Advertisement
Quick and easy recipes perfect for weeknight meals during back-to-school season
Resume
It’s always a tough time of year. Summer is winding down — though still officially here until Sept. 22 — kids are back to school and work takes on a steadier beat. Who has time for meal planning?
This is the refrain I hear from so many people every year as we segue to fall. But the key to easy weekday meals is organization and a good, well-stocked pantry. Make a pot of soup (why not a bright orange winter squash) that will last for several days and can serve as dinner — with a salad and crusty bread — or fill a thermos to take to work for lunch. My squash soup is somehow creamy without the addition of any dairy and can be served as is or with a wide variety of toppings to make it feel more like a full meal.
White beans, tossed with plenty of lemon and fresh herbs, give you a summer feeling while still being a satisfying protein. Make the beans on a Sunday and they will last for several days. Again, eat them as is or topped with grilled chicken, tofu, fish or red meat. It’s a great side dish to have around in the refrigerator. Use canned beans if you’re running out of time or simmer up a pot of beans to last you the whole week.
And finally, a very hearty and simple pasta dish made with grilled (or broiled) eggplant, sauteed sausage, garlic and your favorite tomato sauce. The sauce, reminiscent of the Sicilian classic Pasta alla Norma, tastes like it’s been simmering all day but can be put together in less than 30 minutes.
A word on pantry/freezer organization: the more you have on hand, the easier it is to put meals together at the last minute. Eggs turn into a quick omelet, a frittata or topping for a homemade or canned soup or noodle dish. Canned beans provide quick easy protein that can be used for tacos, soups, stews and so much more. Vegetable and chicken stock are ideal for quick soups, sauces, and stews. Winter squash, garlic and onions last for weeks in a cool, dry spot and can be transformed into so many dishes. Pasta, rice and dried noodles make an ideal last-minute dinner. Coconut milk turns plain old tofu or chicken into a quick curry, and a variety of dried spices and chilis adds new flavor to the same old dishes. Add something new to your pantry every week and see how it can transform your daily cooking and add ease
Winter squash soup
This is a vegan soup that has a surprisingly creamy texture. Choose a sweet winter squash like butternut or honeynut. The soup will keep for several days. You can serve it as is or embellish it with a variety of toppings. The soup can be a light main course (depending on the toppings), a first course or a great lunch for school or work.
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
The soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks, dark green section discarded and light green and white section cut lengthwise, rinsed and thinly chopped, or 1 large onion, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons crumbled dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
- 1 ½ pound sweet winter squash, like butternut or honeynut, peeled, seeded, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 ½ cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
Optional toppings:
- Croutons or croutes
- Drizzle of heavy cream or Greek yogurt
- Dollop of pesto
- Sprinkle of ground cumin or Za’atar
- Pumpkin seeds
- Drizzle maple syrup
- Thin pieces of lightly fried prosciutto
Instructions
- In a soup pot, heat the oil over low heat. Add the leeks or onion, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and the squash and cook for another 8 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the wine; let boil for 2 minutes. Add the stock, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the broth flavorful. If the broth tastes “winey,” boil it for another minute. Cool slightly.
- In a food processor, blender or using a hand-held immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy and smooth. Place the soup back in the pot and heat over medium-low heat. Taste for seasoning.
- Serve hot topped with any or all of the toppings.
Lemony white bean and herb salad
This white bean salad is substantial enough to serve as a main course but it’s also the perfect backdrop to a grilled chicken, steak or fish filet. It has a distinct lemony flavor and the feta cheese adds creamy texture and flavor.
Any leftovers are excellent heated up in a skillet and topped with a fried egg.
Serves 3 to 4.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white cannellini beans, homemade, or one 15-ounce can, drained, rinsed under cold water and rinsed again*
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes or ripe tomatoes cut into ½-inch size pieces
- About ⅓ cup olive oil
- About ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
*To make your own beans: In a large bowl soak ½ cup dried white cannellini beans in enough cold water to cover the beans for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight. Drain. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with cold water, 4 peppercorns and an onion. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low, cover and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender. Drain, keeping some of the bean cooking liquid for sauces or soups.
Instructions
- To make the lemony beans: In a large bowl gently mix all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning. The beans should have a distinct lemon flavor; add more to taste.
Spicy sausage and eggplant pasta
This is a riff on the classic Sicilian dish pasta alla norma. Here eggplant is grilled or broiled to avoid sauteing it in a load of olive oil. Eggplant is like a sponge that soaks up the oil it’s cooked in. So, using this method, we avoid the need for much oil at all. The eggplant is then peeled and cubed and sauteed with garlic, spicy Italian-style sausage and your favorite tomato sauce. I toss it with wide pappardelle noodles, but it will work well with any shaped or wide pasta. It’s a thick chunky sauce full of flavor that tastes like it’s been cooking all day.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large eggplant
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh basil, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, chopped
- ¾ pound spicy Italian sausage or your favorite sausage, cut the casing and squeeze the meat out of the casing (discard casing)
- 2 cups of your favorite jarred or homemade tomato sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound pappardelle or another wide or shaped pasta
- About ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, served on the side
Instructions
- Light a charcoal or gas grill until hot, about 400 degrees. Alternatively, you can preheat the broiler. Place the whole eggplant on the grill (or place on a sheet of aluminum foil about 1 ½ inches beneath the broiler) and grill or broil for about 15 to 20 minutes, tossing the eggplant back and forth until deflated and soft when you press on the skin. Remove and wrap in the foil. Let cool slightly and remove the peel and the ends of the eggplant. Cut the flesh in ½-inch-size cubes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- In a large skillet heat 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add half the garlic and half the basil and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring for about 8 minutes or until brown and crisping up. Stir in the remaining garlic, the cubed eggplant and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to low; simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. The sauce can be made several hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate if making ahead.
- When the water comes to boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, almost soft and tender with a slight 'bite,' about 4 to 12 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you choose. Drain.
- Get a large serving bowl or platter ready and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the remaining basil and thyme and salt and pepper in the bottom of the bowl. Add the drained pasta and toss. Top with the sausage and eggplant sauce. Serve the Parmesan cheese on the side.
This segment aired on September 19, 2024.
