Mid-week creativity

~ by Robyn

Just how does a working mom come up with new mid-week meal ideas that everybody (kids, adults and – despite constant requests not to feed the puppy from the table – other "family members" all enjoy)?  This is a question that comes up often for me.  Sometimes I get it right.

Here is what I cooked last night:

Grilled chicken kababs:  My best are from Woolies, with sweet and sticky marinade.  Pick ’n Pay also has a range that is country-reared and delicious. I have only tried the BBQ ones which go down well with kids and adults alike. These kebabs are vacuum-packed, ideal for freezing and also last quite a long time in the fridge, as the marinade preserves the meat for that much longer.

Peas: (I buy the frozen baby peas – which I microwave for about 2 minutes.)  They are much sweeter than regular peas which entice the kids to eat their vegetables!

Image: dinnerdiary.org

Cauliflower cheese: I boil the fresh cauliflower until it is al dente!  I set some aside, as I personally prefer not to have the extra kilojoules of the cheese sauce. I whip up a thick cheesy sauce (lots of cheese gives extra flavour) and pop the combo under the grill that is still hot from the kebabs.

This meal met all my criteria– even Oscar, the puppy, was delighted with the leftover chicken.  I got the kids to eat two different veggies and all food groups were included.  Best of all, it was a family meal that we enjoyed together.