In the absence of radical conversion to a lifestyle of preparing early for everything, I am resigned to having to rush to get shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking and cleaning done before Christmas.
It’s not that I am in this alone. My husband does a lot of this, and without his initiatives, I’d be in big trouble.
I’ve been planning some meals that are quick and easy to prepare so that I can minimize the time spent on everyday meals and make more time available for other tasks.
Leftovers make great lunches, and for days when there are no leftovers in the fridge, an old-time school lunch of a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a glass of water or milk is quick and easy. A simple alternative is a plate of crackers or toast with cheese, pickles, a few nuts and a clementine.
People who work from home like I do can easily cook a baked potato for lunch. Scrub a potato, pierce the skin with a fork, put it in the oven around 11 a.m., right on the rack, to bake at 200 C (400 F). When the potato is tender, in about 1 hour if it’s a big potato, top with your choice of toppings: butter or sour cream; steamed broccoli; grated cheese; salsa; leftover chili or bacon bits.
Ideas for quick, no-fuss dinners can sometimes seem elusive. The easiest supper prep that I’m planning for this week is to take a container of braised beef out of the freezer, warm it up and serve it with pappardelle. It is rewarding to have a few homemade ready-to-serve dishes ready to defrost and serve.
Although it requires some planning, a meal of baked beans is easy to make. Soak the dried beans overnight in the refrigerator, in about twice their volume of cold water. Drain them in the morning and put them in a saucepan with about twice their volume of cold water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to keep the water simmering, and cook until tender. Drain the beans, add a sauce, and put them in a slow oven to cook for the rest of the day. Here’s the recipe I use. Omit the bacon to make it vegetarian.
Baked Beans
½ lb (250 g) dried beans (navy, Jacob’s Cattle or Yellow Eye)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tsp (10 mL) cider vinegar
½ tsp (2 mL) prepared mustard
¼ cup (50 mL) molasses
¼ cup (50 mL) diced tomatoes (optional)
¼ cup (50 mL) tomato catsup
Pinch black pepper
3 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces (optional)
Sort beans, discarding any debris, and rinse in clear water. Cover beans with 2-3 times their volume of cold water, refrigerate, and allow to soak overnight. Drain and discard soaking water.
Place beans in a heavy saucepan, and cover with 2-3 times their volume of water. Cover, bring water to a full boil, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are just tender, 40-50 minutes. Drain and place in bean crock.
Combine onions, vinegar, mustard, molasses, tomatoes, catsup and pepper, and pour over beans. Stir in (optional) bacon. Add enough boiling water to cover.
Bake covered, at 135 C (275 F) for at least 3 hours, preferably longer. Add hot water as required, to keep beans moist.
Makes 4 servings
I still have several spaghetti squash from my generous neighbour’s garden in the basement. To make an easy and satisfying meal, I cut a squash in half, lengthwise, and discard the seeds, place one half (both halves if serving more people) cut side up in a greased, shallow, oven-proof casserole. Spoon bottled tomato sauce to fill the scooped out cavities, and bake at 180 C (350 F) until almost tender, around an hour. Cover with grated mozzarella cheese and continue baking until squash is fork tender and cheese is melted.
Sheet pan meals are easy to prepare and adaptable. The last one I made included a halved and seeded delicata squash, 2 pork chops, 2 russet potatoes and 1 halved cooking onion, arranged on a baking sheet and roasted at 190 C (375 F). Make your own variation, using foods that will all cook in about the same amount of time.
A no-fuss meal can save the day at busy times like these.
Margaret Prouse, a home economist, can be reached by email at [email protected].
