favorite freezer-friendly prepared foods

After yesterday's post, many friends asked me to share some of the freezer-friendly prepared foods I keep on hand. While I am usually really good about stocking the freezer with homemade meals, it just so happened that our freezer was pretty barren when I launched into a few crazy busy weeks of big volunteer projects, and starting this (even more) mindful & healthful living gig. So, some of my freezer case favorites that have seen a lot of table time around here this past week include:

• van's frozen waffles (I usually stock up on the "organic vitamin boost" one admittedly because I am a sucker for labeling that promises all that...)


• Rico M. Panadas emapandas (I've swooned about him before, and I'll do it again. This guy has a fabulous product. Partic favs around here are the sweet corn & cheese; chicken; and beef ones.)


• EVOL burritos (I love that they come in "snack" size (perfect for children) and regular size. I will admit that I am raising wild animals, so anything that can be picked up at mealtime is a bonus.)


• Whole Kitchen (Whole Food's in-store brand) Chicken Taquitos (again, if you can pick it up or dip it my children think it's fun and it goes down the hatch...)


• Jolie ravioli (has some weird, gimmicky flavors but my kids enjoy the cheese & broccoli one + the shapes make them exciting-- if you are 4)


• My older son loved the smoked gouda & pear Nuovo raviolis that was in that one pic from yesterday. (I think it was the beggar's purse shape that he thought was cool...and, deep sigh, perhaps easily picked up)


• Amy's or Kashi frozen pizzas (who doesn't like pizza? we like Amy's spinach and pesto varieties best and the Kashi roasted vegetable and pesto ones)


• Amy's or Trader Joe's frozen mac & cheese (nothing like the bright orange stuff in the box)


• And yes, even if I think they're kind of icky, I let my kids throw hot dogs into the shopping cart on occasion. But usually it's a package of chicken sausages that I always have on hand.

That should provide some inspiration the next time you do your grocery marketing. I'd love to hear about your (relatively healthful) go-to's?

"meatless monday" idea: cilantro-walnut pesto over whole wheat rotini

Those in the NY area may remember the first storm that kicked off this winter season? Or maybe it's all just a blur now? Anyway, this was what I made for our family when we arrived home-- at lunchtime-- after a more than 24-hour travel "adventure". The fridge was bare and we were all hungry and wiped out...but a peek in the freezer (frozen herbs & garlic), snack drawer (nuts) and pantry (pasta) I was able to improvise a delicious meal. This hit the spot and has become a consistent, simple, family-pleasing recipe in my "meatless" meal rotation.

Cilantro Walnut Pesto

(makes about 2 cups of pesto)

2 cups walnuts
6 cubes Dorot frozen garlic*
12 cubes Dorot frozen cilantro*
1 cup vegetable broth
dash of kosher salt

In a blender, combine all ingredients and pulse until smooth. Serve over your choice of pasta. Sprinkling of Parmesan optional.

* I get mine at Trader Joe's and just keep a stash of the basil, garlic and cilantro cubes in my freezer.

homemade peanut noodles

Yesterday, my little one decided he wanted noodles for lunch. "Long noodles with sauce!" Easy enough, right? The only problem is that I'd used the last of our sauce earlier in the week, and there was no way I was getting all bundled up to go to the market for sauce when it was in the single digits, or at least felt that way. Not a chance. "Sounds good, that's what mom wants too!"

I remembered a post I'd gotten recently...something about peanut noodles. Pulling the bookmarked recipe up, I realized I could concoct something similar with what I had on hand. Maybe even better, since the paltry amount of whole wheat spaghetti I had on hand meant that I'd have to bulk it up with shredded veggies. The result was fabulous, and it was made in minutes. Here's what went into my version:

Peanut Noodles with Shredded Veggies

whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente

shredded carrots
shredded English cucumbers or zucchini

peanut butter
sesame oil
rice vine vinegar
dried ginger (leftover from Christmas cookie baking)
frozen cilantro
frozen basil
frozen garlic

Cook pasta according to package. While the pasta is cooking, shred carrots and cucumbers (or zucchini would be good too) in a Cuisinart using the shredder attachment (the disk with all of the little holes).* Pop shredded veggies into a big mixing bowl. No need to rinse the Cuisinart bowl out, as it's all going in the same place...just replace the shredding attachment with the regular metal blade. Then, I made a dressing of peanut butter + sesame oil + rice vinegar + dried ginger + several cubes of frozen garlic, cilantro and basil.** Add the noodles to the mixing bowl once they're cooked and drained. Pour the dressing over noodles and veggies and toss with tongs.

Note that I didn't give you measurements for the dressing ingredients because it can really be made to your taste. I made ours zesty with more vinegar than peanut butter, but you could definitely go the simple, creamy route by erring on more peanut butter and sesame oil. Try it as you go and add a little more of this or that until it's just the way you and your family would like it. These noodles store perfectly in the fridge...though I am not sure for how long, since we polished them off at lunch today!

* To give you an idea of quantities, I used about 1/2 a package of whole wheat spaghetti + 1 lb of carrots and 1 English cucumber. Really, that's because that's what I had on hand. You can do any ratio, but I thought this end result where it was 50:50 noodles to veggies was perfect and I'd do it exactly the same way when I make these again.

** I always have a stash of these frozen herbs for times like these, when I want to make something but don't have fresh on hand. Around us, they carry them at Trader Joe's (in the frozen aisle, of course).

follow-up to the roasted veggie post: what they went into next

This is a follow-up to yesterday's post about roasted root vegetables. The burning question from friends new and old seems to be "whether you really cook for your family every night?!" What do you think? I mean really folks. If you think I cook from scratch each day, then you overestimate me! But, what I do have is a fabulously stocked pantry/fridge/freezer so I can "make" dinner even on the busiest of days. A while back I mentioned those Maya Kaimal sauces. They came in handy again the other night. I purposefully roasted a ton of root veggies and tucked the remainder in the fridge. The next night, I knew everyone wouldn't want the same dinner, so I simply chopped the remaining pork tenderloin up into bite-size pieces, and tossed that and the root veggies into a pot with a Maya Kaimal curry sauce. Dinner was made in, oh, about 5 minutes. Fabulous.

I had intended to make this curry with just the root vegetables and some tofu I had picked up at the store. But, my meat-lover husband lucked out since we had the second pork tenderloin...and it ended up being a pork curry instead. For for those of you looking for more meatless meal ideas, the combination of roasted veggies + tofu + sauce (or just the hearty veggies alone + sauce!) would be delicious. I served our bowls over brown rice (those genius frozen packets that are ready in 3 minutes) + a dollop of Whole Food's Mango Salsa (found in the produce section). And it was really, really good.

Here are two more ideas of sauces to keep on hand for those who might like a few more ideas of things to keep on hand to make mealtime easy.

Who has time to cook from scratch every night?

I don't cook from scratch every night. Even if I wanted to, there's no way that I could pull that off.

Last night, I had dinner plans with a friend. We were high tailing it into town for some kid-free conversation. Still, my husband and the kids needed dinner. In a matter of minutes, I "made" a mild curry (which my kids proclaimed to be "the best ever"), brown rice and roasted butternut squash.

The curry was simply Stonehouse 27's Cashew & Cream cooking sauce + chicken + a bag of organic frozen peas + a hearty handful of roasted, unsalted cashews...tossed in a large saute pan and heated until the chicken was cooked through. Most supermarkets have already cooked brown rice in the freezer section. And cubes of butternut squash (yes, bought pre-cut) were simply roasted at 425 on a cookie sheet with a drizzle of olive oil + kosher salt + pepper + cumin + cinnamon + and chili powder for about 20 minutes, while I had a relaxing cup of coffee with another friend and five kiddos took a Spanish class in my living room. Amazing meal, very little effort, happy mom.

Busy day today... tonight was a similarly easy "homemade" meal. What can I say? With a lot going on and major Thanksgiving cooking on the horizon, I am not going to burn the candle at both ends this week before!

That is our dinner in the photo above. Not bad for a Tuesday night. The soft tacos were made with ground beef sauteed in Frontera's new Taco Skillet Sauce (which is so new that I can't find it on their website under "products"? But I can tell you that our local (Darien, CT) Whole Foods is definitely stocking it in the Mexican/Southwestern aisle. While I couldn't find a product link, I did manage to find a grocer wholesale sheet. So, if you want that for your local retailer, here it is.) + shredded cheese + sour cream + chunks of avocado. I meant to make cumin roasted cauliflower, but I forgot to turn the oven on...oh well.

The point of this post is that a well-stocked pantry or popping one or two simmer sauces, rubs, or similar into your shopping cart each week allows you to create amazing meals in minutes. So, no more "I tried your enchiladas and they were amazing but I haven't got time to cook like that every night!" The truth is, some nights neither do I!

Simple Weekend Brunch: Veggie Hash

I wish I could say that I toodled out to our local farmer's market, two kids in tow this morning, and put a seasonal bounty on the table. But, the reality is: my husband's off playing tennis with the guys, I've got two kids who are totally beat from a big week in the sun, and I really wanted to sneak off and read during the quiet period when my kids were immersed in their LEGO creations.

Still, on a moments notice, we had a fabulous breakfast together. It wasn't the freshest, but it hit the spot. One of the secrets to being able to whip up quick, yummy meals for your family is to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer.

Brunch Veggie Hash
(4 servings)

1 package of Trader Joe's Country Potatoes with Haricots Verts and Wild Mushrooms (found in the frozen section)
6 eggs (or more if you'd like leftovers or your family is bigger)
handful of shredded Parmesan

Heat the contents of the country potato package in a medium fry pan. When potatoes and veggies are just about warmed through, add the eggs and cheese. Scramble everything together until eggs are cooked. Serve to your family. Don't mention there are mushrooms in there if your child hates mushrooms. Chances are they won't even notice them in the hodge podge of delicious flavors.

I served the veggie hash with biscuits smothered in strawberry jam, sections of a juicy orange, and dried cranberries (my little one's request...) I passed on the cranberries and also forgot to photograph my plate before thoroughly enjoying this meal.

Pork Two Simple, Family-Pleasing Ways – Day Two

As mentioned in my last post, my goal last week was to model Health Magazine’s Double Delicious article. In the article, the cooking was primarily done one day, and then meals were enjoyed in two different variations on two different nights. The challenge was to create dinners with half the effort, but that were still varied and delicious…like I pride myself on being about to make from scratch on the busiest of days. This two-night-pork-gig was a winner, one that I'll definitely repeat during a busy week ahead.

I took the remaining pork tenderloin from Day 1, and chopped it up into (about) ½” pieces, then tossed it into a large sauté pan with a little olive oil, some diced onion, a rinsed and drained can of chickpeas (I thought I had black beans in the pantry but didn’t) and Rosa Mexicano’s Granadilla Sauce (which contains: tomato puree, black beans, crushed tomatillos, onion, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sugar, salt, red wine vinegar, pomegranate juice concentrate, garlic, cilantro, dried guajillo peppers, dried morita peppers, cloves, allspice). I found the sauce at Whole Foods in Westport, where I often find wonderful, slightly unique sauces to keep in my pantry.

Again, it’s all about having a well-stocked pantry if you want to be able to make simple, delicious dinners any night of the week. My rule of thumb is that these short-cuts are totally fine, as long as I recognize all of the ingredients in a product, and those ingredients are something I would cook with too.

I could have followed Health Magazine’s recipe for Pork and Black Bean Tacos…but, aside from the fact that I didn’t have black beans on hand, I was also having too much fun with my kids to slave over the stove. And so, after combining the pre-cooked pork tenderloin, chickpeas and sauce, I simply put a toppings bar together and let each person assemble their own soft tacos. It was delicious, and truly could not have been easier.

Quick note on the tortillas: I found these Sonoma brand Organic Tortillas at Walter Stewart’s in the refrigerated section over by the eggs. They are wonderful. Search them out!

Pork Two Simple, Family-Pleasing Ways – Day One

Before the snow melted into this random patchiness, we were spending our afternoons outside in the yard sledding and scooping snow. This didn’t leave a lot of time to make dinner so I tried out that theory of “cook once for two day’s meals”. One two meal set, involving pork, was fabulous. The one two-night-gig with salmon was excellent the first night, but no matter how you package it, leftover fish is just sort of, um, nasty.

This recipe was inspired by Health Magazine’s January/February 2010 article, Double Delicious. The magazine proposed Horseradish-Crusted Pork Tenderloin on night one, and Pork & Black Bean Tacos on night two. Because I liked the idea, but didn’t have the ingredients for their recipes on hand (nor the time in the case of night one), here is what I whipped up.

Sweet & Spicy Crusted Pork Tenderloin

As I think I have mentioned before, if you keep a packet of Urban Accents Dry Glazes on hand (sold at Walter Stewart's in town as well as many other markets), you will always be able to whip up a gourmet meal in minutes. The one I happened to have in my pantry was “Bombay Blitz” Dryglaze (which contains: granulated honey, sea salt, sugar, cumin, bell pepper, white peppercorn, coriander, onion, turmeric, Cayenne pepper, green peppercorns, black peppercorns, and vanilla bean powder). It’s a shortcut, but I recognize all the ingredients within, so we’re good to go. I simply rubbed a bit of olive oil on the two 1-pound(ish) pork tenderloins, then sprinkled one bag of dryglaze amongst the two tenderloins (each box of dryglaze comes with two bags), and then went out to sled with the kids. When we came back in, I roasted the pork in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Done!

Then alongside the pork tenderloin, I roasted brussel sprouts (drizzled with olive oil and dusted with a little kosher salt and cumin) and red peppers. The veggies were also roasted at 425 degrees, which made the whole thing very easy. For a starch, I always keep a couple of those Seeds of Change Whole Grain Basmati rice packets in the pantry, which rounded out the meal.

The pork was a little too spicy for my children, so I cut the caramelized crust off, and they basically had plain pork tenderloin and roasted veggies. But everyone was happy. As soon as I pop the kiddos into the tub I can quickly type up what we had on night two with the leftover pork tenderloin, as it was equally delicious (and easy)….

A Peek in our Snack Drawer

A friend recently asked me what I thought about snacking. I’d never really thought about it too seriously…both of my kids are itty bitty, so I am thrilled when they want to eat. I am definitely an “everything in moderation” mom. Nothing is taboo. When it comes to snacking, I do try to offer up healthy (or healthier) choices. Here are some favorites around here (many put together = a meal as far as I am concerned):

Fridge: cheese sticks, cheese “flags” (slices), ants on a log (celery, cream cheese, raisins), hummus with crackers or in a half of a whole wheat pita, yogurt (in a tube or a small carton of whole milk yogurt), grapes, carrots “swords” (big carrots not the mini ones), bell pepper slices, cucumber “pennies” (simply sliced cucumbers), berries (in season)

Fruit bowl: apples, pears, banana (and stone fruits when in season)

Then there’s our “snack drawer” (pictured above, which is a total mess...sorry, I did not organize it for you) and the kids can help themselves to whatever is in there too. This drawer is great if I need to grab something as we’re dashing out the door. Here’s what’s in it right now:
Mini bags of pretzels
Mini boxes of raisins
Fruit Leathers (Trader Joe’s)
Cereal Bars (Trader Joe’s)
Granola bars (Trader Joe’s)
Snap Pea Crisps
Cheddar Cheese Squares (Trader Joe’s cheese crackers)
Ak-Mak crackers
Water Crackers
Stone Ground Wheat Crackers
Alphabet cookies (Trader Joe’s)
Honey Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks (Trader Joe’s)
Popcorn
Kashi TLC 7-Grain crackers
Mrs. May’s Black Sesame Squares (new fav from Walter Stewart’s Market)
Annie’s Snack Mix Bunnies
Freeze-Dried Strawberries (Trader Joe’s)
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Dried Apricots
Almonds
Prunes
Dried Bananas
and then there are assorted nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc for baking nestled in there too...

Fixing Curry

I mentioned that I was making dinner from what I had on hand, right? Well, I should have just gone plain and simple. But no, I decided to get a little fancy, and had to fix the curry to make it edible.

Here’s what I started with (and should have ended with): Chopped new potatoes and onions, sautéed in olive oil.

Then I threw in a carton of cherry tomatoes. Next some chopped kale. (The remainder of my CSA and farmer’s market bounty from last week.) The idea was to have the tomatoes stew and become part of the sauce.

Next a jar of Trader Joe’s Punjab Spinach Sauce (which I keep in my pantry for times like these). I guess now is as good a time as any to mention that I am not at all opposed to using these meal helpers as long as I recognize all of the ingredients within. If it’s all stuff I’d cook with anyhow, why not use a little help here and there? We’ve all got a lot going on in our lives, and it would be ludicrous to assume we’re going to cook from scratch each night! Trader Joe’s has a bounty of these prepared sauces, frozen items, and envelopes of goodies I keep on hand.

OK, so back to the curry. Next I tossed in a handful of raisins (for texture and some sweetness)...

and a bag of frozen organic spinach and a bag of organic frozen peas. I should have just let the potatoes cook, the flavors blend, and enjoyed the meal as is over brown rice.

But I added some sherry vinegar. Sherry vinegar?! It was there, it smelled yummy. I like zing. So, I poured it in. Too much in. It didn’t make it zingy. Between the bitter kale and the vinegar the curry was downright sour. I needed to add a base and something sweet to make this meal edible. Back to the pantry. I had a can of Light Coconut Milk. Added that. Still needs something more. Checked the fridge…orange marmalade….no sugar added apricot jam…voila!: a jar of Mango-Ginger Chutney. Added a little. Added the whole jar.

The irony of it all? When my husband had the curry he commented that it was a little too sweet for his tastes.

The moral of the story: Trader Joe’s Punjab Spinach Sauce is yummy as is. And you can feel good about whipping up a “homemade” meal using it. No need to try to get fancy. It’s made with: tomato puree, spinach, light cream, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, sea salt, canola oil, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. All things you recognize.

Chimichurri Rice with Sausage & Spinach

On the day my older son has Kindergarten soccer practice (otherwise known as: one very patient dad trying to herd cats), our whole evening routine is thrown to the wind. Normally I feed my kids around 5:00 and they’ve had their bath and stories and are in bed between 6:30-7:00, respectively. Friends balk at their early bedtime, but neither kid’s complaining (any more than they already would no matter when they had to go to bed) and there is a brief period of calm at the end of the day.

But on the days we’ve got "soccer", we don’t even get home until 6:15 or so. This means I feed my kids their supper at 4:30 then race around putting shin guards on, looking for the soccer ball…and then spend an hour trying to keep my little one off the field and out of the parking lot. Unless I really plan ahead, dinner these nights doesn't get started until well after my husband has gotten home so it's got to be quick and easy...or takeout.

Last night, after the kids were asleep I went downstairs to figure out what I could quickly whip up. I hadn’t been to the market in several days and the fruits and veggies from our CSA were pretty slim at this point in the week. Still, with a little digging around the freezer, dinner turned out great….and plentiful enough that we can both have it for lunch today.

Chimichurri Rice with Sausages & Spinach

1 pkg Trader Joe’s Chimichurri Rice (in freezer section)
1 pkg Trader Joe’s Andouille Chicken Sausage, sliced thin
1 large bag frozen spinach

In a large fry pan, sauté the chicken sausage in a little olive oil. Add the frozen spinach and sauté until warmed through. In the meantime, heat the Chimichurri Rice according to the package (I did the microwave heating). Once warmed, add to dry pan with sausage and spinach. Done!

Simple Spicy Curry (with help from Maya)

Today was non-stop. I team taught a Stroller Strides class…played at the park with my little one…zipped through Whole Foods (which I love, but that reminds how much less expensive Trader Joe’s is) with minutes to spare before picking up my bigger one…took them both for an impromptu picnic (brown rice sushi from Whole Foods and one of the Whole Food’s bakery’s decadent “granola bars”) at the New Canaan Nature Center…home in time to nap the little one and squeeze in half a workout myself…before taking the big one to his music class and then treating the kids to a (dinner busting) gelato at Gelatissimo. Totally worth it. I tried to give them a goat cheese polenta terrine thingy I picked up at Whole Foods (my little one boisterously asked for it and I thought I had a slam-dunk kid’s dinner, but he probably thought it was a cupcake…) anyway, that totally bombed. But in the couple minutes they were sitting still, turning up their noses, I whipped up this curry for our dinner. Most of the time I try to make something I can also give my kids. Maybe it's subconsciously to broaden their palate, but it's also just to keep things more sane around here. But they won’t touch anything spicy, so this is all for us.

Simple Spicy/Sweet Chicken Curry

1 container Maya Kaimal Vindaloo Sauce
3 zucchini, chopped
3 breasts of all natural chicken, chopped into 1” pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Fuji apple, chopped

Combine everything in a saucepan; bring to a boil then lower heat to low. Pop a cover on it, so the chicken cooks through and the zucchini and apple become tender. I had to run an errand, so I actually turned the heat off after it simmered 10 minutes or so, left the lid on, and when I came home dinner was ready (and the house smells amazing).

As Kaimal says on her website, “I make my products with the finest ingredients and traditional techniques to reflect my favorite flavors of India. I take no shortcuts—so you can.” As long as I recognize all the ingredients in a sauce such as this, I am all for shortcuts.

And a Quick 'Asian' Inspired Dinner Too

I’m all about spring cleaning these days, so I am determined to work through the ingredients I have in my pantry…plus the random assortment I amassed during yesterday’s grocery shopping trip. I don’t have much time to cook dinner during the week. I tend to assemble dinner while I am giving my children a snack, and then pop it in the oven while we play before dinner (or they play and I squeeze in a workout, some emailing, and a phone call if I am lucky). This afternoon, I assembled dinner in less that 30 minutes again and it’s cooling down for the boys. It smells amazing. This time dinner has a little more Asian/SE Asian influence (all ingredients from Trader Joe’s for anyone who would like to try it at home):

Pork tenderloin + TJ’s Peanut Sauce: seared the pork tenderloin in a bit of olive oil, then transferred it to a roasting pan and coated it in peanut sauce; roasted at 375 until it reached an internal temp of 160 degrees. If you wanted to dress it up, you could sprinkle some chopped peanuts and cilantro over the top to make it look pretty...

For one veggie, I tossed a bag of organic baby carrots + a little olive oil (would be great with sesame oil too, but my husband isn’t a fan of sesame) + a drizzle of honey + some grated ginger + kosher salt + pepper and roasted the carrots in the same 375 degree oven until they were crisp tender. If you were using sesame oil, and wanted to be fancy, you could shake some black sesame seeds over the top before roasting them. That would be pretty….

There’s really nothing ‘Asian” about the other veggie side, but everyone likes it and I had all the ingredients on hand: 1 bag organic frozen spinach (thawed) + hearty scoop of organic whipped cream cheese + a splash of half & half + small handful of shredded Parm + lemon zest. Combine all of the above in a saucepan and heat on low until melted/combined.

And pictured above, I combined 1 bag of TJ’s brown rice (from the freezer section, heated according to pkg) + with diced mango + fresh mint + a splash of rice vinegar + kosher salt + pepper.

Have to run because we’re going to sit down to an early dinner. Early dinner + early bath + early bed = relaxing evening for you-know-who.

Simple Sunday Supper: Jambalaya

As part of my older son's “Spring into Service” weekend, I spent a windy, drizzly Saturday morning picking up (unmentionable) trash at Veteran’s Park in Norwalk, the afternoon helping to oversee a volunteer project at The Tiny Miracles Foundation’s office, and capped it off with dinner at Rio where I got serious indigestion from inhaling two margaritas and an order of chicken fajitas in record time because my kids would have rather been home with a sitter… when will I learn that the need for a break is mutual?

The first thing I did today—no wait, first I made French Toast and Southwestern Egg Wraps for breakfast (can you say short order cook?...)-- then I did a big PR submission on behalf of The Tiny Miracles Foundation, (quickly, very quickly) read Monday through Sunday’s New York Times (that were in the kitchen staring at me every time I walked by the growing pile of old news), and took my husband on a tour of the ground wasps that seem to have set up an intricate underground maze in our backyard. Now, I feel I deserve a break. I’m not going to the supermarket, and its way too pretty to spend too much time at the stove today. Thankfully, with a little help from my buddy “Joe”, as in Trader Joe, I was able to quickly whip up Jambalaya. I risk posting this “recipe” because many a friend has received this Jambalaya when they’ve had a baby or were in need of a yummy meal. But, it’s just too easy and delish not to share…

2 packages Trader Joe’s Jambalaya*
1 package Trader Joe’s chicken sausages**, thinly sliced
3 bell peppers (we’ve got 2 red and 1 yellow on hand), ½” dice
1 bag organic frozen peas, prepared according to the pkg
zest of 1-2 lemon(s)

Sauté the chicken sausage and bell peppers in a bit of olive oil. Heat the Trader Joe’s Jambalaya according to package. Combine Jambalaya, sausage, peppers, peas and lemon zest. Done! Oh, and it pairs nicely with TJ’s cornbread (over by the muffin mixes) and a salad.

* TJ’s Jambalaya is found next to the pasta and all of the prepared Indian sides in the Darien store. It comes in a 10 oz. pouch.
**I recommend TJ's Chicken Apple sausages for those who prefer a mild Jambalaya or Chicken Andouille Sausages for those who want a little kick.

Creating Supper: Polenta and (Soy) Chorizo Lasagna

Before having children, I provided numerous Fairfield County families with healthy, organic meals through my personal chef service, Dinners by Eila. While I loved the “a ha” moments my clients had when they’d enjoy my cooking and learn that they could have an indulgent tasting meal that was also very healthy, having me do all the cooking limited the number of families who could experience this joy. Plus, the cost of having someone come into your home and cook for you is a luxury most of us cannot rationalize in these economic times. Nowadays, more families are eating at home instead of going out…but what if a mom feels like she isn’t a very good cook? Or she only feels comfortable cooking exactly what a recipe calls for? Cookbooks are great for inspiration, but a “Momalicious” mom can whip up a scrumptious meal with whatever is on hand! My goal now is to help local moms feel confident and excited to be in the kitchen, and to look forward to entertaining at home.

Last week I had really random things left in my fridge/pantry, but with two sick kids, going to the supermarket was just not going to happen. So, I improvised and concocted a pretty darn good supper. So good that: a) my sweet husband did not realize it was meatless and b) I recreated it tonight for supper: Polenta and (Soy) Chorizo “Lasagna.” It’s time for me to get the kids to bed so I can sit down to this nice dinner with my in-laws, but for anyone who might like to give this dish a whirl here are the layers:

• Organic tomato sauce (spoon a thin layer in bottom of casserole dish)
• Polenta (1/2 log thinly sliced, forming a layer)
• TJ's 2% Greek Style Yogurt (1 tub, spread over the polenta)
• Feta cheese (1 tub, crumbled on top of the yogurt layer)
• Polenta (1/2 log thinly sliced, again forming a layer)
• 1 or 2 pkgs TJ's soy chorizo (out of casing, sautéed in a bit of olive oil, then spread evenly as layer...1 pkg is sufficient but 2 pkgs makes it more "meaty")
• Polenta (1/2 log thinly sliced, another layer)
• Organic diced tomatoes (1 large can, partially drained, spread evenly as a layer)
• TJ’s Shredded Quattro Fromaggio (1/2 bag sprinkled on top...voila, you're done in a matter of minutes!)

Ingredients need not be precise. Add or delete items you have on hand or do not enjoy. I baked the dish at 350 for somewhere between 40 minutes and an hour. The beauty of most of the week night meals I make is that precision is not key! As long as this dinner is heated through and the cheese is lightly browned on top, you can do very little damage leaving it in too long. A beautiful thing in case the children’s baths go longer than you anticipated, or you’re catching up with your neighbor in the yard and forget to come in…

Guaranteed to make your kitchen smell amazing, and to make you feel pretty "mom-a-licious" for whipping up something interesting, and yet so easy!