Dinner

The stress of cooking dinner isn’t so daunting if you only have to do it a couple times a week. Try designating a dinner day among your roommates or friends. Here are some quick, easy dinner ideas

Pasta

I found these amazing pasta meal ideas at Eating Well that are easy to make. This recipe is my favorite:

Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken & Vegetables

Ingredients

- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup smooth natural or low fat peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce, or to taste (see Ingredient note)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh vegetable medley, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas

Preparation

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size strips.
3. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chile-garlic sauce and ginger in a large bowl.
4. Cook pasta in the boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 minute less than specified in the package directions. Add vegetables and cook until the pasta and vegetables are just tender, 1 minute more. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Rinse the pasta and vegetables with cool water to refresh. Stir the reserved cooking liquid into the peanut sauce; add the pasta, vegetables and chicken; toss well to coat. Serve warm or chilled.

Soup

When the cold winter months hit, you’ll want something warm to eat. More soup recipes can be found at cooks.com if you’re looking for something quick and easy.

Vegetable Soup

-2 bottles tomato juice
- 2 pkgs. frozen mixed veggies
- 1 onion
- 2 stalks celery
- Salt & pepper

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until of consistency you desire.

Potato Soup

-1/4 to 1/2 c. chopped celery and leaves
- 1/4 to 1/2 c. chopped green onions, tops, too
- 2 to 3 tbsp. butter
- 4 c. milk
- Scant c. of instant potato flakes

Saute celery and onions in butter and butter. Add 4 cups of milk and heat until just ready to boil. Add scant cup of potato flakes. Stir and let set for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. If desired, garnish with parsley.

Stir Fry

All you really need is a bag of frozen vegetables and a possible side dish of rice or noodles to make a complete stir fry dinner. I got some of my stir fry ideas from delish but you can try any combination of vegetables, meat, and possibly a touch of fruit.

This recipe is great, especially with thanksgiving right around the corner. You’ll have to find something to do with all that leftover turkey.

Turkey stir fry

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 3/4 pound(s) turkey cutlets
- 2 tablespoon(s) soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon(s) (seasoned) rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon(s) (grated) peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon(s) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) (crushed) red pepper
- 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup(s) chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon(s) cornstarch
- 4 cup(s) broccoli florets
- 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 ounce(s) white mushrooms, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Warm 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and sauté until no longer pink in the middle, about 2 minutes per side. Remove turkey from pan and cut into bite-size pieces.

2. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, crushed red pepper and garlic. Blend broth and cornstarch in a cup with a fork.

3. In the same skillet, warm remaining 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, red pepper and mushrooms; stir-fry 5 minutes. Stir in soy-sauce mixture and stir-fry until vegetables are lightly browned and tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Give broth mixture a quick stir, then add to skillet along with chopped turkey; bring to a boil, stirring. Cook, still stirring, until turkey is heated through, 1 minute.