"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article > , "Lucy"
> > wrote:
>
> > Okay, gang.. this is in regards to the thread "The demise of cooking
> > as we know it?" I am requesting that all the nice folks who DO cook
> > from scratch, even after working all day, kindly post some of your
> > favorite weeknight recipes.. that you cook from scratch, of course.
> > Why? So that newbies like myself can learn from you.. rather than
> > hear how superior you all are What do you say, guys.. put your
> > keyboard where your mouth is? lucy (Tone is impossible to read on
> > here.. I'm not being sarcastic, just sincerely wanting to learn
> > something besides how great everyone here cooks)
>
> > lucy
>
> Well, you'd be amazed at what sometimes passes for supper at my house.
> What kind of stuff do you and yours like to eat? Sandwiches? Crockpot
> junk (note my bias against them)? Ethnic stuff? Casseroles? Oven
> meals? Here, start here.
<snip of recipes>

Some other thoughts for easy to do weekday menus. First - I do serious
cooking on the weekends. Long, slow simmering stuff like chili, my version
of Bolognese sauce for pasta, beef bourguignon (beef stew), base sauce for
Sloppy Joes, moles, soups etc.. These get frozen into appropriate serving
sizes. This is one of the reasons I got a bottom freezer on my new side by
side refrigerator.

Second - Mostly I do fairly fast dinners during the week. Quick and easy
pasta sauces like a) Puttanesca. Saute minced garlic and chopped anchovies
in olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes; when the galic is softened
and the anchovy starting to dissolve add some crushed red pepper and stir
then add canned Italian plum tomatoes along with pitted and coarsley chopped
kalamata olives and drained capers. Simmer for 30 minutes or so breaking up
the tomatoes as you go. Cook pasta while sauce is simmering. Add fresh
ground pepper to sauce and serve with grated parmesan cheese. b) white clam
sauce. I prefer fresh littleneck or manilla clams, steamed, but you can omit
this step and use frozen or (God forbid!) canned clams. I steam the clams
(after scrubbing them to remove excess sand) with a little white wine and
clam juice and remove from the shell and place them in a bowl with more clam
juice. I then remove the clams from the juice and strain the liquid from
the steaming pot through a sieve lined with paper towels (did I mention that
I hate sand grit in my Vongole sauce ;-)). Return clam meat to bowl with
strained broth. This can be done way ahead of time and the clams will hold
nicely in the bowl, Saute chopped onion or shallots and garlic in olive oil
until softened, add some crushed red pepper for a little pizzaz and add dry
white wine. Cook down until white wine is almost totally absorbed then add
canned clam broth plus most of of the juice from the bowl with the clams and
reduce for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat water to cook pasta (spaghetti
or linguine). While pasta is cooking grate some parmesan cheese. I add a
bit of butter to the sauce at the very end and then the clams just to heat
the clams up. Drain pasta and toss sauce with it and a health portion of
grated parmesan. c) Amatriciana sauce. Saute chopped pancetta until done to
your liking. I like them crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon then
add chopped onions and garlic to saute pan. If there isn't enough fat in
the saute pan add some olive oil and saute till softened. Add canned
Italian plum tomatoes a pinch of crushed red pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15
minutes. Cook pasta. Grate romano cheese. Adjust seasonings on sauce.
Toss drained pasta and sauce and serve with romano on the side. The list of
easy sauces for pasta is practically endless. In a pinch just cook pasta
and serve with jarred purchased pesto and some freshly grated parmesan
cheese.

Third - lightly breaded scalloppine of veal, pork or chicken sauteed. I buy
thinly sliced veal scallops and pound them thinner between slices of wax
paper. For pork I use pork tenderloin sliced about 1/4 inch thick and
pounded as above. For chicken I slice boneless chicken breasts into 1/4
inch thick slices and pounded. Preheat oven to warm. Heat an appropriate
sized saute pan over medium high heat and add fat of your choice (olive oil
canola oil or butter or a combination. While fat is heating up add eggs and
a bit of water to a bowl and stir to break up the eggs. On a dinner sized
plate add bread crumbs (whatever type you prefer - I like panko) Dip meat
in egg/water then dredge in the bread crumbs. Cook in batches. Since
these are very thin cuts of meat they cook very quickly. Place on a paper
towel lined plate and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm in the oven.
You can serve as is with fresh lemon juice or, as I prefer, reduce heat to
low and wipe out skillet. Add some fresh butter to skillet, when melted add
some lemon juice and some capers and a bit of the caper juice. Reduce
slightly and pour over plated meats. Sometimes with pork I'll combine the
bread crumbs with grated gruyere cheese in the food processor and coat them
with this mixture instead of plain bread crumbs. Cook over medium high heat
in canola oil. Serve with lemon wedges. I serve with herbed oven roasted
potatoes, buttered spaetzle or sauteed potatoes. If pressed for time just
microwave some frozen corn (like niblet corn in butter sauce) or frozen
vegetable of your choice.

These are all easy and can be ready in about 30 minutes. My SO likes to
start the meal with an appetizer. Something simple like bruschetta (grilled
or toasted bread slices drizzled with EV olive oil and rubbed with peeled
fresh garlic) topped with chopped onions and tomatoes, a little olive oil
and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and fresh basil if its handy. Or some
sliced avocado dressed with lemon juice and salt and pepper. Maybe we'll
start with a salad with a vinaigrette dressing or mozzarella and fresh
tomatoes with a vinaigrette when the tomatoes look good.

Occasionally as a treat I do southern style fried chicken. This requires a
little advance planning since I like to soak the chicken pieces in seasoned
buttermilk for several hours. I'll do this the night before or in the
morning before work and let marinate in the fridge. When ready to heat
drain, dip in seasoned flour and cook in corn or canola oil. It should take
about 20 to 25 minutes to fry them (I've posted my recipe and frying
technique in the distant past on RFC - you can google it or e-mail me and
I'll e-mail it to you).

I hope this gives you some ideas. Getting together a nice dinner doesn't
require tons of time and work. If you vary quick meals as above with
thawing those made ahead you might even get to like doing it ;-).

Kate