We all have those nights when even the simplest of recipes are too complicated, when cooking seems impossible. Instead of dialing the pizza shop or driving thru for burgers, what do you do? Do you thaw out a frozen pizza, top it with veggies and serve it with fruit? Serve whole-wheat pasta with sauce from a jar and lean ground turkey, plus a salad? Top a bag of prewashed greens with leftover chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or canned tuna, plus whatever vegetables you can scrounge up? Resident fitness expert Nicole turns to organic boxed mac-and-cheese on busy nights. While the water is boiling, she dices half a block of firm tofu and heats frozen broccoli in the microwave. Once the pasta is ready, she adds the tofu and broccoli, then prepares the mac-and-cheese according to directions. One of the moms on our team keeps a frozen pizza on hand for those nights when her son and daughter are starving and just can't wait to eat. Alongside a slice goes a salad and fruit. SparkRecipes and dailySpark editor Stepfanie has a five-minute, five-ingredient meal for busy nights: prewashed spinach, jarred tomato sauce, eggs, whole-wheat bread, and goat cheese or fresh basil. She toasts two slices of bread, pours half the jar of sauce into a small sautepan, heats it until simmering, then stirs in the spinach. Once wilted, she carefully cracks in twos eggs, covers the pan and allows the sauce to poach the eggs. When the eggs are done, she spoons one egg and half the spinach and sauce into a bowl and serves with the toast, which she spread with a bit of goat cheese (or cream cheese). She adds a bit of fresh basil on top. Between 300-400 calories and incredibly satisfying, she says. At our house, we have plenty of go-to meals. The boys love flatbread pizzas with everything from herbs, smoked salmon and light cream cheese to the more traditional peppers and mozzarella. Grilled ham or turkey sandwiches with cheese, frisee (or another green) and tomatoes are another favorite on busy nights. (We use nonstick spray and an indoor grill/panini press.) We've told you how we create healthful meals from a box or a can, but now we want to know how you get dinner on the table on your busiest nights. Share your best meals in the comments below. What is your best five-minute meal? (The best ideas might be used in the forthcoming SparkPeople cookbook!) |
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