Seven-day menu planner: May 22-28

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon coarse salt

2 pounds lamb shoulder, well-trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound after trimming)

1 pound baby carrots

2 cups unsalted chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (15- or 16-ounce) can reduced-sodium chickpeas, rinsed

1/3 cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

In a small bowl, mix together the ginger, curry powder, pepper, coriander, cumin and salt. Place lamb cubes in a resealable plastic bag; sprinkle spice mixture over lamb and turn to coat. Let lamb stand 30 minutes. Place lamb in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add carrots, broth, onion, garlic, tomato paste, chickpeas, raisins and honey. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours. Top with almonds and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Per serving: 212 calories, 14 grams protein, 6 grams fat (25 percent calories from fat), 1.4 grams saturated fat, 27 grams carbohydrate, 31 milligrams cholesterol, 470 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.

BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS (Friday)

1 teaspoon chili oil or canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 (15-ounce) cans reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed

1 1/2 cups medium salsa, divided

12 (6-inch) fat-free whole-wheat flour tortillas

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup 50 percent light shredded jalapeno cheddar cheese

1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Shredded lettuce

Reduced-fat sour cream for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes or until softened. Mash 1 can beans. Add mashed beans, 3/4 cup salsa and remaining beans to skillet; heat through. Spoon about 1/3 cup mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll and place seam-side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine tomatoes and remaining salsa; spoon over enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with both cheeses. Bake 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly. To serve, place lettuce on each plate, top with enchiladas and garnish with sour cream. Makes 12.

Per enchilada: 198 calories, 9 grams protein, 3 grams fat (14 percent calories from fat), 1.1 grams saturated fat, 34 grams carbohydrate, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 458 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.

SCALLOPED POTATOES (Saturday)

3 cloves peeled garlic, divided

1 pound all-purpose potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold (about 3 medium), peeled and sliced

2 cups 1 percent milk

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch freshly grated or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cut 1 clove garlic in half and rub vigorously over the inside of a shallow 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Coat the dish with cooking spray. Mince the remaining 2 cloves garlic.

Combine the minced garlic, potatoes, milk, onion, salt, nutmeg and pepper in a medium heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared dish with a slotted spoon. Transfer 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to a small bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Pour over the potatoes. Top with parmesan. Preheat broiler. Broil potatoes until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Note: Use a mandolin or the slicing blade of a food processor to create uniformly thin potatoes.

Per serving: 162 calories, 6 grams protein, 5 grams fat (27 percent calories from fat), 3 grams saturated fat, 24 grams carbohydrate, 19 milligrams cholesterol, 269 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

5/22

FAMILY SUNDAY

Impress the family with Moroccan Lamb Stew with Carrots and Almonds (see recipe). Top couscous with the flavorful mixture. Serve it with a romaine salad and flatbread.

Add the Easiest-Ever Peach Sorbet for dessert. Place an unopened (15- to 17-ounce) can of peaches in heavy (not light) syrup in the freezer for at least 12 hours or until frozen solid. Submerge the unopened can in hot water for a few seconds to loosen the edges, then open the can and transfer the contents to a food processor, using a knife to cut it into several chunks. Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Process 10 to 15 seconds or until smooth. Scoop the sorbet into balls and serve immediately.

Plan ahead: Save enough stew and couscous for Monday. Prepare enough sorbet for Saturday.

5/23

HEAT AND EAT MONDAY

Combine and heat the leftover stew and couscous for stuffed pitas. Serve with cucumber spears. Fresh strawberries are good for dessert.

5/24

BUDGET TUESDAY

Catfish is reasonably priced, so tonight's Oven-Fried Catfish is a good way to save a few dollars. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle 6 (4-ounce) catfish fillets with 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt. Place in a resealable plastic bag; add 1 (2-ounce) bottle hot sauce. Seal and chill 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning occasionally. Remove fish and discard marinade; dredge in 1 to 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal. Place fish on baking sheet coated with nonstick foil. Bake 10 minutes or until fish is opaque throughout. Then broil, 3 inches from heat, for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve with low-fat tartar sauce and O'Brien potatoes (frozen). Add carrots and whole-grain bread. Plums are dessert.

5/25

EXPRESS WEDNESDAY

It takes only a short time to make Chicken, Broccoli and Potatoes Parmesan. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons canola oil on medium. Add 1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated diced potatoes with onion. Cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir occasionally. Stir in 1 (10-ounce) package refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips (or 1 cup chopped cooked chicken) and 3 cups fresh broccoli florets. Cook 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed less-sodium, less-fat cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup 1 percent milk and 1 teaspoon garlic powder until smooth. Add to skillet and stir to coat other ingredients. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bring to boil; cover and cook on low for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with packaged salad greens and garlic bread. Try Asian pears for dessert.

Tip: Asian pears are crunchy, juicy and sweet. Choose ones that are hard and fragrant. Store at room temperature about three days or in the refrigerator up to one month. Eat everything but the stem and seeds.

5/26

KIDS THURSDAY

Put together two of the kids' favorites, and you'll have Chili Spaghetti. Cook 8 ounces spaghetti and top with 1 (15-ounce) can heated turkey chili. Top with 50 percent light shredded cheddar cheese. Add carrot sticks and soft rolls. For dessert, fresh pineapple spears are cool.

5/27

MEATLESS FRIDAY

You won't mind a meal with no meat when you can enjoy Black Bean Enchiladas (see recipe). Serve with packaged spanish rice and sliced avocado. Try a favorite mango variety, the Ataulfo or "Champagne" (or another variety), for dessert.

5/28

EASY ENTERTAINING SATURDAY

Grill some steaks for your friends tonight. Serve them with Scalloped Potatoes (see recipe) and fresh asparagus. Add a caesar salad and whole-grain rolls. Top leftover sorbet with peach (or another) liqueur.