Fast Slow Food

The new school year has begun, and my cooking style has turned upside down. Suddenly it is not about what would be interesting, fun, or new to cook. It is about what I can prepare in less then 30 minutes while simultaneously supervising math homework and playing Whac-a-Mole. Ideally....something everyone likes, and something healthy. This is taking some getting used to.

I welcome ideas on this if anyone has any. For now, this is what I'm thinking:

• Pizza. Homemade pizza is the no-brainer dinner for me because it is so easy and everyone likes it. I get the refrigerated pizza dough from Trader Joes, and do some combination of cheese/vegetables/sometimes pepperoni or sausage. (Note: I'm calling it "homemade pizza," although I am not making the dough. Why do that, when Trader Joe's makes it for me?)
  
• Hot dogs. When it's not raining and we're not in the middle of a heat wave, I grill them outdoors. Same with sausages. Eli (on his special diet) can't have the buns; this presents some controversy. (I need to order more low-carb buns.)
• Tacos. My version of them is a little pathetic compared to what I had recently at Mijita. This is an entirely different dish: convenience tacos. Hard taco shells and taco seasoning from Trader Joes. Cook organic grass-fed ground beef, or sliced chicken breast, in the seasoning and a little tomato sauce. Add refried beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and salsa. Dinner.
• Saute sliced chicken breast in olive oil and add a little soy sauce and ketchup. I saute the garlic separately because Molly hates garlic. Serve with steamed rice and green beans. Maybe some salad if I'm really on top of things. This was actually a big hit the other night with Molly.
• Pan-fried New York Steak with peanut sauce on red leaf lettuce was good. Of course the kids don't really eat lettuce at the moment. So Molly ate the steak with some pasta, and Eli had something entirely different - which is usually the case.
• I would cook fish more if the kids would eat it.
• I would cook grains more if Eli could eat it on his diet.
• I personally like hamburgers if grilled using good quality grass-fed beef, seasoned very simply, even without a bun. But I am the only one! I am also the only one who likes tomatoes.
• I would really like to start making slow-simmered soups, like lentil, black bean, minestrone. I love making these but I have to figure out how to work it into the crazy busy school week. I do not have the time or patience to chop onions on a weekday afternoon. Maybe if I can start doing the prep work on a Sunday night, I can make a soup or two during the week? Lofty thinking...