Seven-Day Menu Planner
11/ 3 -- Family Sunday
Serve the family HONEY-ORANGE GLAZED HAM today. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 2- to 3-pound fully cooked boneless ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes or until it registers 140 degrees with a meat thermometer.
Meanwhile, mix together 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1/4 cup honey, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. Baste ham with mixture the last 10 minutes of roasting. Let stand for 5 minutes; slice and serve.
To accompany the family favorite, make your own SCALLOPED POTATOES and steam FRESH BROCCOLI. Enjoy APPLE COBBLER for dessert and top it with fat-free VANILLA ICE CREAM.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough ham and cobbler for Monday. Save enough ice cream for Tuesday.
11/ 4 -- Heat-and-Eat Monday
Make GEORGIA-STYLE GRILLED HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICHES for an easy meal. Mix 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons peach preserves. Spread mixture evenly on one side of 8 rye bread slices. Place 1 slice each leftover ham on 4 slices bread; sprinkle each ham slice with 2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Top with remaining bread slices; coat with cooking spray. Cook sandwiches in a large nonstick skillet on medium-low heat until cheese melts and bread is lightly browned. Serve sandwiches with a ROMAINE SALAD. Warm the leftover APPLE COBBLER for dessert.
11/ 5 -- Express Tuesday
You can prepare TOMATO SOUP WITH SPINACH AND CORN in no time. Prepare 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup according to directions, using skim milk. Add 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed) and 1 cup frozen corn (thawed). Heat through. Serve with a LETTUCE WEDGE and CHEESE TOAST. Top the leftover ICE CREAM with CHOCOLATE SYRUP.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough chocolate syrup for Thursday.
11/ 6 -- Meatless Wednesday
This BAKED EGGPLANT AND POLENTA (see recipe) was a hit and went into our permanent collection of recipes. Serve with STEAMED SPINACH and a ROMAINE SALAD WITH RED ONION RINGS. Add WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. For dessert, PLUMS are perfect.
11/ 7 -- Budget Thursday
There’s nothing like a good meatloaf to perk up your purse, and BARBECUE MEATLOAF (see recipe) fills the bill. Serve with OVEN FRIES (frozen) and GREEN BEANS. Make CORNBREAD (from a mix). For dessert, enjoy CHOCOLATE SWIRL PUDDING. Prepare instant vanilla pudding using 1 percent milk and swirl leftover chocolate syrup into the pudding. Top with fat-free whipped cream.
PLAN AHEAD: Save enough meatloaf for Friday.
11/ 8 -- Kids Friday
Show the kids how you can use magic to redesign the leftover meatloaf into BARBECUE ROLL-UPS. Crumble the heated leftover meatloaf and spoon into warmed whole-grain tortillas; top with shredded lettuce and any shredded cheese. Serve with CELERY STICKS and vegetarian BAKED BEANS.
LEAPIN’ LIZARD CRUNCH BARS are what dessert is all about to a kid — green, but not a vegetable! Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine 1 (12-ounce) package miniature marshmallows and 1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter in a saucepan. Cook on low 10 minutes or until marshmallows melt, stirring constantly. Add 6 drops green food coloring (add more if you want it to look really gross); mix well. Add 6 cups crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies); mix well. Remove from heat and spoon mixture into prepared dish; spread evenly and press down with back of spoon. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Cut into 8 long, thin strips, then in half. Remove strips from pan. Press 2 chocolate chips into end of each strip to make eyes. Be brave and eat a lizard.
11/ 9 Easy Entertaining Saturday
Any guest would enjoy CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC (see recipe). Serve with MASHED POTATOES, frozen petite GREEN PEAS, a BIBB LETTUCE SALAD and SOURDOUGH BREAD. Make or buy CHEESECAKE for dessert.
THE RECIPES
BAKED EGGPLANT AND POLENTA (Wednesday)
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 (1 1/2-pound) eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 8 slices
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
8 ounces (2 cups) part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 (17- or 18-ounce) tube refrigerated ready-to-eat polenta, cut into 20 slices
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat eggplant slices with cooking spray on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Place 4 slices eggplant in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread with 1 cup marinara sauce; sprinkle with 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1 tablespoon parmesan. Repeat once. Top with polenta slices, remaining sauce and both cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese melts.
Per serving: 265 calories, 15 grams protein, 10 grams fat (33 percent calories from fat), 4.8 grams saturated fat, 29 grams carbohydrate, 27 milligrams cholesterol, 1,007 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.
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BARBECUE MEATLOAF (Thursday)
Makes 10 slices
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour; standing time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave onion 1 minute on high (100 percent power); drain. Combine cooked onion, turkey, beef, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and thyme; mix. Spoon into a 9-by-4-inch loaf pan. Brush with remaining barbecue sauce. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Drain fat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Per slice: 139 calories, 17 grams protein, 2 grams fat (12 percent calories from fat), 0.6 gram saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 41 milligrams cholesterol, 228 milligrams sodium, no fiber.
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CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC (Saturday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
INGREDIENTS
2 medium onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 3/4 pounds total)
8 skinless chicken legs (about 1 3/4 pounds total)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry vermouth (or dry sherry or dry white wine) (see NOTE)
40 cloves garlic, separated, not peeled
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine onions, celery, tarragon and parsley in the baking dish. Rub chicken pieces with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on top of onions and celery. Drizzle with vermouth and tuck the garlic in and around the chicken. Cover with foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees. (Adapted from “The Casserole Queens Make-a-Meal Cookbook,” Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Clarkson Potter, 2013.)
NOTE: For testing purposes, I used vermouth.
Per serving: 265 calories, 40 grams protein, 11 grams fat (37 percent calories from fat), 2.4 grams saturated fat, no carbohydrate, 157 milligrams cholesterol, 374 milligrams sodium, no fiber.
