Want your pasta fill but don’t have the time to cook it? Barilla Ready Pasta is an all-natural, fully cooked “al dente” pasta that’s ready in the microwave in just 60 seconds!
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Easy Weekday Meal Ideas from Chef Tina Bourbeau
Easy weekday meals for a family can be made by adding protein to just one of our 4-minute meals.
I have three requirements when I make dinner for myself at the end of a busy day (already spent in the kitchen!). 1) Preparations must be fast 2) It should be pretty healthy 3) Ingredients must be great.
It’s the last requirement which really allows me to keep things simple. If you have great ingredients, less is more. And I don’t like leftovers but also hate wasting food, so rarely do I over-produce, which allows me to keep portions manageable.
Normally I’ll make a salad or some mixed grain and greens and then top up with a cooked protein – which I cook à la minute. So where most of the components are a quick mix, a chop or a stir, the only real cooking is a simple hunk of protein. From my recently launched line of vegetarian meals, I frequently use their components within them in broader and newly combined ways, particularly the grains. Let me explain….
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Family Road Trip Snack Tips
Cut Vegetables and Dip
School’s out, summer’s here and the open road awaits. For thousands of families, that can mean only one thing: ROAD TRIP!
So many of my friends are new parents, and they’re always looking for ways to feed and entertain their kids on the road.
So I asked a few moms, “In addition to hand wipes and sunscreen, what else should be packed on a family road trip?” Here are some of my favorite tips:…
My Survival Kit for New Parents
My husband and I recently had the pleasure of meeting our close friends’ newborn. The new parents were glowing and proud, but also exhausted, a little delirious, and largely housebound (heavily nesting, by choice).
Vegetables: Nutrition & Hydration
In a surge of maternal feelings of my own, I very much wanted to take care of our friends and help them navigate their way in taking care of their newborn son.
They had more than enough to handle at home with the newborn, mom recovering, nonna staying in the spare room, and a regular stream of well-wishers visiting, so I crafted a special FreshDirect delivery of my favorite foods custom-picked for them….
Further Adventures in 4-Minute Meals
In an earlier post, I tried Chef Terrance Brennan’s Fettucine with Shrimp, Tomato Confit & Creamy Pesto — and it changed my life. I’m not even exaggerating.
Rosa Mexicano Chicken Enchiladas
That one dish was so delicious that it forever altered my perception of what a microwave meal can be.
So the next time I sat down to do a FreshDirect order, I was super excited to try some of the other 4-Minute Meals. They had to be just as good, right?…
Master of the Microwave!
Back when I was a picky eater, I spent a lot of time feeling guilty about not eating enough vegetables.
Terrance Brennan Fettuccini w/ Shrimp
I knew they were good for me, and I even knew I’d feel better when I ate them, but I just couldn’t do much more than eat a salad once or twice a week.
Now that I’ve welcomed the wonders of vegetables into my life (Brussels sprouts! Cucumbers!), my guilt has shifted.
Now it’s not bringing my lunch to work that makes me feel a tiny bit like a failure. …
A Lot Can Happen in One Click (Part 2)
In my last post, I began my journey into the world of FreshDirect One-Click Recipes — a journey that for me was far more nerve-wracking than it probably is for most people.
Erica's One-Click Recipes
But when my ingredients for Pasta with Ricotta, Herbs, and Lemon and White Bean, Red Onion, and Tomato Salad arrived this past Saturday (along with my grocery staples like orange juice, garlic, and arugula), all clearly labeled and smelling wonderful, I began to look forward to my recipe adventure….
Emma’s Saucy Secrets
Want to know my not-so-secret secret? I often over-commit myself.
Last week, for example, I offered to host a dinner for seven people in honor of a friend who was visiting from out of town.
Penne with Spicy Vodka Sauce
I immediately started polling the FreshDirect Research & Development team on what I should make (admittedly, I’m lucky enough to have insider access to their professional advice!), and they came up with the idea of using our own Marsala Wine & Mushroom Sauce — which is truly to die for.
The party was scheduled for Wednesday, and while I was sure it would take me all night Tuesday to prepare for our dinner party — instead, I just took their advice… and it was brilliant. I was able to prepare everything in less than 30 minutes. Here’s how I did it:…