Post by DarcyLongfellow on Nov 27, 2012 17:38:15 GMT -5
I'm still fighting morning sickness (as well as general tiredness and laziness). I am just not into making dinner lately.
So I'm looking for help/inspiration -- what is the easiest dinner you make? I'm thinking things you actually assemble from ingredients, even if slightly pre made from the store, rather than frozen pizzas or things like that. Recipes or instructions greatly appreciated :-)
Salad with pan fried chicken breasts or I follow the chicken and rice recipe from the Goya yellow rice box. These are my go to meals when I'm too tired to cook.
Tonight we're having a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and frozen veggies. I had groceries delivered last night and added one of these to the order. All we have to do is slice and heat up.
I picked up some fresh teriyaki slices of chicken breast that you just pop in the oven - we also love their chicken meatballs and pizza dough (all refrigerated, not frozen). TJ's creamy tomato organic soup is also great - just need to heat it up so maybe that doesn't count given your parameters. we keep bagged salad on hand to use as a side. walla. meals!
Had it last night- Trader Joe's Vegetarian Chili. We add in light sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and a little bit of hot sauce. Filling, tastes good, and comes in at around 400 calories.
Throw a package of any kind of chicken in the crock pot (I prefer thighs bc they are freaking cheap), dump in half a bottle of BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Rays). Eight hours later, amazing bbq chicken that falls off the bone. I love to serve with mashed potatoes.
I do a lot of easy. I like the packaged TJ's BBQ pulled pork, serve with rolls and either salad or steamed veggies.
Chicken breasts - melt butter, dredge through, then dredge in parmesan cheese and bake as normal. Serve with veggies.
My easiest meal is pasta and sauce with salad. I save that for busy nights. I also love the Archer Farms frozen pizzas from Target - really good flavors, and again, serve with salad. Not at all like a Tombstone or Totino's Party Pizza or something!
Spaghetti and meatballs. We use the Al Fresco chicken meatballs (yummy). Bake those. Boil pasta. Meanwhile, saute a chopped onion in a pan, then add a jar of sauce. Right before you are ready to eat, throw in a handful of baby spinach per serving into the sauce to wilt. Yummy and i like to pretend it is healthy (all the pasta may not be!).
We also make easy burritos using Old El Paso re-fried beans. Heat those up with some salsa. Then just assemble a tortilla with beans, more salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and home made guacamole. They are quite delicious and very easy.
-any frozen traders joe meal- pizza, orange chicken, chow mein, etc. -goat cheese fusilli- cook pasta as directed, in a saucepan combine olive oil, thyme, sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flake. Stir in pasta and top with dollops of goat cheese and parmesan cheese.
Trader Joe's really is my second love, second to DH. Aside from that, one of my new favorites is southwest stuffed pepper casserole. Put sliced green peppers on the bottom of a pan, top with a cooked mixture of ground beef or beans, tomatoes, corn, onions, and taco seasning, top with cheese, bake until cheese is bubbly, serve over corn bread.
subway :-) Cereal and spaghetti, honestly. TJ's makes some good frozen stuff - I add stir fry veggies to the vegan pad thai and I add broccoli to the penne arrabiatta.
Jerk chicken and sweet potatoes. Rub dry jerk seasoning on chicken. Cut sweet potatoes into large wedges, toss in some oil and brown sugar. Place chicken and sweet potatoes on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Walla!
Post by GailGoldie on Nov 27, 2012 18:12:03 GMT -5
crock potting is the easiest to me- but the smell might bother you if you are home and do it... i try to only crock on days i'm not home - though, today I did it and the smell hasn't been too bad (it's a lemon garlic chicken- super easy).
pinterest has great easy recipes - lots of fun things where you roll up cresscent rols with different things inside...
My easiest meal that's not pre-prepared is baking salmon with Emeril spice on it. 15-20 min at 350, depending on thickness. Cous cous takes 5 min and is an easy side. Add some bagged salad and you're good to go.
Love of my life baby boy born 11/11. One and done not by choice; 3 years of TTC yielded 4 MMC and 2 CPs, through 4 IUIs and 2 IVFs. Focusing on making the world a better place instead...and running.
Post by suburbanzookeeper on Nov 27, 2012 18:18:21 GMT -5
This pin off of Pinterest has gotten me through many lazy nights of cooking, we just add more spices/seasoning: "OMG Chicken" Just mix Sour Cream or Yogurt (1/2 c) and parm cheese (1/4 c). Spread over chicken breast in a baking dish, sprinkle italian bread crumbs on top and bake for 20-30 minutes. theenchantedcook.blogspot.com/2011/10/parmesan-crusted-chicken-hellmanns-mayo.html
tortillas or sopas from the Mexican grocery + random assortment of toppings that are in the fridge/pantry - TJs refried beans, fried egg, avocado, salsa, tomato, cheese.
Mash avocado with lemon juice and salt. Spread on bread or toast.
Saute onion and garlic, add a box of chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Add one package of trader joes cheese tortellini and some chopped greens of some sort (swiss chard, escarole, or mixed braising greens work best, but spinach is fine too). Cook for a couple minutes.
Cook up some soba noodles. While the water is coming to a boil, whisk a couple tablespoons of peanut butter with a splash of soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, a squeeze of honey (if the pb is unsweetened), red pepper flakes, and a minced clove of garlic. Salt to taste. If it's too thick, add a spoonful or two of the water from the noodles. Toss the noodles in it. Add in tofu, chicken, grated carrots, cabbage, broccoli, or a handful of peanuts. Or cook up a very thin omelet and slice that up and toss it in.
Buttered egg noodles and peas Boil egg noodles. Put frozen peas in colander. Drain noodles over peas. Dump back in pot. Add several Tbl of butter. Plenty of salt. Done.
Boneless chicken breasts sprinkled with lemon pepper and pan cooked or cooked on a foreman type grill. Serve with instant potatoes or rice and a nuked veggie. Or boneless pork chop sprinkled with Montreal steak seasoning and cooked as above.
Sadly, there's no Trader Joes here. None in the whole state of Florida, actually. Boo
NOT TRUE!
You near Sarasota? They got one!
Seriously? That is wonderful news!! Now it just needs to make its way north!!
I'm in Jax, nowhere near Sarasota. We only got a Whole Foods 4 or 5 years ago, and it's way across town from me. (Although I can practically walk to Fresh Market, so it's not all bad.)
Costco has frozen orange chicken that is decent with steamed broccoli to make it a little healthy. I prefer Trader Joe's orange chicken though.
I do a lot of roasted veggies since there isn't much work. Just cut up, toss in a little oil, dash of salt then throw in the oven. Cauliflower, sweet potatoes, kale, brussels sprouts, etc. Also chicken thighs are pretty easy if you can handle dealing with raw chicken (I had a total aversion while pregnant). Just throw in the brolier for about 10 minutes or less per side.
Post by cricketwife on Nov 27, 2012 18:54:48 GMT -5
Tuna steaks. Rub with coriander cumin salt and pepper. Toss in pan 3 minutes. Per side. So easy so good. Serve with steamfresh veggies and you've spent 7 minutes on dinner
Tomato soup (canned) with spinach salad or grilled cheese Roast chicken or toss it in the crockpot, add potatoes-I flavor with Herbes de Provence Baked chicken: s&p, chipotle pepper or paprika; baked potatoes with some other veggie Toss salmon in microwave (about 5 min/filet 1 at a time); nuked rice packets and some veggie Omelets