Hi, friends! Margaux filling in for Emily today. Tickled to be here.
If you’re a parent, you might be in the thick of Maycember, that end-of-spring flurry of activities that requires SEAL-Team-Six-level logistics and planning: school concerts, graduations, sports tournaments, dance recitals, field trips, themed dress-up days, classroom parties, teacher conferences, summer child-care planning. (What am I forgetting? Definitely something I’ll remember at 3 a.m.) I personally love the hustle and bustle of the almost-summer season, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the idea of cooking dinner every night on top of it all is little overwhelming.
My first tip is this: Don’t. Schedule one or two (or three!) days for takeout, or something incredibly simple like store-bought frozen dumplings or burritos with a pile of cut up fruit and vegetables. For the rest, choose the most low-effort recipes in all the land, like those below. Many of them can be made in 30 minutes or less, are wonderful warm or at room temperature and can be tucked into a Thermos and eaten on the way to your kid’s 87th activity.
Make-ahead tip: Toss everything together on the sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and slide into the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Make the two-ingredient sauce in a resealable container. (No need to refrigerate if it’s just for the day.)
2. Borani-yeh Esfenaj (Spinach Yogurt Dip)
I wrote about the delights of dip for dinner in 2020, and I’m here again to shout about it from the rooftops. (I probably need the T-shirt.) Naz Deravian’s borani-yeh esfenaj, an Iranian spinach yogurt dip, is a big family favorite. I serve it warm with pita chips and baby carrots, but you could also slather it in between slices of French bread, toss it with pasta or pile it on top of a baked potato.
Make-ahead tip: Assemble it in advance and then scoop out individual portions into to-go containers whenever you’re ready.
3. Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken
My 10-year old is a huge fan of butter chicken, and this slow-cooker version from Jennifer Steinhauer is happily adaptable. I used a mix of breasts and thighs, heavy cream instead of coconut milk, and added heaping tablespoons of turmeric and cumin and a pinch of cayenne. I also added a sprinkle of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I serve it with rice and store-bought naan that I warm in the toaster. Happy tummies all around.
Make-ahead tip: I prep mine in the morning, but I aspire to be one of those people with a freezer full of slow-cooker meals in Ziploc bags. You could do that here.
4. Sheet-Pan Quesadillas
Eric Kim is the master of super-smart “Why didn’t I think of that?” recipes, like this one for 15-minute sheet-pan quesadillas. Fill them with whatever you like, but don’t skip the sprinkle of salt he calls for on the tortilla, which “maximizes its inherent nutty flavor.” Wrapped in foil, these travel well and taste great warm and at room temp.
Make-ahead tip: Imagine everyone gathering around the table on Sunday and assembling their own quesadillas and stacking them up on a plate for you to wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
5. One-Pan Shrimp Scampi With Crispy Gnocchi
Crispy gnocchi forever. Melissa Clark calls for browning pillows of store-bought gnocchi in a skillet and then cooking shrimp (I love buying them frozen because they’re cheap and keep for ages) in a garlicky-lemony sauce in the same pan. Emily Post would bristle, but this dish is fun to eat with your fingers, making it a great on-the-go dinner for little people.
Make-ahead tip: Not much to do here, but if you’re using fresh shrimp, clean and devein them in advance. If you’re using frozen, you can pop the bag into the fridge in the morning to defrost.
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