Last Friday, I was a guest on CBS WTOC-TV Mid-Morning Live and shared warm winter dishes that will feed the family AND save time in the kitchen. Here are my tips:
Easy weeknight dinner
The slow cooker is an easy way to cook proteins with very little hands on time. I shared my Pulled Pork Taco Night and used the Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork, which has been perfectly pre-seasoned for you so all you have to do is place it into the slow cooker and it’s ready to eat. If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can also roast it, grill or sauté. Place out your taco fixings and you have an easy weeknight dinner that will feed the whole family.
Easy weekday breakfast
For breakfast, you can make oatmeal in your slow cooker– oats are great source of fiber, which is important for digestive health. Place 1 cup of oats to 3 cups of water in your slower cooker on low overnight. Everyone can personalize theirs with fruit and nuts.
Easily incorporate veggies into your warm winter meals
Meeting our 2-3 daily servings of vegetables can be easier said than done. My tip is to have flash-frozen vegetables on hand because you don’t have to worry about them going bad AND they retain MORE nutrition than fresh – which many are surprised to hear. I recommend these by Tommy’s Super Foods because they’ve been seasoned for you, they’re low in sodium and all you have to do is heat and eat. You can find these at Harris Teeter and Kroger. You can get creative with how you incorporate them– you can do pasta, pizza or simply enjoy them alongside a protein and a whole grain.
Easy weeknight appetizer
If you are entertaining guests on a weeknight, this is a delicious last minute appetizer: Arancini by Lundberg Family Farms. It’s a stuffed rice ball made with organic brown rice and cheese or vegetables. They’ve been rolled in gluten-free breadcrumbs and lightly fried so they are nice and crispy on the outside. They come 10 to a box – pop those in the oven for about 15 minutes and they are ready to serve.
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