Simple Skillet Meals

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Is it just me, or when the weather starts to get really warm, there’s just a longing to be outside in the sunshine rather than in a hot kitchen preparing a lengthy meal? Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’d just turn on the AC if I needed to whip up something strenuous, but lately I’ve been trying to come up with some short and sweet recipes that can get you in and out of the kitchen in a snap!

Enter, simple skillet meals.

I created these based on one of my favorite grocery store bargain buys—frozen vegetables. Wait, are you thinking, “Oh I prefer fresh produce due to the nutritional content?” Well get this, nutritionally speaking, frozen veggies are similar to -- and sometimes better than -- fresh ones. This makes sense, considering that these veggies are usually flash-frozen (which suspends their "aging" and nutrient losses) immediately after being harvested. Frozen veggies are often picked in the peak of their season, too.

So what I’ll do is start in the frozen section, find a frozen veggie blend and then head to the meat section to find what would best pair with it to make a complete meal—easy, fun, fast, AND cheap! And if you don’t eat meat, you can always head to the tofu, canned beans, or meat substitutes, such as Boca.

((Each skillet serves one, but can be easily doubled or tripled))

In a Snap Teriyaki Steak Skillet

Ingredients:

• 4 oz cubed top round steak

• 1 (14 oz bag) PictSweet Dluxe Teriyaki Vegetables with Sweet Soy Glaze

Directions:

• Spray small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium.
• Once skillet is hot, add in cubed steak and cook for 4-6  minutes until almost cooked through, stirring occasionally.
• Add in 1 1/3 cups teriyaki vegetable mix + 1/3 c water and continue cooking on medium heat until steak has reached desired doneness, water has evaporated, and vegetables are cooked through.

• Serving suggestions: sliced steam potato and steamed baby carrots.

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Minute Mexican Pork Skillet

Ingredients:

• 3 oz cubed pork chop

• 1 (12 oz) bag of New Age All Naturals Southwest Fiesta Blend Frozen Vegetables

• 1/2 c of frozen assorted bell pepper strips (I got these from Trader Joe’s)

Directions:

Spray small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium.

Once skillet is hot, add in cubed pork and cook for 4-6  minutes until almost cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Add in bell pepper strips and 3/4 c frozen southwest vegetable blend.

Lower heat to low and cover skillet for about 5 minutes, or until pork is no longer pink and vegetables are cooked through.

Serving suggestions: steamed butternut squash slices(sprinkled with chili powder) and steamed baby carrots.

 

What are your favorite skillet meals?