Real Simple Meal Finder

This is a cool little tool that my sister sent me.  It is called "Dinner in 15 Minutes Flat" and you choose your main meal component (beef, chicken, pasta, etc.) and then the type of dish you want (no cook, soups/salads, surprise me, etc.) and then it generates a list of ideas.

Less Than 15 Minutes and No Planning List

OK, I am going to have a new baby in a couple of weeks and I need to have a list of things to make that require no thawing or planning ahead of time but still at least partially satisfy hunger pains- so here goes.  I plan to add to this list as I think of new things, and if you have any ideas, please add them in the comments!

Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
 Serve with frozen garlic bread (Texas Toast) and a green salad.  Freeze the fresh raviolis (or tortellini), buy them on sale.

Meatball Subs
Microwave and then broil frozen meatballs, put on hamburger or hot dog buns, add marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Serve with a pasta-roni and a green salad.

Chili Cheese Fries
Make a can of chili, pour on top of cooked frozen french fries.  Sprinkle cheddar on top.  Can also do this with nachos.  Definitely not the most figure-friendly idea, but if you throw a green salad next to it- that will cancel out the rest, right?

Spaghetti with Meatballs
Use frozen meatballs and jarred marinara sauce.  Serve with frozen garlic bread and a green salad.  So easy but I forget that this is an option and rarely do it.

4-Way Bean
Make spaghetti, top with a can of kidney beans (optional) and then a can of heated up chili, and then sprinkle with finely shredded cheddar.  An old Cincinnati Chili standby.

Breakfast for Dinner
Beg Jason to make pancakes, french toast, waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, veggie sausage.  Add some fresh fruit if you can find it, or open a can of fruit if really necessary.  Or if you're really in a bind, go for cereal with milk.

Pizza BagelsSpread some marinara sauce on top of bagel halves, then top with mozzarella cheese, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 400.  Can do this with bread if you are really hard up, but bagels freeze so it should be manageable as is.  Don't forget to slice the bagels before you freeze them!

Silliman Swim Center

This morning Christopher and I went to the Silliman Swim Center in Newark. It was about half an hour from San Ramon, off of the same exit as Fry's Electronics. We went for the Mini-Recreation Swim, where they just open the "small" activity pool. The funny thing is that this pool was HUGE, probably 40' wide by 80' long, with half of it being 2.5' deep, or 3' at the max, and the other half was probably 12-15" deep with an awesome play structure with two slides and water shooters and ropes to climb. One side has a beach entry and the other side has steps, and they had tons of water rings and kick boards for people to use. The facility was very clean, there were family changing rooms complete with a shower and enough room that you could comfortably get ready. Oh, I forgot- it is very reasonably priced: $7.50 for adults and $4.50 for kids ages 3 - 5th grade! There are other prices in between there if your kid is older but it felt like a miniature water park, except it was indoors and the water was heated! Speaking of that- I like my water a touch warmer than this water was- but it was definitely swim-able. Christopher and I swam around for almost the entire two hours. Definitely a worthy family trip if you get a chance. I am not sure how busy it is on the weekends and during the summer months but there was plenty of room for everyone today. Oh, there are lifeguards on duty too, and they have life vests free for anyone (kids) to use too. Check it out if you get a chance!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is another easy slow cooker recipe. Serves great with chips or a green salad or corn on the cob. It is also perfect for a party, because you can make as much as you want with the exact same amount of effort, and if you use sweet rolls or small buns for the bread, then you have little mini "slider" burgers. Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pork roast, or pork loin- whatever is on sale
BBQ Sauce, whatever your favorite is
Buns for serving, I prefer Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Put the meat in the slow cooker and drizzle liberally with BBQ sauce. As much as you like, but save some for adding on top the burgers when you serve. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When meat is done, shred with two forks. Add more sauce if you are so inclined. Slice your sweet rolls in half and serve beside the crockpot for people to make their own dinner! Yummo, and so easy.

Cake Balls

This is one of the very easiest recipes ever and still very tasty, sort of like a donut hole bite but better. And did I mention it is easy? Also, you can do any flavor combo that you want- i.e. chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, carrot cake and cream cheese frosting, etc... Enjoy!

Cake Balls

1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix

1 (16 ounce) container prepared frosting

Almond Bark or Chocolate Chips, melted for dipping

Directions

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Roll the scoops into "balls" and then put on a cookie sheet in the fridge or freezer until they hold together a little better. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Dip the balls in chocolate using a fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

P.S. Check out the photos on this AllRecipes link for creative ideas- everything from reindeer with pretzels for antlers, eye balls and ghosts for Halloween, shamrocks for St. Patty's, etc... Lots of creative stuff that is adorable!

Chocolate Ganache

So my friend made me some "going away" cupcakes before my last day of student teaching, and she used Chocolate Fudge cake mix for the cupcakes and frosted it with this ganache, and they were AMAZING. Dare I say that ganache is even better than your standard frosting? It seemed a little dressier but still just as tasty- which I find that sometimes you have to sacrifice for the pretty stuff. NOT that it is a worthy sacrifice in those cases! Anyway, next time I make chocolate cupcakes, I think I will use this recipe to top them. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Bakers makes this)***
1/4 cup butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powder sugar (more if needed)
cream (or milk will work) to thin to consistency you desire.

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl. Add salt and vanilla. Stir in powder sugar and add enough milk to make it liquid but not too thin. Dip whatever you'd like in it. Cupcakes, marshmallows, graham crackers, strawberries, bananas... yum!

***I just discovered today that you can also do this with melted butter and semisweet chocolate chips- just add the sugar until it seems right.  Good to know, because I always have chocolate chips on hand but rarely do I have unsweetened chocolate!  

Easy Enchiladas

This is a great recipe to use up leftover shredded chicken or beef. You can also fill the enchiladas with cheese or canned chicken if you really needed to. You can also split this into two pans and freeze the second one before cooking.

Easy Enchiladas
Red enchilada sauce, one 15 oz can
Corn tortillas, 5-10 depending how much filling you have to use up
Leftover meat for filling*
Cheese, shredded (I usually use cheddar but cheddar jack would be good too)
Scallions, optional
Black Olives, optional

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray an 8x8 pan (for 5) or 13x9 pan (for 10) with cooking spray. Get a bowl that is big enough to put one corn tortilla flat in the bottom, and pour about 2/3 of the can of sauce into the bowl. Dip one tortilla in the sauce and flip to coat both sides. Then fill with a pinch of your meat or cheese filling, roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you have used all of your meat filling or you run out of room, whichever comes first. (In the 8x8 pan we used the other night, we had to have four going one way and one smashed up against the top of the row. Whatever works.) Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top and then coat with cheese. You can add scallions or black olives if you like now. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake or brown for another 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes before serving. Yum!!!

*An easy way to cook the meat is to put whatever you are going to use (beef roast, pork, chicken) into the slow cooker and top with one 4 oz. can of diced green chiles. Maybe sprinkle some taco seasoning and salt and pepper on top too. I also like to add a can or two of DRAINED pinto or black beans, especially if I am not making a ton of meat. Cook all day on low (or half day on high) and then DRAIN the juice out of the crock pot before shredding the meat with two forks. Then add the shredded meat to the enchiladas as before. Very easy and you can make double if you want to, and then freeze the second half, or pre-make and freeze your second batch of enchiladas! Enjoy!

Grandma's Pot Roast

This is such a basic recipe, but SO good to have on a cold weekend night. The trick seems to be in two things: browning the meat first, and using the Pampered Chef Deep Covered (Stone) Baker dish. My mom has made beef jerky instead of pot roast a few times when using different but high quality dishes, so if you have the stoneware, you are probably in better shape. Here is what I do:

Grandma's Pot Roast
Beef or Chuck Roast Meat, not sure how big but pretty decent size
Packet of Dry Onion Soup Mix
Potatoes (Yukon or Red or those one-bite potatoes are yummy)
Onion, roughly chopped
Carrots (I usually use a bag of baby carrots)

Olive oil for browning
salt and pepper

Preheat the onion to 300. Get the meat out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start working on it. Open it, salt and pepper it and then throw it in a skillet with some preheated olive oil (just a splash) and brown it on all sides. You aren't cooking it really, just getting some nice color and texture on the outsides. Meanwhile, chop your onion, potatoes and carrots if needed. It will probably take 7-10 minutes per side to brown. Transfer the meat to your baking dish, and then fill in your veggies all around the meat where they will fit. I usually go onions on the bottom, then potatoes and then carrots, but you can do whatever you like. I then sprinkle the onion soup mix over the top of everything and bake for 2.5 to 3.5 hours or so. I wish I would remember one of these times, but it may be interesting to toss the veggies with the onion soup mix and then add them all around. What I do seems to work, though. You will be able to smell when it is done. Let the meat stand for 10 minutes or so before serving. Mmmmmm....