Prep-Free Meal for a Small Gathering-

 You can make a feast for yourself and several others without much work and no chopping or cutting.

First let's start with an appetizer. Antipasti Kabobs. Take ready-to-use help from the store such as cheese cubes, olives, small salami slices, basil leaves, soft peppers from the jar that you can tear into pieces and grape or cherry tomatoes. Place them on skewers, one per person. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until serving time.

Next how about some stuffed shells? You simply boil up some water in a pot with a basket insert so lifting them out is easier than carrying a heavy pot. Then toss them into a light-weight bowl with your favorite tomato sauce to coat and set aside. Note: A large container of ricotta cheese fills about 32 shells.

Separately, mix a large container with snipped fresh washed parsley (done with scissors, so much easier) and some grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, then stuff into the shells and arrange on two sauce-lined oven-proof pie plates. Spoon sauce over them all then cover and store in fridge until ready to heat through. You can heat each one in the microwave or both at once in the oven (takes longer.)  This can be done a day ahead of time too.

Serve with a prep-free salad or some steamed Prep-Free Broccoli, which is simply fresh broccoli washed, drained and broken into pieces. Place in a microwave-proof dish with a little water and olive oil. Cover with a plate and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and serve.

Prep-Free Section in Produce Dept.

 Check out the ready-cut and chopped items at my supermarket. Most large supermarkets have these ready-to-use vegetables. I call it the 'Prep-Free' section. Be aware though, that the luxury does cost more but at times it's worth it.

For instance, when you are on the way home from work, a class or the doctor's, or had a hectic day with children, and too exhausted to start prepping a meal, just stop in the store and pick up a package or two of ready-chopped stir-fry vegetables, boil up a needed portions of Ten Minute Boil-in-Bag rice for an easy dinner. Saute or steam some ready-chopped peppers and onions and make a large Frittata. Also, you can saute ready-sliced zucchini and yellow squash in olive oil with a little garlic powder and spoon over pasta. Top with grated cheese.

Sure, we can order in some food but in all likelihood that choice would be even more costly and less healthy, esp. if done more often than not. (Weekends are usually times when we have pizza and Chinese food or eat out as a treat.)

A good food processor, like Hamilton Beach, is a great help too and easy to clean for a more affordable no-cut and slicing option on a regular basis. More on that in the next post. Stay tuned.

 

uned.

Avocados are Easy Too!

 While Avocados are known best for Guacamole and to spread on toast, did you know that it can be added to pasta, either mashed or in chunks, and used in place of mayonnaise in egg or tuns salad for a healthier alternative? Mashed avocado is also a good replacement for greasy salad dressings.

Ripe avocados are easy to slice in half, then simply scoop out with a spoon to mash or make chunks with a fork. They make a good snack too with some rive cakes or low fat pretzels.

                                                 Egg Salad