Working round the clock
As a full-time working mum with a three-year-old son, cooking dinner is quite a struggle if I don’t plan ahead. By the time I pick up my son at child care, it’s almost 6pm and his bed time is 8pm – so I have only a few hours to get home, give him a shower, prepare and put food on the table.
The question as always is… what to cook for dinner? The challenge is how to make a quick meal and at the same time ensure that it’s delicious and healthy for the family. Therefore, planning and preparation is the key to success.
Here are my tips that I’ve pick up along the way:
1. Take 15 minutes on weekends to plan the dinner meal for the whole week.
2. Come up with two / three weekly menus and rotate so you don’t get bored.
3. Plan your grocery shopping so there's always your basics in the house.
4. Prepare the menu much as possible in advance over the weekend (chop and bag veggies, pre-cook the sauce, etc). Always stock pre-prepped or frozen fruits and vegetables just in case.
5. Start preheating the oven as soon as you walk in the door – this will save you time later.
Having decided on my dinner menu for the week early – it means that I have more time to spend with my top priority, family. And, as dinner time is the only time the whole family can sit down together – time is precious.
I have searched and saved a few recipes that might work for busy mums like me. Seared Salmon in Dill Avodaise is a quick dinner which can be prepared in 15 mins and ticks the boxes for being both healthy & delicious at the same time! Enjoy!
Prep Time: 5 minutes I Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes I Servings: 2
Crispy skinned pan seared salmon in a creamy and lemony dill avocado ‘hollandaise’ sauce.
INGREDIENTS
For the avodaise (avocado hollandaise) sauce:
• 1 medium avocado
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (~1 lemon)
• salt to taste
• water
• 1 tablespoons dill, chopped
For the pan seared salmon:
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 (170 gr) salmon fillets
• salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
For the avodaise (avocado hollandaise) sauce:
1. Puree the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding enough water to give it a thick sauce consistency, before mixing in the dill.
For the pan seared salmon:
2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the salmon, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, skin side down, reduce to medium heat and cook until the skin is crispy and releases from the pan, about 5 minutes, before flipping and cooking for 2 more minutes.
