“Try this mix-and-match concept,” says Curtis Stone, host of TLC’s Take Home Chef. “Just pick an ingredient from each section and you have a fast, easy dinner. Even if you use just a few of the ingredients on hand you can create different flavors and textures.” (These amounts serve two people.)
PROTEIN
8 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Grilled, roasted, or cooked in a nonstick pan
8 oz. Halibut
Pan-seared, oven-baked, or grilled
8 oz. Beef Sirloin
Grilled, pan-roasted, or broiled
8 oz. Peeled and Deveined Shrimp
Sautéed, grilled, poached, or steamed
STARCHES
1 Cup Lentils
Cooked in water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
1 Cup Brown Rice
Cooked in water or stock
6 oz. Whole-Wheat Pasta
Cooked in boiling, salted water
1 Cup Black Beans
Cooked in water or stock
VEGETABLE
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
Steamed, blanched, or sauteed
3 Cups Baby Spinach
Sauteed or steamed; you can also throw it raw into whatever you’re cooking, like pasta
2 Red Bell Peppers
Roasted, grilled, or sautéed
1 Bunch Asparagus
Roasted, grilled, blanched, or sautéed
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
Raw, roasted, grilled, or sauteed
3 Cups Mixed Greens
Any type, raw
SAUCES
1/2 Cup Homemade Tomato Sauce
1/2 Cup Homemade Pesto
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 Cup Olive Tapenade