I have been in baseball mode for the last couple of months. What does that mean? Zero time to cook or sit down for dinner as a family five to six nights a week. Between my daughter’s year-round competitive gymnastics and baseball, forget it. (Sigh, I really wish that kids extra-curricular activities could be scheduled outside of the hours between 5-7 because dinner time is so important to me.) So, I had to come up with a plan that did not involve fast food. Here are the meals we have been eating during this crazy season in life. I’m not even going to call them recipes because most of them require no real cooking skills and very little instruction, just assembly! My goals with these meals were for them to provide some nutritional value, be easily transportable, and easily adjusted for my picky eaters!
- Mediterranean Chicken Wraps: Grab a spinach tortilla (regular works too of course, but I like spinach or tomato/basil tortillas best for this “recipe.”) Spread a little hummus on the tortilla, top with rotisserie chicken (this is your Best Friend), roasted red peppers (they come in a jar), arugula tossed with Italian dressing, and feta cheese. Roll Up… dinner done!
- Cobb Salad: I love Cobb salad because it looks so pretty, but it’s a cinch to make. Chop up some romaine lettuce, top it by laying down your ingredients in rows. You can use whatever you want and have on hand, but I like deli turkey, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, cheese of any kind, tomatoes, and olives.
- Tomato/Pesto Soup: This is where you’ll truly understand these are semi-homemade meals here. Use canned tomato soup and mix with milk, never water. Stir in a scoop of jarred pesto and top with parmesan cheese. Pop it in a thermos for an easy meal on the go.
- Frittata: I fell in love with frittata’s this season. So easy, cheap, they use up leftovers, they can be packed with nutrition, and you can eat them in the car if you need to! All you do is make scrambled eggs and add goodies you have in the fridge such as fresh spinach, artichoke hearts, peppers, tomatoes, leftover sausage, and cheese.) (p.s. If you’re dealing with raw veggies, cook those first and then pour the egg mix on top.) Pour mixture in a 10 in. oven safe skillet and cook 5-7 minutes then transfer to a 350-degree oven and cook for an additional 16-18 minutes. Slice and serve. (Okay I know this is a cheat on the “15-Minute Meal” deal but you can multitask while it’s in the oven and it’s so yummy!)
- Taco Lettuce Wraps: You can utilize your rotisserie chicken again here or you can cook up 1 lb. hamburger and toss in 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. paprika and 1/2 cup of water. Fill romaine lettuce leaves or butter lettuce leaves with your meat then top with cheese, avocado, tomato, sour cream, and salsa.
- Stuffed Chicken Baker Avocados: Scoop about half the flesh from the middle of a halved avocado, mix in a bowl with rotisserie chicken, a small scoop of cream cheese, and diced tomatoes. Put mixture back in avocado, top with parmesan cheese, and bake in a 400-degree oven for 8-10 min.
- Honey-Soy Salmon: This is my favorite quick “fancy” meal to make. You may want to save it for Sunday or one night that you can sit down for a minute, but it’s super simple and quick to make. The only thing that ever causes me trouble is if I’m dealing with frozen salmon and I forget to take it out and defrost it. (Ugh) Salt and pepper the salmon filets. Add 1 tsp. butter and 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil to a med/high skillet. Cook salmon for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove salmon, add 3 T. soy sauce, 3 T. honey, and the juice of a lime. Bring to a bubble and let the sauce thicken slightly. Pour sauce over the salmon, add a salad if you have some on hand and you’re good to go!
Here’s your shopping list:
- Two Rotisserie chickens
- 1 lb. hamburger
- Salmon Filets
- deli turkey
- bacon
- cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- feta cheese
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- salsa
- jarred roasted red peppers
- hummus
- arugula
- romaine lettuce
- Avocados
- cherry or grape tomatoes
- limes
- eggs
- milk
- spinach tortillas
- canned tomato soup
- jarred pesto
Make sure you have soy sauce, honey, cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic, and salad dressing on hand.
Another thing I love to do when we are living on the go is making a big pasta salad at the beginning of the week and keep that along with some cut up fresh fruit and a mixed green salad in the fridge to make these meals a little more complete!
