What to cook?

earthmuffin

I feel like we are in a dinner rut.. lately, we've been eating;

- Chicken and/or black bean quesadillas

- Whole grain pasta and pasta sauce with meat  and light garlic bread or salad

- Tacos/Nachos with lots of veggies

- Tuna Casserole

- Mac and Cheese

- Eggs and toast

Some of this is because Shane has had dental work and his mouth has been sore.

I did grab stuff to make Shepards pie tonight and homeade pizza later this week. I just need some SUPER easy ideas for weeknights

FormerCityGirl

These are all really soft and OK for after dental work (except for the stir-fry).  The ribs melt in your mouth and fall apart on the fork.  We do really easy meals most weeknights.  DH is a vegetarian and these are some of his favorites, except of course for the ribs.

Polenta and Black Beans (10-20 minutes on the stove top)

Beans
 
1 15 oz. Can of Black Beans
1 15 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 cup of Salsa
3/4 cup Mexican Blend Cheese
 
In a large saute pan combine black beans, tomatoes, and salsa.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for ten minutes and stir occasionally.  Add in 1/2 cup of cheese and stir until melted.
 
Polenta
 
1 cup Cornmeal
1/2 tsp. of Salt (Optional)
4 cups of Water
 
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Combine cornmeal and 1 cup of water in a boil.  Add salt and stir into the mixture.  Add the mixture to boiling water and let it heat until boiling.  Once mixture boils, turn heat to low and heat for 5-10 minutes.  5 minutes worked for me.
 
To serve, line the bottom of a bowl with Polenta and pour the beans over top.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
 
Makes four servings. 

Crock Pot Ribs (15 minute Prep)

--4 lbs of ribs (I used boneless Country style)

--2 T garlic powder
--2 T kosher salt
--2 T black pepper
--3 lemons, juiced

The Directions.

I used a 6.5 qt crockpot. 4 lbs of ribs fit comfortably, but I maybe could have squeezed in another pound.

Cut the ribs to fit your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the dry spices.

Rub the rack of ribs with the dry mixture, covering all sides of the ribs. Put them into your crockpot. If you have extra seasoning, pour on top.

Squeeze the lemons (use one of those hand-held juicer things, to make sure all the juice gets out) on top of the ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 7-10 hours, or on high for about 5. The meat will be more tender if you cook it on low. (5 hours on high made these ribs so tender that they fell apart on the fork.)

We also do a ton of stir-fry.  The easiest is to buy the fresh bags of "Broco-Slaw."  It's is shredded Broccoli, Cabbage, and Carrots.  I toss in a bag of fresh snow peas with the Broco-Slaw and saute it with 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and a bottled sauce.  I do it on medium for about 8-10 minutes.  I toss in the sauce at about the 5 minute mark.  For protein, I throw some cashews or peanuts into the mix when it is close to done.  It's usually less than 10 minutes on high.

I also do a Huevos Rancheros where I use egg whites.  I scramble the egg white, add about a half a jar of salsa, and lets the liquid evaporate.  Once that is done, I toss some cheese in to help it stay together.  I serve it with warm tortillas.  Dh loves it.

PUBoilerBride

We do breakfast foods pretty regularly, as well as vegetable stirfries.

vici0us

We are big fans of frozen family meals, Stouffers Lasagna, etc.

Tonight it's Pork Burgers and DH is making them (while I Nest!) ?

kellyjo4.16.04

Whenever I'm in a food rut, I try to go grocery shopping down EVERY aisle at Saraga International Market and/or Trader Joe's.  I find they have interesting and unique (and affordable!) items that inspire me.