How To Survive Dinner In The Suburbs

I am OVER dinner. Is that a weird thing to say? It’s sad but true that the question I’m beginning to dread is “What’s for dinner”? When I realized my latest answer was a rather snippy “Whatever you are making.” I knew it was time to make a plan, make a change, do something different before we all end up living off pizza every night. My solution, a full fridge, and a few fresh ideas. Here are our easy ideas to help get over the dinner slump.

1. BBQ all the things. Are you sick of chicken, pizza, even sandwiches? Mix it up and make it fresh again by throwing any and all of those things on the BBQ. My easiest tip for a chicken marinade is Italian dressing in a ziplock bag. Easy Peasy and your family will start calling you Martha Stewart. Note: Have you tried pineapple on the BBQ? Ahh-mazing.
2.  Roast your veggies. Slice and dice your fave veggies, everything from sweet potatoes to peppers, onions to zucchini, on a pan with parchment paper. Coat with a little olive oil, add sea salt, garlic, and roast. Perfection.
3. Think Kabobs. Beef, Chicken, Shrimp, and Veggies are somehow more appealing when all combined and prettied up on a single wooden stick.
4. Don’t forget about the Slow Cooker. Go back to your Mom’s old recipes and cook up some family favourites. Get that meal started first thing in the morning and by dinner, your house will smell like a gourmet restaurant.
5. Salad Bar. Create a salad bar to please the masses! Wash and prep your veggies, and lettuce but then get creative. Add nuts, deli meats (or leftover BBQ), corn, black beans and even tortilla chips. Lay it all out in little individual dishes with a variety of dressings and declare dinner is served.
6. Explore The Web. Once a week we take to the internet to find one new recipe to master.

Here’s our families newest fave.  It takes a little bit to prep, but so worth it. Bonus: it’s even better as “leftovers”.

One Pan Cashew Chicken

You will need:

To Prepare The Sauce
7  tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 generous tsp of garlic paste)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water, plus more as needed to thin out the sauce

To Prepare The Chicken and Vegetables
3-4 medium skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups broccoli florets (approx 1 large head)
1 red pepper – cut into chunks
1 green pepper, -cut into chunks
1 yellow pepper – cut into chunks
⅔ cup roasted unsalted cashews

*note we’ve also added in cauliflower, onion and hot peppers.  The more veggies the better.

Optional Garnish (but not really)
Chopped green onions

Directions:
For the sauce:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce. (soy sauce, hoisin sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, cornstarch, and water). Bring to a slow simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the chicken and veggies.
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.  I use 2 layers of parchment paper because this is a messy one.
2. Season the cut up chicken with salt and black pepper then drizzle large spoonfuls of sauce over the chicken coating well on both sides. Reserve at least half of the sauce for later use.
3. Cook the chicken in preheated oven for 8 minutes then remove the pan.
4. Place raw veggies in a bowl and coat evenly with remaining sauce. Arrange the coated broccoli, peppers, and cashews in a single layer around the chicken. Season with an additional dash of salt and pepper.
5. Return to the oven and cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
6. Remove pan from oven. If desired, serve over white or brown rice and garnish with chopped green onions.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic