The Lego Answer to “What’s For Dinner?”

Written By Judy Doherty

If you stock your kitchen with the right ingredients, the answer to “what’s for dinner” is always easy. When I stopped trying to cook so many “recipes” and started cooking healthy ingredients, I was able to whip a dinner out very fast.

The “Lego Approach” means you stock up on lean proteins, fresh and frozen veggies, canned and dried beans and lentils, fruits, yogurt, and basic pantry ingredients for seasonings.

Here is what I have:

Protein

  • Frozen fish

  • Frozen chicken

  • Frozen lean ground turkey

Veggies

  • Broccoli

  • Winter squash

  • Salad

  • Carrots

  • Tomatoes

  • Sweet potatoes

  • Potatoes

  • Frozen kale

  • Frozen peas

  • Frozen butternut squash

Fruits

  • Apples

  • Berries

  • Melons

  • Citrus

  • Bananas

  • Canned peaches

Beans

  • Lentils

  • Canned garbanzo beans

  • Canned pinto beans

Grains

  • Brown rice

  • Quinoa

  • Jasmine rice

  • Corn Tortillas

  • Pasta

Dairy

  • Skim milk

  • Shredded cheese

  • Yogurt

  • Parmesan Cheese

Pantry

  • Herbs and spices - especially mixes like Italian spice, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, etc.

  • Oil and vinegar

From here, I can bake the items to make a healthy plate or make stir-fry dishes with rice, tacos, pasta, entree salads, bowls, etc.

Of course, I want to make recipes from time to time. I see things in the media that I want to try, and I have a lot of favorites. But this approach works most of the time for them, and it also helps me make dinner without thinking too hard, or dreading the question, “what’s for dinner?” Now it is like building legos - pick out your favorite ingredients, cook them up and put them all on the plate.

Judy Doherty

I am a food, beverage, and CPG product photographer specializing in photos, stop motion, and video, with over 90,000 photos and motion graphics delivered. Clients hire me for my eye, creative direction, and passion for taking their idea to the next level.

My strength lies in a nimble and lean creative process. Clients love getting creative content at a reasonable cost since my studio can art direct, style, and shoot their images quickly and on budget. My studio features an extensive surface library and prop house with a fully equipped kitchen and two shooting studios.

My experience as a chef, stylist, and photographer has earned many awards, including APA Top 100, ACF Gold Medal, and a juried fine art photo exhibit at Art Basel Miami. I was Executive Pastry Chef for two Hyatt Hotels and Resorts before completing two post-baccalaureate certificates for Visual Art and Graphic Design at U.C. Berkeley Extension in San Francisco.

https://judydohertyphotography.com
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