Favorite QUICK go to meals? (20 min or less)
fallingwave
Posts: 108 Member
Single mom. Trying to fit work, gym, time with my kiddo and healthy food into each day... Looking for ideas on your quick go to healthy meals.
Tonight I roasted some asparagus and Turkey kielbasa. Simple, doesn't need tending too. Looking for low carb with high protein and veggies. Fast clean up is a definite plus
Tonight I roasted some asparagus and Turkey kielbasa. Simple, doesn't need tending too. Looking for low carb with high protein and veggies. Fast clean up is a definite plus
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Replies
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Classic Meat and Three Veg
Meat: Either reheat left over roast meat (I cook lamb every Sunday in the slow cooker and freeze left overs in batches with meat juice, I also buy a couple of rotisserie chicken, break them up and freeze) or oven cook lean meat, can marinate meat with lemon juice and herb mix if you have time.
Quick veg: In a high sided pan I saute a little onion, very thinly sliced carrot (about 1/2 a carrot if large, can use red capsicum instead if you prefer) and chuck in a couple of bunches of broccolini, add butter and put on lid and let cook on low to your liking. Tip - You can pre-cut the onion and carrot on the weekend and put in a ziplock bag, and the broccolini doesn't need chopping.
Takes about 15mins, 2 pans total if you cook meat.
On the weekend, I also puree a full head of steamed cauliflower (it's my version of mash potato) with 20-30g of butter and a tablespoon of parmesan cheese, S&P, and reheat it on other nights so I only have to organise the protein.
Also what ever I cook, I try and cook enough to at least freeze one or two left overs meals for nights when I'm tired, on those nights I used to order take out, but now I reach for my own 'frozen meals', and everyone gets to choose what they want.
My Saturday is pretty much taken up with doing the shopping and cooking/prepping meals. I'm in the same boat, work/gym/family, it's such a juggle. I get the family to help with the preparation and shopping, the kids love getting to choose their own fruits and veg for their lunch boxes. Preparation is everything, it makes weekends busy, but helps you to succeed on the weekdays.
Good luck4 -
What's the rush? Besides, some of my favorite childhood memories are of spending time in the kitchen when my parents were cooking. Taking time to cook a meal doesn't mean you have to take time away from your kid. That's an activity that you should be doing with your kid.17
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tuna potatoes...i precut onins musshrooms and peppers toss 100g of each in a oil-less pan and fry em up with half a can of tuna...pop 250-300 grams of potatoes in microwave (4-5 mins flip 4-5 mins) cut up salt and pepper thm then top with the mix. makes a big plate of yummy for 300-350 cals. i also add in garlic sometimes and cayenne pepper to cover the fishy taste...its minimal. 10 minute meal
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Omelettes/frittata
Cook mixed vegies - good for using odds and ends from the fridge - chuck over some whisked up eggs, a bit of cheese... Voila, a meal! Serve with salad to bulk it up a bit more...3 -
Steamed fish. Takes about 8 mins depending on size of fillet. While it steams, fry fresh ginger till crunchy. Serve fish with ginger on top and a teriyaki sauce....about a tablespoon. Low cal, filling and tastes amazing with an Asian stir fry or salad.1
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Cut a pocket in a chicken breast, stuff a triangle or 2 of laughing cow cheese in there, close it up, brown each in a saucepan (one only big enough to hold the number of chicken breasts you have flat on the bottom), then pour a jar of salsa over, put a lid on it and simmer until cooked. Serve with veg, or salad, or whatever you want.9
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Omelettes/frittata
Cook mixed vegies - good for using odds and ends from the fridge - chuck over some whisked up eggs, a bit of cheese... Voila, a meal! Serve with salad to bulk it up a bit more...
Just what I was about to post!
Saute some vegetables, then add beaten eggs and cook over low heat - no need to stir. My go-to vegetables are mushrooms and onions. A little grated parmesan cheese is a good addition if you want a cheesy flavor but fewer calories.
Btw, sauteed onions closely mimic the texture of eggs, so you can add a lot of them without noticing much. Using a lot of onions instead of extra eggs is an easy and healthy way to bulk up your meal without adding many calories.
Along the same lines as a frittata are tomato scrambled eggs. Here's a very basic and easy recipe I tried out - it was surprisingly good.
https://goodandcheap.website/breakfast/tomato-scrambled-eggs/steps2 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Omelettes/frittata
Cook mixed vegies - good for using odds and ends from the fridge - chuck over some whisked up eggs, a bit of cheese... Voila, a meal! Serve with salad to bulk it up a bit more...
Just what I was about to post! Saute some vegetables, then add beaten eggs and cook over low heat - no need to stir. My go-to vegetables are mushrooms and onions. A little grated parmesan cheese is a good addition if you want a cheesy flavor but fewer calories.
Btw, sauteed onions closely mimic the texture of eggs, so you can add a lot of them without noticing much. Using a lot of onions instead of extra eggs is an easy and healthy way to bulk up your meal without adding many calories.
I generally use a combo of 1-2 whole eggs with extra whites to bump up protein without the fat calories.1 -
I make a super quick curry. The rice cooks while you make the veggies and sauce. I use a bag of the steam in the bag veggies (usually broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower), 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, 1 can of full fat coconut milk, 3tbsp of curry paste, 1/2 of an onion, chopped, 1tbsp soy sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and a pinch of cumin. Microwave the veggies, sautee the onions, dump in the rest of the ingredients. When the veggies are done just throw them in the pan and mix everything together. Spoon that over the rice. You can also add some precooked diced chicken pieces, but I'm vegan so I keep it meatless. This recipe makes enough for me to eat lunch for 4 days, and it's really hearty.4
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Get a sandwich maker from Walmart, $10.
Get spices. Recommend McCormick steak seasoning.
Get salmon, beef (flap meat, thin steak, etc.), thin sliced chicken breast, fish filet, etc.
Put the food in the sandwich maker, 5 - 12 minutes depending. Season the food in the last 1, 2 minute.
When done, wipe the maker surface with a napkin when it's still warm.
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Egg White, spinach, mushroom, sun dried tomato & bacon bits omelette.2
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1 x packet 2 minute noodles
1 x pre-weighed baggie of frozen cooked chicken (I buy a roast chicken and then rip it up into baggies, write the weight on the front in permanent marker, and stash them in the freezer)
1 x packet of microwave steam veggies
I call this my 5-minute lunch. Noodles in pot to boil, chicken 2min in microwave, and then the veggies. Throw in bowl, mix up a bit, and chow down. Delish.3 -
This isn't low carb, but it's my go-to to satisfy my hunger when very busy with less than a minute of prep time:
Instant noodles with a can of tuna or cocktail franks and sometimes canned shiitake mixed in. Not the best foodie choice (I'm not a picky foodie anyway), but incredibly satisfying to me with a good balance of starch and protein. I'll often have a tomato on the side as well (I eat them like apples).1 -
The trick to quick meals is to prep your ingredients in advance. A read a book a few years ago called "Consider The Fork" about the evolution of cooking. It turns out that Chinese food evolved to be small morsels of food because it would cook faster, therefore saving cooking oil, which was a scare resource. I adopted the concept myself and it gives you nearly endless possibility!. Take whatever protein you have (chicken, beef, pork, etc), cut it up into inch-ish size cubes; cut up your veggies to the same size (you can do this as soon as you get home from the grocery to save time of busy nights) and cook everything in the same pan with whatever your choice of seasonings is. Cook from "toughest" veggie (carrots, potatoes, etc) to tender (peas) and add the protein at least 4 minutes out for chicken or pork, 2-3 for beef (depending on how done you like it), and 2 for shrimp or shellfish). Start to finish, you'll have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes.3
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Mashed potatoes with steamed veggies or rice and beans with veg 0
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The trick to quick meals is to prep your ingredients in advance. A read a book a few years ago called "Consider The Fork" about the evolution of cooking. It turns out that Chinese food evolved to be small morsels of food because it would cook faster, therefore saving cooking oil, which was a scare resource. I adopted the concept myself and it gives you nearly endless possibility!. Take whatever protein you have (chicken, beef, pork, etc), cut it up into inch-ish size cubes; cut up your veggies to the same size (you can do this as soon as you get home from the grocery to save time of busy nights) and cook everything in the same pan with whatever your choice of seasonings is. Cook from "toughest" veggie (carrots, potatoes, etc) to tender (peas) and add the protein at least 4 minutes out for chicken or pork, 2-3 for beef (depending on how done you like it), and 2 for shrimp or shellfish). Start to finish, you'll have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes.
This. I do this all the time. My prep the night before is usually to season small strips of chicken the night before with oyster sauce and cornstarch. You can of course add other things in if you want. My other preps are to prechop vegetables and blanch whatever ones I plan to use in my next meal. This allows me to preplan my meals and enter them in mfp. Then the next morning I simply stir fry my chicken and add my veggies in. I love to use konjac noodles and the ones I get come pre packed and cooked.1 -
Fresh salmon and veggies. Use any seasoning you prefer and bake in the oven at 450 for 20 minutes. Easy, quick prep, quick cook and delicious2
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Meat of choice in the crock pot during the day.
When we get home, some quick rice, black beans and a veggie - Rice bowls!
My bowl has a lot less rice than hubby's and son's.
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TimothyFish wrote: »What's the rush? Besides, some of my favorite childhood memories are of spending time in the kitchen when my parents were cooking. Taking time to cook a meal doesn't mean you have to take time away from your kid. That's an activity that you should be doing with your kid.
Hah hah ha haha. I guess you haven't had one of those nights where you had to help kid #1 with her science project, pick up a gift for kid #2's teacher's birthday party which you just discovered (wrinkled flyer at bottom of backpack--kid #2 isn't always so responsible) oh, and then kid #3 has LICE, and oh, your boss texts you that there is an emergency and you have to call her back ASAP? Otherwise known in our house as "Tuesday." :-p
I like ground lean turkey meat. It cooks pretty quickly and I'll use half a pound for tacos (kids love that) with homemade guacamole (I use lean cheese, 0% greek yogurt instead of sour cream) and then the next day I throw in the other half in marinara sauce, serve with pasta for kids, Zoodles for me, with a salad. The second meal is perfect for those extra-crazy nights.22 -
I love spiraled zucchini, squash, etc. (zoodles) or riced cauliflower so I'll often saute one of those add some turkey sausage, or chicken and some fresh salsa or Sharwoods Indian cooking sauces and done in 5 minutes. My local stores offer zoodles and the cauliflower pre-cut. Easy peasy!1
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Ingredients:
• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 16 ounce bag coleslaw mix, or 16 ounces shredded cabbage & carrots
• 1 tbs minced ginger (14g)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs soy sauce (or a little more if you prefer)
Instructions:
Brown and crumble ground pork sausage. Do not fully drain. Add all other ingredients to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until cabbage is tender.
Comments:
The entire dish is approximately 1540 calories and easily serves 4-5. You can also spoon the mixture into egg roll wrappers (about 60 calories each), and fold up. Spray with olive oil spray and bake for about 12 minutes @ 375 degrees, turning once. You can cut the calories by using ground turkey sausage, but I prefer it with the pork. Entire cook time is about 10 minutes.
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I actually think all the meals I make except for my pizza are 20 minutes or under including prep. Our vegetables are usually just steamed unless it's asparagus, and I usually make a chicken or a pork meal on the stove top, and those don't take too long, and I usually have pasta or just the 90 second rice, but even rice on the stop top can be 10 minutes. I think the only time it's longer is maybe if I decide to make wings or homemade fries.
Some of the sauces I use for the chicken and pork to cook them in are Italian BBQ which BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, a little bit of worcestshire sauce, and a little brown sugar, but the bad news is I don't measure things for this one except for the largest ingredient which is the BBQ and I start with 4oz for a meal for two. Then there is sweet and spicy which is 1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce, table spoon of honey, table spoon of hot sauce, a tiny pit of minced garlic, and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Again this when I make it for two people, which is 8-10oz of chicken cubed.0 -
storyjorie wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »What's the rush? Besides, some of my favorite childhood memories are of spending time in the kitchen when my parents were cooking. Taking time to cook a meal doesn't mean you have to take time away from your kid. That's an activity that you should be doing with your kid.
Hah hah ha haha. I guess you haven't had one of those nights where you had to help kid #1 with her science project, pick up a gift for kid #2's teacher's birthday party which you just discovered (wrinkled flyer at bottom of backpack--kid #2 isn't always so responsible) oh, and then kid #3 has LICE, and oh, your boss texts you that there is an emergency and you have to call her back ASAP? Otherwise known in our house as "Tuesday." :-p
I like ground lean turkey meat. It cooks pretty quickly and I'll use half a pound for tacos (kids love that) with homemade guacamole (I use lean cheese, 0% greek yogurt instead of sour cream) and then the next day I throw in the other half in marinara sauce, serve with pasta for kids, Zoodles for me, with a salad. The second meal is perfect for those extra-crazy nights.
Sounds like most of my nights 4 -
grilled cheese for them, egg whites with cheese for me. salad for all3
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This is AMAZING (and super fast, use whatever veggies are in the fridge):
https://cafedelites.com/2016/05/16/sheet-pan-chili-lime-salmon/
I can throw salmon in some water to thaw and it's good enough to throw in the oven in about 15 min. The slight frozen-ness only added about 4 min to the cook time.
And yes, I like good food, and I like to cook, but there are days where it's walk in the door with the kids at 5 pm, need to be out the door by 6. No time for dilly-dallying around with complicated recipes.1 -
Something else to consider is getting a slow cooker (aka a crock pot). It's a fairly easy way to make stews and similar dishes. Just put the ingredients in, turn it on, and later the food is cooked. (Some ingredients, like pasta or dairy, have to be added late in the cooking process, though.)
Most kinds of slow cooker can be left unattended, so your food can cook overnight or while you're at work.0 -
I don't cook during the week I put together and heat. I do both lunch and dinner prep on the weekend.
Staples include cooking sausage or turkey bacon, sometimes rice and always veggies including a variety of potatoes. For dinner, I use either rice or pasta and/or spinach as my base then add the pre-cooked meat and veggies. With pasta there is also sauce or oil and with rice often salsa. I cook pasta on the fly, 15 minutes total or so. Anything I want warmed up I do stove top.
As others mentioned, crock pot meals are good too. Some resents include: Chicken Tortilla Soup (minus tortilla), White Bean and Veggie soup. This weekend I plan to do chicken barbacoa.
My lunch meals could also be used for dinner and they are microwave friendly (office). This week is Farro, Avocado, Goat Cheese, Chile Crunch, Roasted Pumpkin seeds and marinated radish slices. Lately I've also done baked potatoes (pre-baked) with veggies and green chile sauce (or cheese). Last week was buffalo'd cauliflower in a green salad with a bunch of other veggies and dressing.
You could eliminate any of the grains I mentioned and just use leafy greens, zoodles or eggs.
I've found that if I do 3 weeks on and 1 week off lunch only (of cooking, not counting - counting all the time). That gives me 1 week every 4 weeks to come up with new ideas/combos.0 -
I make a large batch of tukey/pumpkin chili on a weekly basis, portion the servings out into Tupperware, and freeze. Delicious and high protein. Fry 1lb of ground turkey. In a large pot combine 2 15 ounce of kidney or pinto beans, 2 15 ounce cans of fire roasted tomatoes, 2 15ounce cans of pumkin (mashed cooked canned sweet potatoes also work), 1 whole chopped onion, 1 cup of water, 2 dry packs of Lawrey's chili spices. And turkey when done frying. Simmer for about an hour. Tupperware and freeze.0
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Oh a recipe for some good baked nuggets I make is
Preheat oven to 425
10oz chicken breast thawed cut into 1 inch pieces.
in a bowl add
2 tbl spoons grated cheese
2 tbl spoons Italian bread crumbs
4 tbl spoons panko bread crumbs
in another bowl put cut up chicken, and coat lightly with evoo enough so all of the chicken is coated.
Put chicken in second bowl and make sure the pieces are completely covered in bread crumbs, and place them on an oiled baking sheet as you do it. Lightly spray the top of the nuggets with oil, and put them in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Take them out of the oven when the time is up, and flip them over, and spray them lightly again, and put them back in the oven for 4 more minutes, and then they are done! If I want to make them spicy I add buffalo sauce to the oil that I put the chicken in before coating them with the bread crumps, and I put chili powder in with the bread crumb mix.
Once you get this down it takes 5 minutes to prep, and 15 to cook, with the flipping and spraying.
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15 minutes lazy noodles
Pick a pound of lean ground meat of your choice. Cook and drain excess grease. Add a sliced onion and 2 cloves of garlic minced to the pan and cook until translucent. Add a large handful of spinach and then make a sauce with 4 tablespoons of low sodium soya sauce, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and add honey to taste as everyone likes a different level of sweetness. You can also add 2 teaspoons of chili oil. I put that on zucchini noodles and make a batch of egg noodles for the family while the rest is cooking. Super quick and delicious.0
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