I've given myself some crazy challenges - for one student who came to stay with us for two months I vowed to not repeat a meal once while he was our guest. Madness! Especially when he sheepishly asked if I'd make him my homemade mac and cheese again as it was his favourite dish. The students have given me challenges too - like the boy who wouldn't eat rice, salads (green vegetables in general), and spice of any kind. That one almost did me in!
While I'm happy to dedicate hours on the weekend to food projects and elaborate recipes, weeknights can be a crunch. Here are a few tips that really helped me find time for dinner and a few recipes and links made from whole ingredients that are fast and tasty - and a few that let you cook once and eat twice!
Plan
I look at what's in season and what's on special at my local grocery store, and then I roughly plan out my whole menu for the week, and then do my shopping - some are givens - we have pasta once a week, a stir-fry another night, taco night is a huge crowd pleaser and almost non negotiable. The vegetables in the pasta or stir-fry change with the seasons and I try to show off things in season. I allow one night for takeout and another free night where we'll either go out or eat leftovers.
Roast a chicken once a week
I usually do this on Sundays - we have a full roast dinner that night, I shred up the leftover chicken for enchiladas, quesadillas or sandwiches later in the week and then use the carcass to make stock while we watch Desperate Housewives. A little effort on Sunday evening means a couple of other meals and stock for the week.
Embrace the crockpot
They cook while you are at work. Ten minutes of prep before you leave the house in the morning means a yummy smelling house when you get home. AND turns out, leaving a crock bubbling away all day actually uses less energy than using your stove to cook the same dish in less time. I'm going to tell you right now - throw away the cookbook that came with your crock pot - most of those recipes rely on cans of cream of something soup and dried packages of onion soup mix. Belch. I use the crock to cook tough shoulders or pork butt, which I shred for Carnitas or mix with Bar-b-que sauce to heap on buns and top with coleslaw. In the winter I use the crock to make pots of tortilla soup or yummy black bean and sweet potato chili.
Breakfast for dinner
Late in the week I clean out the fridge and toss all the dried up ends of cheese and wilting veggies into an omelet or frittata.
Cook in stages
I go into work later in the morning and don't get home until almost 7:00 p.m. My hubbie goes in early and gets home around 5:30. I take some time in the morning to put together dinner and then pop it in the fridge. I'll assemble enchiladas with leftover chicken, a vegetable tian or even a small roast or whole chicken with vegetables around it and then pop it in the fridge with a note for oven temp and how long hubbie should throw it in for. All he has to do is pop it in and I come home to a set table and hot dinner and just have to make a salad to go with it.
Cook once for two meals
Check out my favourite roast recipe. You can make it on a Sunday, or in about 45 mins on a weeknight. You only eat ¾ of it and you can thinly slice the remaining meat and make wraps for dinner with spinach, mango and a spicy mayo.
Wash veggies in advance
I've mentioned this before - wash all your veggies and herbs when you get them home - later in the week it will save you a prep step. I make a quick tomato sauce once a week - enough for pasta one night, with enough leftover to use for pizza sauce another night.
Tortilla Soup
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
- 1 large can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper - if you like heat dice it all, if you like a milder soup remove the seeds and ribs from the pepper and dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups of frozen corn
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 7 corn or flour tortillas
- Avocado, grated cheese and sour cream for serving
Directions
1. Place chicken, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in corn. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in chopped cilantro.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips with a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and chopped avocado.
Quick Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup of leftover red wine
- 2 large cans crushed tomatoes
Combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes and onion in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté until the onion goes translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking, you don't want the garlic to brown so be careful. Add wine, when it's cooked down stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, for about ten minutes. Makes about 2 quarts of tomato sauce or enough for a lasagna or spaghetti dinner with enough leftover for 2 pizzas.
