Stir it up: Take 5 for dinner

We are heading into the time of year when push comes to shove for family dinners.

As any parent of school-age children knows, the last few months of school are a whirlwind of class trips, recitals, sports playoffs, awards ceremonies, theater productions, team banquets, yearbook meetings, graduation preparations and — lest we forget — homework, assessments and exams. Aside from the winter holidays, the end-of-school season might be the hardest time of year to get a decent dinner on the table. And by “decent” we mean, of course, real food (not “fast” or overly processed) that includes servings of vegetables and whole grains.

The simplest meal — and one that counts as decent — is melted cheddar cheese on whole-wheat toast, served with baby carrots, grape tomatoes and applesauce for dessert. Kids like it. Adults can get behind it ... for a night or two. After that, the palate wants a little change.

There are a host of “quick and easy,” “family-friendly” cookbooks and websites out there, but, as you are doubtless aware, not all of them deliver. “Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes” (Hyperion, 2011) is one that does, giving entire menus (e.g., Indian-style steak, spinach salad, naan bread and mango dessert), along with strategies to actually get them on the table in 30 minutes. “Robin Takes 5” by “Quick Fix Meals” TV host Robin Miller (Andrews McMeel, 2011) is another. The “Take 5” refers to the fact that each of the 500 recipes in the book can be made with five ingredients or fewer (not counting salt, pepper, water, etc.), and each has 500 calories or less. Cute, yes, but the book actually works.

Years ago, I encountered my first recipe for “oven-fried” chicken in a book called “Home-Cooking Sampler” by Peggy Glass (Prentice Hall, 1989). Over the years, it became a hit with my kids, their friends and, if we’re honest, my husband and me. In Miller’s version, the addition of walnuts makes the chicken especially crunchy and delicious, and a surefire (sure-fried?) winner. You can cut the chicken into nuggets before baking and serve them with honey-mustard or barbecue sauce for dipping. Or, try making this with strips of firm, white fish for homemade fish sticks.

Tacos are another easy, family-pleasing dish, and Miller’s are a tasty pork variation. Consider adding more veggies — sliced bell peppers or raw zucchini, summer squash or carrot “matchsticks” -- for added crunch and color.

You still have a couple of weeks before the end-of-school tsunami hits. Get ready. Take five.