Dinner that cooks while we're out of the house

ra_mom

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:09 pm

I'm looking for ways to have our fish dinners hot and ready when we come home after school and work.

I typically come home at the same time as the kids and only then rinse and dry the fish, marinate it for 15 minutes while the oven heats up, and then bake it for about 20 minutes, all the while preparing side dishes.

I constantly want to wash and marinate before work, and set the oven to preheat while we are out, but feel that fish is too delicate to marinate for such a lengthy amount of time.

Any ideas?

One night during the week I make a crockpot dinner and another night during the week I leave raw seasoned frozen dishes in the oven which is set to turn on and bake in the afternoon once the dishes are defrosted, and it's awesome to come home to a fresh hot meal which I can serve immediately to the cranky kids.

mha3484

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:11 pm

Honestly, I am not sure it can work. Any acid will cook the fish like ceviche. Maybe you can try salmon with something thick like bbq sauce or teriyaki. I love bbq'ed salmon and it doesn't need marinating just a broiler or grill.

mha3484

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:13 pm

Sorry I pushed enter too soon. I would save a more delicate meal like fish for a Sunday or I would make a recipe where the fish bakes and you can make a side on the stove at the same time. I made a pasta like that last week.

Raisin

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:14 pm

I never marinate salmon. Just throw on some salt and pepper and bake.

Maybe you can do a side dish in the crockpot? Like a vegetable stew or soup.

ra_mom

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:17 pm

mha3484 wrote:

Thanks.
I most often make
1. salmon which I wash, the soak in lemon for 15 minutes, then pat dry (sometimes wash again), then brush on a garlic paste and bake. Do you think the fish will taste as vibrant if I soak and then wash and dry in the morning?
2. tilapia which I cube and marinate in olive oil, paprika and garlic for 20 minutes, then bake and garnish. Think I can marinate it for a whole day or am better off just seasoning more generously when I get home and not marinating so the fish doesn't break down?

ra_mom

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:20 pm

Raisin wrote:

I never marinate salmon. Just throw on some salt and pepper and bake.

Maybe you can do a side dish in the crockpot? Like a vegetable stew or soup.

That's actually a great idea. I should really have some other element of dinner ready when I get home! Probably the best thing that would work for me is to have a side dish finishing up in the oven when I come home, at the same temperature I need the oven to preheat at for the fish. Thanks!

mha3484

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:24 pm

You can also do a sheet pan meal with salmon and vegetables cooking together on one baking sheet. Google has lots of ideas. If your kids are very hungry maybe put out a soup or cut up raw vegetables to nosh on while waiting.

pause

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:24 pm

I can't imagine that it would be detrimental to the salmon to marinate from the morning. I have a recipe that l'chatchilla requires for overnight marinating and then baking.

mha3484

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:28 pm

Here are some ideas from google https://www.google.com/webhp?s.....inner

rgr

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:30 pm

Someone posted something a little while ago about the method souś vide- slow cooking in water, and I Googled it then, I'm not really familiar with it but maybe its a solution for you?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide

tichellady

Tue, May 17 2016, 5:31 pm

I cook my salmon without marinating it- just pour a layer of a good ginger sesame teriyaki sauce ( I add lemon juice, sriracha and brown sugar) and bake covered or broil

Stars

Tue, May 17 2016, 6:06 pm

If you have a dairy oven that has the same option as you're regular one (turning on by itself at a certain time) you can leave frozen lasagna inside. Side dish is salad.

ra_mom

Tue, May 17 2016, 6:11 pm

Thanks so much for all your responses! Talking this through and going over all your responses is helping me figure out what to experiment with.
Thanks everyone! Tongue Out

mamamia1

Tue, May 17 2016, 6:15 pm

Ramom love your practicality and awesome posts can I bother you for your crockpot and frozen seasoned pan recipes.
When you have a chance.
Amother Bc Im embarrassed
ETA guess I couldn't hide.

ra_mom

Tue, May 17 2016, 7:07 pm

mamamia1 wrote:

Ramom love your practicality and awesome posts can I bother you for your crockpot and frozen seasoned pan recipes.
When you have a chance.
Amother Bc Im embarrassed
ETA guess I couldn't hide.

Thanks mamamia. Our favorite crockpot dishes are meatballs (I cook up the spaghetti at the beginning of the week, rinse, drain, toss with a bit of oil then seal in a ziploc or container with air pressed out, then reheat in microwave until steaming before serving, about 2 minutes for the whole lot) and "roasted" chicken.
We also make other dishes here and there, many of them posted here.

http://www.imamother.com/forum.....cipes

http://kosherscoop.com/2012/09.....alls/

Try the 20 clove garlic chicken first for a taste of crockpot roast chicken. You can use 4 garlic cloves halved instead of the 20 whole ones. Once you see how it's done you can do your own thing, keeping in mind that chicken needs extra heavy seasoning in the crockpot and the skin needs paprika for color.
Also try the saucy meatballs and the mmm good meatballs.

dancingqueen

Tue, May 17 2016, 7:12 pm

Ra mom, I'm a fan too. You really seem to have this whole mommy thing down pat Smile

mamamia1

Tue, May 17 2016, 7:18 pm

Thanks ra mom.
Will be checking those all out.
Thanks a lot.
Youre not only practical but nice, patient, and non-judgemental!!!
That is a rare combination.
Wow how do you do it.

ra_mom

Tue, May 17 2016, 7:49 pm

Thanks mamamia and dancing queen. I have my ups and downs like everyone else.
About the oven dinners that cook while I'm out of the house, I make things like sticky rotisserie chicken (one of our faves - with baby potatoes which need to be par cooked for a few minutes beforehand otherwise they don't fully cook through at 250 degrees), duck sauce chicken, southern style chicken, minute steak, lasagna... Anything that you would usually bake in the oven.

I do this once a week and usually serve the main with some version of potatoes or brown rice since they are very forgiving and I can usually make them at the same temp and amount of time as the other dish. (Sliced red potatoes, baked russet potatoes then served with a garlic smear). Often will serve it up with a quick tossed salad of bagged lettuce, halved grape tomatoes, cubed kirbies and seasonings.
http://www.imamother.com/forum.....art=0
http://www.imamother.com/forum.....art=0
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/4.....tyle/
http://www.imamother.com/forum.....78129

I basically rub seasonings in, then freeze all ready for the oven in a disposable pan. Or for sauce I either sprinkle with some salt and garlic powder then freeze and in the morning pour on sauce and stick in the oven. Or I put the chicken skin side down in the sauce before freezing in the pan then turn the whole block of chicken pieces over to skin side up when I pull it out of the freezer. Breaded chicken gets prepped fully and frozen. Dairy pasta dishes can be layered and frozen raw.
Set the oven to go on during the day at the temperature you need, then leave the frozen pans of food in the oven.

For example, I like food to be ready for 4:30. So I might put in a pan of frozen raw honey chicken with a pan of sliced and seasoned red potatoes beside it (I do that part quickly in the morning, but really red potatoes can be prepared the night before and kept in the fridge). I set the oven to go on to 375 degrees at 3:30 and turn off at 4:30. Up until 3:30 the chicken just sits in the cold oven defrosting and the potatoes are no worse off at room temperature in the meantime. Come home to a hot meal and clear the oven panel from the beeping indicating that oven went off.

mamamia1

Tue, May 17 2016, 8:09 pm

Wow
Thank you ramom.
Thank you so so much.
I have a lot to do and read and copy and save.
Wishing you much Hatzlacha

PAMOM

Wed, May 18 2016, 3:56 pm

RA_mom, I also just stick salmon in a 425 preheated oven for 20 minutes--my easiest recipe is pouring a little olive oil or putting a little butter, lemon juice, garlic powder, and sea salt. However, I've also let it marinate all day in white wine and a little oil and garlic. If the oven is preheated, stick the fish in before you put your bag down and before kids through their backpack down!
( I can't believe I'm giving YOU advice !)