Chasing the Fionist Dream

Now that we’ve changed the clocks, Shabbat starts SUPER EARLY. But somehow, food still needs to be prepared just the same – in significantly less time. So how do we do it – and still have time to get out and enjoy our Fridays?

1. One-pot (or one-pan) meals. This chicken and rice takes about five minutes of hands-on time. To make it, cover the bottom of a pan with a cup or more (just be aware of how much you put!) of brown rice, spread your chicken pieces on top of it, and add two cups of water (or twice as much as the rice). Add spices of your choosing, cover tightly with silver foil or a lid, and put it in the oven on the top and bottom setting at 200° C. After about 90 minutes, uncover, add half a cup of water and some frozen veggies (optional), and let it bake for another 30 minutes. While we love this and make it all the time, there are plenty of other one-pot/pan meal recipes out there.
   
   
   
   
2. Feed your freezer. You do not need to make entire meals from scratch each week. We make huge batches of soup, challah, salsa and other spreads every few weeks and take out one week’s portion each time. Every week, take some prepared foods out of your freezer, and add portions of whatever huge batch you made this week. Dishes with a lot of liquid/sauce like lasagna, brisket, or meatballs also tend to freeze well. Thank you, extra freezer.
   
   
3. Don’t leave it all for Friday. Spread your Shabbat prep over a few days. Not everything needs to be done in one day.
   
   
4. Repurpose. There is nothing wrong with serving the same thing or similar menus for both Shabbat meals. We often make enough veggies, carb side, and dessert to serve for both dinner and lunch. Then we make different main dishes to go with them.
   
   
5. Think outside of the box. Just because something is not typically eaten on Shabbat doesn’t mean that it can’t be. Are you in the mood for deli sandwiches? Breads and spreads? Mac n’ cheese? Go for it. We often eat veggie chili (topped with cheese of course) on Shabbat.
   
   
6. Don’t shop on Friday. Not only are supermarkets bustling on Friday mornings, they take time away from cooking – or enjoying your day. Choose another day in the week to shop to free up your Fridays.
   
   
7. Share the prep. If you live or eat with other people, there is no need for you to prep it all on your own. Partners and older kids can be responsible for their share of the Shabbat cooking. And when a guest asks what they can bring for a meal, take them up on their offer. We love tasting and being inspired by the salads our guests bring.

What do you do to make Shabbat prep easier?

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