 August 8th, 2011
05:00 PM ET
5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. Someone You, my friend, have fallen into a cooking rut. So, what's a disgruntled and uninspired home cook to do? Chef Aaron Wright from The Tavern at Lark Creek has got you covered with some unique tips to take your Monday night to the next level. As a chef, Wright might not find himself at home very often for a weeknight dinner - but when he does, he makes it count. Five Ways to Make a Weeknight Meal Feel Extraordinary: Aaron Wright 2. Hit the farmers market with your dinner companion(s) and shop for ingredients that you can cook together. It really makes the entire night seem like an event rather than just another meal at your dinner table. 3. Fire up the grill and cook the whole meal on it. Potatoes, veggies, and even romaine lettuce work well with a quick sear on the grill. Nothing beats eating this type of meal outdoors, with a bottle of crisp white wine or a French rosé. 4. Decide to get adventurous, having the whole family help and prepare something you’ve never cooked before - and add in special spices or ingredients that the kids are not familiar with. My favorite spice to throw in and make a ho-hum dish interesting: espelette pepper. 5. Great seafood, steaks and poultry cooked properly only need a light accompaniment to really wow your palate. Here is a favorite side-dish recipe my wife and I use when friends are joining us for dinner. Soy-Madeira Glazed Mushrooms Ingredients
Cooking Directions
Recipe formatting optimized by the nice folks at RecipeSEO.com Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down. |
  Recent Posts
National Brown-Bag-It Day! National Brown-Bag-It Day! National Brown-Bag-It Day! http://t.co/kJLuth7a 3:08 pm UTC, May 25 2012
Sweet or unsweet? @TheCoffeeBean is here to help you brew pitcher-perfect iced tea: http://t.co/VtJjCZOq 9:43 pm UTC, May 24 2012
Know who brews killer coffee at home & saves cash while they're at it? You. With help from @counter_culture & @essouth: http://t.co/SBn7EAl4 8:52 pm UTC, May 24 2012
Bacon? Schmacon! @kkrader sez America's best sundaes don't need no stinkin' pig to make them special: http://t.co/tutbbBke 3:16 pm UTC, May 24 2012
National Escargot Day! National Escargot Day! National Escargot Day! http://t.co/AtwV99jH 1:14 pm UTC, May 24 2012
 |
 |
|
© 2010 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Help | Advertising Practices
Yes there should realize the opportunity to RSS commentary, quite simply, CMS is another on the blog.
Challenge yourself to a cooking challenge using only what you have at home. It's economical and you come up with some of the most amazing recipes. A good resource on improvisational cooking can be seen here
strangerthankitchen.com
I think one thing that frustrates so many home cooks is that each meal is approached as an isolated challenge in and of itself. Professional chefs know there will be meals to prepare tomorrow and tomorrow and . . . We plan accordingly. Home cooks can do the same. It makes healthy meal planning and prep quick and easy, with no need to reinvent the wheel every meal.
http://www.ingenio.com/details/Chef-Sandy/Diet-Nutrition/10656543
We cook on the grill on Sunday nights....we make lots of food that will last throughout the week. This way the meat is aleady cooked (and quite often corn on the cob this time of the year!) and all we have to do is reheat it and figure out what sides to make with it. Sometimes that might be a salad or chopped fresh fruit. We do this with hamburgers, sausage patties, hot dogs, chicken parts, sirloin tips, pork chops, etc. Sometimes we don't even reheat the meat....instead we just cut it up cold in a salad. I love the sirloin tips on a bed of lettuce, cukes, tomatoes, salsa, etc.
This past Sunday it was too hot and muggy to bbq so in the air conditioned house, we made stuffed peppers, chili and turkey vegetable soup (all homemade). This will last all week, and there are many things to do with these items. The chili can be eaten the way it is, or it can be put on top of nachos with shredded cheese, salsa, etc. to make loaded nachos. I work a crazy schedule (I have a full time job then I also teach at three colleges) so I want to make meal time easy/happy/fun rather than dreadful.
Michelle we do it very similar in my house too! I make a home cooked meal 6 nights out of 7, and I have two teenage boys still at home and work a full time job.......we also make and freeze ahead meatballs, chicken breast cut into cubes, soups in the crock pot, etc......with some simple strategy you can throw healthy, delicious meals together in less time than drving through a fast food drive thru- plus save a TON of money!
Valerie....the crockpot is a great appliance, isn't it!! I have a very large crockpot (can't remember the exact size at the moment) that I have been using for years. Recently at a thrift shop, I picked up an appliance that is 3 crockpots in one appliance (like a buffet). They are small (about 1 1/2 quarts I think), but it is fun to use. It was brand new, and I got it for $10! Recently I made chili, chicken and vegetables (using that new sauce by the makers of Philidelphia Cream Cheese), and sausage with peppers and onions. Each of the three crockpots in this one appliance has its own on/off and temperature setting. Like I said, it has been a lot of fun to use! You are right, Valerie, about saving a ton of money. And I'm not stressed each night trying to decide what to have for dinner.
This is accomplishable with a well stocked pantry and an open mind, all within the same time it takes to make the dishes that are putting you into a rut. Or even less.
Example- I used to make a X (chicken, shrimp, or tofu) with peanut sauce (from a bottle) and sauteed veggies (a broccoli slaw pre-shredded mix in a bag), served over rice. One night (after starting Weight Watchers, truth be told), I skipped the rice and put more veggies in, and served the protein over the veggies. It was a hit that we then continued to make, and just by changing some of the veggies it keeps the dish from getting boring. And I don't have to cook the rice if I don't want to.
Ummm...ingredients state 1 shallot minced, but the directions say slice. And when do you add the garlic?
Yes, I really want to go shopping or deal with the mess of a grill after a long day at work. I also love the assumption that anyone can easily get to a famer's market. The nearest farmers' market to me is an hour's drive away and is only open on the weekends.
I plan all my meals on Sunday and buy what I need then, so all I have to do is throw it together throughout the week.
Bobbi, I think this article was written for you – rut?
Same here. I thought this article would be more informative but it wasn't. It's just cheesy.
Looks like you could use a brain squeezer in your kitchen to spice up your meals a bit. Please, lighten the fuk up.
Point number one is spot on. I do this all the time.
Quit complaining-not every article is going to apply to every single reader. You literally whined about everything the author had to say. If you're not going to have something positive to contribute, feel free to keep your complaining to yourself. No farmers market- go to whole foods, trader joes...use your imagination. The.article said have things on hand to make other foods interesting- you can buy whatever foods on Sunday, then if it seems boring the day you want to eat it add something different to it. This wasn't algebra....make it apply to you.
"This wasn't algebra....make it apply to you."
WINNER of the Advice of the Day award!
OMG- EXACTLY!!!!!! Thank you!
I plan a week's worth of meals, too. In fact, I prepare all of them (except salads) on Sunday. But there's no rut, because I put one new thing in the menu each week. "Planning ahead" and "boring" are not necessarily synonymous. Unless you want them to be.
Well said about planning ahead and boring!!
Right. Get adventurous on weeknights! Be creative on weeknights! And if you don't have any time or energy left to be creative after dealing with career, commute, home, and family on weeknights, well...there just must be something wrong with you.
You don't have to literally "be creative during the week." Plan your meals and grocery lists ahead during a time when you do feel creative. Start by having an out-of-your-rut meal one night during the week. It doesn't have to be every week either. Plan it for every other week. If it's something you want to do, you can make it happen.
"If it's something you want to do, you can make it happen." Exactly!
YumYum!
I'm soooooo in a cooking rut. I've been thinking I should try at least one new recipe a week. I save so many recipes from magazines and hardly ever try them. I think this 5@5 is the kick in the pants I needed.
I, too, have the giant file of magazine clippings and for a long time wasn't making good use of them. So I resolved to try one new recipe a week. If it is a success, I type up the recipe and put it in my personal cookbook-binder. And each year at the holidays my friends and family are treated to that year's collection.
The idea to plan ahead for the week is a really good one, too – that way you know you have the stuff on hand to try your new creation!