Favorite meal with minimal cooking

NewMeSM75

+ 1

Love tuna pasta salad.

climbing_trees

Veggie omelette. Scramble eggs and mix with a bag of frozen vegetables. Top with cheese if you're feeling decadent

jenluvsushi

An "easy" thing I make is to always have cooked ground turkey or lean ground beef in my fridge. I simply add it to salads, lentils or make wraps with it (tortilla/cheese. etc). I toss it in eggs too. I cook in bulk on the weekends and then nosh on it during the week. I don't know if you can sub it with fake meat....but that's my quick go to.

melimomTARDIS

microwave baked potato, topped with bbq sauce, side of canned baked beans.

frozen cheese pizza plus salad

scrambled eggs, toast, and salad.

pancakes (hungry jack complete mix) with cut up fruit, yogurt

LoneWolfRunner

Chinese take-out

CarrieCans

Pickled everything! My favorites are cabbage with carrots or tomatoes with cucumbers. My 10 year old loves pickled beets with onions.

I love to chop up whatever raw veggies i have and then i make a dressing of 2 parts water, 1 part vinegar (any kind you want) and 1 part sweetener (sugar or whatever you want), mix up enough to keep everything covered. It makes a great side dish or you can even steam shrimp and add it along with the veggies if you don't mind them a little tangy too.

Because vinegar raises the acidity, you can make up a bunch of containers of different things at the beginning of the week so you have something different every day or just make one huge bowl that can last for weeks in your fridge. Everything stays sooooo crisp!

Oh someone mentioned baked potato. Those are great but do not make them in advance. Reheated baked potatoes are notorious for botulism and that's deadly.

tomatoey

Not a massive fish fan, but quick seafood things I've liked
- smoked herring on toast
- pan-fried trout, lightly breaded (I'm sure you could try it with oat flour instead of refined white, and maybe use paper towels to absorb a tiny bit of the oil )
- scallops or shrimp with olive oil, garlic, paprika and lemon with kale or spinach
- mussels
- low-cal frozen fish (breaded, tbh, but I try to pick healthier products)

Other
- pasta, when I have no time. I might throw some broccoli in there for the last six minutes of cooking, and/or whatever meat I have on hand, or cherry tomatoes, or I'll cook up some mushrooms and zuchini on the side. Or I'll just have spinach salad with it
- rotisserie chicken saves my day, too
- eggs
- a can of soup with half a can of beans or lentils thrown in (for days I'm seriously out of juice); other half goes to a salad the next day
- just antipasto - cheese, bread, spreads

The rest of my go-tos all involve beef.

Alatariel75

My quick dinner is simply grilled meat and a salad. I mix up the salads, sometimes greens with feta, balsamic, and oil, or a coleslaw type thing, or a mexican type salad with lettuce, capsicum, cucumber, corn and salsa.. The meat I just sprinkle with a mix of spices and grill. Different meats, different spices and different salads make it not boring and there's hardly anything quicker than chucking some meat on the grill.

SnuggleSmacks

I think most people missed the part where you specified being a pescetarian. Fortunately, seafood cooks very fast.

I buy large bags of frozen fish, usually flounder, talapia, salmon, cod, swai, and Mahi Mahi. Get the ones that are flash-frozen and wrapped individually. That way you can just throw one into the fridge to defrost overnight, or drop it in a bowl of cold water under the tap for about 20-30 minutes to defrost while you're doing other things. Shrimp also cooks very fast, and you should get the peeled, deveined kind to save time (tail or no tail is a question...the tails add flavor, but it does take time to pop them off when you eat them)

To cook, you can sautee, broil or even microwave with your favorite seasoning sprinkled on top and a squirt of lemon or lime. At most, this takes about 12 minutes for thicker pieces of Mahi and salmon, much less for thinner filets.

For sides, do you have a rice cooker? It's a great way to cook dried rice, quinoa and lentils without having to watch to prevent burning. Just put it in and do something else while it cooks, about 20-30 minutes for most types (a little more for really hard brown and red rices).

There are specially made steamer dishes for the microwave. They usually come in 3 pieces, a base which holds water, a basket with holes to hold the veggies but let steam through, and a cover. You can get them in all sizes. They're also good for steaming your seafood.

If you get the rice cooker, you can also experiment with adding veggies and seasonings to your rice, lentils, and quinoa to make a one pot meal in 30 minutes. Just add what you want and add a little more water. Make sure the veggies are in small bits. I often add shredded carrots and finely chopped onion to my rice before cooking.

These days, you can usually find veggies in the produce department in microwaveable steamer bags. All sorts of french beans, sugar snap peas, cubed butternut squash, baby asparagus, baby carrots, etc., sometimes in mixes, and sometimes with seasoning included. If there's no seasoning, all you need is a little butter and salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic depending on the veg.

Alatariel75

I think most people missed the part where you specified being a pescetarian.

Yup, totally missed that. Though I do eat a lot of fish, and a salmon or snapper steak cooks quickly, adopts seasoning well and is just as nice with a salad.

BeginningAgainMay14

Saute two or three cups of spinach in the barest wisp of olive oil, crack two or three eggs into the pan and scramble with your spatula, incorporating the spinach into it. Slide out onto a plate and top with goat cheese. Delicious, quick, and only one pan to wash.

Spread canned fat free refried beans into a whole wheat tortilla, fold both sides in to form a flat burrito. Bake in the oven for 7 or 8 minutes, top with salsa, greek yogurt, and lettuce (or sub avocado for the greek yogurt.) It takes only an extra couple of minutes to make 4 of them and sometimes I do that on the weekend and just reheat in the microwave through the week.

Put cod fillets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with chili powder, salt, and cumin. Roast in the oven at 450 for 5-6 minutes. Remove and squeeze lime juice over the fish. Meanwhile steam some veggies in the microwave (you can buy the steamer bags or just put a couple of tablespoons of water in a glass bowl with some carrots and cover them and steam.) If you have some extra time you can roast some cauliflower in the same 450 oven, just toss it in a bit of olive oil and roast until caramellized.

I like to make savory oatmeal sometimes: put half a cup of oatmeal in a microwaveable bowl with a cup of water and a pinch of salt. Microwave three minutes, then stir in some grated parmesan cheese. It's good as is, but you can also toss in some frozen peas or squeeze a little lemon juice over it. It's kind of reminiscent of a risotto but healthier and without all the stirring.

SnuggleSmacks

BeginningAgainMay14 wrote: »

Saute two or three cups of spinach in the barest wisp of olive oil, crack two or three eggs into the pan and scramble with your spatula, incorporating the spinach into it. Slide out onto a plate and top with goat cheese. Delicious, quick, and only one pan to wash.

Spread canned fat free refried beans into a whole wheat tortilla, fold both sides in to form a flat burrito. Bake in the oven for 7 or 8 minutes, top with salsa, greek yogurt, and lettuce (or sub avocado for the greek yogurt.) It takes only an extra couple of minutes to make 4 of them and sometimes I do that on the weekend and just reheat in the microwave through the week.

Put cod fillets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with chili powder, salt, and cumin. Roast in the oven at 450 for 5-6 minutes. Remove and squeeze lime juice over the fish. Meanwhile steam some veggies in the microwave (you can buy the steamer bags or just put a couple of tablespoons of water in a glass bowl with some carrots and cover them and steam.) If you have some extra time you can roast some cauliflower in the same 450 oven, just toss it in a bit of olive oil and roast until caramellized.

I like to make savory oatmeal sometimes: put half a cup of oatmeal in a microwaveable bowl with a cup of water and a pinch of salt. Microwave three minutes, then stir in some grated parmesan cheese. It's good as is, but you can also toss in some frozen peas or squeeze a little lemon juice over it. It's kind of reminiscent of a risotto but healthier and without all the stirring.

That savory oatmeal idea is brilliant. I'm going to use that! Thanks!

ORgal

Being single I cook full or large recipes & freeze them in individual servings to pull out when time is short & pop in the microwave. One of my favorite b'fasts is a healthy & balanced baked blueberry French toast casserole made with nonfat milk, nine grain bread, egg beaters & some egg etc. Crockpot oatmeal with apples or other added fruit is great to cook ahead, divide up into servings, freeze & microwave to thaw in the am. I freeze a lot of turkey chilli & soup recipes that are easy to grab for lunch @ work. Having a green salad prepped once or twice a week is a great base that I add chicken, fish, cottage cheese,
beans etc to for a fast dinner. A piece of toast or part of a sweet potato rounds out the meal.

aprilricks86

I think egg omelets with some light toast is one of my all-time favorite meals. Just toss in some veggies, cheese, lunch meat, whatever you like. So good! I also like making sandwiches heated in the oven--takes a little extra time, but it's worth it. It makes the bread nice and crunchy and melts the cheese and browns the meat a bit. I consider those to be pretty quick meals and ones I go back to pretty often. For breakfast I also go for oatmeal or cereal + protein powder or cereal and greek yogurt with some sort of sweetener.

LucasEVille

Bento box with loads of fresh veg, shop bought sushi and microwave rice?

0utrun

I dip fresh fruit and berries into greek yogurt, then pop them in the freezer. Take out a handful and eat with breakfast or snack for a quick treat.
Grilled meats and coleslaw with apple cider vinegar, ff sour creams and smashed garlic is one of my favorite go to dishes as well.
I also prepare meals on Sunday for the week. Soups and casserole dishes or meat dishes that I can re heat while preparing veggies.

rbfdac

I LOVE all of these suggestions!! Thank you all so very much.

Swiftlet66

Salad. No effort whatsoever besides taking the greens from a bag and putting it on a plate and washing and cutting the fruit and crumbling on the cheese. Occasionally boiling a chicken breast or an egg. It really is fast food depending on what you put in it!

That and I always make some type of soup in my slow cooker. Carrots, onion, beans or lentils, potatoes, various seasoning, stock or coconut milk and just set it and let it cook for you.

glevinso

Fish is ridiculously fast.

Thick salmon fillets take all of 15 minutes to cook pan-seared, use a bag of those 90-second microwave rices, and in a second pan get some broccoli going.

Most of the time when I am pressed for time I do a crockpot meal. I realize you won't eat this but something like this is my usual "No time at night" thing:

Get the crock pot out in the morning, turn on low
Chop an onion into big pieces
Handful of baby carrots
Handful of celery cut into pieces
Salt, pepper, spices, bay leaf
Cut 1lb of chuck roast into bite-size pieces, layer them on the veggies
Cut some potatoes into bite-size chunks - the kind you can eat skin-on are best for fast prep
Layer them on top of the meat.
Pour in a can of Guinness or any other dark roasty beer
Adjust liquid level by adding water so it comes up about half way the meat.
Cover and leave it alone for like 8-10 hours.

Start to finish its maybe 10 minutes of "work".

When you get home if you want you can reduce the liquid into a thick sauce if you have the time, or not worry about it.

WinoGelato

I'm trying to think of some good fish/seafood recipes since you said you were pescetarian. As someone else mentioned, those are generally quick cooking which is great.

Sauteed shrimp can be turned into just about any type of a meal - feeling like Italian? Use olive oil, garlic, lemon and toss it with pasta and steamed veggies with a little pesto. Asian sounds good? Sautee it with an asian vegetable medley, add some soy sauce and orange juice and serve over some steamed rice, those Uncle Ben Ready Rice pouches are a go to in my house - they literally are done in under 2 min in the microwave and they have several flavors.

A lot of people are intimidated to cook scallops but they also cook really quickly and are really easy. You just need a very hot skillet, with a little oil, I like to season them with salt, pepper, lemon zest and minced fresh parsely - then cook about 3 min/side. You'll know when they are done when they "release" from the pan, if they are still sticking, they aren't ready to flip yet. I make those with pasta with olive oil, garlic, red pepper and more of the parsely for a really quick meal that looks really elegant.

I also like doing fish in foil packets - you can even include the vegetables in the same packet as well so it all steams together. One of my favorite combinations is salmon with orange slices, asparagus and sliced red peppers. Season it with salt and pepper, arrange the fish on top of the vegetables, put the orange slices and a little bit of olive oil on top, seal the packet well and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Serve it on top of orzo pasta.

rbfdac

Thanks again for more suggestions. I need to get my crock pot out and I also need to look in to cooking scallops. I love scallops but never have thought to cook them at home.

Slacker16

This is bachelor cuisine at its finest but is nutritious, tastes good and could be prepared by a brain-dead monkey. You can use different types of stock for variation.

- put rice, a little oil, half a soup cube and water in rice cooker or pot
- cook
- mix with a can of tuna
- eat

JenSD6

rbfdac wrote: »

Thanks again for more suggestions. I need to get my crock pot out and I also need to look in to cooking scallops. I love scallops but never have thought to cook them at home.

There was a Gordon Ramsay youtube video I found a while back where he demonstrates how to cook them, and I found it extremely helpful. They come out wonderfully, and so quick to do.

jself325

a few Roma tomatoes;
small mozzarella balls ("pearls");
half or whole avocado, however hungry you are.

cut up the tomatoes and avocado, throw it all on a plate and drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze on it... Maybe some sea salt.

missjones513

Right now I would say chicken waldorf salad. Chicken, 2 apples, walnuts, craisins, greek yogurt, light mayo, lemon juice and pepper.

AngryViking1970

Yum, I love apples in my chicken salad!

Capt_Apollo

my latest minimal cooking meal http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/10/23/how-to-make-pan-roasted-pork-chops/

throw in a baked potato an hour before hand, and some asparagus right before you put in the chops, and you got a balanced meal.

VeryKatie

150ish cals - can of tuna, tbsp of soy sauce, tsp sriracha sauce, celery stick chopped in. Mix. Eat. Enjoy. All in about 5 minutes Still hungry? Have some Minute rice on the side, cook with a little rice vinegar to make it taste like sushi rice. One cup of rice takes just 7 mins in the microwave and you'll have leftovers for your next meal.

Blueseraphchaos

I take raw eggs, whisk them, pour them into a muffin tin, add chopped up veggies and shredded cheese, and ham or bacon sometimes, cook them in the oven, then freeze. They're great to just grab, throw in the microwave, and eat while you're running out the door. I'm pretty sure there are recipes for this online.

neanderthin

Steak, generally a ribeye and takes about 3 minutes a side. Or eggs, that takes less time.