Fast Meals for Lazy Week-ends: 5 Tips

Whether cooking for one or more, here are my quick, easy meal tips for week-ends when I don't feel like spending time in the kitchen cooking. These fast meals make my lazy week-ends better.

1) Double Recipes and Freeze One Batch for Later

Armadillo Eggs

1 can jalapenos
6 oz. pkg. Jack cheese, grated
1 lb. Ground sausage, hot
1 box pork flavored Shake and Bake

Slice jalapeno down one side. (Wear gloves to avoid getting oil in your eyes even three days later. True story.) Remove core and seeds. Stuff with cheese but not too full. Make sausage in a patty and wrap jalapeno in it. Roll in Shake and Bake. Bake in 350 degree oven 15 minutes. Turn and cook 15 more minutes. Freeze. Warm in oven 25 minutes. Eat with sandwiches.

2) For simple meals, throw any combination of meat and vegetables in crock pot. If a teen-age son is in the family, he needs his own crock-pot. Allow everyone to eat whenever they want.

Meatballs, Green Beans n' Taters

1 lb. Turkey, hamburger or pork sausage
2 lbs. green beans, fresh or frozen
1 lb. New potatoes
1 can cream of anything soup

Make meatballs. Clean and slice potatoes. Prepare green beans. Throw all ingredients into crock-pot except soup. Cover with water. When almost cooked, add cream soup. Eat with rolls.

3) For Fast Meals, Make Texas Caviar

Texas Caviar

1 can black-eyed peas
2 ripe tomatoes
1 celery stalk, diced
¼ cup minced red onion
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Cilantro: Optional
1 ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin
Salt
Tabasco
Chips

Rinse black-eyes peas in strainer. Core tomatoes and mince. Add to peas. Stir in all ingredients except salt and Tabasco. Add them later. Eat with string cheese, soup or sandwiches.

4) Bean or Pea Salad for Simple Meals

Mix canned or cooked, frozen peas with same amount crushed pineapple. Add cubed Cheddar cheese and pecan pieces to taste. Add Ranch or Poppy Seed Dressing. I eat this as a meal.

Canned beans mixed with corn make a complete protein. Dress up with chopped or pickled jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice mixed with olive oil. Serve with pita chips.

5) Misc Tips for Fast Meals

Use humus instead of mayo or mustard to flavor sandwiches. Any breakfast shake is good if chocolate and peanut butter are added. For teen-aged sons, use weight-gain protein power for protein shakes. (Watch for upcoming review) Put a big bowl of fruit out. It's good throughout the day. Cook a bunch of hard-boiled eggs which are good for breakfast or sandwiches.

These are quick, easy meals because not much cooking or planning is required. When no cooking is needed, a simple meal is a nice change of pace. All of this adds up to quick, healthy meals for lazy week-ends.

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Source:
Author's Laziness

Fast Meals for Lazy Week-ends copyright 2009