Jerusalem : Compass of the Diaspora Jew
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Dinner ideas that are delicious and incredibly easy.
I hope everyone is safe and healthy and weathering these challenging times as best as possible. I’m profoundly moved by the incredible zoom classes, parenting projects and support that are available at all times. Like so many others, this quarantine has brought out both the best and worst in my cooking. There are days that I take on cooking projects like sourdough starter, homemade pop tarts (that recipe is coming soon!), pickled vegetables, and homemade pasta, and days like today, when I cannot even think of anything I want to make or eat. Let’s face it, even those of us who truly enjoy cooking get tired of making breakfast, lunch and dinner.
With all of that in mind, I’m sharing a few semi-homemade dinner ideas that are delicious, incredibly easy (even the kids can make them), and will lighten your load….so that you can go do another load of laundry 🙂
Photo by Food Network
Serves 5
Coleslaw
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker, stir onion with juices, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and ketchup. Add kitchen and coat with sauce.
Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Chicken is done when cooked through and easy to shred.
Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred each breast using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crock pot and stir to coat with the sauce.
For the Coleslaw: Combine the red and green cabbage, carrots and red onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, sugar, and some salt and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine. Taste for seasoning; adjust with more salt, pepper or sugar as needed.
Serve on a toasted bun with coleslaw or side by side with no bread.
Serves 4
This is an easy skillet chicken that has a healthy twist with zucchini noodles.
In a large bowl or shallow plate, season and combine chicken strips with salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Make zucchini noodles using a spiralizer or a julienne peeler. Set aside in a salad bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken strips in one layer and cook for one minute without moving.
Add minced garlic, and red chili pepper flakes and flip chicken strips to cook on the other side for a couple of minutes, until almost cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside to a plate. Do not overcook.
In the same skillet, heat 3 remaining tablespoons olive oil, then stir in lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, paprika, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. Simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the fresh parsley, chopped chives, and minced thyme, then add the zucchini noodles and toss for 2 or 3 minutes, until zucchini are cooked through and the sauce has reduced a bit (zucchini will render some water). Return the cooked chicken strips back to the pan and cook for another minute. Serve chicken warm with zucchini noodles and pan sauce.
Photo by Laloosh
Serves 6
I make this often, not just when pressed for time. It’s a good shortcut recipe, made on a sheet pan, and can even be made a day ahead of time.
LIne a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, mix salsa, curry, cumin, smoked paprika, chickpeas, salt and pepper. Pour over salmon and spread to cover. Drizzle with olive oil and honey.
Bake, uncovered for 17 - 20 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.
Photo by Sweet C’s
Serves 6
Make sure to repeatedly rinse the skirt steak in a bowl of cold water to remove the saltiness from the kashering process. Skirt steak is thin, so it retains a lot of the salt. I rinse it three times and find that it comes out delicious. This grilled steak is one of my son’s favorite dishes, which works for me as it's so easy.
In a small bowl, mix teriyaki sauce, Dijon, ginger, garlic, and black pepper. In a resealable bag, place skirt steak and onions and pour sauce over. Seal bag, and massage sauce into steak. Set aside and marinate for at least 1 hour, but not more than 6 - 7 hours.
Preheat gas grill to 375°F or an indoor grill pan. Grease grates or pan. Remove steak and onions from marinade, and discard marinade, then place on hot grill. Cover grill and cook for 3 minutes, flip and cook for about 3 - 4 more minutes or until steak is 134°F for rare. I highly recommend cooking this rare, it will continue cooking a little after you remove it from the grill and skirt steak is much better not overcooked. Onions may need a few extra minutes of grilling.