Here on our homestead we are often busy out in the yard or working on some project or other and don't always have time to cook up an epic meal that takes multiple pots and pans to prepare. We have even less patience for doing dishes afterwards 🤣. What we do have is an abundance of veggies and a penchant for stocking up on our less than frequent trips to buy groceries. Often we find ourselves minimizing dishes by cooking something up that takes just a single pan and so we rely heavily on stir fries, rice, curry's, chilis, soups, stews, salads, dishes that are quick or we can prepare in a crockpot while we work. We are also big on breakfast so often make big meals in the morning and just eat a light lunch as we can or snacks throughout the day.
I am the main chef, I always have been, my wife can absolutely cook and does when she feels like it but she isn't as interested in cooking as I am. This is especially true since I have stepped into the stay at home role to support her and my daughter through the pandemic. My wife has been able to mostly work from home but can't really do everything she needs to do if she has to entertain, educate, and keep our 4 year old out of mischief. In this situation my interest and passion for food has only grown!
So without further shenanigans here are a selection of our family favorites. Most of these we make at least once a month, some of them at least once a week! All are delicious and most of them are pretty easy to make. Most likely I will post recipes another time but for now I just want to share the finished dishes 😁
We love our rice cooker, and we love eggs! luckily this one is as simple as can be. Load up your rice and seasonings, add your chosen veggies, top with a few eggs, close the lid and fire it up. We add sriracha, a little butter, and soy sauce when its finished cooking.
Teriyaki beef stir fry. The name says it all! quick, easy, delicious!
Eggplant and veggie curry. Takes a while to simmer properly but if you start it ahead of time you can be doing other stuff while it bubbles away on the stovetop
One of our other favorite staples besides rice- CousCous! easy peasy to prepare and goes great as a side with anything you would have rice with!
Homemade Pizza- This is wayyyy more involved because making the dough is time consuming. I'll make a big batch around once a month and then refrigerate or freeze the extra so I don't have to make fresh dough when we want pizza!
Another easy one to make in the rice cooker! rice, beans, tomatoes, onion, sweet potatoes all go in the pot and top with avocado and cheese when its done! We eat this any time of day or night and it always is a treat!
Nothing better than a big old breakfast on a Sunday! We love this black pepper crusted bacon!
This is one I'll make often in winter when we want something extra hearty and have more time on my hands. The shortcrust pastry is time consuming but oh so worth it. My mom made homemade meat pies all the time when I was younger and we lived in the U.K. and it's something my family loves now as well. We add lots of veggies to the filling- carrots, onions, potatoes, sometimes mushrooms, and always always top with garden peas. So delicious and ever so filling!
Luckily my four year old daughter loves all of these! There are veggies she isn't a big fan of, onion's or sweet potatoes for example, but when its all mixed up like in most of these dishes she hardly notices! Now I'm hungry though, too bad its not lunch time yet!
JD