Dinners at our house are very important. Making the effort so sit down at the end of the day and have a meal together brings a sense of routine and security to our family. Of course there are times when dinners are less than perfect, a person may be missing, or the meal may be a bowl of cereal (this is rare).
Here is a recent favorite dinner of mine that takes little effort, but it requires something essential: Trader Joe's
We don't live near a Trader Joe's, unfortunately. But when we see one, we stop in a buy a few jars of simmer sauces. We also buy the maple granola cereal--wow! But Trader Joe's is an entirely different blog post--so back to the recipe:
Trader Joe's Simmer Sauces are pretty delicious, my favorite is the Masala sauce (a tomato based sauce used in Indian cuisine). I also like them because the ingredients are normal, they're all things you've heard of before, natural and whole. Tastey too.
I simply fry up some chicken or tofu (I like firm tofu, pat with paper towels first to soak up water, cube and saute w/olive oil until a little brown on edges), toss in the jar of sauce, add a little water, and simmer until a little thickened.
Tofu is easy to cook with because it has a decent "shelf" life (refridgerate, of course) of a few weeks, or even months. So I like to buy some and have it on hand for other quick meals. It is really easy to cook with--if you can fry an egg, you can cook with tofu. I like to use it with the simmer sauce, but I also like it for a quick stir-fry with frozen or fresh veggies on hand.
Serve with any kind of rice (basmati for a more indian flavor) and/or lentils.
Ever made them? Lentils are easy to cook, essentially you boil them in water until they are soft and ready to eat. Unlike rice that soaks up all the water you use to boil, lentils will only soak up some water, drain the rest. To test if they are done, simply try some to see if they are soft. They should not be chewy--cook them longer if they are. Lentils are a great source of iron which might explain why I craved them during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I make extra for leftovers for lunch (microwave and add a little pad of butter and salt). They are a dry kind of bean, so they go well with sauce.
So, lets review: fry up some chicken or tofu, add some Masala simmer sauce, serve over rice and/or lentils. Voila!
Ever made them? Lentils are easy to cook, essentially you boil them in water until they are soft and ready to eat. Unlike rice that soaks up all the water you use to boil, lentils will only soak up some water, drain the rest. To test if they are done, simply try some to see if they are soft. They should not be chewy--cook them longer if they are. Lentils are a great source of iron which might explain why I craved them during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I make extra for leftovers for lunch (microwave and add a little pad of butter and salt). They are a dry kind of bean, so they go well with sauce.
So, lets review: fry up some chicken or tofu, add some Masala simmer sauce, serve over rice and/or lentils. Voila!You may be able to find some other simmer sauces of other brands at your local grocery store--I would look in the asian foods isle.
11 comments:
I've never been to a Trader Joe's store. What is it like?
I do like lentils, they are really dry so I smother them with sauce. I'll have to try leftovers with butter next time to add moisture and flavor. Another great thing about them is that they are REALLY CHEAP! Great if you're cooking on a budget.
Thanks for the tips!
dinner really are important. i notice a big difference when i make the effort ot have them for our fam. also, i notice that the end of the day sneaks up on you and so at about 4pm i start getting ready for dinner. not like i really spend 2 hours making it, it is just that i get interrupted and if i start at 4, i may only psend like 40 minutes total making dinner, but it is spread out over 2 hours because of interruptions and stuff.
i don't really ike indian food, i don't think, but maybe i'd like this. i'd use chicken though. tofu? i'm not that adventurous yet.
Tofu? Really? I suppose if I learned that I like avocados I should try tofu... but I'm not sure I could sell my family on it.
Anon is right, dinner time totally sneaks up on me. I have to plan wayyy ahead, if I don't know what I'm cooking by noon, it seems like we end up with an upside dinner (breakfast food) or mac and cheese.
I would eat this in a heartbeat. It looks delish.
And I love lentils and tofu is so good because it is mild, it just takes on whatever taste you add to it. But I don't cook with it much, mainly because I never remember to!
My goal every night is to have dinner on the table by 4:45! I know that is early, but that's how we roll here, so we can actually get the little people in bed by 7:00, which is heaven.
Yummy, this is making me hungry!
I miss Trader Joes
Looks like I'm going to have to make a little drive (or a long drive) to Trader Joe's! The pictures of all the foods you posted were so pretty! Where did you find all of those?
Um, those are all original photos. I spent all day driving all over town collecting different kinds of dry beans & lentils, I borrowed a beautiful bowl from my neighbor's dishes for the photo, and took step by step photos of my food ingredients just so you could see how lovely and simple it was.
Just kidding. I did a google "image" search. :) None of these photos are mine. I stole them. I'm sure it is illegal or copy right infringement or something. Shhhhh...
I've been thinking about this.
I'm pretty sure my definition of a quick easy meal and your definition of a quick easy meal are different. Yours tastes much better!
It is good, too. Tastes good, you know.
What IS Melissa's definition of a quick easy meal?
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