This week's menus
Each day of the week offers a menu aimed at a different aspect of meal planning. There's a family meal, a kids' menu aimed at younger tastes, a heat-and-eat meal that recycles leftovers, a budget meal that employs a cost-cutting strategy, a meatless or "less meat" dish for people who may not be strict vegetarians but are trying to cut down on meat, an express meal that requires little or no preparation, and an entertaining menu that's quick.
Sunday/Family
Enjoy lean and flavorful Sesame-Orange Marinated Flank Steak with the family today (see recipe). Serve with poppy seed (eggless) noodles. (Toss 12 ounces cooked noodles with a little margarine or butter and about 1 teaspoon poppy seeds.) Steam fresh or frozen snow peas for a colorful side dish. Add bread. For dessert, serve fat-free pound cake with any sherbet.
Plan ahead: Save 1 cooked flank steak and enough cake for Monday.
Monday/Heat and eat
Use leftover flank steak to make your own beef and vegetable stir-fry. Use frozen stir-fry vegetables or fresh ones from the salad bar and a store-bought stir-fry sauce. Cut the meat into thin slices, then strips, and add them after the vegetables are almost done; cook just enough to heat. Serve this quick combo over rice and add whole-wheat rolls. Leftover cake is a quick dessert.
Tuesday/Budget
On a cold winter evening, Lusty Leek and Potato Soup (see recipe) will warm you. Serve with a romaine salad and focaccia. For dessert, leftover sherbet and cookies are simple.
Wednesday/Kids
If you have kids, you'll love the cookbook "One Bite Won't Kill You," by Ann Hodman (Houghton Mifflin, $15). Even if you don't have munchers, the book is a hoot. Here's one of the author's favorites for her own angels; she calls it "More" (see recipe). At our house we always say something good tastes like "more," and maybe she agrees. Serve "More" with a chopped lettuce salad and bread. Store-bought cupcakes are a kid kind of dessert.
Thursday/Express Prepare a quick Tuna Melt tonight. Make or buy the tuna salad. Spread it on whole-wheat bread, add a sliced tomato (if they are not too horrible) and top with reduced-fat shredded Swiss cheese. Broil just until cheese melts and the sandwich is hot. Serve with store-bought tomato basil soup. Add a little crushed dried or fresh sliced basil to the soup for added flavor. Serve with store-bought brownies.
Plan ahead: Save enough brownies for Friday.
Friday/Meatless
Tonight's combination, Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes, makes you think you're in Italy. Well, maybe (see recipe). Serve with mixed greens and garlic bread. Add leftover brownies.
Saturday/Entertaining
You've just been to Italy; now take your guests to France with Pork Chops Nicoise (see recipe). Serve this Mediterranean favorite with boiled small red potatoes and sauteed zucchini. Your meal demands baguettes. Sorbet is a natural dessert. Now add some dainty sugar cookies.
Shopping list
What you'll need for this week's menus (consult recipes for exact amounts)
Sunday
soy sauce
sesame oil
beef broth
dark brown sugar
fresh ginger
garlic
orange
flank steaks
poppy seeds
eggless noodles
fresh or frozen snow peas
bread
fat-free pound cake
any sherbet
Monday
frozen or fresh stir-fry vegetables
store-bought stir-fry sauce
rice
whole-wheat rolls
Tuesday
olive oil
leeks
yellow boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn
fat-free chicken broth
salt
pepper
romaine
focaccia
cookies
Wednesday
cooking spray
rotini (twists) pasta
lean ground beef
reduced-fat tomato soup
garlic
salt
pepper
reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
lettuce
bread
store-bought cupcakes
Thursday
ingredients for or store-bought tuna salad
whole-wheat bread
tomato
reduced-fat shredded Swiss cheese
store-bought tomato basil soup
dried or fresh basil
store-bought brownies
Friday
fettuccine
onion
olive oil
canned Italian-style or stewed tomatoes
frozen chopped spinach
salt
pepper
crumbled feta cheese
salad greens
garlic bread
Saturday
vegetable oil
pork loin chops
garlic
canned tomatoes
salt
crushed red peppers
black pepper
kalamata olives
red potatoes
zucchini squash
baguettes
sorbet
sugar cookies
Sesame-Orange Marinated Flank Steak (Sunday)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes; Marinating time: 2 to 8 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Standing time: 10 minutes
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons each sesame oil and beef broth
2 tablespoons each dark brown sugar and finely chopped fresh ginger
4 crushed garlic cloves
4 strips orange zest (orange part only)
2 1-pound flank steaks
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, beef broth, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and orange zest; mix well. Divide and pour into 2 resealable plastic bags. Add 1 steak to each bag. Marinate in refrigerator 2 to 8 hours. To broil both steaks: remove meat and discard marinade. Broil 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes. To serve, slice thinly cross grain.
