Wondering what to make for dinner tonight! Is it? I often feel butterflies in my stomach when I have to plan meal for my family. It is quite strenuous to plan and make a meal for working women, where daily chores as well as office work have no escapism.
I have found a way out to this menu planning and making phobia. The easiest way out that I could think of was ready-to-cook meals. They are easy to make, easy to store and ready to eat whenever you want to, all you have to do it heat it and its done!
A little bit of planning and smart shopping can make your family dining a memorable experience. Plan with was to process and store food recipes for the coming week on the weekends to avoid any last minute hassles. To suggest a few would be ready-made sides from grocer, baggies salads, clean and chopped veggies. Plan deserts like frozen fruits which can be pureed and served as granite with a scoop of low fat ice-cream. These meals can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator once cooked and kept frozen for over three months. So, it is quite a good deal unlike the perishable commodities. No hassles for gathering ingredients, cleaning, processing, and cooking them. It’s a great getaway from all the inconvenience.
Plan main courses and deserts to satiate ones taste buds, also consider the ease with which it would be made.
You can try this recipe for vegetable-bean chili with whole-wheat couscous which takes just 45 minutes to make (so don’t be intimidated by a never ending ingredient list). It can be prepared up to three days ahead, or frozen up to three months.
The chili is bound to stimulate your adventurous taste buds and would satiate both the vegetarians and meat-eaters. If you prepare the chili ahead of time, wait to make the couscous until you are ready to serve it. The couscous takes just 5 minutes and involves nothing more than boiling water.
Vegetable-bean Chili with Whole-wheat Couscous
Start to finish: 45 minutes (25 minutes active)
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS:
11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11/2 cups (about 1 medium) chopped onions
1 cup (about 2 stalks) chopped celery
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, cut in a large dice
1/4 cup seeded and minced jalapenos (about 3 medium)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
21/2 tablespoons chili powder
11/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
141/2-ounce can dice tomatoes with juice
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Two 10-ounce boxes whole-wheat couscous
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add onions, celery and green beans. Cook while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes and add the red peppers, jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Cook until the peppers begin to soften and the spices are fragrant, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in chickpeas, kidney beans, tomatoes and their juice, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Stir in cornmeal and simmer 1 minute longer.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to package directions. When the couscous is ready, stir the cilantro and lime juice into the chili. Serve the chili over the couscous.
Nutrition information per serving:
499 calories;
5 g fat (1 g saturated);
2 mg cholesterol;
95 g carbohydrate;
18 g protein;
18 g fiber;
862 mg sodium.
