Money Matters
smetter04
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Go-to, easy dinners
Let's talk about your favorite easy, go-to dinners, that don't break the bank. The ones that are quick, you don't need a recipe for, and use ingredients you usually have on hand. I'm in need of some inspiration!
Our favorite is sauteed veggies (usually green pepper, onion, and carrots) in extra light olive oil with whatever seasonings we're feeling that day, on top of couscous. It's easy, somewhat healthy, and delicious. Another favorite is grilled cheese and tomato soup, but I try to avoid resorting to this too often because it's really not that healthy.
Our favorite is sauteed veggies (usually green pepper, onion, and carrots) in extra light olive oil with whatever seasonings we're feeling that day, on top of couscous. It's easy, somewhat healthy, and delicious. Another favorite is grilled cheese and tomato soup, but I try to avoid resorting to this too often because it's really not that healthy.
Re: Go-to, easy dinners
1 can of chicken (costco)
1 can of black beans, drained (costco)
1/2 can of rotel, drained (costco)
Fresh garlic
Fresh lime
Fresh cilantro
Cumin
Cayenne
Chili powder
Shredded cheese (costco)
Tortillas (costco)
Cook off the chicken in a skillet with the garlic and spices to taste. Add the rotel and let the tomatoes cook down a little. Then add the black beans and let it cook until they are hot. Add cilantro and cook just until it's wilted. Add the lime at the very last minute. Scoop it into tortillas, add cheese on top, and bake until you are happy with it. Sometimes we skip the tortillas and just eat it in a bowl or stuff poblanos with it. It's really low calorie without the tortillas.
Recently H has been adding tomatillos and jalaphenos to this recipe, and it's a great addition.
We usually use the rest of the rotel to make guacamole as a topping.
Super easy, about 10 minutes of actual cooking and 15-20 min of baking when we use the tortillas.
**We find it usually doesn't need salt, especially if you are eating it with guac or as a dip.
One of my faves is Chicken Adobo, aka Filipino Chicken. It does take about an hour to cook, but is really quick and easy to prepare.
Fill a big pot with about half water, half red wine vinegar. This will give the chicken a lot of vinegar flavor, so adjust the ratio to your personal taste. Then, a few splashes of soy sauce. About two tablespoons of minced garlic. A few shakes of black pepper. Both the pepper and garlic can also be adjusted for taste. Bring those ingredients to a boil.
Once the pot is boiling, add the pieces of chicken. I usually remove all the skin for a healthier meal. Bring the heat down to a simmer, cover, and cook for about one hour. Until the inside of the chicken is no longer pink.
The chicken really soaks up that broth and even the inside meat becomes very flavorful. I'm typically not a rice eater, but that is a perfect side for this dish. The rice is delicious with the broth.
We usually buy pizza dough from publix, but you can make it in advance too. Anyway, here is what we do:
Pizza dough (publix)
Pesto (costco's is cheap and delicious)
Green olives (costco)
Artichoke hearts from a jar (costco)
Pepperoncini (publix)
Sliced mozzarella (costco)
Feta (costco)
Garlic salt
Italian seasoning
Fresh basil when we have it around
Fresh parmesan when we have it around
Buy the Emile Henry pizza stone. We like ours so much that it lives in our oven. Preheat the stone to 475. While it's preheating, chop up the veggies and squeeze them in a paper towel to get all of the liquid out. Roll out the dough on the stone and fork it. Spread the pesto, then add the veggies, then the mozzarella, and then the feta. Lightly sprinkle the salt and italian seasoning. Stick it in the oven and 15 minutes later you have an amazing pizza. If you have fresh basil and parmesan, add it after the pizza comes out of the oven.
H and I started making this on Fridays a couple years ago, and we like it so much we eat it most weeks and have never really changed the recipe or branched out.
Another favorite is taking a packet of italian dressing powder mix, mix it with grated parmesan cheese, and then coat thinner chicken breasts with it. Bake in the oven. Sides are whatever veggie is around, usually roasted in the oven next to the chicken, and orzo that has some parmesan cheese and salt and pepper and olive oil mixed in.
@hoffse I don't have a Costco membership - what size of canned chicken do you use? Is the chicken shredded or in chunks?
@short+sassy recipes that are easy to prepare but take a while to cook are my favorite for weekends when I have time to make more than just a quick meal. Even though I have time I still don't like a ton of prep lol! Thanks for the idea, I'll put it on my 'to-try' list.
My other trickery with that one is I'll usually make a big batch of it and then the pieces of chicken can be quickly heated for other meals.
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/easier-shepherds-pie-with-roasted-potatoes/#_a5y_p=1384105
I have a Costco and a Sams Club membership, so I get it.....:)
Buffalo Chicken: 1lb chicken breasts, 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning, hot sauce. Put altogether in the crockpot and let cook all day long.
I like to serve it on toasted French bread topped with blue cheese, a dab of dressing, and shredded cheese. We also have it in tortillas or lettuce wraps as well. I use the leftovers in wraps for lunch.
Some other quick go-to's for us are: Tacos, BBQ, mac n cheese of course, baked pork chops, pasta with red sauce, homemade pizza (buy pre-made crusts), chicken patties, frozen tilapia fillets from Aldis, Our weeknight meals are pretty simple, but it's really all we have time for. On the weekends I will prep things to try and change it up a bit and so that all I have to do is put something in the oven, or all the prep work is done so I just have to cook something.
I will add that I just got an instapot for Christmas. That thing has been a game changer with our weeknights meals. I seriously made chili from scratch in 25 minutes. Including browning the hamburger. Monday night we had meatloaf and mashed potatoes in 35 minutes.
TTC since 1/13 DX:PCOS 5/13 (long, anovulatory cycles)
Clomid 50mg 9/13 = BFP! EDD 6/7/14 M/C 5w6d Found 11/4/13
1/14 PCOS / Gluten Free Diet to hopefully regulate my system.
Chemical Pregnancy 03/14
Surprise BFP 6/14, Beta #1: 126 Beta #2: 340 Stick baby, stick! EDD 2/17/15
Riley Elaine born 2/16/15
TTC 2.0 6/15
Chemical Pregnancy 9/15
Chemical Pregnancy 6/16
BFP 9/16 EDD 6/3/17
Beta #1: 145 Beta #2: 376 Beta #3: 2,225 Beta #4: 4,548
www.5yearstonever.blogspot.com
Homemade pizza:Dough, sauce, shredded cheese, mushrooms, onions and green pepper
Tuna noodle casserole:eggs noodles mixed with tuna fish, peas, and mayo
Pasta with red/vodka sauce
Pasta with shrimp, garlic, oil, and butter
Taco kit with turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, the red sauce and sour cream
Fajitas- Flats with chicken, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, and sour cream