101 Meals...

I've been reading Best Food Writing 2008, I know, I know, major nerd, but the essays and articles are perfection... And it's ideal reading for someone with kiddos, as you can slam out an entire piece in about 10 minutes...

One of my favorite articles in the anthology is Mark Bittman's article from the NYT on 101 quick meals (actually it's 101 simple meals ready in 10 minutes or less, but I'm a smidge skeptical on the 10 minutes or less, as anytime I'm trying to whip-up something to eat, I've got kiddos underfoot and that inevitably adds a good 15 minutes to the whole enterprise...)

So let's just call it 101 meals ready in 30 minutes or less and call it a day, deal?

Virtually all of Bittman's meals look great to me, and as they're intended for quick summer eating, they also require minimal oven use, but there are only a few guaranteed to be out-of-the-gate hits with Audrey, so I'll start with those and ease her in to a few more.

Next stop tuna...yes, my child doesn't like tuna...sigh.

Four meals Audrey is sure to like from Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 (30) Minutes or Less ;-)

• Fried egg “saltimbocca”: Lay slices of prosciutto or ham in a buttered skillet. Fry eggs on top of ham; top with grated Parmesan.
  
• Make a thin plain omelet with two or three eggs. Sauté cubes of bacon or pancetta or strips of prosciutto until crisp. Cut up the omelet and use it and the meat to garnish a green salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (sans salad, unfortunately)
  
• So-called Fettuccine Alfredo: Heat several tablespoons of butter and about half a cup of cream in a large skillet just until the cream starts to simmer. Add slightly undercooked fresh pasta to the skillet, along with plenty of grated Parmesan. Cook over low heat, tossing, until pasta is tender and hot.
  
• Hot dogs on buns — with beans!