A Watched Pot

Dear readers, you've probably noticed a dearth of recipes on this blog lately, and I apologize.  Between last weekend's ER adventures and the upcoming holiday and our severe lack of preparation for it, the husband and I once again find ourselves with a very limited amount of time to spend in the kitchen.  I know we'll more than make up for it cheffing up Christmas dinner and other treats next week, but in the meantime, we've got to eat, and we're avoiding take-out (and dining out?  What is that? So not a part of our current reality); so, we've resorted to our old speedy supper stand-bys like Beans and Greens, Quickie Indian, and Homemade Pizza.  Not too shabby.

Then, of course, there are the quick dinners that don't even merit a recipe.  They're more ideas than recipes anyway, and they are what carry us through these busy times without spending a ton of money or empty calories on Thai take-out.  I thought they'd be worth sharing in this busy time of year when we're all hustling from work to stores to home to late night-bleary-eyed internet shopping sessions with wine in hand (or is that just me?).   Some of our faves:

 Annie's Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Quorn Patties (these are AWESOME and will get their own post one day, but until then, trust me and go buy a box.  You can thank me later.) and Baked Beans
Quorn Patty Parmesan (melt mozzarella cheese on a QP, top with marinara, serve on pasta)

 Rising Moon Raviolis are a fantastic organic product.  They are affordable and come in so many varieties, and even some dairy-free options.  Our favorites are the Feta-Hazelnut with Butternut Squash and Wild Chanterelle Mushroom.  Serve these tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan, with your favorite marinara, or sauteed quickly with some veggies for a complete meal.

Applegate Farms Organic Frozen Turkey Burgers with Alexia Sweet Potato Fries take pub grub home in a quick, easy, and quasi-healthy way.


Make extra rice on a Sunday, and you can put together a quick homemade fried rice dish with an egg, a few veggies, and a simple protein like tofu or chicken sausage.  Take it up a notch with a yummy sauce like Soy Vay Island Teriyaki or Stonewall Kitchens Pomegranate Grille Sauce.
 
Since half of these "recipes" start with a pot of boiling water, I had to share this recent "Cooking with Dexter" piece from the New York Times Magazine.  Pete Wells writes about cooking with and for his 5 and 2 -year-old sons, and I can totally relate to the voice of the harried parent who still wants to adhere to his foodie ways.  In this essay, he writes about the simple act of putting on a pot of water to boil as the start of any number of simple, home-cooked dinners.  You must, he says, walk straight in the door, and before you even take off your coat, go to the kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove. With that, you've committed to time in your kitchen and creating some element of home-cooking for your family, and what better way is there to prepare for the holidays than that?

Happy Friday!

What about the giveaway, you ask?  Stay tuned this weekend!  

Clue: it involves wheatgrass.  Start getting stoked for some green love.