My husband and I are usually pretty busy. When we get home from work, I am working my way though some online school courses and my husband usually either has soccer, guitar or is doing his part to keep up the house. What I need some help with are some ideas for healthy dinners that can be made and FROZEN. I know the that most things healthy are fresh.. so that's what I'm trying to accomplish without having to cook every night. I usually like to cook on a Saturday morning and make about 2 weeks worth of dinners. Usually I make 6 items and just double it.. leaving one day for a real fresh meal or a night out. We're trying to be healthier and so don't bother telling me about the lasagna and such like that.. It's quite calor-ific. We eat mostly chicken, some pork and beef. We enjoy just about every fruit and vegetable as well. Not afraid of "foreign" cuisine. Thanks for your help!
Oops! Wow.. silly. I mean "Healthy Dinners"
i find the best way to make healthy meals ahead of time is through combination of frozen and fresh ingredients. i'll use one of my favorite make-ahead meals as an example for you:
Spicy Chicken with Mango Chutney
Saturday: Season Chicken Breasts in a ziplock bag, for 2 large pieces of chicken add:
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil.
coat chicken and pop into the freezer. this constitutes the frozen portion of the meal. the fresh portion is mixed up and kept in a tupperware in the fridge. it consists of:
-Chopped Mango (1 cup)
-Chopped Cilantro (or parsley) (3 tbsp)
-Minced Garlic (1 tbsp)
-1 tsp orange Marmalade
The day this meal is to be served, i just pull the chicken out of the freezer and into the fridge to thaw in the morning. That evening, i pop the chicken into the oven and bake at 325 for 12-18 minutes (or until cooked). In the mean time i pull the fresh ingredients out of the fridge and set them on the stove so they can warm up a little. When the chicken is done cooking, turn off the oven and top with fresh ingredients. Let sit in the oven until your accompaniment (fresh veggies or brown rice, which can be made in the mircowave) is done cooking.
this method works with a variety of dishes. Here are some ideas for you:
Jerk Chicken topped with Pineapple Salsa
Turkey Tenderloins and Cranberry Chutney
Sweet and sour chicken topped with pecans and tangerines
just pick a lean meat, one fruit and a binder (sauce).