Seven Easy Dinners

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Bonus Meal

Day 1

Chicken Parmesan Strips
Oven Bakes Potato Wedges
Green Salad

Chicken Parmesan Strips

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 15 minutes to 4 hours
Cooking time: 20 minutes.

• 1 lb (500 g) Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• ½ cup (125 mL) Skim Milk
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) Dry bread crumbs or corn flakes cereal, finely crushed.
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp (10 mL) Dried parsley
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) Salt
  

1. Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour in milk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or for up to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley and pepper. Remove chicken strips from milk and dip in crumb mixture, coating well. Place on prepared baking sheet. Discard any excess milk and crumb mixture.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

Oven-Baked Potato Wedges

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes

• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 25 mL
• ½ tsp Salt 2 mL
• 1 tsp Dried rosemary 5 mL
• ½ tsp Dried thyme 2 mL
• 2 Russet potatoes (unpeeled), cut into 2 ½-inch (1cm) wedges
• 1 Sweet potato (unpeeled), cut into 1 1/2-inch (1cm) wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, salt, rosemary and thyme. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven, turning wedges occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and tender.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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Day 2

Orange Hoisin Salmon
Brown Rice
Steamed Vegetables

Save time by cooking brown rice the night before. Store in refrigerator and reheat in microwave.

Orange Hoisin Salmon

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 7 - 10 minutes

• 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce 25 mL
• 1 tbsp Frozen orange juice concentrate 15 mL
• 2 tsp Grated orange zest 10 mL
• 2 tsp Liquid honey 10 mL
• pinch Salt pinch
• pinch Freshly ground black pepper pinch
• 4 Salmon fillets 4 (about 1 ½ lbs/750 g total)
• Vegetable cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler, with rack set 4 inches (10 cm) from the top.
2. In a small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, orange juice concentrate, orange zest and honey.
3. Place salmon on baking sheet and baste both sides with hoisin mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Broil for 7 – 10 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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Day 3

Caribbean Chicken and Pineapple Pizza
Green Salad

Caribbean Chicken and Pineapple Pizza

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 17 minutes

• 4 oz Boneless skinless chicken breast, 125 g, cooked and cut into strips
• 2 tbsp Caribbean jerk sauce, divided 25 mL
• ¼ cup Thinly sliced red onion 50 mL
• ½ cup Pizza sauce 125 mL
• 1 Pizza crust (whole wheat is best) 1
• 2 cups Shredded pizza cheese blend, divided 500 mL
• 1 cup Fresh pineapple chunks 250 mL
• 1 tbsp Hot banana pepper rings, drained 15 mL (optional)
  

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Lightly coat chicken strips with 1 ½ tbsp (22 mL) of the jerk sauce.
3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine pizza sauce and the remaining jerk sauce.
5. Spread jerk pizza sauce evenly over pizza crust to within ½ inch (1cm) of edge. Sprinkle evenly with onions half of the cheese, chicken strips, pineapple and banana pepper rings (if using). Top with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown and crust is golden and crisp.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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Day 4

Polynesian Pork Kebabs
Brown Rice or Potatoes
Caesar Salad

Save time by cooking brown rice the night before. Store in refrigerator and reheat in microwave.

Polynesian Pork Kebabs

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 30 minutes to overnight
Cooking time: 8 – 12 minutes

• 1/4 cup Sodium-reduced soya sauce 50 ml
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice 25 ml
• 2 tbsp Liquid honey or brown sugar 25 ml
• 1 tsp Vegetable oil 4 ml
• 1 tsp Ground ginger or ½ tsp (2 ml) minced ginger root 5 ml
• 1 lb Lean pork loin or tenderloin, cubed 500 g
• 1 ½ cup Cubed fresh pineapple 375 ml
• 1 Red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 Green bell pepper, cut into chunks
  

1. In a medium bowl, combine soya sauce, lemon juice, honey, oil and ginger; add pork cubes, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in refrigerator.
2. Thread skewers alternately with pieces of pork, pineapple, red pepper and green pepper. Brush kebabs with marinade; discard any left over.
3. Preheat barbecue or broiler. Barbecue kebabs over medium-high heat, turning once, for 10 – 12 minutes or until pork is just slightly pink in the centre. Alternately, grill under broiler, turning once, for 8 – 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Cook Great Food, by Dietitians of Canada, Robert Rose Inc. 2001

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Day 5

Sweet Potato and Bean Wrap
Fruit Salad

Save time by cutting fruit for fruit salad the night before.

Sweet Potato and Bean Wraps
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

• 1 Sweet potato
• 6 10-inch (25 cm) flour tortillas
• 1 Can (14 oz/398 mL) low-fat refried beans
• 2 cups Lightly packed spinach leaves 500 mL
• 1 Avocado, sliced
  

1. Pierce sweet potato with a fork. Microwave on High for 5 minutes or until tender. Slice lengthwise, scoop out flesh and mash in a bowl.
2. On the bottom third of each tortilla, place one-sixth of each of the sweet potato, refried beans, spinach and avocado. Fold in the 2 sides, then fold the bottom of the wrap up over the filling and roll until tight.
3. Microwave wraps on High for 45 seconds or until heated through.
4. Serve with salsa and low fat sour cream or yogurt.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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Day 6

Thai-Style Squash Soup
Whole Grain Bread or Rolls
Piece of Cheese
Green Salad

Thai-Style Squash Soup
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

• 1 Head garlic
• 1 tbsp Olive oil 15 mL
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil 25 mL
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 tbsp Finely minced gingerroot 25 mL
• 2 tbsp Finely minced lemon grass 25 mL
• 1 Large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 3 ¼ cups Reduced-sodium chicken broth 800 mL
• 1 Can (14 oz/398 mL) light coconut milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 Kaffir lime leaves 4 or grated lemon zest (optional)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut top off head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place on a small piece of foil wrap. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cloves are soft.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Saute onion, ginger and lemon grass until tender, about 5 minutes. Add squash and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Squeeze roasted garlic into soup, making sure not to get any skin in soup.
3. Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree on high speed until smooth.
4. Return soup to saucepan and stir in coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add kaffir lime leaves, if using. Heat over low heat for 10 minutes or until heated through and lime flavor infuses soup.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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Day 7

Beef Stroganoff
Steamed Vegetables

Beef Stroganoff
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 12 oz Boneless sirloin grilling steak, cut into strips 375 g
• 1 Large onion, sliced
• ¾ cup Sliced mushrooms 175 ml
• 3 cups Reduced-sodium beef broth 750 ml
• 1 Can (10oz/284 ml) condensed low-fat cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 2 ½ cups Fusilli pasta or spiral egg noodles 625 ml
• 1 cup Frozen peas 250 ml
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 15 ml
• ¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper 1 ml
• ¾ cup Light sour cream or plain yogurt 175 ml
  

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Spray with vegetable cooking spray. Working in batches, stir-fry beef for 3 – 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove beef to a large bowl as each batch is completed.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and mushrooms to saucepan; cook for 3 minutes or until lightly coloured. Stir into beef.
3. In the same saucepan, combine broth and soup; bring to a broil. Add fusilli; bring back to a gentle boil and cook, about 12 minutes. Stir in peas, Worcestershire sauce and pepper; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in beef mixture and sour cream; cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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Extra-Quick Meal

Green Macaroni and Cheese
Carrot Sticks

Green Macaroni and Cheese
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

• 1 Bag (10oz/300g) baby spinach 1
• 2 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice 25 mL
• 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil 15 mL
• 12 oz Whole wheat macaroni 375 g
• 1 cup Shredded white Cheddar Cheese 250 mL
• ½ cup Slivered almonds, toasted 125 mL
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In food processor, pulse spinach, lemon juice and olive oil for 15 seconds, until roughly pureed (don’t overdo it).
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions until al dente (tender to bite). Drain and return to the pot. Add spinach mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Stir in cheese and almonds. Season to taste with pepper.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Simply Great Food, by Patricia Chuey, Eileen Campbell and Mary Sue Waisman, Robert Rose Inc. 2007

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