Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Those I Don't Want To Cook Days

 Even the most diligent and food loving home chefs have them. Those I don't want to cook days.It' looking in your kitchen and thinking what can I throw together to make a meal? Surprisingly there are some good combos that make for memorable meals.

An easy way out is take out , yet why bother?It takes time and nowadays  money to have a full meal delivered. A quick dinner can easily be prepared in the time it takes to run out and grab a Happy Meal or have a pizza or Chinese delivered. Pasta and sauce are one of the easiest put togethers.I just discovered Rao's sauce, from the famed Manhattan eatery. This was a quick three minutes in the microwave while I boiled DeCecco's penne.Any prepared sauce will do and you can easily doctor it to fit your family's tastes. Add a glug or two of olive oil or a sprinkle of oregano for more flavor. For a more homemade taste, add a cup or two of pasta water to thicken the sauce and give the flavor some oomph. Keep in mind that pasta also is very good with a simple melted butter sauce or one made with just oil and garlic - aglia e olio. Serve it with a ready made salad and you have a filling and satisfying meal. Pasta salad is the perfect warm weather I don;t want to cook meal. Add some julienned mortadella and ham to it along with a chopped assortment of veggies.

An air fryer can greatly assist in those days when you jut are too tired to make an elaborate or labor intensive meal. Use it regularly. You can easily cook up real and plant protein based chicken nuggets and tenders in it. These make for a tasty meal that the kids will love. You can also fry up steaks in it as well. The end result is a strip with a crispy exterior and a tender , melt in your mouth inside. You can brush the meat with garlic or melted butter and then sprinkled with herbs or just sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If you;re really having a bad or lazy day think air fried Tater Tots. This is a quick cook that only takes about fifteen minutes or less to crisp up. serve it with bacon bits and melted cheese. One of the easiest full meals is breakfast for dinner. You can easily scramble up a few eggs or make an omelet. Vegans and vegetarians can rely on Just Egg,a mung bean based egg substitute. Add some sliced peppers, tomatoes and spinach to make it more filling or some mushrooms for protein.Microwave either pork, turkey or soy bacon for a tasty side.This is also the time to toast some Eggo waffles and serve them with butter and maple syrup.

Every home chef has those "I don't want to cook days". Don;t worry. There are plenty of easy recipes that can give you a no fuss, no trouble meal.