"left-overs"

I do all my "basic cooking" once a week. I'm referring to the meat and poultry cooking. My family has no problem re-heating food, thank G-d.

It started when the kids got older, weren't home all that much, and I began working later and commuting. Before then, I always tried to cook enough for Shabbat so that there would be enough for one or two meals during the week. But once I wasn't home when my husband arrived, I had to come up with a new cooking routine.

I generally do my meat/poultry cooking on Thursday and the side-dishes on Friday. My husband and the kids, if they're home, take from all the left-overs and eat them for dinner. They just add a fresh salad if they're in the mood.

Since I resumed eating meat and poultry after 25 years of vegetarianism I utilize my left-overs differently. In order to reduce carbohydrates, I take a portion of cooked chicken and add freshly sliced squash and onion in large quantities. With the addition of some oil, I cook it up and eat it with some nice fresh salad. I find it very filling and don't mind having the same thing every night.

It's also possible to freeze the cooked chicken in one-portion packages and prepare the same way. Just take into account that the chicken will need to defrost, so it's possible to add the vegetables after that.

This way you still have healthy home-cooked meals without lengthy daily preparation time. For those who aren't restricting their carbohydrates, you can cook the slow-cooking ones like rice up in advance and then add when re-heating. Or carbs like potatoes and sweet potatoes can be cooked like my squash. There are other quick-cooking carbs like cracked wheat and some pastas; though you may have to add some more liquid for them. It can all be done in one pot or in the microwave. Personally I avoid the microwave and prefer re-heating and cooking in pots on the stove.

So many people find the daily food preparation too time-consuming or a bore, so this should help.