Meals in under 45 minutes

What’s for dinner? can be one of the most dreaded questions of the day. For most of our families, especially those with extracurricular activities after school, this question is undoubtedly one of the toughest to answer. Some of us do really well and prepare menus ahead of time, with market lists ready to go each week, along with kitchen chalkboards so our children can easily answer that question themselves. Some of us, not so much. Every family runs differently and that’s perfectly okay! We’re here to help whichever side of the camp you’re in!

Below are 3 recipes that can be ready in under 45 minutes. When you have tired (hangry) children, the quicker the meal, the better the evening will be for everyone involved. For our menu planners, you can add this to your weekly dinner array. For our eleventh-hour folks, these meals can be ready by the time your basketball players or ballet dancers get home, get their school things put away and done with their showers.

Sesame Grilled Salmon

Has a super short marinating time but still has great flavor!

• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 1-½ tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound salmon fillets
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1. Whisk soy sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic together in a bowl until marinade is evenly mixed. Set aside ¼  of the marinade.
2. Place salmon fillets in shallow dish; pour the remaining marinade over the salmon. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 minutes.
3. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or stove-top grill over medium-high heat.
4. Remove salmon from marinade, shaking to remove excess marinade, and place, skin-side up, into the hot oil; cook for 4 minutes. Discard unused marinade in the shallow dish. Flip salmon and drizzle the reserved ¼  of the marinade over salmon; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip salmon, remove skin, and cook 1 minute more.

One Pan Orecchiette Pasta

This only has a handful of ingredients, is very cheap to make, and most importantly: only uses one pan or pot!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ onion, diced
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
• 3-½ cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1-¼ cups orecchiette pasta or use your favorite gluten-free pasta
• ½ cup roughly chopped arugula
• ¼ cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir sausage into onions; cook and stir until sausage is broken up and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Pour 1-½ cups chicken broth into sausage mixture and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add orecchiette pasta; cook and stir pasta in hot broth, adding remaining broth when liquid is absorbed, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir arugula into pasta-sausage mixture until arugula wilts. Ladle pasta into bowls and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Quick Beef Stir-Fry

Super quick and easy!

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch strips
• 1-½ cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 red or green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 carrots, baton cut (aka standard lunchbox carrot sticks size)
• 1 green onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir beef until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Move beef to the side of the wok and add broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, green onion, and garlic to the center of the wok. Cook and stir vegetables for 2 minutes.
2. Stir beef into vegetables and season with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about 2 more minutes.