Cooking has always been a form of stress relief for me. The routine feeling of chopping vegetables, sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil, stirrings yummy bits around a pot - these are all very calming activities for me after a long day of work. However, after those particularly long days of work and I’m ravenous, the last thing I want to do is spend over an hour making dinner. But what if I do want a slow-cooked dinner on a week night? What’s a girl to do?
Keep reading for a one-two weeknight dinner routine that has changed my views on a “quick weeknight dinner”.
Step 1 - Pick your comfort food. My go-to dishes have been a pasta sauce, Taiwanese lu rou fan, or some sort of stew.
The best recipes for a slow-cooked weeknight dinner usually require only about 30-45 minutes of prep. The bulk of the work is done up front - chopping vegetables, cracking open cans of broth or crushes tomatoes, and sautéing everything together. Once the active cooking is done and things are bubbling away on the stove, you’re done.
Step 2 - Make a quick <10 minute meal. Today is the day you eat a “whatever” meal knowing that tomorrow’s dinner will be amazing. Tradeoffs.
These “whatever” meals are usually a giant salad thrown together with a quick vinaigrette. Lately, I’ve been making my favorite salted garlic greek yogurt dip with a fried egg on top. Some radishes, celery, or carrots are placed on the side to scoop up more of the yummy dip. A dollop of harissa paste stirred into the yogurt or on top of the eggs would be phenomenal. Or a handful of fresh herbs. Either way, it’s done in under 10 minutes and I’m happy as a clam.
Meanwhile, our slow-cooked meal is slowly bubbling away. Walk away from it, watch a Netflix show while you munch on the radishes, and make seconds of the dip. In 1-2 hours, you’re already happy and fed and tomorrow’s dinner will be done. Put the entire pot in the fridge. Things will taste even better tomorrow.
Step 3 - It’s the next day and you’re home from work. You’re tired after a long day of work but you remember what’s in the fridge waiting for you. While it’s reheating on the stove, boil some pasta. It’s been less than 20 minutes since you took off your shoes and changed into sweatpants but dinner is already on the table.
“First we eat, then we do everything else.”
words I live by
Try it out and see if this method changes your weeknights the way it did mine.
Happy cooking!