This week I am changing my emphasis a bit in response to requests from two Kossacks: one who has a teenager learning to cook, and one who is learning to cook for a partner who is ill. Both of them need fast and easy recipes -- meals that can be put together after coming home from work yet are tasty and reasonably healthy. This week's diary will concentrate on food with mainstream appeal: no exotic ethnic dishes, nothing vegetarian, and I'm not going to be purist about using (some) convenience foods to make preparation easier.
So If one of your New Year's resolutions was to eat less fast food, to learn to make some simple meals at home, or to save money on your food bill, follow me over the fence and we'll start cooking!
The key to good meals cooked at home during the week is planning. I can't come home after working all day, stand in the kitchen at 6 pm with two hungry men ready for dinner, and start to wonder what I can pull together at the last minute. That's a sure route to take-out pizza.
My approach is to sit down on the weekend before going to the grocery store and think about what to make for dinner during the week. Over the years I've made a list of about 40 main dishes that the guys like -- this is really helpful to avoid "Oh, we had roast beef last week; I can't do that again so soon." I often use the grocery sale flyers to help me decide: if pork chops are on sale, I'll build a meal or two around that or buy extras to freeze for later. I also plan for six dinners out of seven: the seventh night might be leftovers, or our son might be out for dinner, in which case I can do salads or an omelet for my husband and me.
Here's my list for this week:
Six Easy Dinners
- Roast chicken, rice pilaf, steamed broccoli
- Hummus wraps
- Baked mac and cheese with sausage, green salad
- Chicken in gravy over brown rice, green beans
- Taco salads
- Bowtie pasta with shrimp and broccoli in "Alfredo" sauce
Once I have my list of meals including vegetables and sides, I inventory what I have on hand, check my recipes if necessary, and make up my grocery list.
I'm going to give you the complete list for all ingredients here, assuming that you have flour, salt and pepper, milk, eggs, and the like on hand. Adjust for the items you already have in pantry or fridge. Quantities assume that you are cooking for three or four. Skim through the diary and figure out if this is right for your situation, or if you need more or less of anything before you go.
Shopping List for Six Easy Dinners
Meat:
- 2 whole chicken fryers, about 4 pounds each
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 roll ground pork sausage
Deli:
- 1 container premade hummus
Produce:
- 1 pound fresh broccoli (look for precut broccoli florets in bags; buy 2 bags)
- 3 bags mixed salad greens
- 6-8 Roma tomatoes
- (optional) 1 package precut julienned carrots for the hummus wraps
Dairy:
- 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 small container sour cream
Frozen Foods:
- 1 package (½ pound) frozen shrimp, cooked, tail off
Spices/Seasonings:
General Grocery:
- 1 package large flour tortillas or pita rounds
- 1 taco kit with hard taco shells and seasoning mix
- 2 cans green beans, or 1 package frozen
- 2 cans chicken broth, preferably low-sodium
- 1 pound brown rice
- 1 package elbow macaroni
- 1 package orzo (tiny rice-shaped) pasta
- 1 package bowtie pasta
- 1 canister grated Parmesan cheese
Step 1 (1 hr 15 minutes):
Roast Chicken
NOTE: See this page for an important flavor tip prior to roasting your chickens.
- 2 whole broiler-fryer chickens, about 4 pounds each
- Vegetable oil or melted butter (optional)
- 1½ tablespoons mixed dried herbs, such as sage, thyme, oregano, and rosemary
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Remove giblets; discard livers or save for another use. Rinse chickens, then pat dry. Brush birds with oil or butter if using; sprinkle with herbs. Place bird, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Place necks, hearts, and gizzards alongside birds.
- Roast until meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180° F and juices run clear, about 1 hour. Tent chicken with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.
Step 2 (1 hr while chicken roasts):
Rice Pilaf
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- ½ cup orzo pasta
- ½ cup brown rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Add the orzo and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the brown rice and stir to coat all grains with the butter or oil.
- Add the chicken broth. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed.
Brown Rice (cook ahead for Wednesday)
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2½ cups water
- In a second heavy saucepan, heat the water to boiling. Add the butter or olive oil and rice. Stir.
- Cover Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed.
- Cool and refrigerate for use later in the week.
Step 3 (10 minutes right before serving):
Steamed Broccoli
- Empty 1 package precut broccoli florets into a microwave-safe covered dish. Add a little water -- maybe 3 or 4 tablespoons.
- Microwave on High for 5 minutes. Drain any remaining water.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice or a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
After dinner: preparing for the week
There should be one whole roasted chicken plus quite a bit of meat on the one you served for dinner. Once they have cooled, remove the remaining meat from both chickens, chop into bite-size bits, and store in the fridge.
Using the stripped carcasses and the roasted gizzards, make chicken stock to freeze for future meals.
Step 1: 15 minutes
Hummus Wraps
For each person:
- Place one large tortilla or pita on a plate. Spread prepared hummus over center part of bread to within 1" of edges.
- Wash and chop a Roma tomato or two. Add bagged mixed salad greens, chopped tomato, some chopped onion if you have it. Julienned carrots is you bought those. If you like, put some of the cooked chopped chicken from Sunday in there too. Mix together and place a portion on each tortilla or pita. Add some shredded cheese or sour cream if you want to be decadent.
- Roll up wraps and serve.
This one takes about 15 minutes to put together and about 45 minutes to bake, so plan to make this on a night when you are home early. Or serve fruit to stave off hunger while the dish is baking.
Baked Mac and Cheese with Sausage
- 1 roll ground pork sausage
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a heavy skillet, brown the sausage, stirring to crumble the meat as it cooks.
- Cook according to package directions, but subtract 2 minutes from cooking time. Drain pasta.
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray to make cleanup easier. (If you don't have cooking spray, skip this step.) Mix the cooked macaroni, cooked sausage, and cheese in the casserole dish, stirring to mix well.
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
- Mix together and pour over macaroni mixture in dish. Top with a little more extra-sharp cheddar cheese, if desired.
- Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes, or until center is firm.
Serve with a side salad, if you'd like to feel virtuous about vegetables.
Step 1: 20 minutes
Chicken in Gravy
- for each person, 1 cup chooked chicken from Sunday
- splash of water or chicken stock to moisten
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken in casserole dish; pour water or stock over and mix well with a spoon.
- Heat in oven 20 minutes.
Gravy
- 4 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock made on Sunday
- 1 teaspoon salt, if needed
- Heat the chicken stock almost to boiling. (If it boils, no biggie. It just doesn't have to boil.)
- While the stock is heating, melt the butter (1 minute in the microwave). Stir the flour into the melted butter with a fork or whisk, being sure to blend well. Microwave the mixture on High for 1 minute. Stir.
- Add the heated stock to the flour/butter roux, stirring constantly with fork or whisk. The gravy should thicken as you stir. If it isn't thick enough once it's all combined, microwave it again for 30-60 seconds and stir to mix thoroughly.
- Taste and add the salt, if needed.
Brown Rice
- Heat the brown rice cooked on Sunday, adding a little chicken stock to moisten, if necessary.
Green Beans
- If using canned beans, dump 'em into a saucepan and heat while the rice and chicken are heating. If using frozen beans, microwave as directed for Steamed Broccoli on Sunday.
Place a portion of brown rice on each plate. Top with a portion of chicken. Green beans on the side. Pass the gravy at table and let each person add as much or as little as desired.
Step 1: 15-20 minutes
Taco Salads
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- taco seasoning mix packet from taco kit
- In a heavy skillet, brown the ground beef, stirring to crumble the meat as it cooks. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat and mix in well.
- taco shells from taco kit
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place taco shells on cookie sheet; heat for 6 minutes.
- 1 bag packaged mixed salad
- 2-3 Roma tomatoes
- Wash and chop tomatoes. On each plate, place a generous heap of mixed salad greens and top with chopped tomatoes. Add a spoonful or two of the seasoned cooked hamburger.
- If desired, top with salsa from the packet in the taco kit. Or add sour cream, grated cheese, etc., to taste.
Step 1: 15 minutes
Bowtie pasta with shrimp and broccoli in "Alfredo" sauce
- Cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking:
- 1 package precut broccoli florets
- Steam broccoli as directed for Sunday. While broccoli is steaming and pasta is cooking:
- 1 package frozen shrimp, cooked, tail off
- Place cooked shrimp into a large bowl and fill with hot tap water.
- Drain the cooked pasta. To the hot cooking pot, add
- 2 tablespoons butter (not oil)
- about 1/4 cup milk
- grated Parmesan cheese, about 1 cup
- Mix together; return the drained pasta and mix well with the sauce. Add the steamed broccoli and warmed shrimp. Mix well and serve.
So there you have it! A week's worth of tasty, inexpensive meals suitable for a beginning cook.
Questions or comments? The doctor is in!