Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Approx Cook Time 15 mins

Ingredients

-Salmon

-Pistachios 

-Panko Bread Crumbs

-Honey

-Soy Sauce

-Rice

-Green Beans

This meal was super delicious and easy to make.  I put some water to boil for my white rice.  I then preheated the oven to 400 degrees.  While that was preheating I put the pistachios in a blender and blended them until they were semi fine sized.  Poured that in a bowl and mixed in a little bit of panko bread crumbs.  Earlier I had placed the salmon in a dish and sprinkled with a little bit of soy sauce and drizzled a little bit of honey on both sides.  I grabbed that from the refrigerator and coated the salmon on both sides, then placed it on a baking sheet.  The salmon was baked for 10 minutes.  While the salmon was cooking I prepared the greenbeans.  Once the salmon was done I placed it to rest on the counter and waited the five minutes remaining for the rice to be cooked.  Then serve!!! 

Cilantro Lime Chicken, Shrimp and Rice

Approx. prep and cook time 15 mins

Ingredients

-Rice

-Chicken 

-Shrimp

-Fresh Cilantro

-Lime Juice

-Garlic Salt or Garlic Marinade

-Fresh crushed garlic

-Olive Oil

I know this is late but this was my “stay at home cinco de mayo” meal.  We didn’t feel like going out so I made us a bite to eat that was still cinco de mayo like.

First I put some rice to cook. Rice takes about 15 minutes on the stop top.  While the rice was cooking I marinated the chicken with a garlic marinade.  I sort of cheated and purchased Lowry’s herb and garlic marinade.  I put that aside and marinated my shrimp with a little bit of olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, cilantro and a splash of lime juice. You can add some garlic salt for more flavor if you’d like.

I grilled the chicken and shrimp (shrimp were placed on skewers) for about eight minutes turning at the four minute mark.  These were thin sliced boneless skinless thighs but you can use boneless skinless breast that are sliced thin as well.  Thinner sliced cuts down on cooking time.  

Once the rice is cooked I fluffed it with a fork and added cilantro as well as lime juice (to your specific taste.

As an option you can grill some peppers and onions. We had a yellow pepper on hand so we grilled and sliced it up as part of our meal.

Serve and enjoy!!! 

“Just winging it” Chicken Sandwiches

Approx. Prep and Cook time 10 minutes or less

Ingredients

-Chicken (breast or thigh)

-Rolls or Buns

-Cheese

-Shredded Lettice or cole slaw mix

-Dressing

Today our meal was supposed to be (according to my menu) teriyaki chicken and rice with veggies. However, when I got home I just didn’t feel like eating that. So, as I often do I “winged it” and after searching the refrigerator and pantry I decided on chicken sandwiches.  I seasoned the chicken with sazón (puertorican go to seasoning) and grilled the chicken on a foreman grill.  You can use any seasoning you like but with the cole slaw mix And seasoning its best to keep it simple or it will taste weird!  While the chicken cooked I grabbed some cole slaw mix and tossed it in ranch dressing.  I can’t have dairy so I used a dairy free version which was delish! Below is the picture of what I used.

I put some buns to toast and went to grab the chicken off of the foreman grill.  Since my little one wouldn’t eat the coke slaw I simply layered his roll with chicken and cheese.

Then I layered mine with chicken and the coleslaw. I used a Gluten free bun for me since I also don’t eat Gluten and omitted cheese.

Finally I made my husbands with the works. The end result as a quick dinner that was delicious and kid approved. Also, I packed these babies for lunch the next day!!

  The works includes a regular bun, chicken, cheese and cole slaw!!

French Bread Pizza

Approx. Prep and Cook time 10 mins.

Ingredients 

-French Bread 

-Pizza Sauce (or pasta sauce)

-Mozarella

-Toppings

This meal took me 10 minutes start to finish and was an instant hit.  I placed the oven to heat on 400 degrees.  I sliced the French bread in half, scooped pizza sauce on the bread and spread it lightly.   Sprinkled mozzarella as well as any toppings. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Quick, easy and cheap meal for a busy day! 

8 Minute Breakfast Quesadilla

Approx prep and cook 8 minutes

Ingredients

-Tortillas

-Eggs

-Cheese

-Turkey or ham (deli cut)

I made these breakfast quesadillas in a rush on a very early and busy sports day. First I made a “fried” egg. I don’t fry anything so when I say fried I mean some nonstick spray on a pan.  Once cooked I moved that egg to the side. In a pan I placed two tortillas down to warm up, I added shredded sheddar and let it heat. I added the fried egg and a slice of turkey. I took one of the heated tortillas placed it on top of the other, pushed a little bit to make sure the cheese melted adhering both sides and then removed from the heat. I sliced this in four and it was ready to go.  Everyone loved them, they were filling and delish! 

Chicken Sausage Orzo

Approx. prep and cook time 15 minutes

Ingredients

-Orzo Pasta

-Chicken Sausage

-Tomatoe

-Spinach

-Olive oil

This meal took me about 15 minuets to cook, prepare and plate.  I started by putting my grill to preheat.  While that was happening I placed some water with a little bit of olive oil to boil for the Orzo.  I placed the sausage on the grill.  For this recipe I used a chicken and kale sausage.  While that was cooking I diced some tomatoe.  I turned my sausage.  The water was now boiling and I put the Orzo into the boiling water.  The Orzo I used was Gluten free so it took 11 minutes to cook but regular Orzo cooks in about 7-9 minutes.  I turned the sausage several more times to ensure even cooking.  After about 5 minutes of boiling I added spinach to the Orozo while it cooked. Once cooked I drained my Orzo but left about a cup of the cooking water in the pot with the Orzo. I added the tomatoe and sausage (which I cut into small pieces).  I mixed well and served.  For the cheese lovers in my house I added shredded Parmesan. 

This dish was creamy and delish.  It was quick and low fat.  Enjoy! 

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

Approx. prep and cook time less than 15 mins.

Ingredients 

-Boneless, skinless chicken thighs

-Teriyaki sauce 

-Peas and carrots

-Rice

This meal took me just under fifteen minutes.  I purchased my favorite teriyaki sauce at the grocery store and poured that over some Chicken thighs to marinade it while the grill was preheating.  You can certainly use any kind of chicken.  While the grill was preheating I put the white rice to cook with some frozen peas and carrots in it.  You can use brown rice but that will take about 50 mins unless you make it in a pressure cooker, that reduces the time to 15 mins for brown rice. I grilled the chicken about 5 mins per side (that will be dependent on how thick they are). Once cooked I cut the chicken in slices and served over rice! My youngest LOVED this dish and ate it with no complaints. 

Enjoy! 

Chicken and Veggie Flatbread

Approx. prep and cook time less than 15 minutes

Ingredients

-Flatbread or Naan 

-Chicken

-Veggies

-Mozzarella or your favorite shredded cheese

-Pesto (optional)

This flatbread took about 12 minutes.  I purchase a couple of naan’s at the grocery store, spread some pesto and then layered it with yummy ingredients.

I put the oven to pre-heated at 375degrees.  While the oven was pre-heating I sautéed some cut up pieces of chicken in a pan.  If you cut them small they will cook in about 3-5 minutes.  I spread pesto on the naan and then added some chicken.  You could omit the pesto and brush with olive oil instead.  I then layered with chopped onions, tomatoe and red pepper.  Then I added shredded mozzarella and put some spinach on top of the cheese.  I baked the naan for 6 minutes.  

The kids LOVED this meal even the picky eaters! 

Adult Grilled Turkey and Cheese

Approx. prep and cook time 5 minutes

Ingredients

-Bread

-Pesto

-Tomatoe 

-Cheddar Slices

-Butter/or substitute

This was dinner on a late night after practice.  I made a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich for my little guy and wanted to spruce up the sandwich for my hubby so I spread some butter on the bread and placed that side down onto the heat.  On the side facing up I spread some pesto and placed a slice of cheddar down. Then I added a slice of tomatoe and a slice of turkey.  On the other slice I buttered one side and placed that side on the heat, on the open face I spread some pesto.  I cooked this on med/low heat so not to burn the bread but allow the cheese to melt.  Then I placed one slice on the other and pushed down a little bit (but not too much, don’t want so squish the bread).  A bit of a cheat technique is to cover the pan with a lid so that the heat helps melt the cheese faster. 

Once my husband had this sandwich he said there was no going back to a traditional grilled cheese! 

Enjoy

Quick and Easy Salmon

Easy Salmon

Approx. cook time 6-7 minutes

Ingredients

-1lb of salmon

-soy sauce

-brown sugar

-Side dish

This salmon is super easy to cook and can be paired with anything. In the picture we had it with a salad but I’ve also paired with with brown rice and veggies or potatoes and veggies. 

This fish does require prep time the night before. I usually place the fish is a gallon sized bag and pour in a cup of soy sauce and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. I let it marinade overnight in the refrigerator and in the morning I flip the bag leaving it in the refrigerator until I get home from work. I pull the fish out of the refrigerator when I get home and let it rest until I’m ready to throw it on the grill.  I do cut the fish down into smaller portions before cooking.  I grill my salmon for about 3-4 minutes each side until it’s flaky. 

I’ve also made this fish without adding the brown sugar and it’s just as delicious. 

Enjoy! 

Chicken “Stir Fry”

Chicken “Stir Fry”

Approx, prep and cook time 15 mins

Ingredients

-Chicken Breast (stir fry cut or you can cut into chunks/strips)

-Stir Fry Veggie mix (frozen)

-Teriyaki Sauce

-Rice

This is my “cheater Stir Fry” dinner.  I literally made this entire dish in under 15 minutes.  I call it my “cheater” dish because it’s not a traditional Stir Fry which takes a bit longer to make but tastes pretty darn good.

Make some white rice. White rice typically takes about 15 minutes to cook.  You can use brown Rice but that takes quite a bit longer unless you make it in a pressure cooker, that will cut your time significantly.

As your rice is cooking pull out a pan and pour about a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.  Allow that oil to heat a few minutes on medium heat and pour in your chicken.  Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper and toss frequently to cook through.  

While that chicken is cooking place a frozen bag of Stir Fry veggies in the microwave.  I hate cooking anything in a microwave but prefer to steam veggies in a microwave to eating out. For this recipe I used a bag of steam fresh Asian medley. It. Comes lightly seasoned and will mix well with the teriyaki. 

Pour about 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce in the pan with the chicken and lower the heat to low.  When the veggies are cooked toss them in with the chicken and sauce and stir.  This is ready to our over your rice once the rice is ready. 

Enjoy!! 

Sliders with Pasta Salad

Slider with Pasta Salad

Approx. prep and cook less than 15 mins

Ingredients 

-Ground Chuck 80/20

-Slider Buns

-Onion (optional)

-Cheese Slice

-Bacon (optional)

-Left over pasta salad

I decided to use my left over pasta salad and make quick sliders for dinner.

I set my grill to preheat.

I combined the ground chuck, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. You can use other ingredients and season to your liking.  Using my hands I made sure to combine well.  I took handfuls of the beef and made a round slider by rolling like a meatball and then flattening to the desired thickness. 

I grilled the burgers until they were cooked to my satisfaction, well done for the kids, medium for the adults. 

For this recipe I had onions so I chopped those up and sautéed them in a pan with a little bit of butter on low heat to get them nice and soft. I also had turkey bacon that needed to be used so I cooked that up and added for those that wanted.   I also added cheese slices for those who wanted and served the burgers with the left over pasta salad. 

You can use your preferred ground beef for the sliders.  I use ground chuck 80/20 because I find that the leaner beef can get dry. I use the leaner beef for other recipes and keep this one a bit fatty to keep the burgers moist. 

 

Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

Approx. cook and prep time 10-15 minutes

Enjoy Warm or Cold

My son LOVES pasta, so this is how I get him to eat veggies  as well. 

Ingredients

-Your favorite pasta 

-Veggies

-Pesto (homemade or store brought) 

Optional items to add

-Chicken

-Chunks of mozzarella

-Creamy Italian dressing 

I make this in a hurry so here is my method for making this in ten minutes:

1. Place your water to boil (salt the water) and cover the pot with a lid for faster boiling.

2. While water is on its way to boiling cut up veggies. I used zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes. 

3. One water is boiling add your pasta.

4. Add the zucchini and squash about 4 minutes into the pasta boiling. 

5. One pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, drain and put back into the same warm pot.  Add in tomatoes and toss with pesto. The amount of pesto added is up to you. (If you want to add chucks of mozzarella simply pour the pasta salad into a bowl and add the chunks once removed from heat)

As an option you can add chicken (which I do often). In order to do that quickly I cut boneless/skinless chicken breast into small chunks. I sauté those in a pan with a little bit of olive oil while the pasta is boiling. I also sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper on the chicken while it cooks.

The good thing about this dish is that you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator and eat from it the next day or serve it as a side to another dish (which is was I did and will post that meal next).

Mini Meatballs with Pasta

Mini Meatballs with Pasta

Approx. cook and prep time - 20 Minutes

Ingredients

-Italian Sausage

-Pasta

-Favorite pasta sauce 

-Shredded Parmesan

This was our Saturday meal which took me a total of 20 minutes to prepare.  

The meatballs were made with one ingredient, Italian sausage. I used a teaspoon sized measuring spoon and scooped teaspoons sized portions that I rolled in my hand to make round. I placed them on a baking sheet and baked them for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

In order for this meal to take you only 20 minutes you have to make the meal in this order:

1. Place your oven to preheat at 375 degrees.

2. Fill a pot with water and place on stove to bring to a boil. I always salt my water.  ***Trick...to get your water to boil faster cover the pot with a lid.

3. Scoop your meatballs and roll in to ball, place on foil lined baking sheet (for easy clean up) that has been sprayed with non-stock spray. 

By the time your down rolling your meatballs the oven should be ready and the water should be boiling. Place your meatballs in the oven and pour in your pasta to cook.  After the 10 minutes pull out your meatballs. Let them rest. 

 Check your pasta for the desired tenderness.  When The pasta is ready scoop a 1/4 cup of the pasta water using a measuring cup and keep aside. Drain your pasta.  Add the pasta, sauce, meatballs and water and toss. Plate your dish and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan as desired. 

Optional Additions:

-Roasted Red Peppers

-Broccoli

-Asparagus 

Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tacos

approx. cook and prep time - 10 min. total

This has become the new favorite for the boys.  My daughter not so much but she did eat it two without too much complaining.  This took me a whole 10 mins.

Ingredients:

-Ground Chicken

-Cole Slaw Mix

-Shredded Cheddar

-Sour Cream

-Salsa (favorite grocery store brand unless you make your own from scratch)

-The cole slaw mix was tossed with olive oil, a little bit of white vinegar and salt and pepper.  You can also toss it with your favorite dressing instead.  We've done creamy Italian and Ranch.

-The chicken was seasoned with the traditional spanish seasoning I grew up with but it can be seasoned with whatever seasoning you like.

To make the taco in the picture you simply layer sour cream, chicken, cheddar, cole slaw and salsa (optional) on a tortilla of your choice.  We've also use hard taco shells.

Other options to consider:

-Black Beans/Beans of your choice

-Cilantro Lime Rice

-Shredded Chicken/Shredded Beef or Ground Beef



About Me

 

I love to Cook!  It's strange because my love for food was something I developed as an adult.  As a child food and I were mortal enemies.  I was very picky and took hours to eat.  Food options at home were very singular.  My parents cooked rice 6 days a week and it was usually accompanied by chicken or pork and occasionally steak that my mom boiled (yuck).  On the off chance that we didn't have rice we were limited to pasta with beef (which became my favorite).  My brothers and I also ate a lot of junk.  We were pretty poor and our parents didn't really know what being healthy was. 

Since becoming a mom I try to place emphasis on healthy eating... but... It's hard.  I work full time and all three of my children play sports year round.  We are always on the run!  For anyone who knows me I have somewhat of a more hate than love relationship with processed foods.  I refuse to buy a bunch of frozen or pre-made foods for the kids and eating out is both expensive and not healthy. 

So after much convincing from family and friends I am going to try a hand at posting some homemade and semi-homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas for the working mom who is on the run.  Most of these are ready to eat in under 20 minutes.  Let me know what you think!