Through the week

Sunday: Chicken soup and lukshen

I’ve been eyeing this nokerlach recipe (Family Table #714) for a while. It’s a complete meal (no sides!) that comes together in one pot, so it’s very quick. I improvised and threw in every vegetable in the house, so it was basically meat soup with dumplings. Everyone loved it!

Monday: Grilled chicken with pita

Amid a hectic workday, I remember to pull the cutlets out of the freezer to defrost. But I guess I remember too late: When I go to start cooking it at four, when the kids get home, it’s still partially frozen. Goodbye, schnitzel! Instead, I toss the cutlets into a Ziploc with oil and some spices — I let it marinate for a bit and then grill it fresh.

My kids love grilled chicken, which they eat in pitas — easy, delicious, and kid-friendly. Since my husband and I have a slightly more sophisticated palate, I chop up a fresh salad after the kids are in bed, then pull out all our leftover salatim from Shabbos. Much more fun this way.

Tuesday: Spaghetti and meatballs

Hands down, this is my kids’ favorite supper. I pull the chopped meat out of the freezer in the morning, roll the meatballs when the kids get home, and serve them at five thirty. They love it (even if everyone is covered in tomato sauce and needs baths afterward). My husband and I eat this with salad after the kids are in bed, and there’s nothing left. I’m glad it went over so well (even if I secretly love the days when I have leftovers and just give this to the kids two days in a row).

Wednesday: Stir fry with chicken, vegetables, and rice

I’m drawing a blank on ideas this morning, so I just take chicken cutlets out of the freezer again — my kids won’t really touch chicken on the bone. I decide to try a friend’s stir fry recipe, served over rice, because it’s delicious and she says it stretches the chicken further. Of course, that trick doesn’t work here — my son picked out every single vegetable and refused to even taste one, then asked for more chicken. Oh, well.

Thursday: Chicken nuggets

We’re hosting six bochurim and a couple for Shabbos, and I want to focus on my Shabbos cooking. I put up my sourdough, start the dips, and try a new main. Baruch Hashem for chicken nuggets!

Level Up

My kids get a very basic supper of chicken and pita, but it’s easy to dress this up by adding sides and salads for the adults.

No-Time Tacos

My kids love ground beef, and we usually have it at least once a week. If the meat isn’t fully defrosted on time, I’ll just convert this supper to tacos. Also a hit!

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 918)