Menu planner: Treat the whole family with lemon Dijon cod saute

Lemon Dijon cod saute

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: less than 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 lemons, thinly sliced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped green olives with pimentos

2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard

1/2 cup dry white wine or unsalted chicken broth

1 pound cod fillets, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat. Add lemon slices and cook until golden around edges, turning once. Remove from skillet; set aside. In same skillet, cook shallots and olives about 3 minutes or until shallots are just tender. Stir in mustard and wine; cook 1 minute. Season cod with thyme, salt and pepper and add to skillet. Arrange lemon slices on top of cod. Cook, covered, 5 minutes or until fish is opaque throughout and flakes with a fork. Transfer cod to serving dish and drizzle with sauce. Add extra olive oil if desired.

Per serving: 151 calories, 19 grams protein, 6 grams fat (36% calories from fat), 0.8 gram saturated fat, 3 grams carbohydrate, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 593 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

Carb choices: 0.

Pizza casserole

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: less than 25 minutes, plus pasta

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces wagon wheel pasta (or another shape)

8 ounces reduced-fat Italian sausage

1 (24- to 28-ounce) jar no-salt-added marinara sauce

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Meanwhile, break apart sausage and cook in a large nonstick skillet on medium for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through; drain. In a 2 1/2-quart baking dish, combine cooked sausage, marinara sauce, onion, oregano, basil and pepper; mix well. Add cooked pasta; blend well. Cover top completely with cheese slices. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is hot. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 322 calories, 21 grams protein, 9 grams fat (25% calories from fat), 4.2 grams saturated fat, 37 grams carbohydrate, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 546 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

Carb choices: 2.5.

Cajun chicken with chili cream sauce

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: about 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons no-salt-added or less-sodium Cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can less-sodium less-fat cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Season chicken with Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add chicken and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until browned, turning once. In a small bowl, combine soup, water, chilies and lime juice; mix well. Add to skillet and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in sour cream and heat through, but do not boil.

Per serving: 237 calories, 26 grams protein, 10 grams fat (38% calories from fat), 2.9 grams saturated fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 498 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

Carb choices: 0.5.

Maple mustard-glazed pork loin

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2/3 cup maple syrup and coarse salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Spread evenly over 1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Surround pork with 1 pound baby carrots and 6 medium red potatoes (halved). Bake 45 minutes or until internal temperature of pork reaches 145 degrees and vegetables are tender. Remove pan from oven; tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Slice pork and serve with vegetables.

Chicken quesadillas

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 whole-grain flour tortillas on a baking sheet in 1 layer and bake 5 minutes. Spread 2 tortillas with 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies and top with 1 (8- to 10-ounce) package cooked carved chicken breast, 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese and then another tortilla. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into wedges.

Chicken pita pockets

In a large bowl, combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium chickpeas, 1 cup shredded fresh spinach, 2/3 cup halved seedless grapes, 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper, 1/2 cup finely chopped celery and 1/4 cup finely chopped onion. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons poppy seed dressing. Add to chickpea mixture; stir to combine. Spoon into 4 whole-grain pita rounds (halved).