A week¡¯s worth of economical and healthy dinners

 onion flakes All recipes developed, except as noted, by Melissa Pasanen. Allnutritional analysis by Wendy Hess, RD, CDE, Consulting inNutrition Analysis, Burlington. Sunday (1): Baked Chicken with Rice and Mushrooms This homey chicken dish uses dark meat thighs for flavor and ampsup nutrition and taste with nutty brown rice. Youll be makingextra rice as a planned-over for the stuffed zucchini later inthe week. 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil 1 and one-half pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed offat, patted dry 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 medium carrot, scrubbed and finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 10 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced 2 cups (14.5-ounce can) chicken broth, preferably low sodium One-half cup water 1 teaspoon dried thyme or one-half teaspoon finely minced freshthyme 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt 1 and one-half cups rice, preferably brown (see note) 12 ounces frozen green beans Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle position. In alarge, deep, oven-proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil overmedium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs, 2 to 3 minutes on eachside, and remove to a plate. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan.Add onion and carrot to pan and saute, stirring occasionally, untilonion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushroomsand saute another 5 to 7 minutes, until mushrooms have given uptheir liquid and are turning golden. Stir in chicken broth, water,thyme and salt. Increase heat to high to reach a simmer. Stir inrice and return chicken thighs to skillet. Cover tightly and put in oven. Bake for 45 minutes and then stir infrozen green beans. Cover skillet again and return to oven foranother 10 to 15 minutes until rice is tender and beans are cooked.Before serving, scoop out 2 cups of rice mixture for ItalianStuffed Zucchini on Tuesday. Serves 4.  Loosely adapted from Caroline Homan, food education coordinator,City Market Nutrition facts per serving: 488 calories; 16 g fat (4 g sat, 7 g mono); 143 mg cholesterol; 44g carbohydrate; 40 g protein; 4 g fiber; 535 mg sodium; 747 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: Recipes for baked rice usually recommend short or medium-grainrice, but weve done just fine with long-grain, too. If you usewhite rice, your cooking time will be shorter and you can put thegreen beans in after 30 minutes of oven time. If youre not makingthe stuffed zucchini, cut dry rice amount to 2 cups and just use 2cups chicken broth, no water. Without the chicken, this baked rice makes a great base for anyversion of rice and beans (with or without the mushrooms). ForIndian rice and beans, replace the thyme with curry powder and thenstir in a can of drained, rinsed lentils for the last 10 minutes ofcooking. For Mexican rice and beans, use ground cumin and stir in acan of diced tomatoes with chilies along with a can of black beans. Monday (2): Mediterranean Pasta A super-simple, one-bowl pasta dish to get your week off to a goodstart. If your family enjoys 100 percent whole-wheat pasta, go forit, but weve found the blends are generally more family-friendly. 12 ounces medium shaped pasta, preferably whole-wheat blend 2 teaspoons olive or canola oil One small onion, finely diced 3 links (10 ounces) your choice hot or sweet lean Italian turkeysausage 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) chickpeas or whitebeans 3 ounces (about 2 packed cups) baby spinach leaves Salt to taste Put a large pot of water on to boil and cook pasta according topackage directions. When pasta is cooked, drain but reserveone-half-cup of cooking liquid. Meanwhile, in a large nonsticksaute or frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion andsaute, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and golden, about5 minutes. While onion is cooking, cut sausage out of casing. Add sausage topan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and increase heat to mediumhigh. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned, about5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and chickpeas to pan and stir tocombine. Add spinach to pan and cover pan to wilt leaves enough tostir them in, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for another 3 to 4minutes. Add salt to taste. Toss cooked, drained pasta into sauce,adding pasta water to thin sauce as necessary, and serve. Serves 4. Nutrition facts per serving: 537 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 46 mg cholesterol; 85g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 14 g fiber; 1016 mg sodium; 613 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: Youll be using half the package of turkey sausage and half thebag of spinach you bought and using the balance in other recipeslater in the week. For a vegetarian version, use a non-meat sausagesubstitute or skip the sausage and sprinkle the pasta with fetacheese right before serving. Tuesday (3): Parmesan-Crusted Fish with Italian Stuffed Zucchini A simple and quick way to cook fish with no chance itll dry outunder its cloak of tomato sauce. You already have the zucchinistuffing in the fridge, which makes this a snap to put together. For stuffed zucchini: 2 medium (about 8 ounces each) zucchini 2 cups cooked brown rice mixture from Baked Chicken with Rice andMushrooms 1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style tomato sauce (see note) One-half cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese For fish: Cooking spray or 1 teaspoon canola or olive oil 1 and one-half pounds thin, white, mild-tasting fish fillets,preferably skinless, such as perch, pollock, or flounder One-half cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (see note) One-quarter cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese Black pepper to taste Make stuffed zucchini: Preheat oven to 425 degrees with one oven rack in top position andone in middle position Trim stem end of zucchinis and halvelengthwise. Using a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works well), scoopout seedy center of zucchinis and discard (or save for soup orhomemade vegetable stock). Lay zucchini halves in a baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together brown rice mixture and about 1 cupof tomato sauce. Mound cavity of each zucchini with brown ricemixture. Drizzle a couple tablespoons water around zucchini intobaking dish, cover tightly with foil, and put in oven on middlerack for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle tops of stuffed zucchini with mozzarella, andput back in oven for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.Remove from oven to cool slightly while cooking fish. Make fish: Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or brush lightlywith oil. Rinse fish, pat dry, and lay fillets on baking sheet.Spoon remaining tomato sauce evenly over fillets. In a small bowlstir together breadcrumbs and Parmesan with pepper to taste andsprinkle evenly over fish. Bake on top rack of oven 4 to 6 minutesdepending on fish thickness until crumbs are golden and fish flakeseasily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with a stuffed zucchinihalf. Serves 4. Nutrition facts per serving: 420 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 84 mg cholesterol; 40 gcarbohydrate; 45 g protein; 6 g fiber; 1070 mg sodium; 944 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: If you are concerned about sodium, use plain, no-salt added tomatosauce mixed with two teaspoons of salt-free Italian herb seasoning.Over the last month, we have found a variety of white fish filletson sale for $4.99 a pound at local markets. If the fresh fishcounter doesnt have them, check out the frozen bagged fish sectionwhere we found nice flounder fillets at that price. We collectheels from whole-wheat bread, and when we have a few gathered, buzzthem fine in the food processor or blender and keep a bag of freshbreadcrumbs in our freezer to use at any time. Wednesday (4): Meatless Sloppy Joes with Sunshine Salad Call it Sloppy Joes or chili, this hearty mixture of beans andveggies is incredibly versatile. It uses bulgur wheat to bulk it upand add a texture somewhat like ground meat, a common tactic invegetarian chili recipes. The recipe purposefully makes about aquart extra since it freezes beautifully and makes a great quicklunch or supper with a sprinkling of grated cheddar and a cornmuffin. Try freezing the leftovers in one-cup containers for hungryteenagers to snack on. For Sloppy Joes: 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 large carrot, scrubbed and finely diced 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 medium zucchini, diced 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder, to taste 2 (15.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (see note) 1 (14. 5-ounce) can vegetable broth, preferably low sodium or 1 andthree-quarters cups water One-half cup bulgur wheat (see note) 2 (15.5-ounce) cans light and/or dark red kidney beans, drained andrinsed or 4 cups cooked 1 (15.5-ounce) can golden hominy (see note), drained and rinsed or1 (15.5-ounce can) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed 4 100 percent whole-wheat hamburger buns For sunshine salad: One-quarter cup orange juice 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil Pinch salt Three ounces (about 2 packed cups) baby spinach leaves 1 small red-skinned apple, unpeeled and sliced into half-moons One-half (10.5-ounce) can mandarin oranges in pear juice, drained One-quarter cup raw sunflower seeds Make Sloppy Joes: In a deep soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot andonion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft andgolden, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, bell pepper and garlic, andsaute another 5 minutes, until bell pepper is softened. Stir inchili powder, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and vegetablebroth. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Stir inbulgur wheat, kidney beans and hominy. Reduce heat, cover andsimmer 30 minutes, until bulgur is soft. Toast hamburger buns. Make salad: In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, cider vinegar,mustard, oil and salt. When ready to serve, toss spinach, appleslices, mandarin oranges and sunflower seeds in dressing. Serveimmediately. Top hamburger buns with about 1 and one-half cups Sloppy Joemixture and serve with salad. Serves 4. Nutrition facts per serving: 554 calories; 14 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 95 gcarbohydrate; 22 g protein; 19 g fiber; 1291 mg sodium; 972 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: If you are concerned about sodium, use plain, no-salt added dicedtomatoes and a fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced. Bulgurwheat (which is different than cracked wheat) is available boxed inmost local supermarkets near the rice or in the bulk bindepartment. Canned golden hominy, found in the canned bean section,is soft, puffy Mexican-style corn kernels, which add a fun textureto this recipe. The salad uses up the balance of the baby spinach. Thursday (5): Steak Soft Tacos with Tangy Corn and Cabbage Relish For the red-meat lovers in your family, slicing the meat thinlymakes more out of less and the build-your-own taco is always a funway to eat. For corn and cabbage relish: One-quarter cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard One-half teaspoon celery salt 3 cups shredded green cabbage 1 cup shredded red cabbage (see note) 1 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed or frozen corn, thawed Black pepper to taste For tacos: 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 cloves garlic, minced One-quarter teaspoon cinnamon One-quarter teaspoon coarse kosher salt Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 1 and one-quarter pounds top sirloin steak, about 1 and one-quarterinch thick (see note) 12 6-inch corn tortillas (see note) Make relish: In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, oil, sugar,mustard and celery salt. Toss in green and red cabbage and corn.Add black pepper to taste. Let sit at least 10 minutes beforeserving. Make steak: Preheat your grill to medium-high or preheat a grill pan on yourstovetop and turn on your kitchen fan. In a small bowl, stirtogether chili powder, garlic and salt. Rub mixture on both sidesof steak. Grill steak about 5 minutes per side for medium rare, ormore if you desire. Let rest 5 minutes while you warm tortillas asdirected on packaging. Slice steak thinly against the grain andserve with warm tortillas and corn and cabbage relish. Serves 4.  Steak taco adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger(The Taunton Press, 2008); relish by Melissa Pasanen Nutrition facts per serving: 508 calories; 15 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 76 mg cholesterol; 54g carbohydrate; 39 g protein; 9 g fiber; 504 mg sodium; 779 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: Top sirloin, New York sirloin, round tip sirloin and tri-tip areall good choices for this recipe and can be found on special forunder $5 a pound. Corn tortillas can be found in the Mexican ordairy sections of local markets. For this amount of red cabbage, the salad bar is a good solution;even though youre paying more per pound, the actual cost is verylittle. Shred the whole green cabbage you bought and put the unusedportion in a plastic bag or container for Saturday nights slaw.Youll also be using the balance of the can of corn on Saturday forthe salmon cakes. Friday (6): Sausage and Broccoli Frittata with Two-Color RoastedPotato Wedges A frittata, essentially a baked omelet, is a great way to use upbits of leftover veggies, diced ham or chicken, and cheese odds andends. For potato wedges: 1 large baking potato (about three-quarters pound) 1 large orange sweet potato (also called a yam, aboutthree-quarters pound) 2 tablespoons canola oil One-half teaspoon coarse kosher salt For frittata: 8 ounces broccoli florets, fresh or frozen 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 small onion, finely diced 3 links (10 ounces) your choice hot or sweet lean Italian turkeysausage 4 large eggs plus 6 large whites or 8 large eggs Nonstick cooking spray or 1 teaspoon canola oil One-half cup shredded low-fat mozzarella Make potato wedges: Preheat oven to 450 degrees with one rack in lowest position andone in the top position. Scrub potatoes well but do not peel. Slicepotatoes in long inch-wide wedges, toss with oil and salt on arimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven on bottom rack, flipping once,about 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Make frittata: If using fresh, raw broccoli, steam broccoli in microwave with atablespoon of water until just tender but not soft. Drain well andset aside. In an oven-proof, 10-inch skillet, heat oil over mediumheat and add onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onion issoft and golden, about 5 minutes. While onion is cooking, cutsausage out of casing. Add sausage to pan, breaking it up with awooden spoon and increase heat to medium high. Cook, stirringoccasionally, until sausage is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and whites. Stir broccoli andonion and sausage mixture into eggs. Turn oven to broil (its fineif potato wedges are still finishing up in there). Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and spray with no-stick cookingspray or brush with 1 teaspoon oil. Place back over medium heat.Pour in egg mixture. Cook frittata, lifting sides with a spatulaand tilting skillet to let raw egg flow underneath cooked edges,until set on bottom, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Top will still be alittle wet.) Sprinkle mozzarella over top and pop under broiler on top rack forabout 2 minutes until completely set, golden and brown. Servequarters of frittata with potato wedges. Serves 4. Nutrition facts per serving: 513 calories; 24 g fat (6 g sat, 10 g mono); 254 mg cholesterol;47 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 6 g fiber; 1068 mg sodium; 1425 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: Youre using the balance of the Italian turkey sausage from Mondaynight in this recipe. Saturday (7): Salmon and Corn Cakes with Creamy Mustard Slaw A perfect light summer meal, these can be cooked ahead and servedat room temperature or taken on a picnic. For creamy mustard slaw: 3 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise 3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons cider vinegar One-half teaspoon sugar One-half teaspoon coarse kosher salt One-half small green cabbage, shredded to yield about 4 cups 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded For salmon cakes: Three-quarters cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) chickpeasor white beans 2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise 2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 large eggs or 1 egg and 2 egg whites One-half teaspoon coarse kosher salt Three-quarters cups soft whole wheat breadcrumbs (see Tuesdaysnote), divided, plus another quarter cup as needed 2 (6-ounce) cans skinless, boneless pink salmon, drained well (seenote) Three-quarters cups canned, drained and rinsed corn or frozen corn,thawed Nonstick cooking spray or 1 tablespoon canola oil 4 100 percent whole-wheat hamburger buns To make slaw: In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard,vinegar, sugar and salt. Add shredded cabbage and carrots and tosswell to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To make salmon cakes: In a large bowl using a potato masher, mash chickpeas to a paste.Add mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, eggs, salt and one-half cup of thebreadcrumbs to the bowl, and stir well to combine. Stir in salmonand corn to distribute evenly. Put remaining breadcrumbs on a flatplate. Measure out generous one-third cupfuls of salmon mixture andpat into round flat cakes. Dredge in remaining breadcrumbs on bothsides. Set a large nonstick saute or frying pan over medium heat. Brush orspray with a little vegetable oil to coat. Gently place cakes inpan and cook, turning once, until golden brown, between 4 to 5minutes each side. Repeat for total of 8 cakes and serve each onhalf of a hamburger bun topped with slaw. Serves 4. Nutrition facts per serving: 530 calories; 13 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 133 mg cholesterol; 70g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 10 g fiber; 1653 mg sodium; 496 mgpotassium. Free Press shopping tips and testing notes: Although they are cheaper, the 14.75-ounce cans of red salmon comewith bones and skin and are stronger tasting so, unless you alreadyknow you like that form of salmon, stick with the pink. Youll useup the rest of the cabbage, chickpeas or white beans, corn, andhamburger buns in this recipe. The topic of climbing food prices came up last week during a phoneinterview with The New York Times-best-selling author, journalistand food systems expert Michael Pollan, who will present a freepublic lecture tonight at the University of Vermont (see related story ). Its not a good thing or a bad thing, Pollan observed. Good maycome of it but so will a lot of pain. Its like high oil prices:The good thing about high oil prices is it makes things like solarand investment in alternative energies more sensible, and in thelong run we will benefit from this, but in the short run, lots ofpeople cant afford $4 gas so you dont want to celebrate somethinglike this. If food was getting more expensive because wed takenantibiotics out of animal agriculture say, or if food was gettingmore expensive because wed decided we were going to produce itusing less fossil fuel, then you could celebrate it, but thats notwhat were doing. Its not really clear that this will push us in amore sustainable direction; it could be just the opposite. The long-term trend though, as with energy, he continued, willbe to figure out ways to produce food with less fossil fuel becausethat is a big part of whats driving up price and the attention tothe food issue is good. Still Im loath to say its a happydevelopment, but it might be a healthy development in the longrun.