Photo: shiny red type

Stacie and I post new recipes almost every day. Many of you have said: “I don’t have time to cook like that,” or  ”How do you guys do it?” or “I wish I could be as committed as you.” Let me remind you of one very important fact. ChowMama is not only our passion, it’s also our job.



Okay, maybe it doesn’t pay (at least not yet!), but it is still our job to bring you new recipes day after day. Our job to show you the possibilities of cooking with what you have in your kitchen. Our job to support you in your quest to feed your families more than a steady diet of mac n cheese. Our job to inspire you to use food to really nurture your clan—body and soul.



But you don’t need to cook something new and exciting every day to achieve that. You can simply cook what you know.

The idea for this post came to me last week. I had little time to cook that day. I needed to make something that would freeze well and provide plenty of leftovers for the week. I seemed to have the same old staples in my kitchen. And I was completely overwhelmed and uninspired. Suddenly, I realized that a tried-and-true recipe could save me.



Every home cook needs a few go-to recipes. Dishes that require little prep time and little thought. Meals that you know are going to turn out perfect every time. Grub you know your family will eat and enjoy. Comfort foods, if you will. Recipes like this take the pressure off. After all, who wants to experiment after a tough day at work?



We’ve posted some of our favorites before. At Stacie’s house, there’s quick and easy Orzo Risotto and Quickest Curried Eggs. In our house? I turn to things like 10-minute Sausage and Bean Quesadillas, Lemon Caper Butter, and Turkey Chili. These are dishes we can cook with our eyes closed. Things we know our family loves. And recipes that can be easily adapted to whatever you have on hand. No sausage for the quesadillas? Substitute leftover chicken or even deli turkey. Have some leftover sweet corn or edamame? Throw that in the quesadilla too.



So last week, when I was feeling particularly tweaked about making dinner (see, it happens to me too!), I looked around and saw the makings for one of my go-tos. Frozen pie crusts. Two cans of lentil soup. An onion. Some garlic. A little celery. And a couple of carrots. So I pulled out my recipe for Lentil Quinoa Feta Pockets. Without time to spare, I skipped the labor of making individual pockets and opted for two straight-up pies instead. Healthy, delicious, nutritious, comforting, fast, and easy.



As Stacie and I like to remind each other, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.