Penne with Marinara and Meatballs, Orange-feta salad.

A simple italian-esque meal for a weeknight. Mildly healthy, very yummy, and kid approved. I like kid approved and easy. 

Start with noodles. I picked penne this round. Get your pot of water boiling with a little salt and oil added to it.

Because it keeps noodles from sticking, makes the water boil faster and adds an little something extra.

Geez! So many questions!

Ok. So while the water is getting all bubblyish, chop one onion, 2-3 mushrooms, 1/2 bell pepper and 1/2 a summer squash into chunks. You can add whatever veggies you have in bits and pieces. 

You know the ones. There is not enough to make a side, but too much to just pitch.

This is one of those later in the week meals to get rid of the bits and pieces of other stuff you made.

Throw the veggies into a skillet with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

The water should be close to ready now, so add in your noodles.

Un-bag some meatballs too and get those in a pot or in the nuker. Add a little sauce to them to keep them form getting dry on the edges.

Meatballs you ask?

Costco carries in giant bags. You can also get them from a normal grocer. I like the big bags because we use them for all sorts of meals.

Next add a red sauce of choice. This one was the 3 cheese by Ragu.

Remember that blue cheese and garlic butter you made waaaaaaay back when?

Probably shoved in the back of a drawer in the fridge completely forgotten. 

Ya. I do it too. 

Fish it out and throw in the sauce mix. May as well use it for a good purpose right?

By now it smells yummy and you need a snack.

Have a snack.

If you haven't had this before, you must. It's crack in popcorn form. Don't get out the whole bag. Trust e. You won't eat dinner.

Now you cut up the veggies and stuff for the salad.

I generally use, for the 5 of us, 1/2 head of romaine, 1/4 onion, 1/2 bell pepper, some sort of fruit  (in this case and orange) and a sprinkle of a salty cheese like gorgonzola, bleu cheese or feta. In this case, it's feta.

Oranges

Oh. Tomato and cucumber too. 1/2 of each. If you have them. 

Assemble to make this gorgeous salad.

Have another bite of popcorn.

The noodles should be done by now, so drain them.

Put a few in a dish, top with meatballs and sauce. Get your salad on there too. A vinaigrette works the best IMO. But if you are a hard-core ranch person, I won't tell.

Now go sit down and watch some Big Bang Theory. Try not to snort sauce out your nose. Trust me, it hurts.

Chicken Taco Salad

I wasn't going to post this originally because, hey, everyone knows hot to make taco salad right?

Right!

But then I thought... well...I should include easy to make things too, easier than a normal recipe, because taco salad requires really no real recipe. It's just a bunch of chopping and such. Mostly.

Mostly. I alter things a bit, because I can't leave well enough alone.

No worries. It's still super easy. I like easy, and fast, especially during the week nights.

I am out of hamburger so this is going to be chicken. Chicken is better for you anyway!

If you are vegetarian, then leave out the chicken or use the faux strips I get for my sis.

As I have mentioned before, I get my chicken frozen cooked and in stripes in a bag at Costco. I HATE dealing with cleaning chicken. I do on occasion, but rarely.

If you use frozen like me, then put the strips in a skillet at medium heat with a little olive oil. Toss on about 1tsp of chili powder and a sprinkle of salt.

If you are using chicken breasts, clean them how you wish (I take out anything remotely red and veinish) and slice into strips or chunks. Remember to use a plastic or silicon cutting board and wash your hands frequently.

Do as above with your fresh chicken. 

Wash your hands.

With soap.

Let me smell them... 

Ok. Good to go.

Open a can of refried beans. Get a small saucepan ready to go with a little olive oil over medium heat. Chop a whole onion and a whole bell pepper.

Yes a whole one. You will use part now and part later.

Just trust me on this ok? Ok.

Add the onion and pepper to the pot and cook until happy. 

Have we not established this already?

Ok. Fine.

Happy=translucent color.

Dump in the beans. Mix with the onions. 

Get your spices ready.

If you have taco seasoning, use that. 1/2 pkg should be fine for beans and 1/2 for chicken.

If not, then use cumin, chili powder, garlic, coriander salt and pepper. 

As I mentioned before, I am out of the ground coriander and cumin so I am using seeds. See here how to squish.

Oh. Amounts. Ummmm... 1tsp of coriander, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tbs of chili and 1 tbs garlic. Dash of salt and pepper. This will be enough for the beans.

Put spices in beans and stir. Turn to low and let it get warm and yummy. (You could add cheese... if you reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy wanted to)

Chop your veggies. You already did the onion.

Grate the cheese.

Chop the squishy cheese

See. Squishy cheese before its nuked.

Squishy cheese after nuking. With a little milk.

My array of veggies. I usually do cucumber too, but alas, it was growing odd things and had to be introduced to the Circular Graveyard for the Recently Departed.

Oh. Wait. Haha. Do cucumber. *shakes head* 

No pun intended. 

I need to get out more. 

Geez. That sounds even worse. 

Ok. I'm going to stop before I get myself in any further.

The beans should be done now. So you are ready to assemble.

Using tortillas or taco shells is perfectly acceptable. I like salad style.

Chips

Chicken

Cheeses

Veggies

Lettuce and sour cream and salsa and ranch dressing.

Yes. Ranch dressing. Hey, don't knock it till you try it. It's really yummy. I mean really. What's a salad without ranch dressing?

Now eat up. I always need more chips. The chip to stuff ratio is a tough configuration so to circumspect that, I just bring the bag of chips with me.

Of course, you can't have taco salad without pepsi. Cherry preferred. 

Bon Appetit!