My favorite words are "easy one dish meals." When you are a working mom, those are very nice words. You want something reasonably nutritious and filling, that doesn't take forever to fix.
Last night I washed and trimmed two bunches of asparagus [remember, don't cut the tough stems, break them by hand!] and nuked them in some water, for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, I sauteed 1/2 of a chopped red onion in some canola oil, salt and pepper.
I boiled some tri-colored rotini pasta in salted boiling water. TRICK: heat up a kettle of water in an electric tea kettle [super fast] and add it to the pasta. It will cook much faster.
I added some butter after I drained it. If you're watching cholesterol, leave it out. I threw it in the pan with the onions and tossed it. I added about 2 teaspoons of Herbes de Provence [made by McCormick] and some onion powder. I also added two good spoonfulls of mayonnaise - you could substitute plain yogurt if trying to keep it low-fat. Then I tossed in the asparagus.
Onion-infused canola or olive oil is a beautiful thing. Those are healthy oils, too.
Now, I had bought a small turkey breast which was pre-cooked and sliced. I found this John Morell turkey breast at Kroger. My original plan was to cut up a few slices and toss them with the mixture. At the last minute I decided nah, I'll just put a couple of slices on everyone's plates.
The other night I made another delicious, fast meal.
I put on a pot of rice. I like Jasmine rice, because it has a better favor. I also like to cook it in chicken or vegetable broth.
While that cooked, I sauteed some onion in canola oil, and then browned a lb. of ground beef. I needed a veggie, so I used a can of spinach. Fresh is better, and I prefer it. I didn't have any. The only inconvenient thing about canned is squeezing out the water. Put it in a tea towel and squeeze over the sink - good upper body workout. LOL
I tossed the spinach in the skillet with the beef and onions. After a few minutes, there was a lot of water. I drained that off. [drat that spinach again] and tossed in the rice. I added onion and garlic powders, and minced garlic, and some butter. I also added a can of tomato sauce, and a small can of Rotel sauce with pureed green chilis, for some spice.Ater cooking everything together for a few minutes I added some taco cheese [grated cheese found in the dairy case with a little taco type seasoning].
Here's the thing about using rice or pasta in a one dish meal. You want to amp up the seasonings. Don't forget salt and pepper. I used sea salt.
We usually eat fresh veggies, but there's nothing wrong with canned now and then, if you're in a hurry. Better that than no veggie.
I've started keeping a lot of avocados on hand because when they are ripe, if mashed up with sea salt and lemon juice, they are delicious. Very nutritious. Wait until they are soft, though, because then it's easy to just squeeze out the insides. Pop out the pit. Takes 3 seconds.
Michael likes these types of one dish meals and eats well, which is good. He rarely eats much lunch at school, usually just a granola bar. He likes to sit and visit with his friends, not stand in long food lines.
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Michael is struggling in Biology, for a lot of reasons. I'd appreciate a prayer for him. I am trying to set up a meeting with the teacher and ocunselor. His other grades are good.
