STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bumblebee · Coach

what can i make...

fairywings · Dooney & Bourke

Tonight I made chopped up peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli. I fried it in olive oil until it was brown, then added balsamic vinagerette dressing. Then I added some shredded cheese on top. I mixed that with some rice...and viola...healthy dinner!

PS...mashed potatoes made any way are great quick comfort food.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Hey girl I just caught this. The creamy tomato ravoili is stove top only. Another good one is shrimp stir fry. You just need frozen precooked shrimp, stir fry sauce, and some frozen veggies (Kroger has a carribean blend that is great). Takes about 15-20 mins to cook. Then get some minute rice and you are set.

alb · Marc Jacobs

I'm late to respond to this but I had a great dinner last night that I thought I'd share for the next time you need quick healthy ideas. I am actually so excited that I thought of this on my own, b/c I am still somewhat of a novice cook (but slowly getting better as I become more domestic!). here it is:

I had some leftover pasta from a little authentic Italian rest. down the street-it was penne a la vodka (basically penne in a tomato cream sauce with prosciutto). It wasn't enough for a full meal though (only about a third left), so I added the following:

I sauteed about half a bag of spinach in cooking spray and some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). then I added 2 wedges of light Laughing Cow cheese-french onion flavor. I had to chop it up a little and spread it around so it became creamy and mixed well with the spinach. Then I added about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (I keep a huge jar of fat free minced garlic in the fridge and I use it so much I can't cook without it--no more wasting time trying to chop garlic cloves into tiny little pieces). When it was done I added salt to taste. It was so good. Seriously. I want some now!

Then, I sliced 2 tomatoes from the fridge (one would have been plenty though). Added some crumbled FF feta (another awesome staple I can't live w/o, I put it on everything, eggs, you name it), on each slice, then sprinkled with Red Wine Vinegar. Then I added some sea salt and pepper to taste. Sea salt is another one of my cooking staples--I love it. I have this kind that's Greek and labeled "coarse sea salt." Yum!!

HTH someone. I seriously LOVED this dinner and it was so easy!

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

My comfort food is similar to alb's - it's a recipe my last bosses' husband invented when he was single:
- Boil cheese ravioli (prepackaged - sometimes in life ya gotta take a shortcut) - it takes about three minutes to cook after the water has boiled. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat, add a clove of garlic (or a pinch of the preminced garlic) and stir until garlic is fragrant
- saute spinach with the garlic just until the edges wilt (2 minutes)
- Toss spinach with the drained ravioli and grated cheese
It goes so fast that you have to grate the cheese first, and start to finish the whole thing should take less than 15 minutes (if you're a new cook it might be longer at first)

Drew · Gucci

When I want to be out of the kitchen quick when cooking hubby's dinner I usually make this simple chicken recipe (A five star rated recipe from Allrecipes.com):

Cut chicken into strips or chunks, or just flatten a little (to help cook quicker).

Dice an onion and several cloves of garlic (I usually use a half a head for my garlic loving DH); I use my Magic Bullet or chopper to make this real quick.

S&P your chicken (add in any of your favorite spices; my guy loves cumin so I usually add a pinch of that too)

Saute the chicken, onion, and garlic with a little olive oil until juices run clear or a thermometer reads 180F.

It's great alone on a (ww) bun w/lettuce, tomato, and onion, or served with rice/potato and veggies. Also, you can wrap it in a fajita with cheese or guacamole if you like. It's really versatile, extremely easy, and really delicious.

bumblebee · Coach

thanks, girls. these are all good ideas.