We’re in a bit of a lull right now. Not many weeknight commitments to make things harried. Honestly? I kind of like it, but I know it won’t be long until we’re under the gun again and running and scraping for every second we can find between the end of the school day and bedtime.

My favorite meals to cook are healthy meals that are, essentially, one dish. Everything in one that requires no side dishes or extra vegetables. I don’t really like to cook and serve too many casseroles. I really make a push to cook whole foods and to use products that don’t contain preservatives.

That’s why this dinner is so awesome. It meets all those requirements and has the added bonus of being able to use up leftovers. It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. It’s all up to you.

Easy One Skillet Risotto with Chicken and Veggies

1) Assemble your ingredients.  Remember when I said this could accommodate nearly any ingredient you had on hand?  It’s true.  The night I made this dish, I added the vegetables we had on hand along with some  boneless, skinless chicken.  Fresh vegetables WILL take longer to cook.  As will raw chicken.  You can hurry up the process by using frozen vegetables and precooked vegetables.

2) If you’re using raw chicken, chunk it up into bite sized pieces and cook it through.  The smaller the pieces, the quicker it cooks.  You can season your chicken to taste.  I’m currently having a relationship with Montreal Steak Seasoning.  It’s basic, but delicious.

3) While the chicken cooks, chop up any fresh vegetables.

4) When the chicken is finished (of course, this could be a vegetarian meal as well.  Just omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth) remove it from the pan.  Swirl in a little bit of olive oil and add vegetables and 1 and 1/3  cup of uncooked risotto.  Cook it for a few minutes until risotto has begun to brown and veggies have begun to brown/soften.

4) Stir in four cups of your choice of broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat after it boils and cover, cooking for twenty minutes.  As an aside, if you’re using frozen vegetables, you can wait until the last five minutes of cooking time to add them.   This dish is actually very good with some of the frozen vegetables in light sauce like Green Giant makes

5) Once the risotto is cooked, stir in your chicken and stir until chicken has warmed up.

Click Image for Printable Copy of the Recipe

6) Serve.

One pan, one bowl, balanced and healthy AND done in about thirty minutes. Isn’t that great?

The Menu Plan

The weather here has been unseasonable.  That’s the best way to describe it.  After a mild weather, we’re experiencing June temperatures in March.  It means, I’m afraid of what June will REALLY be like.  Thank goodness for a/c.

Monday Thirty Minute One Skillet Risotto (seen above.  Young spring asparagus would be amazing in this dish).

Tuesday Steak on the grill, couscous (another super versatile dish) and corn

Wednesday Grilled hamburgers, potato chips and fire roasted vegetables

Thursday Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Potatoes (NO CABBAGE!)

Friday Date Night.  Thanks to Auntie Awesome.

Saturday It’s Family Movie Night!  I’ll be sharing our dinner, dessert and crafts next Friday.

Sunday Guinness boiled brats, home made potato salad and veggies.  Too good (and too warm) to pass up this favorite).

Still having 99 problems, including not having my lap top back yet AND we’ve not even managed to mail it out yet, which means from today it will still be gone for two weeks, but I’m kicked Big Daddy out of his big comfy chair in the office and have taken over!

Sort of.

After I begged for the password.

As with most people, with the start of the new year, we’re working on being more healthy.  We’re trying to exercise more (I have a goal of 20 days this month and it looks like I’m going to make it!) and eat better.  After the gluttony of the holidays, simple light fare in January seems to taste that much better.

In December, Baby Bee and I hit the Scholastic Warehouse Sale (Have you been?  If not, you should go.  You can sign up on-line at Scholastic.com to be notified of the sales).  At the sale, I picked up a Cooking Light compilation entitled Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals.  For the past three weeks, 90% of our at home cooked meals have come from this book, and I’m betting we can try new things we like for several more weeks as well.  I’ve never had such good like from stem to stern with any other cookbook except for maybe the old Betty Crocker standby.

This cookbook is available on Amazon (I get no kick back.  Full disclosure and all that stuff).

Two weeks ago, Big Daddy and I had the Smokey Black Bean Soup with Avocado-Lime Salsa for lunch

It was so good, we’re having it for lunch again this week.  I would like to enter in the statement that neither Big Daddy nor I are big bean eaters, but this soup was really very good AND fast.

The long and short of all this, is that the most of these meals will be coming from Cooking Light and the aforementioned cookbook.

Monday Pressed Italian Sandwiches with Pesto and oven baked potato chips

Tuesday Grilled Romaine Chicken Caesar Salad (more disclosure.  We’ve already had and enjoyed these recipes over the last few weeks.  Since I haven’t done a menu plan I’m able to blog things we’ve actually eaten and give my opinion.  The dressing for this salad was very good, but the recipe calls for you to GRILL your lettuce.  I get the point, but I thought it just made it wilty and soggy. SO, use the dressing recipe, skip the grilling of the lettuce)

Wednesday Zucchini-Potato Pancakes with Eggs and Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Thursday Panko Pan-Fried Talapia with Dijon Green Beans and Crash Hot Potatoes

Friday Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce and Roasted Potato Wedges

Saturday Out!

Sunday Lasagna Cups, garlic bread and salad A Pinterest Find

What’s on your menu this week?  Have you been eating healthier this year?  Trying to?  What’s working for you?