buns with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise and mustard. You could top them with blue cheese crumbles (or use another cheese). Serve with oven fries (frozen). Scoop lime sherbet for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough sherbet for Saturday.

1/ 26

Kids Thursday

The kids will thank you for preparing Chicken Orzo tonight. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise and 1 (0.87-ounce) package onion gravy mix. Coat both sides of 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets in mixture and place in skillet. Add remaining mixture to pan and cook 1 minute on each side until chicken begins to brown. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, 1 (10-ounce) can mild diced tomatoes and green chilies with liquid and 8 ounces orzo until all ingredients are well-blended. Cover and cook 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender. Serve immediately.

Add celery sticks with shredded cheese and soft rolls. For dessert, apple slices are noisy and crispy.

1/ 27

Budget Friday

For a low-cost, flavorful dinner, try Orange Beef With Rice (see recipe). Serve it with mixed greens and crusty bread. Strawberries are your dessert.

1/ 28

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Serve your guests Pasta With Shrimp and Asparagus in Tarragon Cream Sauce (see recipe) for a special treat. On the side, add an arugula salad and sourdough bread. Leftover sherbet and pirouettes (rolled cookies) are good for dessert.

Baked Curried Jasmine Rice and Lentil Pilaf Over Spinach (Tuesday)

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup jasmine rice

4 1/4 cups water

1 cup brown lentils

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cinnamon stick

4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger, peeled

1 to 2 teaspoons red curry paste (see Note)

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

4 green onions, sliced

Place rack in lower third of oven; heat to 350 degrees. Melt butter on medium-high in a large ovenproof Dutch oven; add rice and cook, stirring 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add water. Stir in lentils, garlic, cinnamon stick, ginger, curry paste and salt; bring to boil, stirring to dissolve curry paste. Cover the pot tightly with lid or foil. Transfer to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice and lentils are tender and all the water is absorbed. Fluff with fork, removing the cinnamon stick and ginger slices. Serve on a bed of spinach; garnish with green onions. Serves 4.

Note: Red curry paste is a blend of chili peppers, garlic, lemon grass and galangal (a root with a flavor similar to ginger). Look for it in jars or cans, or in the Asian section of your supermarket.

Per serving: 391 calories (percent calories from fat, 7), 19 grams protein, 73 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fiber, 3 grams fat (1.9 grams saturated fat), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 399 milligrams sodium.

Orange Beef with Rice (Friday)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup shredded carrots

1 (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice

3/4 cup orange juice

1 (14-ounce) can lower-sodium beef broth

In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium-high. Add beef and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes; drain. Add garlic, mushrooms and carrots. Cook 5 more minutes or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are softened. Add rice mix and seasoning packet, orange juice and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed, and serve. Serves 5.

Per serving: 354 calories (percent calories from fat, 32), 24 grams protein, 36 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated fat), 52 milligrams cholesterol, 524 milligrams sodium.

Pasta With Shrimp and Asparagus in Tarragon Cream Sauce (Saturday)

8 ounces linguine

2 tablespoon butter

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)

1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon tarragon

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cook linguine as directed on package. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large, deep skillet on medium heat. Add asparagus and leeks; cook and stir 5 minutes or until asparagus is tender-crisp and leeks are softened. Stir in half-and-half, tarragon, lemon peel, lemon juice and salt. Bring to boil. Stir shrimp into skillet. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until just until shrimp turn pink. Add linguine and reserved pasta cooking water; toss to coat well. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Per serving: 304 calories (percent calories from fat, 28), 21 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 10 grams fat (5.5 grams saturated fat), 131 milligrams cholesterol, 454 milligrams sodium.