Like most moms, I’m sure, I have very little time to put dinner together. I also don’t always have the ingredients I need and often have to improvise. Recently I’ve made a few meals from random stuff we had in the fridge that were fast, easy and delicious. I’ve been keeping a list and finally have a chance to blog them!
Mint-Cilantro Pesto
Add a giant bunch of cilantro (bottom stems removed), a handful of mint leaves, one garlic clove and fresh ground pepper to the food processor (all of this should completely fill up the bowl of the processor). Process until it forms a paste (scraping bowl as necessary). With food processor running, slowly pour in about 1/3 cup olive oil, or as much as you need until it runs smoothly and nothing is stuck to the sides. Add about 1/2 cup grated parmesan and pulse a few times to mix. Taste, and add salt as necessary (I always do this last because the parmesan is salty and I tend to over-salt it if I add it at the beginning). Toss with pasta, grilled chicken, and/or cherry tomatoes.
Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce
My dad brought us about 30 tomatoes from his garden. When we had eaten all that we could and they were starting to go bad, I whipped up this tomato sauce with the 10 or so that were left.
Peel, remove the core and squeeze out the seeds from 8-10 large, ripe tomatoes (or use a few large cans). Put them in a bowl and use a pastry knife or potato masher to coarsely mash them all up. In a large shallow pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Saute a small onion (or shallot) and one clove of garlic, minced, for 4-5 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup brandy and simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Add the tomatoes, a large pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of thyme, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Taste, and if it is too acidic, add a tablespoon of butter at a time to cut down the acidity. (Alternatively, my sister said you can add a teaspoon of baking powder, although I’ve never tried it!) We served it over tortellini with fresh parmesan and it was delicious!
Smoothie Popsicles
After several attempts, I’ve finally conceded that you cannot make a decent popsicle without adding sugar. They just don’t freeze right, and they taste nothing like the store-bought frozen fruit bars. This recipe was my attempt to make them without adding corn syrup, which a lot of recipes call for. They turned out super delicious, and I wanted to drink up all the liquid without freezing it!
Blend: one bag of frozen strawberries, partially thawed, one 8-ounce container fat-free blueberry yogurt, one 8-ounce container plain yogurt, juice of 1 lime, 1/2 cup simple syrup (boil 1/2 cup sugar and 1/8 cup water, cool). Pour into popsicle molds and freeze!
Marinated Cucumbers
Roman loves “cucs,” but Harper doesn’t really care for them. However, this recipe is so delicious that the kids and I end up eating 2 whole cucumbers in one sitting!
Mix: 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds until sugar dissolves. Peel 1 large cucumber alternating “stripes” on the sides. If it has seeds, cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, then cut very thin slices, otherwise just cut very thin slices. I recently acquired a mandolin and it makes cutting thin slices so much easier! Toss with the vinegar-sugar mixture and serve immediately.
Baked Mac and Cheese
Okay, this isn’t really “dinner on the fly,” but it makes so much that you can serve the leftovers for days! I have made this mac and cheese many times for pot-lucks and cookouts, and without fail it is the best mac and cheese ever. You can also make it the day ahead and just add the breadcrumbs before baking. I make zero alterations to the recipe – follow it exactly! Thanks, Martha.