I am still having problems with my Monday night dinners. I have a class that goes from 6:30-7:30 which means I am not usually home until 8. I can't eat before I go to class, and S has designated Monday as Yard Work day, so he's no help at all.

I need some summer make ahead meals to help me out. Lasagne and chili just don't sound appealing this time of year.

So far I have thought of one. Taco Salad. I can make up the meat mixture ahead of time and pre-chop the veggies. I can also make the dressing in advance.

Any other suggestions?

I have a class on Mondays from 7-8, I get home around 8:30. Last week I made KD's school night burritos(the filling in the crock pot). I made about 8 or 9 burritos and put them in the freezer. They make great Monday night, too late to cook meals. Pop one in the microwave a minute or two, add a side salad(usually for me pre-bagged salad), and you have a 2 minute meal. I also make taco salad meat ahead of time. As KD says in her first book, many times, cook once, eat twice! Make extra taco salad meat, grilled chicken breasts, etc and you can make quick meals out of nothing. Many nights, we've had grilled chicken salads. A bag of salad, some pre-cooked chicken breasts, and some quick home made dressing is a meal!

JIll

I grilled some marinated chicken breasts and have been eating that with KD's Black and White Bean salad from the first book. It's yummy and totally make ahead.

Peg

Cold poached salmon is a great make ahead protein and can be added to just about any sides.

Rachel Ray has a really good orzo/black bean/tuna salad on her website that I've modified to great success. It's one of those dishes that gets better the longer it sits. The recipe is on her website.

Gazpacho and a great green salad

Fritattas and a salad

Shrimp salad w/avocado and tomato

Tuna stuffed in a 1/2 of an avocado with a tomato salad

tilapia cooked in miso.

sautee chopped onions and mushrooms. add as many fillets of tilapia as you like. black pepper. add 3 heaping tablespoon sof miso. add one cup of water. mash the miso into the ater (break it up). boil and then reduce. simmer until done. (option: once the tilapia is done, turn off heat. grab a handful of spinach and drop it over the tilapia--the steam will cook the spinach just right) it has been my lunch for 2 days. really good. can be eaten over plain rice.

I like pasta salads with grilled chicken or canned tuna. I've been eating lots of those recently, especially with cheese tortellini.

I've also been eating lots of wraps and sandwiches, I cooked a large round steak and keep slicing off 3-4 oz. portions as I want it.

(shameless plug) I love the Raising the Salad Bar cookbook that KD recommended on her website. I've been eating out of that cookbook at least 3-4 meals per week, there are lots of whole grain salads, as well as veggie salads and a couple of chicken salad recipes. Everything I've tried is great so far, and everything can be made ahead of time and just thrown together at the last minute. (end shameless plug)

You could do grilled chicken salads too. Prepare the veggies ahead of time, and grill the chicken ahead of time. All you'd really have to do is assemble them. (If you like salmon, which I don't, but many do, you could grill or poach salmon ahead of time and serve cold on a bed of greens.)

I did regular tacos that way a month or so ago. I prepared the meat ahead of time and all we had to do after we came home was to reheat and assemble.

Dawn