Seven-Day Menu Planner

Plan ahead: Save enough ham and crisp for Tuesday; save some ice cream for Saturday.

10/ 9

Budget Monday

Be penny-wise and prepare Brown Rice Taco Bowl (see recipe) for a low-cost entree. Serve it with mixed greens. Enjoy flan for dessert.

10/ 10

Heat-and-Eat Tuesday

Leftover Ham makes a great sandwich. Spread basil pesto on Italian bread and layer with arugula, brie and the ham. Add broccoli slaw on the side. Leftover apple crisp would be good for dessert.

10/ 11

Meatless Wednesday

I'm always looking for an easy risotto, and this microwave recipe for Tomato-Basil Risotto (see recipe) caught my attention. Serve it with a spinach salad with hard-cooked egg wedges and red bell pepper rings. Add cheese toast. For an easy dessert, try orange sections sprinkled with toasted coconut.

10/ 12

Express Thursday

You can have a quick dinner with Beefy Korean Sandwiches. For one sandwich: Spread 2 tablespoons horseradish sauce on both sides of a 6-inch split baguette. Layer with 3 ounces thinly sliced deli roast beef. Top the other side with 2 tablespoons drained, chopped kimchi and 2 cups baby arugula and combine (adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe). Serve with sweet potato chips. Kiwifruit is good for dessert.

10/ 13

Kids Friday

Have fun with the kids on a Sloppy Hot Dog night. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil on medium. Cook 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper for 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce and 1 pound lowest-fat, lowest-sodium hot dogs (cut into 1/4-inch pieces). Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into 8 split whole-grain hot dog buns. Serve with carrot and celery sticks.

Add a mixed berry smoothie. Combine 1 pint raspberry sorbet, 3/4 cup raspberries, 3/4 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup blueberries and 2 cups 1 percent milk in a blender. Puree until smooth; strain seeds and serve.

Tip: Use fresh or frozen berries (no need to thaw frozen ones).

10/ 14

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Make it a casual entertaining evening with Grilled Burgers on the menu. Serve on whole-grain buns. On the side, add barbecue potato salad. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted chicken broth, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; mix well. Add 3 pounds warm, cooked, quartered red potatoes, 1 cup thinly sliced celery, 1 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper and 1/2 cup chopped red onion; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Add deviled eggs, along with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, low-fat mayonnaise and mustard for the burgers. Make butterscotch sundaes for dessert with leftover ice cream and butterscotch topping.

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THE RECIPES

Rice, Zucchini and Corn Casserole (Sunday)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 pound grated zucchini

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 whole eggs

2 egg whites

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup corn

2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chilies, drained

2 cups shredded 50 percent light cheddar cheese

4 ounces crumbled queso fresco or reduced-fat feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add zucchini and onion; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until zucchini is softened. Remove from heat; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a fork; stir in cooked rice, corn, chilies, cheeses and zucchini mixture. Mix well. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve. Serves 8.

Per serving: 238 calories (percent calories from fat, 33), 15 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (4.4 grams saturated fat), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 333 milligrams sodium.

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Brown Rice Taco Bowl (Monday)

1 cup uncooked brown rice (3 cups cooked)

1 pound lean ground beef

2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup salsa

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup shredded 50 percent light cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 green onion, sliced on the diagonal

Cook rice according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook beef, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic powder on medium-high 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Stir in salsa; cook 2 minutes or until heated through.

To assemble: Divide ingredients evenly among four bowls, beginning with brown rice. On top of rice, compose beef mixture, avocado, tomatoes, cheese and onion around edges of bowls. Top with sour cream and sliced onions for garnish. Serve with additional salsa if desired. (Adapted from Swirls of Flavor, SwirlsOfFlavor.com). Serves 4.

Per serving: 620 calories (percent calories from fat, 41), 39 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fiber, 29 grams fat (9.5 grams saturated fat), 87 milligrams cholesterol, 648 milligrams sodium.

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Tomato-Basil Risotto (Wednesday)

2 (14-ounce) cans unsalted vegetable broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

2 cups arborio rice

3 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat broth and wine at medium-high until bubbles form around edge of pan. Meanwhile, coarsely chop basil. In a large microwave-safe dish, combine 1/4 cup basil, oil and shallot. Microwave, uncovered, on high 1 minute or until shallot softens. Add rice and stir to coat. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir broth into rice. Cover and microwave on medium (50 percent power) 15 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring once. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes. Stir tomatoes, salt and pepper into rice mixture. Cover and microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes or until rice is tender but still firm; stir once. Stir in Parmesan and remaining basil. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Per serving: 228 calories (percent calories from fat, 13), 6 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams fat (1.1 grams saturated fat), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 286 milligrams sodium.