Initially when we moved into our new place, I resolved to cook a real meal at least 3 times a week. This meant no Lean Cuisines, no frozen pizza, no mac & cheese....
Easier said than done. When I get home from work at 6pm, I want nothing more than a bowl of pasta with cheese and olive oil, watch a show and go to bed. But I've really been making an effort to take 20 more minutes to prepare dinner. Lately, I've found a few quick fixes that don't take much time, are inexpensive, and don't result in a daily run to the grocery store. Here are a couple of my latest meals:
1. Grilled Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Cucumber Salad
The best way to deal with fresh protein is to buy the kinds that are packaged individually. Perdue sells chicken (in the regular fresh meat section) that comes already marinated. It comes with 3 boneless, skinless breasts. I usually cook one that night (either eat it for dinner or save it for a salad or sandwich) and then I freeze the other 2. This works great because the chicken is already in a vacuumed packed bag so it stores in the freezer really well.
Note: When you decide to eat one of those frozen breasts, DO NOT defrost on the counter or microwave. Defrosting on the counter leaves the meat vulnerable to bacteria and defrosting in the microwave always leads to cooked, disgusting edges. Just throw the breast in the refrigerator before work and when you get home you'll be ready to throw it on the George Forman.
So now you've got the chicken part down - cook it anyway you like, grill, pan, oven, but just make sure you cook out all the pink in the middle.
Rice pilaf is a really simple side dish and it's delish. You can buy a packages in the rice section. Best part is, it just takes 20 minutes on the stovetop and you don't even have to check it, stir it or fuss with it. Just boil the water, throw in the rice and seasoning, turn down to simmer, throw on a lid and you're good to go.
One of my FAVORITE kinds of salads is cucumber salad. I slice up an English Cucumber (there the "seedless" ones that come in plastic wrap), toss it with balsamic dressing and goat cheese and let marinate for 5 minutes or so. It's so delicious and really easy to make. Best part about it, cucumbers last for a while in the fridge, longer than lettuce, I think.
2. Burger and Fries
This is not your typical, greasing, burger joint meal - in fact it's a "fast food" meal you can feel really good about.
Again, I'll buy some burgers at the store - cook a few and freeze the rest. You can also just buy ground beef and make your own patties to the size you like. There are lots of ways to doctor up your ground beef as well. My mom always mixed in an egg (for binding), Worcestershire Sauce and some shredded cheese (instead of cheese on top).
Grill your burger anyway you like and top with your favorite things. Caramelized onions are really easy to make and add great flavor to your burger. Just thinly slice some onion rings and saute in a pan over low heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter. This will take about 10 minutes so be patient. Low and slow is the key to good caramelization.
For the fries, I slice up a potato into sticks (just a good 'ole baking potato). Cover the potatoes in olive oil and whatever seasonings you like. I usually sprinkle on some garlic salt and onion powder. Then bake in the over at 425 degrees until browned on all sides. Give the potatoes a good shake and make sure to toss them around every few minutes so that they bake evenly. This is also really easy to go in a cast iron pan on the grill top.
These meals are great because they are easy to make for 1 and can store easily too. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my next meal creations!
