STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

nicoley · Coach

I need to cook a dinner

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

whole foods usually has these prepackaged ready-to-cook things, i like the ones with fish...they have about 2 portions of fish along with some veggies and often a sauce already mixed in a little container. the people working at the fish (or meat) counters can tell you exactly how to cook it, sometimes they have little recipe cards even. usually it's pretty easy, like, put fish and veggies on a baking sheet, pour sauce over top, bake for 20 minutes, or whatever. so yeah, i would go to whole foods and see what you can find. don't hesitate to ask the people who work there for advice, they're always so helpful, at least at the one i go to.

do you have a basic cookbook, like betty crocker or better homes and gardens? they usually have super simple recipes. but if you've never ever cooked for him, he'd probably be impressed that you wanted to make the effort, even if all you made was hamburger helper.

here's a recipe for parmesan chicken that seems impressive but is really pretty easy, and it's healthy since it's baked instead of cooked in oil. actually i think i got then when Escrime posted it once.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Servings: 2
Prep time: 40 minutes

2 egg whites
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 portions chicken breast (about ½ lb)
2 portions spinach pasta (about 4 oz. uncooked)
1 cup low-fat pasta sauce
2 cups baby spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites with fork until slightly frothy. Then, mix breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese in a pie plate.

Dip chicken breasts in egg whites and then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts on the baking sheet; bake for approximately 12 minutes, turn over and bake approximately 12 more minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and coating is golden brown.

While the chicken is baking, prepare spinach pasta according to its package directions.

In a small saucepan, warm pasta sauce over medium heat.

Divide spinach leaves between two separate plates. Layer portions of warm spinach pasta and baked chicken breasts over spinach leaves. Top with pasta sauce and remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

-- Edited by valenciana at 13:32, 2006-11-01

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I really like wild rice made by package directions, but using veggie broth (low sodium, from a can or carton) instead of water.

Then I take vine ripened tomatoes and cut off the tops or use whole cherry or grape tomatoes and put them on a cookie sheet in the oven or toaster oven with olive oil over top and then some dried rosemary, pepper, and whole garlic cloves (break them off the head, smash the side of a chefs knife on the clove, and peel off the skin, then drop them whole amongst the tomatoes. Some sweet onions or shallots are good too. Then pop them in the oven at 350 until they are oozing the insides and all smelly and good. Serve over rice.

My heathy hubby likes this. I make some chicken or pork to go along side of it.

It's very easy.

-gd

Kelly · Hermes

I cannot cook either, but I've been making Chicken Alfredo lately and I love it so much!

This is my non-cooker's lazy-person method: get pasta, pre-canned alfredo sauce, and I even go as far as to buy pre-grilled chicken slices (I forget the brand, they were just in the meat coolers of my grocery store). Make the pasta, pour in alfredo sauce, microwave the chicken strips and stir them in, and you're done!

I have no idea how healthy or unhealthy this is, but its so yummy! I've never had broccoli with it, but I feel like steamed broccoli would be good with this. And wine!

blubirde · Chanel

Whole Foods has these super delish chicken sausages (all kinds stuffed with all kinds of different things) and I love them. You could pick up a couple of those and make some pasta or rice to go along with them - or even eggs since you already know how to fix those!

If there's some pre-packaged food you like at WF, be sure to remember what kind it is. Usually a lot of them are seasonal but they'll prepare one for you in the back if you know what it was or what was in it. I love Whole Foods. If only I could afford them more...