Looking for a home-cooked meal you can throw together after work? Here’s an easy, delicious, satisfying dinner that requires hardly any prep. It’s entry-level from-scratch cooking that’s down-to-earth and good in every way.
A Simple, Quick, Home-Cooked Meal
Cooking for Beginners: Dinner for two or three, that you can whip up in about a half-hour
Steamed Broccoli
Ingredients
Directions
Place florets in large pot. Add enough water to cover just the bottom of the pot by about ⅛-inch. Place over medium-high heat, covered, for five minutes (or until the water begins to boil). Meanwhile, slice what remains of the trimmed broccoli into medium bite-sized chunks. Set aside. Allow broccoli to steam over low heat for 5 minutes. Off heat. If you like your broccoli on the crunchy side, remove it to a serving plate. If you like it on the softer side, leave it in the pot (off heat), covered, while you finish the chicken.
Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
I like to do this in a Griddler. I’m sure you can do it in any similar contraption. I used to use a George Foreman grill, but it was better with beef. (By the way, the easiest way to clean the Griddler’s grills is to soak them in soapy water.)
1. Plug in the Griddler. Turn the “selector” knob to “grill panini” and turn the “grill panini” knob to “sear.” While it’s warming up, prep the chicken.[2] Once the Griddler comes to temperature, place the chicken on it, seasoned-size down, season the top of the chicken, close the grill, and set a timer for 7 minutes. Once the timer goes off, flip[1] the chicken, close the lid, lower the “grill panini” knob to “med” and continue to cook for 4-5 more minutes. 2. Meanwhile, strain the broccoli. Return it to the pot. Turn heat to med-high and burn off any lingering water. Off heat. Add butter and salt. Toss gently until butter is melted and has coated the broccoli. 3. Once chicken is done, allow it to rest on a cutting board until the broccoli is ready.
Serve with a green salad, which you prepped earlier that day, yesterday, or the day before.
Raspberries and Cream
Sweetened cream is the perfect foil for tart raspberries. Raspberries don’t last long, so buy them day of, day before, no more than three days before.
I prefer to whip the cream to soft peaks and sweeten it, but you could simply pour heavy cream right out of the carton, onto the berries. You could blend almonds with the cream. I came across a fantastic-looking recipe in the NY Times that blends raspberries with cheese. I’m eager to try it.
Ingredients
Directions
After dinner, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add sugar and whip until combined. Fold in ¾ of the raspberries rather brusquely. Dish it up, and sprinkle the remaining berries on top.
Dinner Conversation
Hipster-funded researchers have “discovered” that 1 out of every 3 people have a ‘supertaster’ gene that is responsible for making them hate broccoli. I can just hear the hipster, complaining about it over his PBR,[4] “Yeah, I mean, like, I was punished for it as a kid, but now I realize that the reason I hate broccoli is just because I’m better than ⅔ of the population.” He shrugs his shoulders, like his doesn’t give a fuck, while you know damn well that inside his head, he’s thinking, “I knew it! I knew I was better than other people! I mean, it’s perfectly obvious in a simple listing of the bands that I hate. I probably have a superlistener gene too. I bet they’ll discover that.” I’m not one to argue with science, but I am one to argue about the use of language. Anything that would cause you to unlike broccoli and Brussels sprouts is not super. It is a horrible, horrible flaw that makes you less interesting, less capable, and much less appealing to a potential mate. And … discuss.
Afterward
Once all’s said and done (and eaten) and you’re doing the dishes, boil up those broccoli pieces that you saved, for about 10 minutes. Drain and refrigerate. Put them in your next salad. Or open your window and throw them at 1 out of every 3 passers by.
Cooking for Beginners: Chicken, Broccoli, and Raspberry Notes
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