the easiest dinner after a day of apple crisp making: hearty chimichurri rice and bean soup

I needed a dinner option last night that was easy. And vegetarian. And that everyone would enjoy. And that could be made with minimal effort...

Now on the tenth (!) year as a back-to-school tradition, we'd spent the morning making apple crisp for the boys' teachers, the afternoon swimming at a friend's, and the early evening chauffeuring to physical therapy for one, cross-training for the other. By the time we rolled home-- at dinnertime-- I really wanted/needed someone else to tackle dinner.

Trader Joe's to the rescue. The boys sampled this while we were picking up our (zillion pounds) of apples and both claimed it was really good. Three ingredients into a pot? Sounds good to me too.

Special bonus that all the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry and freezer. So, whether you find yourself in need of a night off of cooking because you made apple crisp for 20 families, or just because you're a fan of the quick and easy, this one's a keeper.

Trader Joe's Chimichurri Rice and Black Bean Soup
recipe credit going to the nice lady giving out samples in the Darien, CT store
(4-6 servings; can double)

one 32-oz carton Roasted Tomato-Red Pepper Soup
one or two 14-oz can(s) black beans, rinsed and drained
one 16-oz bag Chimichurri Rice (freezer section)
optional - sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
optional - avocado

Place soup, black beans and rice in a pot. Heat over medium-low until warm. Serve with sour cream, Greek yogurt, and/or chunks of fresh avocado. Leftovers can be frozen.

For posterity's sake, I'm including a few photos from the apple crisp making as well. Each year I think, "should we do it again?" And each year, it's the one cooking project the kids really look forward to. So, I embraced the happy chaos again, and hope that this token of thanks for all their hard work in the year ahead is enjoyed by each teacher's family.

I know it drives some of you crazy that we don't use a recipe for our apple crisp. I linked a few apple crisp recipes here in this post from 2009. This pic from later in 2009 always brings a smile. And I recall that back in 2013 we attempted to apple pick before embarking on the project. Lesson learned that apples aren't really in season when school starts here in CT.  

Stock Your Freezer in a Snap: the "Second Batch" of freezer meals is here! Now with vegetarian and gluten-free options too!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to publish my second Stock Your Freezer in a Snap instantly downloadable ebook! The "Second Batch" contains a dozen healthful family recipes-- 10 of which are gluten-free. And all are-- of course-- freezer-friendly, so you can feed your family well, even on the busiest of days. You may click below to instantly download the ebook, or read on for more details.

Included in this ebook:

• A dozen new family-friendly recipes that freeze beautifully (enough to inspire, not overwhelm!)
• Done-for-you shopping lists
• Simple, easy-to-follow recipes for any level home cook
• Step-by-step photos to successfully guide you through each recipe
• Packing, freezing and reheating instructions for each recipe (so they are as delicious as the day you made them)
• Reviews and cooking tips from 25 busy moms who served as recipe testers

“You have 4 yes votes in this house on this one. You have a knack for family friendly meals.” – Kathleen K., recipe tester from New Hampshire and mom of two, including, “a 10 yr old boy who loves to eat and try new things and an 8 year old girl who likes to hate it before she tries it and finds anything spicy burns her mouth”

All of the Second Batch recipes are plant-based (perfect for those trying to feed their family more veggies!), and I also share tips on how to add meat to each recipe, if you'd like.

And, by popular demand, 10 of the new recipes are gluten-free! 

Second Batch Recipes

"Bombshells" {Mediterranean Stuffed Shells}

Lentil-Sweet Potato Stew - GF

Spinach and Cheese Strata - GF

Roasted-Carrot Cashew Pesto - GF

Rustic Polenta-"Sausage" Casserole - GF

Loaded Veggie Enchiladas - GF

{Customizable} Calzones

Broccoli-Arugula-Parmesan Pesto - GF

Cheese and Chard Twice-Baked Potatoes - GF

Greek Stuffed Peppers - GF

Black Bean Fiesta Soup - GF

Red Coconut Curry - GF

“I previously had not cooked ahead or frozen many meals. All of the recipes were very easy to make with simple straightforward directions and the photos that accompany are useful. I love how all the recipes can be modified to suit each family’s taste… I am happy to admit that I am no longer afraid of dinner! With the baby and little ones keeping me busy, dinnertime seemed to sneak up on me each day and now I feel a little bit more in control.” – Meghan M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT and mom of four

The ebook is instantly downloadable… in case you are like me, and patience isn't one of your virtues!

“Thank you so much for solving my evening's dinner dilemma! We served the Roasted Carrot-Cashew Pesto over rigatoni. Outrageously delicious. We each had two helpings…seriously, really good stuff." – Maureen M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT and foodie mom of a tween daughter

“So easy to follow—even when I am ‘mommy multi-tasking’…I felt like a pro—or like I must be doing something wrong because they were so easy!!... Favorite part was the done-for-me-shopping lists that I could just take with me to the market… Our family favorites were the Lentil Stew, the Cheesy Chard Twice Baked Potatoes and the Curry. I would definitely recommend this to my friends—it’s too easy not to use!!” - Heidi M., recipe tester from Darien, CT and mom of two tween girls

“I'm pretty much obsessed with these {Cheese and Chard Twice Baked Potatoes}. Brilliant, Eila. So excited for those freezer meals!” – Shanae B., recipe tester from Stamford, CT, Fairfield County “Fit4Mom” Instructor, and mom of three young children… with a fourth on the way!

“'Bonus hours!' I will be putting my feet up for a month with all this food ready to go-- it is time to reap the rewards. The kids enjoyed making comments, but we know the biggest comment/compliment is a clean plate. They tried a lot of new food combinations and loved many of them. They helped me cook, too! Your recipes are super easy for the entire family to participate in the cooking.” – Kathleen K., recipe tester from New Hampshire and mom of two

Upon purchase, you will receive a link to instantly download and save the ebook on your computer, tablet… or you can go old-school, like me, and print out a hard copy.

https://sowl.co/6mrpV

Step-by-step photos make even the newest cook feel comfortable in the kitchen.

“So I loved this. I will say I don't usually eat curry. And it's something I always want to eat but never really feel gutsy enough to try. My 18-month-old devoured 2 helpings, my 5 year old said ‘this chicken is SUPER tasty, and the green stuff is good too’, and my 3 year old didn't gag when I bribed him to finish his rice (that had sauce on top). Success! This is definitely a winner over here. And I love that it's also a gluten-free/dairy-free/vegan option…” – Shanae B., recipe tester from Stamford, CT, Fairfield County “Fit4Mom” Instructor, and mom of three young children… with a fourth on the way!

“{The Calzones} were easy to make and customize. Everyone really liked them. Will definitely make again. I loved the idea of pulsing the veggies in the filling!” – Allyson M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT, mom of two young children who works full-time outside of the home

“This was a huge hit in our house! So great to come home to a full freezer... Super easy to make and right from the freezer to the table on our busiest night!” – Leslie K., recipe tester from Easton, CT and mom of four

“{The enchiladas} are amazing!!!! Everyone loved them…I used spinach, kale, butternut squash purée, orange and yellow peppers, zucchini and swapped the mushrooms for summer squash. Also used the pinto beans in lieu of meat since I'm vegetarian, but sure the family would love with the chicken - may indulge them with a batch of chicken next time . So delicious and love that so many veggies are packed in there at once!” - Patricia M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT and mom of three

“Delicious! 5 thumbs up (would be 6 but the husband is traveling).” – Patti D., gluten-free recipe tester from Milton, MA, mom of four active children, including one child with celiac disease

“This was SOOOO good. {My oldest daughter}is not home yet, but we are at 4/5 thumbs up, which in my house for something new and bit different is HUGE… this recipe is SO easy and so good. Will definitely be a keeper.” – Rachel S., recipe tester from Milton, MA, part-time physical therapist and mom of three athletic girls

And for more info on the First Batch of family-friendly make-ahead recipes, click here. 

Cheers to nourishing, delicious family meals, even on the busiest of days. And bonus hours all around!!

Kale-White Bean Stew {aka: 4-hour-workman-window-and-I-haven't-gone-to-the-market-but-need-to-make-dinner-during-those-4-hours-with-what-I-have-on-hand-oh-and-can-you-also-make-it-vegetarian-please soup}

It's a well-known fact that I am not in my school groove yet. If I see you around town, or on the sidelines {of three sports x two kids}, and you ask, "how's your year going so far?", I may very well look at you like a deer in the headlights. 

We have turned a corner. Apparently gone are the days when my kids tumbled off the schoolbus, played in the yard til dinner, and we all sat down together at a reasonable time. Now, they arrive home minutes before my chauffeuring begins. Afternoon and evening activities overlap. Homework has become more plentiful. And there's still only one of me. 

Oh, and, I am not willing to forego healthy meals, or family dinners. 

Wednesdays are unique in that my children only have half-days of school. It's funny because I remember when they started preschool I used to think that 4 hours off was an amazingly long time. Now, with four other normal length school days/week, I sort of treat Wednesday as a wash.

However, today found me halfway though a {truth be told: disorganized} week of meals, marooned at home during a 4-hour workman window {the same 4 hours the kids are in school}, needing dinner prepared before 12:30. And I hadn't done much grocery marketing. Did I throw up my hands in despair and say we'll just go to Station Eats in between tennis lessons, a baseball game, and the first big middle school project that involves poster board? No. Because mama is trying to get back to svelte… my older child came home from camp a vegetarian…. and if you make me sit around the house for four hours waiting for you, you better believe I'm going to put that time to good use by cooking something. The result of rifling through the pantry and freezer or ingredients?

Kale-White Bean Stew 

{aka: 4-hour-workman-window-and-I-haven't-gone-to-the-market-but-need-to-make-dinner-during-those-4-hours-with-what-I-have-on-hand-oh-and-can-you-also-make-it-vegetarian-please Soup}

olive oil

frozen pearl onions {or a chopped onion}

canned white beans {drained and rinsed}

kale {chopped, fresh or frozen}

a jar of TJ's bruschetta {or a can of diced tomatoes and some garlic}

veggie broth

orzo {or couscous, quinoa, farro, wild rice, brown rice}

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, over medium heat. Saute the onions until golden, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until the grain you added is cooked. 

Reheats beautifully {if you need to dine in shifts}. Freezes perfectly {if you want to make a big batch and freeze some for a busy night ahead}.

I know some of you like me to be more precise with my measurements… Here is what I added today, which made 8 servings {4 for tonight; 4 to freeze}:

two 32 oz cartons veggie broth
one 12 oz jar TJ's bruschetta
two 15 oz cans white beans
16 oz frozen pearl onions
16 oz frozen kale
1 Cup TJ's Harvest Grains blend

Then, while one child was creating a math presentation and the other was systematically destroying the kitchen that had just been cleaned-- I mean, sewing a Medieval costume out of felt-- I slathered some good butter on French bread and wrapped it in foil ready to go into the oven for a few minutes, in anticipation of a quick family dinner in between practices tonight.

Cooking Light's Dinnertime Survival Guide review + giveaway!

One of my all-time favorite food bloggers {and mom extraordinaire}, Sally, just released her "Cooking Light's Dinnertime Survival Guide"… and it's fabulous! 

Oh, and in case you were wondering if Sally is as cute, peppy and knowledgeable in person as she is in the pages of this cookbook? She is. But, of course, I had to try several of the recipes to make sure they were as awesome as the ones on her blog, Real Mom Nutrition. As you may recall, we have a bit of a mutual love-fest going on. She loves my make-ahead meals, and I love her RD expertise, coupled with her real life, simple solutions to getting dinner on the table, since she's a super busy mom like all of us. 

Deciding which recipe to try first was the hardest part. 

I ran a few by my kids, and we gave the "Black Bean Soup" {page 235} a whirl first. After all, it was Cinco de Mayo….

Gotta love those recipes that take mere minutes to make...

dump this in, dump that in… give it a stir...

add some veggie broth… pop the lid on….

and voila! Or, "ole!" might be more apropos in this case.

Yum. So easy, and everyone loved it. 

Next up? A few friends were raving about the "Peanut Butter-Coconut Chicken Fingers" {page 122). I like recipes that only have a few ingredients, and this one fit the bill. The outer coating is a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, unsweetened coconut and ginger.

And before you roll it in that crispy coating, you simply dip the chicken tenders into a blend of coconut milk, eggs, and in my case, almond butter.

I doubled the batch, knowing this was a meal that would reheat well. Oh, and I also baked them instead of sautéing or pan-frying them. To go this route, simply spray your rimmed baking sheet with your choice of cooking oil and bake them at 425 until cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping them halfway.

Another winner!

Then tonight, I had a request, by my one child who is currently {and maybe forever} vegetarian, for a hearty meatless meal. It was a drizzly and gray spring day here in CT, so a perfect night to give the comforting "Curried Carrots and Lentils" {page 75} a test drive.

I usually have carrots in the fridge and lentils in the pantry, making this one of those great "what can I make for dinner with what I have on hand" recipes. I made a few modifications: three cloves of garlic {instead of one}, no ground red pepper {trying to keep it tame}, and smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika {which I highly recommend-- it gave the dish even more depth}.

Oh, and I used veggie broth instead of water, added a whole quart instead of 3 1/2 cups of water…and I added everything to the pot instead of taking things out and adding them back in {because I believe in shortcuts… and because I'm not very good at following directions on recipes}.

This is another one of those "bonus hour" dinners, where it's got to do its' thing for about a 1/2 hour…

and if I didn't have 1st grade reading homework to oversee, I might have used that cooking time to kick back and read a magazine. But it was nice to be able to offer my undivided attention tonight.

The verdict? My vegetarian-leaning son said it was "delicious!", my self-proclaimed "meatatarian" son said, "yum, it tastes like it has sausage in it" {thank you smoked paprika}, and my husband kept making cracks about us now having "Meatless Thursdays" but you'll note that all the bowls were basically licked clean... 

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that yours truly has a mention in the cookbook too! Check out page 37 for one of my freezer tricks. 

And {drum roll}, as a thank you for being a part of her cookbook, Sally has given me a copy to share with one of my readers. To be entered to win, please leave a comment below letting me know why you need this book! For a second chance to win, "like" Real Mom Nutrition on Facebook, and leave me a comment letting me know you've done so! A lucky winner will be chosen on Monday, May 12, 2014 at 8am Eastern Time by random.org. May the most desperate mom win! {Just kidding.}

Please note: I was sent a complimentary copy of the book to review, but all opinions are my own. I wouldn't tell you it's great if I didn't really think so!