Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef
Kate Ensign-Lewis, Online Editor
I saw this pop up in my Facebook feed this last Monday, and I had to make it. It was soooo good. I've been eating the leftovers each day since, and the flavors just get better. The best part: it really only takes about 30 minutes to prepare; the most time consuming part is cutting the flank steak. And I totally recommend following the directions for fresh ginger and fresh orange juice - it really adds to the brightness of the dish. (I omitted the green onions, because we never eat them.) A must for your week-night menu!
Slow Cooker Mediterranean Pork with Couscous
Kaela Worthen Gardner, Associate Editor
This is one of the fastest and easiest recipes in my collection without sacrificing any of the taste or homemade goodness. The meat is super easy to put together—just combining a few spices and then letting it sit all day, and the rest of the meal comes together in minutes, so this is perfect for walking in the door after Sunday-afternoon church or a long day at work. Once you decide it’s time to eat, the couscous only takes 5 minutes to cook, and we’ve eaten this both with a simple salad with Greek dressing or with cooked peas and carrots, both super easy and simple sides. One note: I have a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, not a 4-quart one, so I doubled the spices and liquids to cook with the meat and think it worked better because of that. Otherwise there would have been barely enough liquid to cover the bottom.
Hasselback Potatoes
Jenny Spencer, Editorial Assistant
As someone who’s not very brave in the kitchen, I really am looking forward to trying this easy twist on the typical baked potato. It’s really fast to throw together, although it does take a bit of time to bake. What a yummy, easy way to get all the delicious taste of garlic mashed potatoes without the hassle and time commitment. And while they’re baking, you can be hard at work on your main dish, so that by the time you pull them out of the oven, dinner is served!