5 easy recipes for busy families to make.
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Even if you’re spending most of your time at home these days, you likely still have a lot to take care of. Working from home while helping your children with their virtual schooling, keeping the house clean, making sure you keep up with virtual appointments, Zoom meetings, and playdates can be exhausting. And on top of all that, you’ve still got to figure out what to make for dinner. Luckily, you can prepare a healthy, tasty meal your family will love without spending too much time in the kitchen.
Here are five easy recipes that are perfect for busy families.
Fajitas
You don’t have to wait until Tuesday for tacos. If you’re in the mood for Mexican, try oven-roasted fajitas. Chop chicken or steak and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Add the meat to a greased sheet pan. Chop onions and bell peppers and place them on the pan. While these ingredients are baking for about 20 minutes, prepare black beans with taco seasoning and minced garlic and warm your tortillas. In less than half an hour, you’ve got a filling meal everyone in the family will enjoy.
Fried rice
Fried rice is a great way to get rid of leftover rice and use your veggies before they go bad. To start this meal, sautee diced chicken, tofu, or shrimp in olive or sesame oil with the seasonings of your choice. Chop some carrots, spinach, kale, and broccoli and sautee it in the pan as well. Season the vegetables to taste. Add leftover rice and a little soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Scoot the rice and vegetable mixture to the perimeter of the pan and crack an egg in the middle. Stir all the ingredients together and serve with fresh scallions on top.
Roasted chicken and vegetables
If you’ve got a lot to do, you can use a sheet pan to prepare all the ingredients for your dinner at one time. Grease the sheet pan, add chicken breasts, and season the meat with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little Worcestershire sauce. Place some veggies on the pan as well, like broccoli, cauliflower, or eggplant. Season the vegetables to taste. You may also want to add some potatoes to make the meal more filling.
Place the sheet pan in the oven at about 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Your entire meal is ready; all you have to do is plate it and enjoy it. And there’s only one pan to clean!
Pav bhaji
If your family enjoys Indian food, you’ll likely love pav bhaji, which is a type of Indian fast food made from curried vegetables. This delicious vegetarian stew is made from onions, potatoes, peas, carrots, chili peppers, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and is served with a steamed bun. To start the dish, you’ll need to dry roast some herbs, such as coriander, cumin, chilies, fennel, and cinnamon. Add chopped potatoes, carrots, and peas to a pressure cooker. While these vegetables are cooking, prepare a masala with onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Sautee the onion, pepper, and tomato with ginger garlic paste. Add the pressure cooked vegetables to the sautee pan and mash the vegetables together to form a soup. You may need to add a little water during this step. Top the soup with lemon juice, butter, and fresh coriander leaves. Place a little butter in another pan, add your favorite dinner rolls, and cover on low heat until the bread is heated through. This flavorful dish is a great way to get your family to eat more vegetables and explore new foods.
Ramen bowls
Turn a simple pack of ramen noodles into quality Asian cuisine by adding your own proteins and vegetables. After you boil the noodles, pour in a hot chicken, beef, or vegetable broth mixed with minced garlic, a little brown sugar, and soy sauce. Steam broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower for your ramen bowl, and add pieces of oven-baked tofu, chicken, or steak to your bowl. Add a few avocado slices and fresh cilantro, and offer chili flakes or wasabi on the side of your family prefers a spicy kick. You’ll feel like your ordered takeout and you won’t spend more than an hour in the kitchen.
These simple meals are packed with flavor and nutrients and don’t require you to take hours out of your day to prepare dinner. No matter what flavors your family prefers, you can try variations of these meals to make sure everyone in your house looks forward to dinner time.