Quick and Easy Family Dinners
There is nothing better than making quick and easy family dinners that the whole family will love. Staying in and cooking dinner for the whole family can be a great way to bond as a family as well as save you some money on eating out. Check out these quick and easy family dinners from Jerusalem Mediterranean Chef’s Table that will have your kids running back for seconds.
#1 One-Pot Beef Pot Pie
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs of chuck roast, cubed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ stick margarine
- 1 ½ cup sliced portabella mushrooms
- 2 diced medium onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry semi-sweet red wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup of soy, almond, or coconut milk
- 1 lb frozen peas or carrots
- Puff pastry sheet
Instructions
After the beef has been dried with paper towels, season with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven over a medium-high heat, add the meat and stir until well-browned. Once the meat has been cooked, place it in a bowl to the side. In the Dutch oven, add the margarine, portabellas, onion, and 2 tsp of kosher salt. Cover the Dutch oven for 10 minutes until all juices have released. With increased heat, cook another 10 minutes uncovered until the liquids have evaporated. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Once incorporated, add the flour and gradually stir in the red wine. Whisk in the soy, coconut, or almond milk and add the meat back in the Dutch oven.
Bring the pot to a simmer for 45 minutes until the meat is tender. After 45 minutes, stir in the peas and carrots with a little salt and pepper to taste. Once everything is well incorporated and taken off the fire, place everything in a 9 x 13 baking dish with the puff pastry covering the top of the dish.
Bake in the oven for 375 degrees for 1 ½ hours until crust is golden brown.
#2 Pesto Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
Ingredients for Pesto sauce:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup olive oil
- Salt to taste
Blend all ingredients in the food processor. For a thicker spread, try adding less olive oil.
Ingredients for schnitzel:
- 4 cups of flour
- 8 eggs, beaten
- 4 cups of bread crumbs
- ½ cup crushed red chile flakes
- 12 chicken cutlets – ¼ inch think
- ¼ cup of canola oil
- 2 medium yellow onions thinly sliced
- A pink Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Bread of choice – preferably baguette
- Sweet chili sauce
- 4 cups of shredded lettuce
- 3 ripe tomatoes thinly sliced
- ½ cup sliced dill pickle
Instructions
To prepare the schnitzel, place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Season the flour and chicken with salt and pepper. Begin by coating the chicken cutlets in flour (shake off the excess), then in the egg mixture, followed by the bread crumbs.
Working with medium-high heat, place half the onions and chicken in a 12” skillet with canola oil. After 4-6 minutes, the chicken should look Golden Brown. To drain the excess oil, set the chicken on paper towels. Once all chicken is cooked, add the rest of the onions for 8 minutes until they are caramelized.
Once everything is cooked, start assembling each sandwich. To maximize the flavor of the sandwich, spread the pesto sauce on the bottom of each baguette before adding the chicken and other ingredients. Have fun with this part and let the kids create their own.
