Kitchen Therapy: Tips for Cooking Every Night of the Week

I love cooking. Always have. Unlike other domestic duties, I actually enjoy every part of the cooking process - planning a menu, shopping for ingredients, preparing and eating the meal (just not cleaning up!). My time in the kitchen is when I unwind from a long day. It is my chance to do something creative and it is often the only time that I have completely to myself. In many ways, my time in the kitchen is a little like therapy.

Or at least it is supposed to be. As much as I love to spend an hour of leisurely cooking every day, it is not always the relaxing time I want it to be. The kids get hungry. They start to whine. They don't want to wait while I painstakingly prepare a nice meal. In fact, they don't want what I'm cooking, they want something altogether different. Soon I am making not just one meal, but three: one for me and my husband, and one for each of my two kids (because of course, they don't want the same thing). Or, you give up and just order a pizza.

So much for kitchen therapy. Sadly, for many of us, cooking has become something that we have to do, not something that we want to do. So, over the years, I have developed strategies for how to cook a family meal every night of the week, and still enjoy my time in the kitchen. Weekends are easier because I can usually count on my husband to occupy the kids while I fiddle in the kitchen. Weeknights, however, are often a struggle - so here are a few tips to keep you sane!

1) Have a well stocked pantry and freezer. No one likes having to go grocery shopping with kids. I usually try to only go once or twice a week, and when I go, I try to stock up on everything I frequently use that is not perishable. Buy meat in bulk and freeze in individual freezer bags. You will always have meat on hand - just remember to take it out a full day in advance and let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Frozen vegetables like peas, corn and cut spinach are always useful to have on hand to add to soup, pasta, and other sides. Frozen fruit (especially berries) are great for smoothies and other baking.

As for the pantry - I keep mine full of bulk rice, pasta, flours, sugars, canned beans, canned tomatoes, chicken and vegetable stock, nuts (keep in the freezer to prevent them for going rancid), salsas, dried spices, cooking oils and every type of vinegar under the sun. Having a well stocked pantry means: 1) you don't have to run out at the last minute to buy the one missing ingredient, 2) provides ways you can vary recipes by changing an ingredients and seasonings, 3) allows you to cook a nutritious and satisfying meal when you can't make it to the grocery store for fresh ingredients.

2) Plan ahead. This is especially important for working families who often have to do their shopping once a week on the weekend because there just isn't time when you get home from work. Think about what you want to eat for the week and then make a grocery list according to that. Plan to make meals using meats early in the week to avoid spoiling (unless your meat is frozen, in which case it doesn't matter). Similarly, if you have other ingredients that are perishable, like fresh vegetables or fruit, plan to cook them earlier in the week to avoid wasting food.

3) Make ahead. If you're home during the day with the kids, spend some time while they are napping or playing to do your chopping or to cook any part of your dinner that can be made in advance. This means you'll have less to do in the that hour before dinner hits the table. I can clean with the kids around, but I cannot always cook with them, so I often do most of my cooking while they are at school or asleep. For working families, try to do your chopping when you cook on the weekend and store your chopped vegetables in plastic bags or tupperware in the fridge for the week. It can cut your weekday cooking time dramatically!

4) Get creative with "leftovers." Find ways to incorporate elements of one night's meal into the next. For example, if you're grilling chicken breast one night, make a few more than you plan to eat, shred them and then serve it over a salad the next night. Or take pork chops, shred them and use it for barbecued pulled pork sandwiches another night. Have left over vegetables? Maybe some left over deli meat? If you have a couple eggs, you're just minutes away from a delicious omlette. The possibilities are endless!

5) Have a strategy for keeping the kids happy. I always make sure to give my kids a good afternoon snack to stave off the hunger until dinner time. When the weather is nice, Sean (my kindergarten-er) is usually happy to play outside with the neighborhood kids until the dinner cattle call. On inside days, the kids know that when I am cooking dinner is the one time during the day they are allowed to watch television. When in doubt, enlist their help! Kids love to "help" in the kitchen, even if they are just sitting on the counter and playing with measuring cups! Find ways to make daily cooking a fun, family activity!

5) Be Realistic About What You Can and Cannot Do. Found an amazing recipe that you're desperate to try? Make sure to read it several times before you start and prepare all the ingredients in advance so you aren't constantly referring to the recipe. Save dishes with complicated steps or many different components that all have to be perfectly cooked and plated at the same time for weekends when dinner times can be more flexible.

6) Look for and develop a repertoire of dishes that are simple to prepare yet still satisfy. It is surprising how many different delicious and healthy meals you can make in under 30 minutes of active cooking. The Chicken Saltimbocca recipe below is one of my favorites!

7) Never Apologize! Julia Child wrote in her memoir, My Life in France, that no matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize:

I don't believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make. [...] Such admissions only draw attention to one's shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, "Yes, you're right, this really is an awful meal!" Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed - eh bien, tant pis! Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, [...] simply grit [your] teeth and bear it with a smile - and learn from [your] mistakes. (p. 77)

Words to live by, Julia! Happy Cooking, everyone!



Chicken Saltimbocca





This is a great weeknight meal that comes together fast, yet looks and tastes just a little fancy! If you don't have chicken cutlets, just slice a regular chicken breast horizontally to make two thinner pieces. Serve with a simple salad and some crusty bread to soak up the sauce!

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Veal and Lemon Saltimbocca 

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets,
4 thin lemon slices
4 sage leaves, plus more diced for garnish
4 large slices prosciutto
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5 can) can diced tomatoes
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. On top of each piece of chicken, layer a slice of lemon, one sage leaf and one large piece of prosciutto.  Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, place the chicken proscuitto side down.  Cook, untouched, for roughly 4 minutes, until the prosciutto begins to brown.  Flip the chicken over and cook for 4 minutes on the other side.  When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.  Add the chicken broth and allow reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer for a few more minutes to reduce more.  Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with more chopped sage. Enjoy!