It’s on every mom’s radar, how to make easy meals whether you are a working or stay at home mom. Cooking meals can sometimes get the best of us, don’t you think? Tired of hearing what’s for dinner? Olivia has gymnastics and Michael has soccer – I simply don’t have time! Fortunately we have a few tricks that will make weekly meals a bit more easy for you busy moms.
In order to save time during the week, you might have to put in a bit of it on the front end. But you will be congratulating yourself every weeknight you are trying to prepare a quick and healthy dinner.
For starters, take a bit of time Sunday to brown two batches of ground hamburger or turkey. You can use these within two days or freeze them for later weeknight thawing. If your plan for a meal includes chopped vegetables, get that done as well.
I like to cook two stir fry dinners a week. On Sunday I cook a few boneless chicken breasts, slice them and place them in the fridge. I chop carrots, water chestnuts, onion, celery, parsnips and garlic into small cubes and place them in the refrigerator as well. While I am doing this I cook rice and boil whole wheat or regular noodles until they are al dente, or slightly chewy.
Finally, I will create a stir fry sauce that includes what I have on hand. My children’s favorite is soy, garlic, 1 tablespoon white wine, shaved ginger, sesame oil and sugar. For those who enjoy spice, add some pepper flakes too.
Now you have two meals you can easily throw together on a busy school night. Put some olive oil in a pan and throw in a handful of vegetables and garlic. Sauté until they are almost cooked. Add the sliced chicken.
Now turn up the heat and mix in the rice. Add the sauce and you’ve got a healthy delicious meal in minutes flat. For the noodles, heat up a bottle of organic spaghetti sauce and throw your noodles in boiling water for a moment to re-heat them. Or for quicker preparation, put the cold noodles on a plate; add sauce and heat covered in the microwave.
I often precook or slice my ingredients while I’m cooking Sunday night’s dinner. It adds a bit more work to your Sunday meal, but saves you loads of time during the rest of the week!