7 Day Menu

Plan ahead: Save enough uncooked steak, vegetables and some pie for Monday.

11/ 27

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Make Beef Stir-Fry with Sunday's leftovers. Chop beef and vegetables and combine them with frozen stir-fry vegetables and bottled stir-fry sauce. Spoon your creation over brown rice and add bread sticks on the side. A small piece of leftover pie is dessert.

Plan ahead: Prepare enough rice for Tuesday.

11/ 28

Budget Tuesday

Chicken and Brown Rice Bake won't break the bank. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups leftover rice, 1 (10-ounce) package frozen green peas (thawed), 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast, 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1/2 cup reduced-fat plain yogurt, 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon tarragon. Spoon into baking dish. Cover; bake 25 to 30 minutes or until hot throughout. Serve with a lettuce wedge and crusty rolls. For dessert, try pears.

11/ 29

Meatless Wednesday

Meatless never tasted as good as Linguine With Cranberries and Gorgonzola (see recipe). Serve with a packaged caesar salad and whole-grain bread. Plums are dessert.

11/ 30

Express Thursday

Make it quick tonight with a pan-fried Ham Steak, refrigerated hash-browned potatoes and spinach souffle (from frozen). Add whole-grain bread. Chunky applesauce is your dessert.

12/ 1

Kids Friday

The kids will run to dinner when you make Chicken-and-Cheese Quesadillas. Evenly top 4 (8-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas with 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tablespoon canned chopped mild green chilies. Cover with another 4 tortillas; press down gently. One at a time, brown in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high 2 minutes per side or until cheese melts and tortillas are golden. Cut into wedges and serve with canned vegetarian fat-free refried beans (such as Old El Paso, Rosarita or another brand) and carrot sticks. Slice kiwifruit for dessert.

12/ 2

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Treat your guests to Four-Spice Basa Fish Fillets (see recipe), roasted red potatoes, green beans, a Boston lettuce salad and Baguettes to complete the meal. For dessert, add a touch of Italy-inspired topping to pound cake. Mix 1 (18-ounce) jar apricot preserves with 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur (or apricot nectar) and heat until warm. Drizzle over sliced pound cake. Add a dollop of light whipped cream and toasted sliced almonds for garnish.

** ** **

THE RECIPES

Grilled Southwestern Steak With Vegetables (Sunday)

For the marinade:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup mild salsa

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 top round steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)

For the vegetables:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red or green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

2 cups sliced zucchini

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak and marinade in resealable plastic bag; close bag securely and turn steak to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 6 hours to overnight, turning occasionally.

Remove steak; discard marinade. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 12 to 14 minutes (or over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 16 to 19 minutes) for medium-rare (145 degrees) doneness, turning once. Do not overcook.

Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet to medium-high. Add bell pepper strips; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add mushrooms, zucchini, cumin, salt and black pepper; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add tomatoes and green onions; cook and stir 1 minute. Carve steak into thin slices; season with salt, as desired. Serve with vegetables. Serves 6.

Per serving: 229 calories (percent calories from fat, 40), 28 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 10 grams fat (2.4 grams saturated fat), 70 milligrams cholesterol, 242 milligrams sodium.

** ** **

Linguine With Cranberries and Gorgonzola (Wednesday)

8 ounces whole-grain or other linguine

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup shelled toasted pistachios or walnuts

Chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to directions. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low; add gorgonzola and stir. Once cheese is melted, add half-and-half and cranberries. Season with coarse salt and a few pinches pepper. Let the sauce cook on low 2 to 3 minutes. Drain pasta and place in a large serving dish. Add sauce; toss to mix. Top with pistachios (or walnuts). Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

(Adapted from Romina Barritta de Defranchi, GlobalDietitians.com).

Per serving with vegetables: 442 calories (percent calories from fat, 35), 15 grams protein, 58 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fiber, 18 grams fat (9.4 grams saturated fat), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 537 milligrams sodium.

** ** **

Four-Spice Basa Fish Fillets (Saturday)

5 (5- or 6-ounce) basa, flounder or tilapia fillets

2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/4 teaspoons turmeric powder

1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

5 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of one large lemon, plus additional slices for garnish

Dry fish with paper towels. Combine spices and sprinkle mixture to coat both sides of fillets. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add fish; cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, turning carefully. To serve, squeeze juice over fillets and garnish each plate with lemon slices. Serves 5.

(Recipe by Shahzadi Devje, RD, CDE, MSc, owner of Desi-licious RD, www.shahzadidevje.com.)

Per serving: 212 calories (percent calories from fat, 68), 15 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 16 grams fat , 2.4 grams saturated fat, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 836 milligrams sodium.