I'm not proud of these primitively, thrown-together meals, but I was pretty happy that they are three meals I put on the table without being able to run out to the grocery store. So here are three reasons to always have a pantry stocked with various forms of canned tomatoes, especially when getting to a grocery store is a remote possibility. (For more help organizing your kitchen and learning how to get a meal on the table without too much trouble, go to http://marriedwithdinner.com/2010/05/26/cooking-without-recipes).
1.) Chicken with diced tomatoes (yep--the canned stuff with basil, preferably the organic can). Pressed for time--a baby who wouldn't nap, a toddler who needed me to dance with her to every song on her Laurie Berkner Band cd-- I put the chicken in the pan, poured the tomatoes on top, let it simmer for about a half an hour, flipping occassionally and getting the chicks nice and brown. If you really want to go crazy, put some sliced black olives on top before serving. Salad, potatoes. Presto, bango, done.
2.) Orzo with fresh, chopped tomatoes on the vine (use canned ones if you don't have fresh) and artichoke, Greek meatballs (called keftedes), and stuffed grape leaves. Don't make this if you don't have a ton of time, but a decent recipe for the keftedes is here--just make sure the recipe you choose includes mint, or you're missing the point of keftedes; orzo is a small, ovate pasta that doesn't have much taste unless you give it some pep. I was in the mood for fresh lemon, so squeezed it all over my plate, and the tastes all sort of popped.
3.) Accidental mac & cheese: whatever pasta you have in the pantry (spaghetti/linguine won't work for this), cooked al dente; throw it in a casserole dish. Separately, mix some ricotta cheese with some egg, fresh garlic, onions, spinach or broccoli, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (optional). Fold it into the casserole dish with the pasta, tomato sauce on top, a little fresh mozzy if you like, and bake for 30-45 minutes. It's not quite lasagna and not quite mac & cheese, but your two-year-old will eat this.
1.) Chicken with diced tomatoes (yep--the canned stuff with basil, preferably the organic can). Pressed for time--a baby who wouldn't nap, a toddler who needed me to dance with her to every song on her Laurie Berkner Band cd-- I put the chicken in the pan, poured the tomatoes on top, let it simmer for about a half an hour, flipping occassionally and getting the chicks nice and brown. If you really want to go crazy, put some sliced black olives on top before serving. Salad, potatoes. Presto, bango, done.
2.) Orzo with fresh, chopped tomatoes on the vine (use canned ones if you don't have fresh) and artichoke, Greek meatballs (called keftedes), and stuffed grape leaves. Don't make this if you don't have a ton of time, but a decent recipe for the keftedes is here--just make sure the recipe you choose includes mint, or you're missing the point of keftedes; orzo is a small, ovate pasta that doesn't have much taste unless you give it some pep. I was in the mood for fresh lemon, so squeezed it all over my plate, and the tastes all sort of popped.
3.) Accidental mac & cheese: whatever pasta you have in the pantry (spaghetti/linguine won't work for this), cooked al dente; throw it in a casserole dish. Separately, mix some ricotta cheese with some egg, fresh garlic, onions, spinach or broccoli, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (optional). Fold it into the casserole dish with the pasta, tomato sauce on top, a little fresh mozzy if you like, and bake for 30-45 minutes. It's not quite lasagna and not quite mac & cheese, but your two-year-old will eat this.
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