Hot Day Dinner with Pasta and Easy Variations

grilled peppers black bean and guac  sandwiches along with a bowl of super easy  Summer Pasta - Chop up a couple of good garden tomatoes, put in a bowl along with 8 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2" cubes (or use "mozzarella pearls") and a handful of fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons. While the flavors soak in and blend, cook up a small batch of whole wheat rotini (or other favorite pasta) and drain, stir into other ingredients and serve.

This time I made the beans this way:
I had a margarine container of excess previously soaked beans in the freezer. I pulled them out and put them in a saucepan with 1/2 onion finely chopped, grated carrot, handful of slaw mix cabbage, plus two cups veggie broth, some Penzey's adobo seasoning, ground Ancho pepper, and cumin, plus a dash of lime juice. Simmer an hour or more and smash up if it hasn't gotten mushy on its own.

OR just open a can or two of seasoned black beans, rinse and drain and smash up.

We had some fruit to round it out - melon would have been best but we ate them all already.

My pizza-loving, anti-bean son ate these sandwiches and asked to finish the leftovers the next day -

Favorite Splurge Lunch

Just thought I'd share, even though it's not particularly cheap -- not too bad on healthy and fast, very chewy, delicious, and satisfying.

Take a ciabatta roll (that's the pricey part) cut in half (these are the big square kind) and cover with chopped real garden tomato. If you are feeding someone not into veg you can stir a crumbled pre-cooked bacon slice in and jump to the cheese. Otherwise, if you have it on hand, cover with ribboned spinach

 and sliced mushrooms, then lay on a deli slice of muenster cheese over each (cheapest at Aldi). Put in the toaster oven at 350 for ten minutes. YUM! Just as good as going out for pizza, in my book. With built-in portion control and no leaving the house in hot weather.

Healthy and Happy Chipotle Dinner

If you want something fairly easy, very popular, and flexible to different tastes (what? your kids don't all like the same things?), here's a great and filling meal. We call it Chipotle after the local food place that puts whatever you like inside a big tortilla.

One pan is a half-recipe of Lime Cilantro Rice made with one can of black beans, onion, grated carrot and maybe celery. One is fahita mix - chicken, green peppers and onions seasoned with your favorites (fajita seasoning, or ancho pepper, cumin, cilantro, etc), the third is a very quick sautee of a little onion, zucchini and yellow squash, fresh mushrooms and tomato.
Serve with whole wheat tortillas, grated cheese and shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, guacamole if you have it, whatever else you have on hand that you like on or in Mexican-type dishes.

Everyone can put whatever they want in, on, or alongside. This also works with taco meat and shells or tortilla chips, etc. The beans and rice help make it filling, the veggies are a really tasty addition (from a local restaurant "vegetarian fajita" dish).
Here's a "quesadilla" lunch made with leftover rice and veg the next day.

If it still seems like too much work (like today when the temperatures are just crazy high) - opt for super-fast taco salad.

In a Pinch fast Cheeseburger Mac

not so gourmet, cheap, or healthy, but not bad either. This is for when time (and possibly brainpower) is really short, there's not much in the fridge, and kids are hungry and need something fast that they will eat.

Start a pan of water boiling for pasta, put browned hamburger (from the freezer) and a large can or jarful of spaghetti sauce to warm in another pan. When macaroni is cooked, drain it and return to the pot, pour the hot meaty sauce sauce over it, stir in a large handful of grated sharp cheddar and sprinkle more on top. Put the lid on for a minute to melt. Hopefully you have some frozen  peas on hand  (put in a pan with a little boiling water, put on lid and turn off - they just need to get hot), and/or a bagged salad - or cabbage to cut in wedges, serve with some whole wheat bread and butter, maybe sliced or canned fruit - pretty fast, kid-friendly and no brainwork involved.

Really Quick and Easy Summer Soup

This is simply a set of instructions for infinitely variable soup that is quick and yummy and healthy - based on Lunchbox Vegetable Soup (From Sunset 30 Minutes or Less cookbook). I call it Summer Soup because you don't need long simmering like you might enjoy in winter.
Today we made it with leftover pork broth and meat scraps from Sunday's crockpot dinner and used basil fettuccine, usually I make it meatless or occasionally with remains of a rotisserie chicken that's pretty picked over (simmer a little while to get your broth and pick off any meat left while the rest simmers).


large chopped onion, (I precook in a small bit of butter or olive oil so its well done - even richer flavor comes from using a little bit of bacon grease you've frozen)
4 large carrots (about 1 lb. total) peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced or chopped

6 cups Knorr Vegeterian vegetable bouillon or other favorite broth/stock
1 or 2 cups water
1 can (about 15 oz)  corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn
1/4 teaspoon pepper
salt
2 cups dried pasta bow ties or other pasta
1 cup frozen tiny peas
1/4 cup chopped parsley(if available)
(we like to add a can of kidney beans, drained - or black-eyed peas for more flavor)

1. Peel carrots and cut crosswise into thin rounds.
2. Melt butter in a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and corn.  Cook, stirring often, until celery and onion are tender to bite (5 to 6 minutes).
3. Add broth, pepper, and salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon); bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta; return to a boil and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.
4. Add peas and continue to cook, uncovered, until pasta is just tender to bite (7 to 8 minutes more).  Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings (about 12 cups)

options: baby corn is good but pricey, black-eyed peas have lots of flavor and work well, you can add any veg you have - broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, slaw mix, zucchini or yellow squash (add summer squash later on, it takes about as long as the pasta)

I love to use Penzey's spice and herb blends, like Foxpoint, Paris, Mural of Flavor, etc. Or use Mrs. Dash, etc. The original calls for tarragon but we didn't like it, "spice to taste"! This is a good time to use your summer herb garden - parsley, chives, basil, oregano, savory, all would be good- or freeze dried chives, parsley, etc if its winter or you don't have fresh on hand.

Fast and Easy Angel Hair Pasta with Ham (or corned beef)

This is a great way to use up just a bit of leftover meat when there's not enough ham or corned beef for it to be a main dish. If you can scrape together up a cup or two of bits for flavor, you can make a fast dinner.


Saute a chopped onion in butter or olive oil, when partially cooked  you can also add grated carrot and chopped celery, if you're using corned beef skip celery and add a big handful or two of slaw cabbage shreds.
 Meanwhile, start water boiling and cook pasta.
Add the meat to the simmering onion (and veg) with a little water or broth to help the flavor of the meat get out a bit. Add the cooked, drained pasta and about a cup of fat-free sour cream, stir in a generous cup of rinsed frozen green peas, warm through and then sprinkle with Parmesan or other favorite grated cheese. You can add some reserved pasta water for more moisture or add half a can of cream of chicken soup if you like it "saucier".

Easy Ham and Rice
Same recipe but use precooked rice instead of pasta OR add sufficient broth to cook instant brown rice with the sauteed onion, ham, etc. This is especially good with the celery, carrot, and cabbage included and does not need the cheese.

wonderful served with broccoli, green beans or other favorite green veg,  a baked sweet potato (you can do them fast in the microwave just like regular potatoes - or use canned), salad, summer squash in season, etc.

Easy Sausage and Rice

Another sausage dish - because our local store, Schulte's, has great, lean bulk sausage. This is adapted feom what my mom made as "Mock Chicken Casserole" - I'm guessing chicken cost more than sausage at the time. I add more veggies than I used to, and served this with a side of steamed and slightly sauteed veg (directions below).

Sausage and Rice

Chop one large onion and start it sauteing in a very little olive oil. When soft add chopped celery (about three stalks), a grated large carrot. Put a lid on for a couple of minutes to help them cook and then add a couple of big handfuls of shredded cabbage, continuing to cook and stir. If you haven't got previously browned sausage from the freezer, you can brown sausage in the same big pan while doing these vegetables. If you have browned sausage (about 1/2 lb) you can add it to boullion to help get the flavor into the broth. You can add sausage seasoning, favorite spice mixes, or let the sausage be all the flavor you need.
Add 4 cups broth, browned sausage, 2 cups rice, and cover tightly. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

a baked sweet potato is a great side with green beans and a salad, or---
Veggies on the side:
steam chunks of butternut squash, cauliflower and broccoli and fresh green beans. Prepare thick slices halved of yellow and zucchini squash. While veg steam, melt some real butter in smaller frying pan and a few minutes before rice dish is done, heat up to med-high and add summer squashes, mushrooms too if you like, let them brown just a bit then add steamed veggies and stir up with seasonings. You can add leftovers veggies at this point to warm up. Pensey's Foxpoint Seasoning is a really good one for this dish.