Easy cooking for busy times

Keeping it simple

This year my household hosted the holiday bash on Christmas Day. This means that during the past couple of weeks, I have found myself so caught up in the meal planning and preparations and activities for just one day that when the dinner hours roll around, I've come up short.

Too many times this month we have cracked open a can of soup and made grilled cheese sandwiches in last minute desperation. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you. But it is boring and not one of our favorite meals. And I'm conveniently not mentioning the nights we had cereal and milk or bologna sandwiches and pretzels for dinner. Yuck.

This week I have resolved that we will more often than not have hot, nutritious and yummy dinners. Just because the other days of this week don't happen to be holidays doesn't mean I shouldn't give meal planning some attention.

Life is too short to live for one meal, right? So I've written down a list of meals to get us through until the feast on Friday and am sharing them with you, our faithful readers. None of these recipes are difficult or time-consuming, they just require a little thinking ahead. And the process of sharing my ideas with all of you has enabled me to do just that. I thank you -- and my family thanks you. Enjoy!

Stromboli
This recipe is so easy and so delicious! Stromboli, if you don't already know, is a pizza-stuffed pastry. Pizza in a Pocket, if you will. My favorite thing about stromboli is how well it freezes after it's been baked. Perfect for future fast meals!

Ingredients:
2 loaves thawed bread dough (find it frozen in the freezer section of your supermarket)
Jarred pizza or spaghetti sauce
Grated mozzarella or provolone cheese
Pepperoni, sliced ham, mushrooms, sliced onion, tomatoes, spinach and/or other favorite pizza toppings (optional) * Here's a recipe for homemade pizza sauce for the more ambitious among you:

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 pound can crushed tomatoes
3 /4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 /4 teaspoon dried basil
1 /4 teaspoon thyme
1 /2 teaspoon salt
1 /8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Warm olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add crushed tomatoes and remaining ingredients, cooking over medium-low heat. Cook for 40-50 minutes until the sauce is thick.

Allow to cool before using as topping or storing. (I usually double or triple the quantity and freeze in single batches.)

To make stromboli:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Using a large knife, cut thawed loaf of bread dough into four to five equal pieces. On a flour-sprinkled surface, roll pieces into small circles about five to six inches in diameter.

Using a spoon, spread a small amount of pizza sauce onto each circle and sprinkle with grated cheese and/or other toppings. The key here is to using the toppings sparingly! Too much and it will be impossible to seal the pocket. Kids can help with this part, too.

Next, carefully fold dough in half, pinching the edges together to seal the toppings within the pocket. Place pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or when bread becomes a golden brown.

Serve hot, with a salad on the side. Honey Chicken
I'll admit this is not the perfect meal for toddlers. It is easy and very yummy, a nearly foolproof way to get tender chicken every time. BUT, it is very sticky. If you must feed this to children under six, may I suggest you serve it to them with bibs on or clothes off and plan for following dinner up immediately with a bath!

Ingredients:
4-boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
3 Tablespoons butter
8 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
Melt butter in large skillet. Add chicken breasts, browning over medium high heat. Season to taste. In small bowl, combine honey and lemon juice. Once chicken is browned, pour honey mixture over chicken and cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Honey will form a nice glaze on the chicken. Serve immediately with green beans and rice.

Hungarian Goulash
It's a CrockPot recipe! What could be easier? I'll start this meal when I wake up in the morning, and won't have to mess with it again until a few minutes before we're ready to eat it. We LOVE this meal. I should make it every week during the winter.

Ingredients:
2 pounds round steak -- cut 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 14.5-oz can tomatoes
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Put steak cubes, onion, garlic in cooker. Stir in flour and mix to coat steak. Add all remaining ingredients except sour cream. Stir well and cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for three to four hours. Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving and stir thoroughly. Serve over hot buttered noodles.