supper/dinner

[Beth-Ro]

Supper is a problem at our house too because we both ride (so no one is staying home to cook the supper) and we have 3 children (who need to eat the supper on a regular basis...kids are funny that way).

I learned a long time ago that it makes my life easier to have 1 side dish ready to go in the fridged...say a pasta salad, a squash casserole, a big green salad...broccoli salad and broccoli slaw are two good ones, or just a lettuce based salad. I make a big batch so we have at least two day's worth of whatever it is. In winter, soup is also great.

Add to that a cold, simple side...fruit for instance. Right now melons are coming in, so cantelope, honey dew, watermelon, whatever...cut up and ready to go.

Now I just need to concentrate on what the main dish is. You haven't said what type of eater you are. If you eat meat, chicken can be your best friend. Roast a family pack of chicken breasts. This is easy because it takes about 10 minutes to prep, pop in oven, and clean up, then there is just the hour and half it takes for the oven to do all the work. Use this time to ride or carve out a little "me time". You can cook most any type of meat the night before you eat it and it will be good for supper the next day. When the chicken is done you have good stuff for the following: obviously roast chicken breast, a chicken wrap, chicken salad (this is 5 minutes of work with a food processor and whatever you like in your chicken salad) and if your husband is agressive, chicken pizza...premade pizza crust or tortilla, jarred spaghetti sauce, cheese, toppings, oven...good stuff! My 12 year old can do pizza. I use bone-in chicken with the skin. I wash, pat dry, rub with olive oil and season with lemon pepper, then cook in the oven on a broiling pan for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees on convection bake or convection roast, your choice. The chicken stays juicy, the skin cooks crispy...sort of like a turkey. Rosemary is also a good seasoning.

My hubby likes anything he can dip a cracker into. If I have chicken salad, pimiento cheese, salsa (I add frozen corn and black eyed peas into ours for extra nutrition) marinated veggies...anything like that keeps him happy. And if push comes to shove, he knows how to make a mater samich.

If you haven't noticed, we are southern and that is the way we eat. These are examples from our kitchen, but the system would work regardless of what pleases your palate. A simple side already made up in the fridge, a side of fruit, and a main course cooked the night before or left cooking while you go ride...and the great thing is that you get a good meal when you come home.

[Pedal Wench]

What about the toaster oven?

I was just reminded last night that salmon in the toaster oven is terrific, and EASY! I splash it with teriyaki or soy sauce, a sprinkle of garlic and sometimes some sesame seeds. Put it on a piece of foil. Bake it for about 10 minutes at 400, so it gets nice and browned on the outside, juicy inside. Pretty foolproof, and you can do all the prep before you go, so the salmon is marinating until hubby cooks it. Nuke some cut up broccoli in a bowl for 5 minutes so it's tender and sweet, and dinner is done!