In the New York Times food section this week, there's a good article written by Leslie Kaufman about her commitment to cook dinner for her children (Mom Puts Her Family on a Meal Plan). She shares some good tips, including spending time on Sunday to shop and prep, creating a consistent weekly routine and always making double portions of soups, stews and sauces so that half can go into the freezer for another night. I also liked the fact that she admitted that in her need for speed and ease, she's forsaken the gourmet approach to most dishes and does the "basic, pared-down version of each dish" including a minimally seasoned roast chicken and speedy meatballs.
My own mom worked during the day and cooked dinner as soon as she got home just about every single night of my childhood. One of her preferred methods of preparing a quick main protein course was to dice some chicken breasts that she had let defrost in the fridge during the day and saute them in Italian Dressing. That way they'd get some good flavor without marination, and the dressing provided enough oil so that they didn't stick to the pan. We ate that chicken over rice or pasta a lot, frequently with a side of steamed broccoli or zucchini. In the summer the chicken got tossed over salad, straight from the garden. It was good, healthy and took minimal time, all good traits of a family dinner.
Image credit: Sara E.
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
