Some days are pretty tough. The kids might make huge messes; laundry may have piled up; doctor’s appointments; dance classes….you name it. On those days, I find it difficult to want to cook much of anything. However, I still want to be able to put something healthy onto the table for the family. On those nights, I use this quick tip:
Put your chicken, steak, or whatever into a plastic zip-top bag. Take a meat tenderizer and pound it into nice thin pieces (using the flat, not the bumpy side). If you don’t have a meat tenderizer, use a rolling pin, sautee pan…really anything heavy. What this does is cut your cooking time waaaaay down. You can cook at a higher heat, meaning faster cooking (about 2-3 minutes per side). A whole boneless, skinless chicken breast will need at least 5-6 minutes per side (mine usually take closer to 10 minutes per side to get done all the way through). Serve next to some rice and veggies or on a sandwich roll with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and a little mayo for a quick easy dinner that the entire family will enjoy.
How can you use this tip? Share your results and photos with us.
Great tip! Plus you get to let out any untapped aggression with all that “whacking.” Or is that just me? 😉
Oh no…that is not just you! With three kids under 5, I use this tip regularly even if I do have time to cook! I have a meat tenderizer, but will use the rolling pin or a pan anyway on really bad days!