| |
|
|
| Just
in time for dinner |
 |
|
| by
Liz Smith |
It
is rush hour. The streets fill with cars driven
by tired-out people. They pick up their kids
and spouses, and dive into the great river
of glaring red lights flowing towards home.
In one of these cars is a typical American
family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Exhausted
and their two children, Cranky and Rebellious.
Mr. and Mrs. Exhausted are attempting to have
a civilized adult conversation, but little
six-year-old Rebellious is simultaneously
pinching his sister and kicking the front
seat of the car. Four-year-old Cranky starts
wailing. Eons pass. Finally they pull into
their driveway. Everyone is irritable and
hungry. Mrs. Exhausted wishes she was somewhere
far, far away, but she is brave and heroic,
and it's her night to make dinner. She heads
for the kitchen while her husband gets the
kids into their pajamas. Because she follows
the recipes given in today's column, dinner
is on the table in 20 minutes.
You will feel like you have had a real meal:
there are two different main dishes, some
vegetables, and a dessert. The trick here
is to do some advance planning. Buy some frozen
chicken breasts, stock up on potatoes, and
do a little preparation on the weekend. Everything
else is fast and easy. I myself don't have
a dishwasher and I hate doing dishes, so we
use paper plates. Life is too short.
Chicken Sandwiches
chicken breasts
salt
lemon pepper (grated zest and ground pepper,
available in the spice row of your grocery
store)
olive oil
Most grocery stores sell five-pound bags of
frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Lay each piece of chicken on a piece of foil.
Put some salt, lemon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon
olive oil on the chicken, coating both sides.
Fold up the foil. Put in a freezer bag, squish
out the air, and lob it into the freezer.
To make the sandwiches: 1 half chicken breast
per person sandwich bread lettuce mayonnaise,
mustard, or horseradish The night before,
take the chicken out of the freezer, and defrost
in the refrigerator. Bake the chicken at 350¡.
Toast the bread if desired. The chicken will
be done in 12-15 minutes. Slap on some condiments
and lettuce. Cut in half and serve.
Wraps
Large flour tortillas
Lettuce
Pre-sliced turkey, ham, or chicken
Flavored cream cheese or hummus
A little pepper or other spice
These are better if the tortilla is lightly
sprinkled with water and heated about 20 seconds
in a skillet on each side. Roll everything
up in the tortilla, cut it in half, and serve.
Mashed Potatoes
(Serves 4-6)
2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into
chunks
2-4 peeled garlic cloves, optional
2 TB butter or olive oil
1/2 cup hot milk
salt and pepper
Simmer potatoes and garlic in freshly drawn
cold water until tender. Drain water. Put
back on low heat 1-2 minutes to dry.
Add butter and hot milk along with salt and
pepper. Mash. Some cookbook writers say that
when mashing potatoes, you should only use
an up-and-down motion, never sideways, but
in my opinion some food purists take themselves
way too seriously. Mash them any way you want
and they will turn out just fine. If you do
put in some garlic, it will become quite tender
and will blend in well with the potatoes when
mashed.
You can prepare the potatoes up to three days
in advance. Store in an airtight container
in the refrigerator. At serving time, reheat
in microwave or in a pan with a little milk.
Carrots
Peel. Cut into slender lengths. Serve with
salad dressing or dip, like hummus or cream
cheese. For young children: Cut the carrots
into easy-to-hold pieces. Simmer carrots until
tender and easy to chew. Let cool and serve.
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt
This is a great dessert. The fruit can be
cut up and layered in a glass like an ice
cream sundae. An alternative is to mix sour
cream with a little brown sugar and mix the
fruit with it.
|
|
|
