Though I loathe to admit it, I’m finally ready to confess that I must be the laziest mom out there when it comes to preparing meals. I’m red-faced, but there you have it. If I had my druthers, I’d be spending my time reading or playing with my daughter. Not cooking for us! I married a foodie – shouldn’t he be the one busy in the kitchen? But there I am, about 4 or 5 nights a week, in the kitchen cooking up a meal. I don’t like touching meat, my knife skills are pretty weak, and my palette is pretty mainstream (curry – how exciting!).
Luckily, my tastes line up pretty well with my daughter’s interests at this age. We both like things quick and simple. The main difference is that most of my meals are vegan, but she is an omnivore cook’s delight. So we compromise…. I’ll usually make a meal and then add in a little meat on her plate. Meat for her includes prosciutto (her fave!), sausage, chicken – things I can cook up in batches and chop up easily. Here’s our list of surefire winners that do not usually require a recipe:
- Pizza
- Polenta
- Rice and beans
- Pasta (Cheese, Marinara or Pesto)
- Cheese Sandwiches
- Hummus Wraps
- Burrito
- Cous Cous
Everything is always served with fresh raw veggies on the side, usually tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and occasionally celery. Fruit for dessert. I do not buy any pre-made sauces or dips, I just usually find a night of the week and then make up double or triple batches of everything and then freeze them. For instance, we’ve got basil pesto as well as tomato sauce in the freezer. I just take out a small amount, thaw it in the microwave and then stir it in with the freshly cooked pasta.
Those of you feeling sad for Monkey right now, never fear. Her dad feeds her extremely well on the nights he cooks – very exotic and gourmet meals that include duck confit, truffle oil and all kinds of pork rubs.
