Re-Friending the Crock Pot

It’s August and around here that equates to a few sure things.

One is that I have to pull the lunchboxes out of storage and begin anew the task of filling them with desirable fare. I’ll also hunt down the crock pot so that we can get reacquainted and begin planning meals for busy weeknights.

Another given is the parched landscape outside and the tangle of weeds blanketing it, which is in part due to my husband’s hat-change – from a straw number designed for working in the fields to a cap bearing his high school’s emblem. (Farming is a part-time gig, much like football coaching, in that they both have a way of becoming full-time part-time jobs.)

The surest thing of all is that this ship needs to get and stay on course if it’s going to stay afloat through October. I tell you what.

As you might expect, I say this sort of thing every year. Despite my best efforts to prepare and organize, come October (which is midway through football and soccer seasons), the ship seems to spin as if it’s caught up in a typhoon. Being the type A personality that I am, I have no one to blame for the spinning but myself.

Generally speaking, my standards are too high. And when it comes to what I’m feeding myself and my family, I’m often unwilling to compromise because I understand all too well the connection between what we eat and how we function and feel.

I know I’m not alone in my quest to provide real food in real time. It’s easy, however, to get stuck in ruts. Sometimes we need to be reminded of foods and strategies that we’ve forgotten about. For instance, the smoothie breakfast (where you can blend in just about anything, including greens, and your kid won’t know), substituting rice cakes, crackers, whole-grain buns/tortillas and the like for boring old sandwich bread.

Both my children, bless them, will eat plain, cubed tofu, which is one of the easiest lunches imaginable. One likes to dip his in ketchup, the other likes to sprinkle hers with nutritional yeast. Cooking double the grains or beans you need for a recipe will give you a head-start on another meal and/or more lunch options (my daughter eats plain beans, too, the angel).

There are lots of good online sources for crock pot recipes, but the one I turn to most frequently seems to be www.crockpot365.blogspot.com. Did you know you can make oatmeal in your crock pot? This is an ideal way to cook steel cut oats (also known as Irish oats), since they need a longer cooking time. To your crock pot, simply add 1 cup of oats (rolled or steel cut), 4 cups water (5 if using steel cut oats) and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Cover and set on low overnight (roughly 10 hours). You will be so glad you did this when you wake up. Just add the toppings of your choice. We like flaked coconut, maple syrup, dates, walnuts, and chopped apple.

Below is a non-crock pot recipe, but a favorite that I’ve doubled to serve 4 for dinner with enough left over for lunches. There’s plenty of room for adjustments/substitutions, so feel free to use what veggies and spices suit your family (carrots and/or cabbage will do nicely in this dish, for example).

Noodle and Vegetable Salad

1 lb. udon noodles or whole-grain linguini

2/3 cup chopped scallions or red onion

1 cucumber, diced

1 cake tofu (seasoned or plain)

Fresh spinach, lettuce or arugula

Sauce:

½ cup peanut butter

2/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar

½ cup soy sauce

1/3 cup warm water

1/3 cup dark sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 small, fresh chile, seeded and minced, or a small amount of hot pepper oil/sauce (optional)

1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder (also optional – my kids don’t dig this flavor!)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro

Bring a large covered pot of water to a boil. While water heats, mix sauce ingredients together until smooth (I use my hand blender and a large, deep cup for this). Cook noodles until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the sauce, veggies, and tofu. Serve at once over greens or refrigerate.

I’d love to know what your go-to weekday dishes are. Please share!