1. Plan Out Your Week
“Every weekend, my husband and I think about the next week: ‘Do we have to work late? Are we going out to eat?’ Then I go to the grocery store and stock up on chicken, shrimp, dry pastas, ravioli, onions, garlic, and vegetables like zucchini and broccoli. These are things I can make a meal out of, even on a busy night.”
2. Stock Your Pantry
“The worst is when midway through cooking a meal you realize you’re missing an essential ingredient or tool, right? So here’s the key: Always have the basics on hand. The tools? You need a sharp knife, a nonstick and a stainless steel saute pan, a stockpot, and a cutting board. As for your pantry, once or twice a month, make sure you’re stocked with assorted dried pastas, jars of marinara sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, anchovies, olives, canned beans, chicken broth, Italian tuna, and olive oil. With these staples in the cupboard, you’ll only need to buy fresh ingredients (veggies, meats) on your weekly grocery store runs.”
3. Prep and Freeze
“Homemade frozen foods are a huge blessing after a crazy day at work. So over the weekend, I assemble something like stuffed shells with ground turkey, cover it really well with plastic wrap, put it on a baking sheet, and freeze. After work, I just throw it the oven -- and in 20 minutes, dinner is served.”
4. Reinvent Dishes
“I used to make chicken marsala all the time, but I started getting really bored with it and so did my friends. So I started playing with it by adding mustard, mascarpone cheese, and frozen peas for color. It was a hit again. Just adding other ingredients makes dishes more fun.“
5. Top It Off
“I like to put finishing touches on my dishes. Before I serve something, I top the food or plate with a fresh herb, like parsley, to make a meal we have on a regular basis look like something special.”
6. Make Cooking Romantic
“The important thing about cooking together is that it sets a mood. My husband and I love to make pasta with short rib ragu. He chops things and I turn on our favorite kind of music and open a bottle of wine. It’s a great way to spend time together, talking about our day. As long as you set a mood, cooking won’t be a chore -- it can be something you actually look forward to doing.”
7. Don’t Try So Hard
“Couples can definitely cook good meals four nights a week. The trick is to prepare ahead (shopping on the weekend), make the dishes simple, and only use ingredients you're comfortable with. Don’t try anything extravagant. You can make something as easy as pasta e fagioli, which is very hearty. Add a salad, and you’re done.”
8. Create Ambiance “We eat dinner at a little two-seater top table. I light a candle, dim the lights a bit, and put on soft music. It all makes whatever we’re eating even more appealing and romantic. It’s nice when dinner is your main event of the evening. Turn off the TV (you eat more when it’s on anyway) and maybe even have a candlelit picnic on your floor.”
9. Cook Healthy Fast Food “I know some people try to avoid carbs, but I love pasta -- I just eat appetizer-size portions of it. One of my favorite pasta dishes is lemon spaghetti from my first cookbook. It’s so, so, so simple. I top it with some shrimp, and there you have a meal. Pepperincini shrimp, from my second book, is also really quick to make. You can put it over spinach, and you’ve got dinner.”
10. Think Beyond Two “Unexpected guests for dinner? Don’t stress. Assemble something simple like a quickly blended cannellini bean dip with pita chips (then order takeout). Serve with appetizer plates, and all of a sudden, you’ve impressed your guests!”
-- Katie Herrick
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