Tag: quick meals
Leftover Meatball Lasagna
Why not finish off the week with another pasta dish? Like yesterdays post, this one made with leftovers as well- I love making a completely different dish the next day. This one is quite simple as well since most of the work was already done. All I made was the béchamel sauce and layered the lasagna noodles with crumbled meatballs. It took almost no time and I had a delicious dish.
Next time you have leftover meatballs, make this delicious lasagna…
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Pasta with Swiss Chard, Corn and Pancetta
This pasta came about after my daughter brought a bunch of vegetables home from the farmer’s market at their school. It is a great program to introduce kids to different fruits and vegetables. Kids are more likely to eat the vegetables when they make the choice themselves.
They will also be more interested in maybe helping at home to cook the veggies for dinner.
In my case I had a bunch of lovely swiss chard and some corn. I decided to make a pasta dish. I had a stuffed pasta in the freezer I purchased at Eataly in NYC.
I sauteed some pancetta and added shallots and garlic. I then added the fresh corn, some fresh tomato sauce and the swiss chard. It was super simple and very delicious. I cooked the tiny pasta and added some pasta water into the sauce. A few minutes later I had a delicious, healthy- farm to table food.
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Mushroom Mattar (Mushrooms and Peas)
I feel I have not posted any Indian dishes in a while. I end up making Indian food at lease once a week but sometimes I skip it- the problem is, there are so many other dishes to make… and I forget about the basic stuff. My daughter reminds me if it has been a while.
I thought I would post this very easy and quick dish that can be served as the main entree or as a side with chicken or fish. I usually serve it with lentils on the side and freshly made rotis.
I start with Cremini mushrooms- one can use the white variety as well but I like these better. I saute some cumin seeds along with garlic and ginger. Typically this dish has onions as well but I decided to keep it onion free- no real reason.. just didn’t feel like cutting an onion. The rest is easy- the mushrooms are added along with some spices and frozen peas.
My daughter loves mushrooms and doesn’t like peas so much- but she eats this dish without a problem…. I sometimes need to remind her to finish the peas… enjoy!
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Sausage with Zucchini
I would save this recipe for when one has had a crazy busy day but one still wants to serve a healthy, home cooked meal to ones family. This hardly takes any time- of course the key is to have the ingredients in the fridge and the pantry- that being said- any kind of vegetable or meat can be substituted for the zucchini and the sausage.
I like combining the two especially because of the way they look cut into perfect rounds. I sauteed up the sausage and added the onion and garlic. Some tomatoes, thyme and chicken broth later, I had a delicious dish. I simply served it with whole wheat couscous- which take all of five minutes and voila- I had a delicious meal…
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Broccolini Rice
I made this side dish with the fish I posted yesterday. I usually make brown rice for my family to keep things healthy. I have tried to make the rice as delicious as possible. I cook it with chicken broth and a tad bit of butter- it makes a big difference.
In this case, I didn’t have a lot of time of cook dinner- a problem most people have. So, I checked my freezer where I always keep packs of frozen brown rice from Trader Joes. It is great to have and use in a pinch. I decided to mimic the same flavors I used in the fish. I started with a shallot and some garlic. I added roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I then added the broccolini and the rice and checked for seasonings. Lemon juice finished off the dish really well. It is great side dish to make with fish or any other meat..
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Wild Cod with Smoked Paprika
Here is another recipe with my favorite ingredient- smoked paprika. I can’t get enough of this delicious spice. I love the smoky, savory and a bit of spicy flavors it imparts to all everything. I keep waiting to get over the flavor and move on to something else.. but so far it hasn’t happened. I guess I will go with it as long as I can come up with different recipes using it.
This is a very easy recipe and best of all- it is very healthy. I simply coated some cod fillets with a mixture of smoked paprika, salt and roasted cumin. I stored them in the fridge for a bit and cooked them under the broiler (make sure you take the fish out at least 20 minutes before cooking). I had broccolini in the fridge. I made some brown rice and added broccolini to it- an easy side dish.
The meal was delicious…
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Cherry and Walnut Couscous Served with Lamb Chops
This is one of those meals that look really complicated but are super easy to make. One of the things I did with this particular dish- I bought the lamb chops frozen and already marinated. I usually never buy prepared proteins but these lamb chops are amazing and they are from my favorite store- Trader Joes.
I always have some on hand in the freezer. They are great to take out when you don’t have any plans for dinner and don’t have a lot of time. I served the chops with couscous. I always have whole-wheat couscous in my pantry. I cooked some with chicken broth and I added walnuts and dried cherries to it. I thought of serving a salad with the meal but then I decided to just add some lemon juice, olive oil and salt to mixed greens and placed them on top of the chops.
The meal was great to look at and best of all- it tasted delicious. The greatest thing about the meal was that it took almost no time to prepare…. definitely make this meal- it will be part of your repertoire.
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