7 Day Menu

Plan ahead: Save some crab cakes and coleslaw for Monday and enough pie for Tuesday.

5/ 29

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Celebrate Memorial Day with leftovers and make Crab Cake Sandwiches on English Muffins. Add tartar sauce, corn-on-the-cob and leftover coleslaw. How about chocolate chip cookies and a dollop of chocolate ice cream for dessert?

5/ 30

Meatless Tuesday

Cheese Ravioli With Mushrooms and Peas (see recipe) is a great no-meat dinner. Serve with a romaine salad and garlic bread. Leftover Boston cream pie makes a good dessert.

5/ 31

Kids Wednesday

The kids will be happy you are serving Broiled Honey-Sesame Chicken Tenders for dinner. Marinate chicken tenders in honey teriyaki marinade (from a jar) for 10 minutes, then roll in sesame seeds before broiling on a nonstick foil-lined baking sheet for 5 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with rice, green beans and whole-grain rolls. For dessert, kiwifruit is all you'll want.

6/ 1

Budget Thursday

Go Italian with Panini Caprese for dinner. Cut a 10- to 14-ounce olive oil and herb focaccia loaf (or another flavor) in half horizontally. On bottom half, arrange 8 ounces fresh sliced mozzarella cheese and sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin oil and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Cover with bread top; press down gently. Cut into wedges and serve.

Add baked chips. For dessert, fresh pineapple is light.

6/ 2

Express Friday

One of my favorite fast meals is Chicken-Stuffed Avocados. Add deli chicken salad and mix in some chopped walnuts and halved grapes. Spoon the mixture into halved avocados that have been coated with lemon juice. Garnish tops with paprika. Serve on mixed greens and add tomato wedges to the plates.

Serve with oven fries (frozen) and crusty bread. Enjoy fresh blueberries for dessert.

6/ 3

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Entertain guests with delicious Pork Medallions With Blue Cheese-Chive Stuffing (see recipe). Serve with orzo tossed with a little olive oil and chopped fresh parsley, fresh asparagus, a bibb lettuce salad and baguettes. For dessert, top strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries.

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THE RECIPES

Yellow Rice Crab Cakes (Sunday)

1 (6.9-ounce) package yellow rice (such as Zatarain’s or another brand)

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 eggs

1/4 cup flour

1 pound lump crab meat

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

4 tablespoons butter, divided

Prepare rice as directed on package, adding bell pepper and onion with the rice. Cool slightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add rice mixture and flour; mix well. Add crab meat and parsley; gently mix until well blended. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until well chilled. Shape into 18 cakes, about 1/3 cup each. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter on medium. Cook cakes, 3 or 4 at a time, about 6 minutes or until golden; turn once. Repeat with remaining butter and cakes. Makes 18 cakes.

Per cake: 104 calories (percent calories from fat, 32), 8 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 4 grams fat (1.9 grams saturated fat), 56 milligrams cholesterol, 269 milligrams sodium.

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Cheese Ravioli With Mushrooms and Peas (Tuesday)

1 (24- to 25-ounce) bag frozen cheese-filled ravioli (about 45 pieces)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (8-ounce) package fresh sliced crimini mushrooms

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce, or another kind of sauce

1/2 cup tomato basil pasta sauce

2 teaspoons basil pesto

Cook ravioli according to directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic powder in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add onion, mushrooms and peas. Cook 7 minutes or until onions are softened and mushrooms release their liquid. Stir in Alfredo sauce, pasta sauce and pesto; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until hot. Drain ravioli and add to skillet. Toss sauce over ravioli, stirring gently to coat. Heat 2 minutes, if necessary, and serve. Serves 5.

Per serving: 366 calories (percent calories from fat, 30), 12 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 11 grams fat (4.1 grams saturated fat), 24 milligrams cholesterol, 580 milligrams sodium.

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Pork Medallions With Blue Cheese-Chive Stuffing (Saturday)

1 pound pork tenderloin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 ounces crumbled blue cheese (1/2 cup)

3 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives

1 tablespoon plain bread crumbs

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut tenderloin into 1-inch slices. Flatten to 3/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add pork and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until brown, turning once. Transfer pork to a baking sheet covered with nonstick foil. In a small bowl, mix together blue cheese, chives and bread crumbs, breaking cheese into fine crumbs. Top pork slices evenly with cheese mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until internal temperature of pork is 145 degrees. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Per serving: 201 calories (percent calories from fat, 41), 27 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrate, no fiber, 9 grams fat (3.8 grams saturated fat), 84 milligrams cholesterol, 270 milligrams sodium.