7 Day Menu Planner

Saturday’s Chicken Piccata is served over noodles. Contributed by Swirls of Flavor; swirlsofflavor.com

Saturday’s Chicken Piccata is served over noodles. Contributed by Swirls of Flavor; swirlsofflavor.com

1/ 29

Family Sunday

Make family day extra-special with Roasted Lamb on the menu. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Crush or finely chop 1 tablespoon fennel seeds. Combine seeds with 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest (yellow part only), 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Rub mixture on 1 (4- to 5-pound) boneless leg of lamb. Place on rack in roasting pan. Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until lamb's internal temperature is 145 to 150 degrees. Remove; cover loosely with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Add your roasted rosemary potatoes, green beans, mixed greens and whole-grain bread. Buy chocolate eclairs for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough lamb for Monday.

1/ 30

Budget Monday

Be money-wise by using some of the leftover lamb for Lamb Chili (see recipe). Top it with tangy plain yogurt. Serve it with a lettuce wedge and cornbread (from a mix). For dessert, sprinkle peaches with cinnamon.

Plan ahead: Save enough chili for Friday.

1/ 31

Meatless Tuesday

Make a delicious no-meat dinner, Ravioli With Pesto, in no time. Toss hot cheese ravioli (refrigerated or frozen) with pesto and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan. Add a spinach salad and garlic bread. Enjoy pears for dessert.

2/ 1

Kids Wednesday

Treat your little heroes to Super Dogs With Avocado Relish (see recipe) on whole-grain buns. Serve with baked tortilla chips. Try fresh orange sections for dessert.

2/ 2

Express Thursday

Make it quick and tasty with New Orleans-style Dirty Rice (such as Zatarain's or another brand). Serve with deli coleslaw and baguettes. Chunky applesauce is a light dessert.

2/ 3

Heat-and-Eat Friday

Heat the leftover Chili and serve it over couscous. (Thin chili with water or broth if too thick.) Add mixed salad greens and whole-grain rolls. Sliced kiwifruit makes a simple dessert.

2/ 4

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Serve your guests flavorful Chicken Piccata (see recipe) over noodles. Add a bibb lettuce salad and crusty rolls on the side. For dessert, mint chocolate cookies with chocolate ice cream is a chocolate lover's dream.

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THE RECIPES

Lamb Chili (Monday)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup thinly sliced celery

2 cups chopped cooked (leftover) lamb

1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium kidney beans with liquid

2 (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup salsa or picante sauce

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add onion and celery and cook 6 minutes or until softened; drain. Add lamb, beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, oregano, basil, sugar and salsa or picante sauce. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low; simmer 20 to 30 minutes, and serve. Serves 8.

Per serving: 171 calories (percent calories from fat, 25), 15 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (1.4 grams saturated fat), 34 milligrams cholesterol, 352 milligrams sodium.

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Super Dogs With Avocado Relish (Wednesday)

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Dash cayenne pepper if desired

1 ripe diced Hass avocado (about 8 ounces)

8 lowest-sodium, lowest-fat hot dogs

8 whole-grain hot dog buns

Brown mustard if desired

For the relish: In a small bowl, combine bell pepper, onion, vinegar, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper; mix well. Gently stir in avocado.

Meanwhile, cook hot dogs according to directions. Spread cut sides of buns with mustard if desired. Place hot dogs in buns; spoon relish on top and serve. Makes 8 hot dogs.

Per hot dog with bun and relish: 277 calories (percent calories from fat, 46), 9 grams protein, 5 grams fiber, 29 grams carbohydrate,15 grams fat (4.4 grams saturated fat), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 837 milligrams sodium.

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Chicken Piccata (Saturday)

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 pound chicken cutlets

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth

4 lemon slices

1 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup rinsed capers

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a shallow container, combine flour, salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken pieces in mixture; reserve remaining flour mixture. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter on medium-high. Cook chicken 2 minutes on each side until browned. Remove to plate and keep warm.

Add wine to skillet; boil 1 minute, scraping any brown bits. Combine reserved flour mixture and broth, stirring until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add lemon slices and reserved chicken to skillet. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through. Stir in spinach, capers, lemon juice and remaining butter. Cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted and butter is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 4.

Per serving: 285 calories (percent calories from fat, 51), 25 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 16 grams fat (5.3 grams saturated fat), 88 milligrams cholesterol, 590 milligrams sodium.