Coming Attractions: Quick, Fresh Weeknight Dinners

My sister came to me with a dilemna.  "We're going overseas for several months.  We won't have a fully stocked kitchen with a lot of appliances.  The grocery stores, while they carry great fresh, local food, won't have a ton of variety.  Can you help me find quick meals, using just a few easy-to-find ingredients?"

While we might not all be living in France, I believe my sister's need is what we're all looking for.  We all want weeknight meals that are quick, easy, and don't require long lists of ingredients or extra stops at specialty stores.  And if they can be healthy meals that our family finds delicious, then we really win.

Yeah, Mark and I do love to throw down with more complicated meals that often can only be made after stocking up supplies in a larger city.  But those are weekend things and not how we cook daily.  I'm really glad my sister brought this to my attention.  I never thought about blogging about our weeknight meals, because they are so, well, weeknight.  But just like you, these are the majority of the meals we cook. 

So, I will begin a weekly posting called "Keeping It Fresh Friday", in which I will offer recipes for simple, quick family meals. 

I want to explain the basic ruling principals of my family's meals.  First, flavor is king.  Something has either got to really save me time or being the most amazing super food for me to substitute it when a recipe calls for a tastier ingredient.  We cook fairly healthy but there are times when real butter, heavy cream, salt and fatty cuts of meat are just necessary, in my opinion.  Its all about moderation.  Second, my family tries to eat as fresh as possible.  If it only takes a minute or two longer for me to use a fresh ingredient than a prepackaged one, I will always choose that option.   Yes, you can do this and still make meals under thirty minutes.  (I don't mean to sound Rachel Ray-ish).  And third, we aren't afraid of spice.  Not just heat, but variety, from Mediterranean to Mexican, South East Asian to Middle Eastern.   If that doesn't sound like you, you might want to dial down the quantity of spices going into these dishes.

When I say family meals, yes, they are meals my whole family eats.  Even the baby.  But I won't call them "kid-friendly" because I understand that what my kids find friendly, yours might not.  You know your own kids' preferences, your personal tastes, and your family's other dietary needs.  These are simply meals that my family enjoys.

So be looking for the first installment of "Keeping It Fresh Fridays" coming at the end of this week.  And Buen Provecho!