MEALS FOR THE BUSY PARENT
Jennifer Mejia
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I like to cook. And when I have time, I don’t even mind if it’s a little complicated. That said, I always prefer simple. But since I broke my hand, I NEED simple. Simplifying meals means either a) something that is relatively easy to make and/or b) something that can feed us for two meals. Now it also means something that I can have either my husband or kids help…with instructions and supervision, of course. (That’s more so for my husband than my kids. LOL!)
But broken hand or not, we all need things that save us time, especially now when many of us are working two jobs: our regular job and as an educator. So I thought I’d share a few of my go-tos. There is a variety, so hopefully there is at least one you’ll like and it will make your life a bit easier…and more delicious.
Photo from Seriously Simple by Diane Rossen Worthington
(food splatter by me!)
BAKED PASTA WITH SPICY TOMATO & SAUSAGE SAUCE
First up is a pasta dish that I call one of my favorite mistakes. The original recipe is from the book Seriously Simple by Diane Rossen Worthington. The first time I made it, I halved the recipe, but I failed to half the cheese. And the result was marvelous! I’ll provide a link to the recipe (sorry…broken hand…difficult to type anything), but here are my modifications and notes. I only use smoked mozzarella, NOT smoked gouda. And I DOUBLE the amount of smoked mozzarella called for in the recipe. I use Rao’s Marinara Sauce, and I use sweet Italian sausage instead of spicy so my kids will eat it. I don’t skimp on the grated parmesan sprinkled over the top just before popping into the oven. I love how the top gets a bit crunchy while baking.
*You can half the recipe, but if you don’t, it can serve you for at least two nights.
ROAST CHICKEN with LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
This is my recipe, likely created after making so many of Ina’s chicken recipes. The best part is that I can use the leftovers to make Mexican Chicken Soup the following night. And that is also extremely easy.
MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP
Take the time to remove all of the meat from the bone after you’ve finished your roast chicken meal. Store it in the refrigerator and make this easy and crowd-pleasing soup the following day.
Photo from Foolproof by Ina Garten
SALMON & MELTING CHERRY TOMATOES
I’m a fan of Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes are delicious, but I love that she understands the desire to spend time enjoying food with family and friends instead of slaving in the kitchen. We eat fish a lot. I’m grateful that my kids like it. One of their favorites is salmon. Ina’s Salmon & Melting Tomatoes recipe from her Foolproof book is delicious and easy. The salmon is made in a cast-iron pan, and I have one that was given to me by my grandmother, that was given to her by her grandmother, so I treasure it and think of her when I cook with it. Best of all, both the salmon and tomatoes take very little effort, but you’d never know that by tasting this dish. You should use good balsamic vinegar, and there’s none better than Maison Benjamin Aged Balsamic.
IRONWOMAN SMOKY BBQ VEGGIE BURGERS
This recipe was modified from the original Smoky BBQ Veggie Burger recipe by Minimalist Baker. My younger son LOVES them, so at a time when he was iron-deficient, I added pepitas (a type pumpkin seed) to pump even more iron into them. I use Trader Joe’s Smoky BBQ sauce versus making my own because it’s made with ingredients I can pronounce and saves me time. Oh, and it’s delicious and truly makes the burgers smoky and hearty. You can double the batch and freeze them individually before cooking. Then thaw them overnight in the fridge. Cooking takes a whopping 6 minutes on the stovetop. How easy is that?
CLICK HERE FOR IRONWOMAN SMOKY VEGGIE BURGER RECIPE
ISLAND BRAISED SHORT RIBs
If you want to impress your guests with a hearty and delicious winter meal that is restaurant quality, make this. (I served it once at a dinner party and everyone was dying.) Other than its magnificent flavor and meat that comes apart with a fork, the best part is that you do all of the work the NIGHT BEFORE serving it. And by “work,” I mean the time to braise in the oven because very little hands-on time is required. This recipe is also from Diane Worthington’s Seriously Simple, although the link below is not. It’s the same recipe, but it doesn’t go into detail about removing the fat the next day when you’re serving it. When you remove it from the refrigerator after being in there overnight, there will be a thick, solid layer of fat on the top. Use a spoon to lift it off in chunks as soon as you take it out while it’s still cold. Your sauce will be much less oily when served if you take the time and effort to do this.
CLICK HERE FOR ISLAND BRAISED SHORT RIBS RECIPE
SHORT RIB QUESADILLAS
Get a second meal out of the last recipe. If you have leftover short ribs, use the meat to make quesadillas. Tortillas, pepper jack cheese, sour cream, and anything else you want would be delicious.
ROAST LOIN OF PORK WITH FENNEL
I listed beef, chicken, fish, veggie, and pasta. So all that's left is pork. This is one of Ina’s very old recipes. It’s from her Parties book. I’ve been making it for years. It’s another one that will last a few days if you aren’t feeding a large crowd. Do yourself a favor, though, and use a meat thermometer, because I don’t 100% agree with her cooking times for the pork. The vegetables are amazing, and sometimes I just roast them this way without the pork.