Friday
Rotisserie chicken (Thanks Wegmans!)
Farfalle with butter and Parmesan
Butternut squash, carrots, and green beans (Thanks Wegmans!)
Hot tea
Halloween Oreos (Thanks Grammie!)
______________________________________________________________
M and T went on a field trip together today and I was at work all day, so we needed a speedy meal! Chicken is always so easy. Whenever we have a meal of a meat starch and vegetable, it looks so traditional! This one was enjoyed by all :)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: Yes, since someone else did :)
Reaction:
"Convenient and good."
The kid report:
Very positive - especially on the pasta and carrots.
Showing posts with label speed meal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label speed meal. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday
Polenta with spinach, black beans, and goat cheese (recipe in the comments from February 18, 2008)
Canteloupe
Hot tea
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This is a favorite quick meal in our household and we thought tonight (the night after my first class for the summer session) might be a night for a quick dinner. This one is highly unusual - sun dried tomatoes, black beans, spinach, cumin, and goat cheese. The result seems to have no distinct flavors of any particular region, but manages to blend into a wonderful product. Also, I can never quite believe how quick this is to prepare. It's also typically a favorite of T's, who is almost always up for goat cheese!
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, pears
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: You can do the spinach mixture whenever and put it over hot polenta.
Reaction
J: "Perfectly quick."
M: "Still yummy!"
Polenta with spinach, black beans, and goat cheese (recipe in the comments from February 18, 2008)
Canteloupe
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is a favorite quick meal in our household and we thought tonight (the night after my first class for the summer session) might be a night for a quick dinner. This one is highly unusual - sun dried tomatoes, black beans, spinach, cumin, and goat cheese. The result seems to have no distinct flavors of any particular region, but manages to blend into a wonderful product. Also, I can never quite believe how quick this is to prepare. It's also typically a favorite of T's, who is almost always up for goat cheese!
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, pears
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: You can do the spinach mixture whenever and put it over hot polenta.
Reaction
J: "Perfectly quick."
M: "Still yummy!"
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday
Tortellini with spinach in broth (recipe in the comments from November 29, 2007)
Green beans with lemon butter
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We haven't had this in forever, but this is a favorite speed meal of ours. It has an elegance that you don't expect from something so easy. We've been making this for a long time and it used to be quite a regular when we were in need of a quick fix. Somehow it got out of the rotation and it's been about 18 months! Anyway, today was a welcome return. I think we're all glad it's the weekend and this was a good way to celebrate :)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, tomato
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: This is best done last minute because the tortellini absorbs so much liquid.
Reaction
J: "Rarely is soup this good."
M: "Speedy celebration."
Tortellini with spinach in broth (recipe in the comments from November 29, 2007)
Green beans with lemon butter
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We haven't had this in forever, but this is a favorite speed meal of ours. It has an elegance that you don't expect from something so easy. We've been making this for a long time and it used to be quite a regular when we were in need of a quick fix. Somehow it got out of the rotation and it's been about 18 months! Anyway, today was a welcome return. I think we're all glad it's the weekend and this was a good way to celebrate :)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, tomato
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: This is best done last minute because the tortellini absorbs so much liquid.
Reaction
J: "Rarely is soup this good."
M: "Speedy celebration."
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Wednesday
Artichoke pasta (recipe in the comments)
Grilled eggplant, sweet onion, and bell pepper
Hot tea
English toffee
______________________________________________________________
This is one of my favorite meals. It seems quintessentially spring-y to me and dinner rarely gets easier than this. That said, it's not one of M's favorites. So, we don't eat it very often. He is sweet enough to know it's a favorite and we have it sometimes though and tonight is just such a night. We try to have a great side dish to perk him up and there is rarely such a good option, where either of us are concerned, as grilled vegetables. Tonight is the launch of the 2008 grilling season and we're both thrilled! A little fire in our backyard firepit, fresh grilled veggies, warm day - what could be better???
Note: M really liked th pasta tonight. Maybe it's a new realization on his part!
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Artichoke hearts, parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: You can pre-make the sauce and toss it with fresh pasta.
Reaction
J: "I love artichoke heart pasta."
M: "This is really good tonight!"
Artichoke pasta (recipe in the comments)
Grilled eggplant, sweet onion, and bell pepper
Hot tea
English toffee
______________________________________________________________
This is one of my favorite meals. It seems quintessentially spring-y to me and dinner rarely gets easier than this. That said, it's not one of M's favorites. So, we don't eat it very often. He is sweet enough to know it's a favorite and we have it sometimes though and tonight is just such a night. We try to have a great side dish to perk him up and there is rarely such a good option, where either of us are concerned, as grilled vegetables. Tonight is the launch of the 2008 grilling season and we're both thrilled! A little fire in our backyard firepit, fresh grilled veggies, warm day - what could be better???
Note: M really liked th pasta tonight. Maybe it's a new realization on his part!
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Artichoke hearts, parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: You can pre-make the sauce and toss it with fresh pasta.
Reaction
J: "I love artichoke heart pasta."
M: "This is really good tonight!"
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday
Italian tryst soup (recipe in the comments)
Lemon broccoli
Hot tea
English toffee
______________________________________________________________
The original recipe for tonight's soup was for a speedy version of Italian wedding soup that uses prepared meatballs (vegan or turkey seem like your best bets here). We have a bunch of things on the agenda for tonight so a quick and easy meal seemed warranted. I love Italian wedding soup, but had never had it with tomatoes, so was curious to try this version. Sort of like last night's "Benedict", this doesn't seem much like Italian wedding soup. So we re-tooled the recipe a bit, keeping the speed, and named it ourselves. It's an incredibly easy meal that is pretty good for you and very comforting. Enjoy!
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Spinach
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: I think this would be ok, but I would add extra broth when I reheated as the pasta and meatballs will absorb a lot as they cool.
Reaction
J: "This soup is the bomb!"
M: "Italian comfort food."
Italian tryst soup (recipe in the comments)
Lemon broccoli
Hot tea
English toffee
______________________________________________________________
The original recipe for tonight's soup was for a speedy version of Italian wedding soup that uses prepared meatballs (vegan or turkey seem like your best bets here). We have a bunch of things on the agenda for tonight so a quick and easy meal seemed warranted. I love Italian wedding soup, but had never had it with tomatoes, so was curious to try this version. Sort of like last night's "Benedict", this doesn't seem much like Italian wedding soup. So we re-tooled the recipe a bit, keeping the speed, and named it ourselves. It's an incredibly easy meal that is pretty good for you and very comforting. Enjoy!
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Spinach
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: I think this would be ok, but I would add extra broth when I reheated as the pasta and meatballs will absorb a lot as they cool.
Reaction
J: "This soup is the bomb!"
M: "Italian comfort food."
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Thursday
Chili relleno casserole (recipe in the comments)
Corn tortillas, red salsa
Watermelon (how's that for out of season???)
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is an easy and transcendent recipe. We got the original out of Eating Well, but (as is common for us) added some fat and calories back in to make it a good dish for normal eaters. This is SO easy to put together and then you can have a cocktail and relax while it cooks. We always have this with fruit, and baby watermelons were on sale at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. I buckled and bought one. I know, they're out of season and had to be shipped a million miles (actually only from California, which is probably where most of our salad greens are coming from these days). In case you were unclear, I'm not immune to temptation and they sure looked yummy and summery. Back to "the 5" tomorrow :)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Scallions, grate cheese, watermelon
Time: 10 minutes to prep, 35-40 minutes to bake
Make ahead: When I do this ahead, I do the prep and then put it in the oven last minute (or last 40 minutes ;)
Reaction
J: "So few ingredients can't possibly make flavor this amazing!!!"
M: "Casserole en español"
Chili relleno casserole (recipe in the comments)
Corn tortillas, red salsa
Watermelon (how's that for out of season???)
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is an easy and transcendent recipe. We got the original out of Eating Well, but (as is common for us) added some fat and calories back in to make it a good dish for normal eaters. This is SO easy to put together and then you can have a cocktail and relax while it cooks. We always have this with fruit, and baby watermelons were on sale at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. I buckled and bought one. I know, they're out of season and had to be shipped a million miles (actually only from California, which is probably where most of our salad greens are coming from these days). In case you were unclear, I'm not immune to temptation and they sure looked yummy and summery. Back to "the 5" tomorrow :)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Scallions, grate cheese, watermelon
Time: 10 minutes to prep, 35-40 minutes to bake
Make ahead: When I do this ahead, I do the prep and then put it in the oven last minute (or last 40 minutes ;)
Reaction
J: "So few ingredients can't possibly make flavor this amazing!!!"
M: "Casserole en español"
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thursday
Tortellini with spinach in broth (recipe in the comments)
Sauteed zucchini and red onion in balsamic
Mint M & Ms (which J ate pre-dinner while M talked to his mom)
Cherry Garcia (which M finished over Mythbusters)
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is one of the first recipes we made out of our original wedding gift subscription to Cooking Light. It has been a long standing "speed meal" of choice, by which we meal a meal that is speedy to prepare, not to eat! It has the class of a much harder dish - the wine gives the broth an unexpected elegance - with the ease of packaged tortellini. This is a wonderful meal after a stressful day when you just want to crash. It takes no time to prepare, but makes you feel pampered.
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, tomato, zucchini, onion
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: It's best fresh since the tortellini absorbs a lot of broth if you keep it, but the soup can be refreshed by adding dilute broth.
Reaction
J: "How can so fast be so good???"
M: "I'm a tortellini monster."
Tortellini with spinach in broth (recipe in the comments)
Sauteed zucchini and red onion in balsamic
Mint M & Ms (which J ate pre-dinner while M talked to his mom)
Cherry Garcia (which M finished over Mythbusters)
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is one of the first recipes we made out of our original wedding gift subscription to Cooking Light. It has been a long standing "speed meal" of choice, by which we meal a meal that is speedy to prepare, not to eat! It has the class of a much harder dish - the wine gives the broth an unexpected elegance - with the ease of packaged tortellini. This is a wonderful meal after a stressful day when you just want to crash. It takes no time to prepare, but makes you feel pampered.
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, tomato, zucchini, onion
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: It's best fresh since the tortellini absorbs a lot of broth if you keep it, but the soup can be refreshed by adding dilute broth.
Reaction
J: "How can so fast be so good???"
M: "I'm a tortellini monster."
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday
Nigel's pasta (recipe in the comments)
Radicchio salad
Garlic bread
______________________________________________________________
This is one of the original dinners M and I made together, back when we first began cooking together. The inspiration comes from a cookbook I bought for M to help us with speedy dinner ideas, Nigel Slater's "The 30 Minute Cook". While we have some gems from this book (most notably this recipe), Nigel turned out to be a bit heavy for us. However, he marks a transition to better ingredients and an early interest in speedy, good food. The original recipe calls for anchovies, which we had never used until tonight (one extra thing to buy, maybe gross, etc). What an addition! I definitely recommend it, especially as anchovy paste is cheap, stores forever, and is a low impact food. If you're vegetarian, simply omit it - we loved it without for YEARS!
Note: Garlic bread is an unusual addition for us, but we are "carbing up" (and "fatting up"???) since two of my parents, who are on The Zone Diet, arrive tomorrow ;)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Roasted peppers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Ok made ahead (or for lunch), but best fresh.
Reaction
J: "Brings back memories!"
M: "Brilliant, Nigel!"
Nigel's pasta (recipe in the comments)
Radicchio salad
Garlic bread
______________________________________________________________
This is one of the original dinners M and I made together, back when we first began cooking together. The inspiration comes from a cookbook I bought for M to help us with speedy dinner ideas, Nigel Slater's "The 30 Minute Cook". While we have some gems from this book (most notably this recipe), Nigel turned out to be a bit heavy for us. However, he marks a transition to better ingredients and an early interest in speedy, good food. The original recipe calls for anchovies, which we had never used until tonight (one extra thing to buy, maybe gross, etc). What an addition! I definitely recommend it, especially as anchovy paste is cheap, stores forever, and is a low impact food. If you're vegetarian, simply omit it - we loved it without for YEARS!
Note: Garlic bread is an unusual addition for us, but we are "carbing up" (and "fatting up"???) since two of my parents, who are on The Zone Diet, arrive tomorrow ;)
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Roasted peppers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Ok made ahead (or for lunch), but best fresh.
Reaction
J: "Brings back memories!"
M: "Brilliant, Nigel!"
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