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Survival Mode Suppers

By Mishpacha Staff | March 3, 2021

Here are our staff’s ideas for those suppers you can throw together, no matter what other chaos is going on!

In these weeks before Pesach, we’re all just doing our best to get dinner on the table every night without adding unnecessary stress to the equation, and bonus points if we can use up the pantry stash while we’re at it. Here are our staff’s ideas for those suppers you can throw together, no matter what other chaos is going on!

Oven-Baked Chicken Breast

I hit upon this idea once when the store was out of thin schnitzel cutlets and I had to make do with what’s called in Israel “chazeh of” (chicken breast) and frantically googled some ideas. The best part of this dinner is that there’s no cutting up the chicken or cooking complicated sauces first. Just make your own mix of dry or wet spices (I use brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper, but you can play around with anything; honey and garlic is great too), and sprinkle it evenly over the chicken once it’s pounded to even height and laid in a baking pan.

Bake uncovered at 425°F (220°C) for 18–20 minutes, then cover and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve over couscous or rice, or really anything.

—Miriam Bloch, proofreader

Use-Up-the-Chometz Dinners

After Purim, do your best to use up the chometz! Make pasta or breakfast suppers — omelets with French toast or pancakes to use up flour.

The hardest part is when the kitchen is upside down, not kashered yet, but you can’t cook there either. For the in-between times we buy cold cuts and pita, a jar of pickles, packaged coleslaw, maybe roast some potatoes. If you have a Pesachdig Crock-Pot, those meals (chicken and potatoes) are always practical.

—Barbara Bensoussan, columnist

Quick Sloppy Joes

Simple, scrumptious, and perfect for feeding hungry people before Pesach!

olive oil, for sautéing
1–2 large onions, diced
2.2 lbs (1 kg) chopped meat or turkey
2 15-oz (425-g) cans tomato sauce
1 large jar marinara sauce
1 14-oz (400-g) pkg pasta (small tube shape)

Heat a little olive oil in a 6-quart pot. Add onions and sauté until light brown, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped meat and break up with a potato masher (or a special stick made for this purpose) until browned, about 5–10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, and fill each can with water and add that too. Add the marinara sauce, or more tomato sauce with spices of your choice to season. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook over low heat, covered, until all the liquid cooks out, about half an hour.

Note: It pays to double the recipe and freeze half. It freezes beautifully.

—Brynie Greisman, recipe columnist

Turkey Tortillas

It often feels that at least once a week, dinner is fueled on survival mode. As long as there’s a protein and vegetable mixed in somewhere, I am happy.

The easiest thing to do is to warm up some tortillas (they freeze really well, so try to have a package or two in the house). Smear with horseradish mayo, techinah, or chummus. Add some romaine and sliced turkey breast. Roll it up, and dinner is done. Plus you get to use up the tortillas (chometz purge).

—Chaia Frishman, columnist

Make-Your-Own Poke Bowl

I love doing a make-your-own poke bowl dinner. We cook a pot of rice, then put out bowls of assorted add–ins: arugula, shredded carrots, salmon, kani and/or tuna, slivered onions or sliced scallions, mango chunks, edamame, and different dressings — spicy mayo, garlic aioli, sweet sauce — and top it with black and white sesame seeds. It’s so satisfying and fun, and requires the bare minimum of cooking! Leftovers can all be thrown together to make a colorful sushi salad for lunch the next day, so prepare extra!

—Sarah Faygie Berkowitz, columnist

Poke Bowls, Pasta, and More

Here are a few ideas:

Poke bowls are a quick and easy dinner that can be prepared in advance. Just cook rice (or use the frozen precooked rice from Trader Joe’s). Prepare all the toppings so that by the time the kids walk through the door, they can grab a plate and build their own bowl with whatever they like. Some topping ideas: cubed mango, avocado, shredded red cabbage, sliced mushrooms, edamame, julienned carrots and cucumbers, chili peppers, scallions, toasted sesame, toasted cashews, baked or raw fish, soy sauce, and spicy mayo.
2.Pasta mixed with tuna salad, julienned carrots, sliced pickles, and whatever other veggies your kids like.
3.Shakshuka and fresh bread— always a hit.
4.Goodold–fashioned grilled cheese and/or tuna melts with a big side of salad.

—Chaya Suri Leitner, recipe contributor

Bagel and Eggs

An all–time favorite: scrambled eggs on a bagel!

—Chaya Perel Nojowitz, graphics

Pasta, Wraps, and Shawarma

Every night is survival mode for me. I hate making supper with a passion, but do it I must.

A few ideas:

When I’m really desperate, it’s just a pot of pasta (kids add in ketchup, Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, store–bought pesto — whatever), tuna, and sliced veggies.
Grilled chicken wraps: Grill cutlets in a grill pan or broiler (can use barbecue sauce or a quick dump marinade), cut up pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, mix together ketchup and mayo, and viola — supper (if you have time, you can sauté onions, make a better dressing, etc.).
Shawarma! Sauté onions, add in nugget–size chicken cutlets (I like to use dark). Add shawarma spice, curry, turmeric, and cumin. Cook for a bit, then transfer to a cutting board and chop into smaller pieces (can skip this step). Make a quick Israeli salad, make sure you have techinah and chummus (and sautéed eggplant if you’d like). Fill a wrap, laffa, or pita with it all. Dinner is done.

—Esther Kurtz, copy editor

Chicken and Rice Crock-Pot Dinner

I love making supper in the Crock-Pot. I make it the night before and refrigerate it till the morning.

2 Tbsp oil
3 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced, or 4 frozen cubes
6 chicken bottoms
2½ cups converted brown rice or a mix of white and brown rice

Place oil, onions, and chicken, skin side down, in the Crock-Pot on high for 1 hour. Add rice and about 6 cups of water. (The best is when you can add chicken stock instead of at least half of the water.) Add salt, pepper, and some paprika. Cook on high for 2 hours, then turn to warm. Make sure the rice doesn’t dry out.

—Estee Kafra, recipe contributor

Steak and Fries

For me, the quickest dinner is steak, fries, and salad. I can throw the fries in the oven, grill up steaks fast (they’re always in the freezer — the sign of a true Australian), and no meal is complete without a salad.

—Naomi Nachman, columnist

Supper in a Jiffy

Some or all of these components of supper can be put together in a jiffy.

Veggie Dump Soup: Place any soup veggies you have on hand along with 2 cubes frozen sautéed onions in a pot with water and salt/pepper. Boil for a while, blend with an immersion blender, then add in quinoa (continue simmering until cooked through) and/or shredded mozzarella for added protein, if desired.
Fresh salad or veggie sticks and scrambled eggs (also can be made sunny side up in a pizza maker, with or without cheese).
Wrap Chips: Spray both sides of wraps with cooking spray, cut like a pizza, and sprinkle with your favorite spices — we like garlic pepper, Everything spice, salt, and French fry seasoning. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until browned and crisp. Serve with the eggs.

—Faigy Grossman, recipe columnist

Slow-Roasted Chicken

Our fave is slow–roasted whole chicken on a bed of onions. I season with salt, paprika, tamari (or soy) sauce, and maple syrup, then I put it in the oven in the morning on 250°F (120°C). About 90 minutes before dinner, I raise the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C), and uncover for the last 45 minutes.

—Rivki Rabinowitz, Family Room editor

Chummus Basar Pitas

My aunt, Dina Sumroy, gave me this recipe for ground meat over chummus. To make it a full meal, I served it in toasted pitas (my husband was the inspiration behind the toasting, and it made a huge difference!), with sliced avocados on the side. The meat takes about 20 minutes to prep and cook, and the recipe is super easy!

Fry 2 diced onions with 1 Tbsp of brown sugar. Add 1 lb (450 g) ground meat and brown. Add 2 Tbsp each of sweet chili, red wine, and ketchup. Cook until reduced. Serve with chummus in toasted pitas and avocado slices if desired.

—Rochel Samet, writer

Quesadillas

Easiest dinner that my kids will 100% all eat happily is quesadillas. I buy small flour tortillas so they each get their own personal one. Add ketchup and cheese for the picky ones, top with another tortilla, and toast on an oiled skillet for a couple of minutes on each side. The not–picky ones get breakfast style — filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, and cheese. Serve with roasted broccoli and call it a day.

—Michal Frischman, recipe contributor; chief of staff, US office

Pasta with Sauce

This is definitely the easiest pasta recipe around, next to just pouring ketchup over noodles, and meets my 5-minute-or-less prep criteria:

Take a pot, fry an onion in a little oil, add half a can of tomato paste (250 g/9 oz) with equal amount of water, add a sprinkle of sugar, salt, pizza (or Italian) spice, and granulated garlic, cook for a minute, and then add a package of cooked pasta and warm through. Tastes great, and is pareve! Family members can put cheese on top and stick it in the microwave or toaster oven.

—Rachel Ginsberg, associate editor

Shakshuka, Two Ways

My best survival dinners are the ones I can make without any forethought. Meaning, no special purchases necessary.

Shakshuka, dairy version:

Sauté whatever vegetables you have (love zoodles here!) in a little bit of olive oil, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add 1 15–oz (425-g) can of tomato sauce and cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add eggs to the pan, being careful not to crack the yolks. Cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes. After 1½ minutes of cooking, add shredded cheese, then cover again and cook for another 1½ minutes. My favorite way to eat is to top it with tons of fresh herbs, drizzle with some techinah, and add a hefty dollop of spicy s’chug!

Shakshuka, meat version:

Sauté onions for 5–6 minutes. Add chopped beef fry or sliced salami and cook till they crisp up. Add 1 15–oz (425-g) can of tomato sauce and cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add eggs to the pan, being careful not to crack the yolks. Cover the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Top it, as above, with fresh herbs, techinah, and spicy s’chug.

—Danielle Renov, recipe contributor

Saucy Chicken with Rice

My go–to dinner for when I have no time is to cut bite–size pieces of chicken and sear on high for a minute or two. Add a bottle of sauce (any you like, such as teriyaki, barbecue, sweet chili, etc). Stir, then cover and cook on low until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes (larger pieces will take longer). My extra lazy trick is to serve it with microwave rice. Enjoy!

—Miriam (Pascal) Cohen, recipe columnist

Simple Sloppy Joes

The magazine’s weekly schedule correlates a lot with my supper schedule. The days I work from home, we have more elaborate, time-consuming suppers. The day we close the magazine is when I need the fastest, simplest suppers. This was a closing day favorite for years — it takes less than 15 minutes to make, and the kids all love it.

2 onions, diced
2 Tbsp canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb ground chicken (or ground meat or turkey)
3 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp mustard
¾ cup ketchup
¾ cup tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the onion in oil until golden. Add garlic and ground chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve in buns.

—Bassi Gruen, managing editor

Chicken Shawarma

This recipe is great for using up any leftover roasted chicken that you have sitting in the freezer. Just defrost, cut up, and throw in a frying pan, and you have a meal.

2–3 Tbsp oil
2–3 onions, sliced
leftover chicken, about 4–6 pieces
salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp cumin

Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté onions for 10–15 minutes, until golden. (Don’t skimp on the oil, especially if using leftover chicken.) Add cut–up chicken. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin, and cook until heated through. Alternatively, you can cut raw chicken cutlets into bite-sized pieces and cook until ready, but it’s much more work that way!

Serve in fresh pitas with chummus, techinah, diced pickles and onions, and Israeli salad, if desired. If your kids have Israeli taste buds, add French fries, eggplant salad, and s’chug too.

—Chaya Baila Lieber, copyeditor

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 733)

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