I love all the tricks-I do them too!!

my quick meal is to add a lil olive oil in a pan add tomatoes,onions,beans,carrots,peas and after they are done add some broken wheat to it.add some grated cheese to them and eat it with some boiled eggs!!!!

Our quick meal is pasta and whatever is in the fridge. My children love pasta so this is a meal we all like. I cook up some chicken breast, cover with leftover red sauce or add veggies and a cream sauce, or white beans and garlic, ect. You can get very creative with pasta. I wish I could get used to the taste of whole wheat pasta, I know it would be healthier.

The food processor thing WORKS! My fiance won’t eat any vegetables. He won’t even try squash because he doesn’t like the name. He’s sure that broccoli is an STD. He unknowingly eats them twice a week… in his spaghetti. Odd thing is, he likes it better that way.

The other night I baked some chicken breasts with olive oil and tyme, nuked frozen green beans, uncle ben’s 90 second rice, and some reduced fat pilsbury cresent rolls. All 3 kids ate it!

As a mom I’ve had to convince myself that I don’t need to spend a half hour over boiling water and a hot stove to make a “meal”. My kids are just as happy, and probably healthier, with sandwiches and fresh fruit. We do peanut butter sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches. We also do pita sandwhiches and pita “pizza” – tomato sauce on a whole pita, with mozzerella (and whatever other ingredients), toasted in the oven. I offer fresh fruit and veggies at every meal. They don’t always eat them, and I try to be okay with that.

Our family keeps a bowl of legumes and hard grains (eg rye or wheat) soaking in the fridge everyday. You can also make this quick meal without soaking – just use a pressure cooker for 20 minute dinner or regular pot with lid for dinner in about 1 to 2 hours.
Ingredients
1/2 cup rye
1/2 cup wheat
1 cup adzuki beans
6 cups Vegetable broth or no-chkn broth
2 medium to large onions – whatever is handy
2 cloves of garlic
Choose one: (adjust to taste)
1/4 teaspoon each: ground rosemary, dried basil, dried marjoram
or
1/4 teaspoon each ground fennel, cardamon, cumin & turmeric
½ to 1 cup of frozen spinach, asparagus cuts, broccoli or some other veggie you like
Handful of fresh rough chopped mushrooms
Coconut, Grapeseed or Canola oil to saute’
Dutch Oven or heavy cast iron pan with lid for stove top use

Peel onions and cut in half, thinly slice the halved onions divide into 2 equal parts
Peal and mince garlic
Heat pan over medium high heat till hot, add 2 tablespoons oil.
Once oil is hot add 1 part of the onions, toss to coat with oil and let sit until browned on one side 3-5 minutes most stove tops.
Add second part of onions, toss to coat with oil – add more oil if you like.
When second onions are translucent add the mushrooms.
When the mushrooms have released the liquid add the minced garlic and seasoning blend of your choice. Stir/Toss together.
Add ½ of the broth and check flavors – they should be bold but not harsh. The flavor intensity will be cut by one half to two thirds by the end of the meal prep.
Add grains and legumes. Stir together.
Partially cover pot and bring to boil. Add remaining broth, return to boil and then add veggies.
Reduce heat and cover pot to simmer till liquid is absorbed. Grains and Legumes should be soft, wheat will still “pop” when you bite it.
My meat and cheese loving husband loves this meat and cheese free meal.
It also makes a very nice presentation when prepared/served in Augratin dishes.

my favorite “back-up” is whole wheat pasta-either penne or rotini and with it I throw in some quick sauteed spinach and either cannellini beans or albacore tuna for protein, and top is with a little olive oil, parmesan, salt, and pepper. mmmm!

A great quick meal is the Kashi Vanilla oatmeal. To make it a bigger meal I defrost some blueberries to put in it as well as some sliced almonds. YUM!

I always have a bowl of chicken salad prepared in the fridge, so I can use the Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas and have a great chicken salad wrap. Yummy!

My backup plan is either breakfast for dinner or fried rice. Both utilize the veggies and grains that I always have on hand. And I love that they are easy to pull together in a pinch. I know that I am covering most of my family’s nutritional needs without resorting to calling the pizza guy. :D

I always try to have “something” available at all times. Even if it’s just frozen chicken nuggets, pizza and French fries. May not be the most healthy thing to eat but it’s quick.

I hardly eat dinner….or most meals for that matter. It’s the only way I can lose weight fast enough. But anyway, I have 7 Kashi crackers, 9 carrots, and a half of an apple with water as my “fast dinner” when I have dinner.

I like to keep some Black bean veggie burgers in the freezer. With a whole whreat bun some leafy grean vegtables and some fat free ranch dressing it makes a great back up dinner.

I buy yummy Kashi Pizza to keep in my freezer for backups which is at least 1X a week :-)

I carry a Palm with me most places I go and I have almost all of my recipes backed up onto that. So when I’m at work, I just take a quick look and sort by number of ingredients and pick which has the least amount that I’m willing to work with.

I chose chicken salad for a quick back up dinner. It’s easy and most of the time I have all necessary ingredients.

I eat cookies and crackers

i’m haveing problems can’t find a recepie that all the pickie eaters in the house will eat…i’m thinking of buying a good food processer to hide some things they “don’t like”

My back up dinner is easy, it’s shrimp and rice. Since I am eating better I now use brown rice ans less salt and no oil to satuee the shrimp, but it tastes just the same as my moms receipe and it is my dinner that I make when no one else is going to be home for dinner and I would end up eating some thing frozen.