<p>dc89, Congratulations! You will be fine. My son experimented with cooking while in high school. He loved stir frying and trying different seasonings. You can even buy seasonings that are aleady mixed together for you and labeled “for meat”, “for seafood and poultry” etc. That takes out a lot of guess work. Also, many do not have salt, so they might be healthy. Read the labels. In addition to threads like this, there are books out there that have simple recipes requiring no more than 4 or 5 ingredients. Those are easy to read, shop for, and prepare.</p>
<p>an acquaintance once purchased a book and basically cooked and assembled meals on one weekend for the entire month…meals were frozen and could be pulled out for use during the month. has anyone here done this? i’ve never been that organized but it sounds like it would be a good idea. when my kids were younger…they wouldn’t have eaten many of those dishes and so that’s why i didn’t pursue it. i’m not really sure they’d really even eat them now !</p>
<p>I had one of those books,too. Same issue - not very kid friendly meals.</p>
<p>My Mom and Dad both worked. It was the job of the oldest female sibling living at home to prepare the dinner.</p>
<p>“has anyone here done this?”</p>
<p>Not a month at a time and not out of a book, but yes. I generally cook in large batches and freeze the food in single or double portions. I focus on cooking things that survive this process well. Soups, stews, and pasta sauces are the leading contenders.</p>
<p>NYMomof2–It’s even easier if you just make “crustless” quiche! DH is on a diet so he is better off without the crust. I just have to have a side carb for the teenage boy still living at home.</p>
<p>Great thread. I wanted to post something about ****ake mushrooms just for the naughty thrill, but what I will share is the world’s simplest but excellent pasta recipe:</p>
<p>Lemon Pasta</p>
<p>Cook half a box spaghetti or linguine in salted water (I like to use the lower-carb, high-protein variety such as Dreamfield’s.)</p>
<p>Meanwhile, gently saute the grated zest of one lemon and one finely chopped garlic clove in olive oil. (Don’t brown the garlic, just cook it a bit.) Add some salt and a few tablespoons water from the pasta and cook a few minutes more. </p>
<p>Add the cooked, drained pasta, some grated parmesan cheese, and the juice from the lemon. Heat through. Yummy!</p>
<p>We had this tonight with a big green salad with blue cheese in it. I <em>think</em> it was a balanced meal. Delicious and quick, anyway!</p>
<p>^ I made lemon pasta last night! With this recipe: [Recipes</a> : Lemon Spaghetti : Food Network](<a href=“http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-spaghetti-recipe/index.html]Recipes”>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-spaghetti-recipe/index.html).</p>
<p>The lemon was way too strong for me, but I’m not a huge lemon fan in general. I should have considered that before cooking this dish, of course!</p>
<p>Oh, I want to make this soon!!! I’m starving!!</p>
<p>corranged–that recipe had way more lemon juice and the lemon zest wasn’t cooked. So I would guess it would be a lot stronger flavored–like salad dressing! 
</p>
<p>The one I made is sort of delicate.</p>
<p>NYMom, the sweet potato fries were a big hit tonight! (I made them with white sweet potatoes. Never knew there was such a thing but that’s what my local greengrocer had.)</p>
<p>Still no one with a red clam sauce recipe for me?</p>
<p>I ended up diluting the lemon juice more than the recipe said and skipping the lemon zest, and it was still way too intense. Oh well. Lesson learned! </p>
<p>Right now I’m waiting on my baked chicken fingers and roasted potatoes. I skimped on the chicken fingers to save time, so hopefully they’ll still taste good. :)</p>
<p>I love the crock pot for roasts but I often use my pressure cooker to make BBQ beef ribs or pot roast in less than an hr. </p>
<p>When I have time I brown the meat with clove of garlic-it makes me feel better but honestly, don’t think the son or husband notice.
toss in the ribs w/about 1/2 c beef broth and throw in some BBQ sauce. Cook 35-40 min. If I have time I place cooked meat on a pan or cookie sheet, throw more sauce and broil for a minute or so. I found I need at least 1/2 cup of fluid to keep the sauce from forming a big glob at the bottom of pressure cooker.</p>
<p>Pot roast-brown roast w/garlic & onion throw in a can of tomatoes or cream of mushroom soup, beef broth or Lawry/Knorr Au Jus mix + 1/4-1/2 cup of water, potato or two cut in 1/3 to 1/2, small carrots, celery-whatever I have. Cook 35-45 min-a real comfort meal in less than an hour. I keep brown gravy mix and Au Jus mix on hand to supplement the gravy when needed.</p>
<p>Use leftover chicken or buy one or two cooked rotisserie chickens and take the meat off of the bone.</p>
<p>Put a large flour tortilla on the counter. On 1/3 of the tortilla, put cut up pieces of chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, some bbq sauce or salsa, (can add some roasted peppers, onions, crumbled bacon, or anything you wish). Fold the ends in and roll. Smear a little butter on the edge to “glue” the roll shut.</p>
<p>Heat up a skillet or griddle, melt a small portion of butter in the pan, now grill the chicken wrap as though you’re making a grilled cheese sandwich.</p>
<p>When it’s golden brown on both sides serve on a plate with a nice green salad.</p>
<p>Portion for a guy in our house is usually 2 Chicken Rolls plus a salad.</p>
<p>corranged–I am always reminded of that cartoon that shows 2 chickens pondering menus in a restaurant. </p>
<p>“I’m tempted to get the chicken fingers just to see what they are.”</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I am reposting this briliant recipe from Zoosermom. It was just that good!!!</p>
<p>I’m bumping this- school has started, football is in full swing, and I’m getting overwhelmed! Are there more great supper ideas out there?</p>
<p>I have made, I believe, 5 recipes from this thread…all great. But I confess, with getting home just in time to pick up one daughter from tumbling and going straight from there to take the other to dance, the next stop was to Papa Murpheys.</p>
<p>Great bump. Since I have no clue what to make tonight I am going to reread this thread.</p>
<p>mom60–same reason I’m back…it’s finally raining so the grill is out tonight. </p>
<p>but I’ll add another quick dinner I made a few nights ago.</p>
<p>In a small baking dish I put in two layers of frozen cheese ravioli, poured 1/2 a small jar of spaghetti sauce over it, added another layer or two of ravioli, more sauce, topped with mozerella cheese, and baked it for about 15 minutes. Since we needed to eat asap, I pulled it out of the oven and microwaved it for about 5 minutes. Served with a crisp green salad. </p>
<p>Typically I boil ravioli, but this was easier and faster. It also seemed to stay hot much longer, and family seemed to like it better. (D just asked to have it again, but S said no.)</p>
<p>I’m normally a fresh-from-scratch cook, but there are indeed times that try our souls…in that case, try these “enchiladas” (I use the term loosely, although it is technically correct - filled tortilla in chile sauce).</p>
<p>1 box of frozen Taquitos - chicken or beef - these also might be called flautas - they are a seasoned shredded meat mixture rolled in a corn tortilla
Put them in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Combine a can of enchilada sauce (hot, medium, or mild), a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, and half a soup can of water. Pour over the taquitos, cover with foil and bake until they are bubbling hot. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, whatever you like. </p>
<p>Not sure on cooking time - I have a convection oven and cook them for about 20 minutes at 180 celsius.</p>