Last minute meal for a busy day!
How many times have you looked at the clock and it is 6PM and there is NO dinner simmering away happily on the stove? For me, it happens about once a week. What you need is a few ingredients in your pantry that can be whipped up into a delicious and nutritious meal, so that you are not tempted to call out for delivery.
Last night was one of those nights. I spent the day on the computer trying to get the best deals on Cyber Monday, spending way too much time and energy on the commercial aspect of the holiday. I felt really bad about this and to compound my irritation, I hadn’t even started dinner when I glanced at the clock and it read 6:00. My husband will periodically make a quip about me being a food blogger and I can’t even get dinner on the table some days. And frankly, he is right!
Enter that social media ideal of homespun perfection. How many of you wonder what is wrong with you that you can’t have the idyllic life of Joanna Gaines or the Pioneer Woman? I don’t grown my own produce or raise my own chickens. Nor do I sew my children’s clothing or bake cinnamon buns for breakfast every single morning. My house is rarely spotless but we are real – with up days and down days. There are days that yes, I do more cooking than usual, and sometimes it is a total gourmet feast but other days, I need a little help. And this is what I need to always remember . . . we are real and we are human.
Anyway, I knew that I had purchased a delicious looking Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix when we were at the market the day before, so I thought this is the time to use it …… I read the needed ingredients on the package and I had them all. If you all know anything about me, you know that I ALWAYS have cooked cubed chicken in the fridge or freezer at all times. So, I quickly dumped the two cartons of chicken broth, the package of soup mix and a jar of mild salsa into my soup kettle. Thirty minutes later, we sat down to “freshly” made soup, warm fresh bread from the bakery and some Kerrygold butter. This meal took next to no energy or brainpower to cook, and that I need some days. So as long as you are prepared for these days, it is not a problem.
If you have more time and energy, the homemade recipe is sure to satisfy even the most picky eater. I will often swap in a can of hatch chiles instead of the jalapeno, for a more mild flavor.