What's For Dinner?: October 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Kale!

Confession. I've never cooked with Kale. I've eaten it! But I've never bought it myself. Ever.

Today, Everyday Food has a whole bunch of Kale recipes. They seem perfectly Autumn-y and Winter-y. Kale's super good for you too (I don't know how, but that's what the people say).

I'm going to try making some soon!

Here's the link!

The "Rules"

Hi friends - let's keep it friendly around here, eh?

- Please give credit where it's due. Link or reference any recipes you use or adapt and don't steal content (e.g. pictures that don't belong to you). It's just the right thing to do.

- All recipes are welcome, but let's make an effort not to double-up. Utilize the labels and search functions before posting a new recipe. If something similar has already been posted, instead of re-creating the wheel, utilize the comments for any new tweaks, suggestions, or alterations.

- The more contributors the merrier! But please don't go crazy sharing the sneaky email address to post - ultimately I'm responsible for all content on this blog, so think twice and treat it with care.

Quick Ideas

Quickie, low-prep meal ideas? Here's what I can come up with on a whim:

Scrambled-egg breakfast burrito - throw in some cheese, peppers, mushrooms, eggplant - pretty much any vegetable you have in the fridge, and a little salsa and you have a meal in like 5 minutes
Pasta + beans is a totally under-rated concept, but a really good way to fill up AND add protein.
Pasta fagioli (penne and white/navy beans with a tomato-based sauce)
Couscous + black beans + veggies with either a balsamic dressing OR a cilantro dressing (TJs makes a good one!)
Gnocchi + sausage with a tomato sauce (mmmmm! one of my favs! I like to use the chicken sausage with apple from TJs for this, so flavorful and super easy!)
Fish + vegetable + quick boil grain (e.g. minute rice or couscous) - fish is ALWAYS fast, only takes a few minutes whether you pan fry, bake, broil or grill. Likewise, most vegetables can be steamed, sauteed or broiled in 10 minutes or less. It's like mix and match - pick one of each and go with it!
Soup! Duh.
Ravioli! It's like a meal in itself. Pair with a frozen vegetable and you're eating in 10.
Asian chicken salad - one package pre-cut/washed cole slaw, one bunch chopped green onions, one package top ramen, oriental flavor (I'm sorry - this whole recipe is racist, I think), sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice vinegar - shake it all together and done. You can also buy grilled, sliced chicken tenders to boost the protein.

The moral of the story is it helps to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. You can throw just about anything together with just a few ingredients you regularly have on hand.

Hope that helps!