Dinner-on-the-Run II

I hear your concerns. There just isn't time or energy left at the end of the day to cook dinner. You are right! With our busy schedules it is so hard to find time to prep and prepare nutritious meals for our families. But where there is a will, there is a way.

Earlier in my Dinner-on-the-Run series I taught you about having cooked chicken prepared to morph into any number of quick meals. There are so many options, and I cannot stress enough how great it is to cook in bulk and freeze for those crazy days. But, today I want to talk about when carry-out is your only option.

Please, skip the pizza. Once in a while is not a crime. Those of you who have been following me know I am all for indulging from time to time. But, frankly, pizza is seriously devoid of nutritional value. Here are a list of healthier alternatives.

1. Rotisserie Chicken - I know my Kroger makes great Rotisserie chickens. Remove the skin before eating to cut calories. Pair with a salad mix or frozen vegetables that can be quickly steamed in the microwave for a complete meal.
2. Asian Take-Out - There are some stipulations. Go for restaurants that leave out MSG. Most can if you ask up front. Go for stir-frys full of vegetables with lighter gravies. Skip the fried and sweet dishes. Pair it with plain brown rice if available or keep frozen brown rice at home to prep in minutes.
3. Restaurant Curbside - Here I am talking about the chains like Chili's, Carrabba's, etc. Salads are great but can be tricky. (LOVE Carrabba's Insalata Johnny Rocco pictured above.) Look for excess dairy products that will add unwanted calories, and watch for unnecessary starches like tortilla strips or sides of garlic bread. Just ask them to leave anything you don't need off the dish. Next, look for grilled dishes with vegetable sides. So many chains now offer complete calorie information online. So do a quick check before ordering.
4. Mexican - Fajitas are great! Forget the flour tortillas and just eat the meat and veggies. If you need something creamy, add guacamole. It adds calories, but unlike sour cream or cheese, it gives you a dose of those healthy fats that are great for your brain, skin, and hair.
5. Diner Food - If you are craving breakfast for dinner, try an egg white omelet with plenty of vegetables. Ask them to hold the butter. Add a side of grits or whole wheat toast for some carbs. If you must eat the burger, mind your portion. No one really needs a half pound or more fatty beef. Leave off the cheese and mayo and you will save yourself a minimum of 200 calories.

The key to eating out is portion control and willpower. When you are exhausted you will tend to opt for the Double-Bacon Cheeseburger. Just think of how you will feel afterwards though. Fuel your body with the right things, and it will repay you a hundred fold! Happy eating!

Dinner-on-the-Run

We've all been there.  Run in the door, late already to the kids' rehearsal, and the everyone needs to eat in five minutes or less!  Help me!  Somebody help me!

Here's a quick, easy solution.  On a day when you have an extra 40 minutes or already have something in the oven, bake some bone-in chicken breasts (salt and pepper, 400 F, for about 30 minutes, internal temp. 165 F).  Throw the puppies in the fridge for later in the week.  Believe me; you're going to need them!  Then as quick as you can say, "Everybody make a salad," you have a chicken salad ready to go.  Do you have some tortillas?  How about chicken burritos?  Or a pasta and veggie mix?

Quick dinners don't have to sacrifice flavor.  Check out some of these menu items you can use with already-cooked chicken.

1. Chicken Avocado Provolone Wraps
2. Chicken Noodle Salad with Peanut-Ginger Dressing
3. Grilled Chicken Salad with Rustic Guacamole
4. Italian Penne Pasta Salad
5. Southern Chicken Salad

You can find all of these recipes and any substitutions in the Recipe Index.

My chicken just came out of the oven. Tonight's dinner will be the Italian Penne Pasta Salad since I have leftover penne pasta from last night's pesto dish. With a little planning you can leave those drive-throughs behind.

I give you...The Omelet!

I have said it before with a great amount of shame: "I can't flip an omelet!" (Insert gratuitous sobbing.)  My husband can flip one like a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef.  I get scrambled eggs.  It has truly been the bane to my existence.  Until now.

I kept thinking, "There has to be a better way!"  Necessity is truly the mother of invention.  So how do you get a cooked omelet instead of a runny omelet without flipping?  It's simple really.  All you need is a lid.  A lid?  "It can't be that easy," you say.  But, oh, it is!

Here's the solution.  Turn your skillet on medium to medium-high.  Spray lightly with cooking spray and saute your meats and/or vegetables till just hot and tender.  Spread ingredients evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Spray again generously with cooking spray. (I have a crappy $20 non-stick pan, hence all the spray.)  Whisk eggs until just a little frothy.  Pour evenly over the bottom of the pan.  As the edges set, use a spatula to lift the edges, tilt the pan, and allow the runny egg to slide underneath.  Continue your way all around the edge of the pan until no more egg will run to the outside.  Turn the pan down all the way to low, cover with a lid large enough to cover the omelet, and wait.  In three to five minutes, depending on how many eggs you use, the eggs will be set but still slightly moist.  Turn pan off, uncover, add cheese, recover with the lid, and allow the cheese to melt.  Flip one half over on the other and voila: a perfect omelet!  This method works especially well if you are making a large omelet for multiple people.  Here's to no more runny omelets or scrambled eggs!

No Taco Bell Tonight!

Do you ever get home with no meat thawed and just say, "Crap, let's go to Taco Bell?" Or worse yet, you try to thaw it quickly in the microwave just to have it cooking on the edges and tasting like plastic. Here's a quick tip: Put the meat in the microwave just until starting to soften. It should still have some ice crystals. Then transfer the meat to a cast-iron skillet in front of a fan on high. It will finish defrosting in no time, without having to carve half the meat off for the dog. No Taco Bell tonight!

To Brine or Not to Brine?

Answer: brine!  Brining is just an easy way to have perfectly cooked poultry every time.  What is brining?  It is much like marinating, in that you expose the meat to seasonings in order to tenderize the meat and make it become more flavorful.  In this case, the seasoning is primarily salt, sometimes accompanied by sugar and/or herbs and flavorings.  What does brining do?  In a nutshell, it keeps the bird moist and tender through a process of osmosis.  My inner chemistry nerd is trying to escape, so for those of you who want a scientific explanation, head to this link for the details.  The rest of you, who probably could care less, can take my word that it is highly beneficial step in preparing poultry.

A brine can either be wet or dry but is traditionally wet.  You simply submerge the meat in a plain saltwater bath or incorporate any other number of seasonings.  I love the concise directions provided by America's Test Kitchen.  It gives detailed information for roasting and grilling, along with substitutions for different types of salt.  You can omit the sugar in any of the steps, and it will still be moist.  The sugar doesn't impart a huge sweetness, but it can be off-putting in a especially savory recipe.  While the general recommendation is 8 hours or more of brining, I have found that as little as one to two hours can make a big difference.  If you only have a short amount of time, you can brine it on the counter-top instead of a cooler or refrigerator, which will allow the meat to return to room-temperature before cooking.

My new favorite option is dry-brining.  Pam Anderson is probably my favorite cook out there.  I am a little biased, as her mother is a dear friend of our family.  I have never had the privilege to meet her but have enjoyed all her cookbooks, recipes, and especially inspiration during her dramatic weight-loss.  Her blog, ThreeManyCooks, is terrific, too.  But, I digress.  My point being that she has a wonderful recipe for dry-brining a turkey with citrus.  The original recipe that I use from the USA Today insert called for lemon instead of orange and 2 tablespoons each of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme.  I have baked it several times with amazing results.  We are accustomed to frying turkeys here in Louisiana, but this is such a great recipe, without the inevitable fire hazard, that I don't fry anymore.  If you butterfly the bird, you can cook it at 425 F for about 1 1/2 hours (internal temperature of 175 F in the thickest part of the thigh).  I would have never believed you could cook a turkey in such a short amount of time with perfect results.  This recipe is a great starting point to experiment with your own flavors and herbs.  Of course, it works great with chicken as well.  All you will need to do is decrease the cooking time (it will take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour) and internal temperature to 165 F.

Now you never have to be shamed by a dry bird again!

Check out my Must Haves link at the top of the page for Pam's newest cookbook The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great.