Susan Nicholson - 7-Day Menu Planner: Mid-Winter Repasts

Introduction

Welcome to the 7-Day Menu Planner. Mid-Winter menus start with Valentines Day when a bit of romance dominates the menu and ends with Easter, a special time to gather the family together. In between, there are five more weeks of easy menus, including a photo for almost every week along with a shopping list for every day.
Planning menus will change your life (for the better) forever. You wont have that miserable felling as you stand in front of your open refrigerator and wonder whats for dinner?
To solve the dinner-dilemma, follow the menus Ive created for you. Use the shopping list and cook!
Menu planning is not brain surgery or rocket science. All you need is a desire to eat healthier, save money, reduce stress and enjoy delicious meals with your family. You will also be the powerful master menu-planner for your household.
Most of us dont really hate to cook, we hate to plan what to cook. Just follow along with the easy menus and youre on your way.

WEEK ONE: Valentines Day Week
(rearrange use of recipes accordingly)

SUNDAY (Family) TURKEY BREAST

Prepare a TURKEY BREAST for the family (use an oven roasting bag with directions on the bag). Buy or make GRAVY. Alongside, serve MASHED POTATOES, fresh BROCCOLI with toasted sliced almonds, MIXED GREENS and DINNER ROLLS. For dessert, buy a BOSTON CREAM PIE.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough turkey and pie for Monday. Cook rice for Monday and Thursday.

Shopping List

turkey breast to roast, gravy, potatoes to mash, fresh broccoli, sliced almonds, salad greens, dinner rolls, Boston cream pie.

MONDAY (Heat and Eat) TURKEY AND RICE CHILI

Youll never recognize the turkey leftovers in this TURKEY AND RICE CHILI (). Serve it along with ROMAINE and CRUSTY BREAD. Leftover PIE is dessert.

Shopping List

canola oil, onion, garlic, fat-free chicken broth, rice, canned diced green chiles, chili powder, cumin, canned reduced-sodium white beans, hot sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, romaine, crusty bread.

TURKEY AND RICE CHILI

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: less than 20 minutes

1 teaspoon canola oil

cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups water (or fat-free chicken broth)

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free chicken broth

cup cooked rice

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups turkey, cooked and chopped

2 (15-ounce) cans reduced-sodium white beans, rinsed and drained

Hot sauce

Reduced-fat sour cream and shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium. Cook onion and garlic 3 minutes or until softened. Add water, broth, rice, chiles, chili powder and cumin. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in turkey and beans; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Season to taste with several dashes of hot sauce. Serve with sour cream and cheese.

Per serving: 321 calories, 32 grams protein, 5 grams fat (14 percent calories from fat), 1.2 grams saturated fat, 42 grams carbohydrate, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 909 milligrams sodium, 13 grams fiber.

TUESDAY (Kids) SLOPPY JOE POCKETS

Use a seasoning mix packet to make quick SLOPPY JOE POCKETS. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, cook pound lean ground beef and pound ground turkey breast on medium 6 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Add any 1 (1.3-ounce) packet sloppy Joe seasoning mix and 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce; set aside. Unroll 1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 4 squares. Sprinkle cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese onto one-third of each square. Spoon meat mixture over cheese, but not to the edge. Divide and top each portion with 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms. Fold sides of dough over filling; press around edges with a fork to seal. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with a CHOPPED LETTUCE SALAD and deli BROWNIES.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough brownies for Wednesday.

Shopping List

lean ground beef, ground turkey breast, sloppy Joe seasoning mix, no-salt-added tomato sauce, refrigerated pizza dough, cooking spray, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, sliced fresh mushrooms, salad greens, deli brownies.

WEDNESDAY (Budget) GREEK-STYLE SKILLET SUPPER

Tonights GREEK-STYLE SKILLET SUPPER () is easy on the purse and easier on the taste buds. Serve with a SPINACH SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Serve leftover BROWNIES with PEACH SORBET for dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Prepare Thursdays dessert today. Save enough sorbet for Saturday.

Shopping List

95 percent lean ground beef, onion, lower-sodium beef broth, penne pasta, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, packaged frozen cut green beans, no-salt-added tomato paste, dried oregano, cinnamon, garlic powder, crumbled feta cheese, fresh spinach, whole-grain rolls, peach sorbet.

GREEK-STYLE SKILLET SUPPER

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: about 25 minutes

pound 95 percent lean ground beef

cup onion, chopped

1 (14-ounce) can lower-sodium beef broth

1 cups penne pasta

1 (14-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut green beans

2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon garlic powder

cup crumbled feta cheese, divided

In a large nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion on medium 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is softened; drain. Add broth and bring to boil on medium-high. Stir in pasta. Return to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, green beans, tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon and garlic powder. Return to boil. Stir in cup feta cheese. Simmer, uncovered, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes for sauce to thicken slightly. Sprinkle each serving with remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 363 calories, 25 grams protein, 10 grams fat (24 percent calories from fat), 5.5 grams saturated fat, 44 grams carbohydrate, 56 milligrams cholesterol, 508 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.

THURSDAY (Easy Entertaining) HOT AND SWEET BOMBAY CHICKEN

Your honey will swoon over HOT AND SWEET BOMBAY CHICKEN (). Mine did. Serve it over leftover RICE and add a BIBB LETTUCE SALAD.

For a sweet finish, DREAMY MINI CHEESECAKES are perfect. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 (8-ounce) package softened reduced-fat cream cheese with cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, teaspoon almond extract and 8 drops red food color; mix well. Line 8 muffin cups with paper baking cups. Place a vanilla wafer in bottom of each cup. Pour batter halfway into each cup. Bake 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate 4 hours to overnight. To serve, place on a dessert plate, drizzle with melted chocolate and top with raspberries, if desired. Expect a big gift after this meal!

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough mini cheesecakes for Friday.

Shopping List

flour, red curry powder, garlic powder, boneless skinless chicken breasts, canola oil, Golden Delicious apples, onion, light brown sugar, garam masala, fat-free half-and-half, coconut extract, arrowroot or instant flour, bibb lettuce, reduced-fat cream cheese, sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, almond extract, red food color, vanilla wafers, chocolate to drizzle and raspberries (if desired).