Rushed for dinner? Quick, do something!
Rather, let’s do something quick and easy for dinner.
We all have those times we come home tired and rushed. We have too much to do to get in the kitchen but look at those starving faces! Awwww!
Remember Hamburger Helper? (Do they still make that?) It was everything you needed in one package except the ground meat. It was an idea in a box full of noodles and seasoning.
However, it was a time saver wasn’t it?
Lentils to the rescue! A can of lentils makes a very fast WFPB substitute for ground meat. The texture is similar as well.
See how easy it is to make a delicious goulash and two sides with 5 minutes of prep!
Let the oven do the work and have complete meal ready in 30 minutes!
Now get into something more comfortable and wind down with a glass of merlot.
Hmmmm. Wine by the fire! Nice!
Let’s make dinner!
This meal has a theme; Minimal prep, dump, bake, relax and serve!
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§§§ Menu §§§ Seasoned corn Seasoned broccoli Hot French bread |
From your pantry!
Entrée, Hungarian Goulash:1 can of black lentils 18.3 oz. of diced or whole tomatoes. Jovial organic tomatoes in a jar. 1 onion Goulash calls for 1 bell pepper, I used Anaheim. 1 cup pre-cooked pasta (You can also use uncooked orzo or other small pasta). Seasoning: Chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sides:For your sides you can use pre-cut or frozen vegetables of your choice. I’m using one package each of frozen corn and broccoli for this meal. Bread of choice:Fresh baked French bread, sour dough or frozen dinner rolls. |
Now for a Quick Assembly!
Dice your onion and peppers. A big 1″ dice is preferable for this dish and saves time.
Dump the tomatoes and spices into a casserole dish. Stir to get the spices incorporated into your tomatoes. This also levels out your flavors and allows you to adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Add lentils, diced vegetables and cooked pasta. Nearly done!
If using uncooked pasta, put the raw pasta in your casserole dish first, then add your tomatoes and spices. You want to ensure the pasta is completed submerged with liquid.
Cover with a lid or use parchment paper as a cover. Notice I don’t use aluminum foil?
Place in oven on 350 °F and set timer for 15 minutes.
Make the sides easy!
Nothing is easier than rinsing your vegetables and putting them in a covered dish to cook!
Just rinse the frozen water off the vegetables to get rid of that frozen taste. Likewise, if using fresh vegetables, give them a quick rinse too. The cooking time is the same for frozen or fresh.
Dump your vegetables into your casserole dishes.
Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Add a little garlic, thyme or other seasoning as desired and 1/2″ of water or broth. Cover with the lid or parchment paper.
I use these 7″ covered ceramic skillets by Xtrema as I cook for two.
These skillets are food safe and can be used in extreme temperatures in the oven or stove top. (Pssst, they frequently have 25% off sales).
Any covered casserole dish will work for your vegetables. If you don’t have covers, use parchment paper.
Resume your wine tasting. Ahhh, relaxation!
When the 15 minutes is up on your goulash, put the rest of your dinner to the oven. Don’t turn off the heat and don’t set the timer just yet. Now comes the hard part of your dinner preparation, you need to check on things!
If you used uncooked pasta, you may want to give your goulash a little stir to ensure your pasta is still submerged in liquid. Add a little hot water if you need to.
Wrap bread in parchment paper. Forgo the parchment paper if you are using frozen rolls.
Ok, now that your goulash, vegetables and bread is all in the oven, set the timer for another 15 minutes.
Ding! Dinner is done!
Throw a little flour on your face, muss up your hair. Put that harried look on your face. You know, the one you have when you’ve slaved over dinner for several hours?
Call your appreciative family to dinner!
Wasn’t that easy?
If you think that as TOO easy, you could include a dessert!
Put 2 cups of berries in a casserole dish. Combine 1/2 cup fruit juice like apple or cranberry, a scant sprinkle of salt and 1 tsp corn starch. Add a touch of cinnamon if you like.
Stir until the starch is melted into the liquid. This is called a slurry. Add the slurry to the fruit and gently stir.
If you feel the need to add a little sweetener, you can drizzle on some honey, maple syrup, date sugar or organic cane sugar. It really depends on the sweetness level of your fruit and juice.
Top with some crushed graham crackers and a lid. This dessert would go in on your last 15 minutes of baking time and 2 minutes of prep.
Go feed those starving faces and take a bow! Another dinner done!
You are welcome!
Here ae some other sides to consider:
Roasted Campari Tomatoes with Basil
Green Beans with Crispy Onions
Sidenote: I shared a link for Jovial tomatoes. It links to Thrive Market where I buy my tomatoes in a jar. Thrive charges a small membership fee but they are generally much lower in prices than local stores. They also give freebee’s, have frequent discounts and offer free shipping.
Thank you so much!