lovin' the oven

Last week I wrote a post about how much I am loving family dinners and how great they are.  And it's true.  I cherish the time we take to sit down at the end of the day, eat a home cooked meal, and enjoy spending some time together.  It is truly wonderful.

But honestly there are times when we all get home at the end of a long day and I think to myself, "srsly?  I have to cook another meal?"

These are the days when I rely on my new BFF the oven.

I don't know how I didn't discover how truly amazing an invention the oven is.  Most of my cooking was done on the stovetop and I sort of considered the oven a baking thing.  And I hate baking.

I'm discovering more and more how much I love my oven.  I can control the temperature to the degree.  There is no splattery mess to clean off of my cooktop.  Roasting helps food retain its flavor.  I put raw ingredients into this magical box and remove delicious meals.

I consider it a success when an entire meal is cooked in the oven.

On the nights when I am feeling particularly tired, worn out, or just plain lazy I cook flounder and broccoli.  It takes me about five minutes of actual work and there is a meal on the table in about half an hour.  It is so simple I'm almost embarrassed that I'm actually writing an entire blog post about it.

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that is truly glorified by being roasted in the oven.  I buy a GIGANTIC bag of frozen broccoli from Walmart, roast an entire cookie sheet full, and we eat broccoli leftovers.  Katelyn loves cold broccoli for lunch the next day.  No need to defrost.  Just put it on the pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put it into the magic oven box at 425.

Flounder is a favorite over here as well.  It is cheap and it comes in big giant bags in the freezer section.  If you don't particularly care for fish, you might consider trying flounder.  It is a mildly flavored white fish that is not fishy at all.  The taste is reminiscent of buttered popcorn and it is delicious.  I don't even thaw the fillets.  I treat the fish the same way I treat the broccoli.  They go in the oven at the same time and are finished at about the same time.  About five minutes in to cooking, I take the fish out to drain the water that pools up from defrosting.  If that freaks you out just defrost them in some warm water before you cook.

I start checking after about fifteen minutes or so but it usually takes about half an hour.  The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and the broccoli is done shortly after it turns green but I like mine a bit crispy with even a little char on the leaves.

Part of the beauty of making this meal is lounging on the couch while it cooks.