What are your best "throw together" meals on the fly.....

cramernh
cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
Lets face it - life can be a real pain in the rear sometimes when it throws a curve ball into the mix. Youre often thrown in a corner pushing your way out to get back to that 'set schedule' in your mind as you deal what life throws at you.... You realize that you have to get dinner going, or a quick lunch to take to work, or OMG - Im going to be late for your next appointment...

When all is said and done, and chaos leaves the picture, you are finally able to get back onto some sort of normalcy... What are some meal ideas that you have made 'on the fly'/on a whim that turned out to be some awesome go-to-meals in the future?

I thought it would be fun for people to share some of the quick meals they have made in a pinch....

Post them here!

Replies

  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    I had so many little extras from previous food prepping that I thought it would be good to throw a soup together. Here in NH, its much colder in the morning and I am often really craving soup - the Fall mornings really bring it out of me!

    So, I pulled out zucchini, summer squash, a batch of my homemade marinara, celery, spinach, fresh gahhhhhhlic, italian parsley, cilantro, basil, I had some leftover chicken already broken down and with an extra quart of water.... I made up a big pot of Tomato-Vegetable soup with chicken!

    I was able to make a solid GALLON's worth! In my bowl, I sprinkled a combined serving of monterey jack and colby cheese and a tablespoon of butter where there was very little fat in the recipe building..

    This came out SOOOOO good for dinner last night, that I brought two one-quarts with me to work today! One for breakfast and one for lunch.

    Each QUART gave me the 40g of healthy carbs that I needed for my meal. And its hitting the spot! Cant wait to have the other one when Lunch break comes around!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Tinned Tuna + Assorted Veggies + Sour Cream covered in grated cheese, lob in oven until golden.

    I make a big batch of it, keeps well for the next day too, always a winner.
  • Tinned Tuna + Assorted Veggies + Sour Cream covered in grated cheese, lob in oven until golden.

    I make a big batch of it, keeps well for the next day too, always a winner.

    ok that looks yummy and using foods I really enjoy so question: how exactly do you do it? is it layered? or all mixed together? in a casserole or small separate portions? Any pictures? :tongue:
    Sorry for all the questions but I would really like to try this and want to make sure I prepare it properly!
    thank you :-)
  • danni_l
    danni_l Posts: 144 Member
    Tinned Tuna + Assorted Veggies + Sour Cream covered in grated cheese, lob in oven until golden.

    I make a big batch of it, keeps well for the next day too, always a winner.

    Yum that sounds delicious :)
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    ok that looks yummy and using foods I really enjoy so question: how exactly do you do it? is it layered? or all mixed together? in a casserole or small separate portions? Any pictures? :tongue:
    Sorry for all the questions but I would really like to try this and want to make sure I prepare it properly!
    thank you :-)

    I just mix it all together with cheese on top, I'm a simple man :)

    I find the key is to get enough sour cream in there to stop the tuna becoming too bland.

    I used to make it with tinned tomatoes instead of the cream but I like to get my fats up these days.

    If it were just for me then I'd add in spices and whatnot

    You really can chuck most veggies in there.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Yum that sounds delicious :)

    Not as good as my frittata :)

    I made my first one today and it was ace:

    1) Mix 12 eggs and 3/4 Cup of heavy cream together.
    2) Peel and chop 2 sweet potatoes, lob in water and microwave for 4 minutes on full
    3) Fry up some onion, mushrooms, peas and sweetcorn (I normally avoid corn but I'm heading for maintenance so ...)
    4) Chuck potatoes in baking dish, cover with oniony thing (and, in my case, some cooked up sausages) and eggs/cream mix
    5) Top with cheese
    6) Bake until set and golden

    OK, maybe this one isn't 'thrown together' :)

    Serves 6ish by the way, I didn't eat it all :)
  • Laura_beau
    Laura_beau Posts: 1,029 Member
    Deadvim- I have an abundance of tinned tuna, and some sour cream leftover that needs using so I will be making tuna bake tonight! Thanks :o)

    My tastiest quickest meal is:

    King Prawns (Shrimp) with garlic, ginger & spring onion (Green onion) with stir fried chinese cabbage

    It takes less than 10 mins to prepare AND cook- and is less than 10g carbs per HUGE serving while packing in loooooads of exciting flavour.

    - Approx 10 king prawns/ large shrimp (raw or cooked, peeled & deveined).
    - 1 clove garlic, crushed.
    - 2 x tsp grated/crushed fresh ginger
    - 2 chopped spring (Green) onions (Green & white parts)
    - 1/2 head chinese cabbage (about 5 leaves) chopped
    - 1 tbsp sesame oil
    - 1 tbsp soy/tamari sauce
    - a dash of water, or veg stock to help make a sauce.

    optional- chilli pepper or flakes for extra zing!
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member

    optional- chilli pepper or flakes for extra zing!

    Sorry thats not an option - in my house, social convention dictates that my plate must have TONS of chili pepper flakes! LOL!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Some form of pepper/chilli/tabasco seasoning is obligatory in my world too, I swear I will spontaneously combust one day :)
  • Supermel
    Supermel Posts: 612 Member
    I use leftover taco meat in a crustless quiche and it goes over very well in my family. About 5 min of prep and 20 min in oven. Link:
    http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/cheddar_onion_quiche.html I omit the onion and add 1 cup of ground cooked taco meat. I can also use a bit less shredded cheese to lower the carb count as well and it still very yummy.

    For quick lunches I take canned chicken flakes and put them on salad.with bacon, veggies, coleslaw cabbage, shredded cheese and ranch/franks mixed up. Very tasty. Have to watch though I think the added extras made the carbs slightly higher than i would be willing to use up on this dish.

    I make large batches of meatballs up and freeze in serving portions to grab. I reheat in microwave and add butter and franks to make a wing sauce with them. Super yummy. My last batch of meatballs I just used a mixture of ground turkey and beef, parm. garlic, cheese, eggs, and added in shredded smoked gouda and herbed feta to the meat mixture. I also did just the meat/eggs/parm/garlic and rolled it into balls and added a piece of mozzeralla cheese stick to the middle of each ball. Very yummy.

    We do fried eggs a lot in a hurry.

    We order wings OUT a ot in a hurry, does that count? We get them plain with no sauce or we get a coating like parmesan/pepper.

    I find quicker meals tricky and that i try to cook ahead to have things to pull out of the freezer. I make a cabbage pie ahead, beanless chili ahead and freeze in portions. We have burgers on hand and jennie-O turkey burgers that heat up in about 5 minutes as well in a pinch and i always have bacon made up ahead.

    Another fast one is a recipe i made up on my own. I use glass round dishes, spray with cooking spray for individual portions. I use a can of canned crab meat, drain well, add in garlic and onion to taste, tbsp or two of cream cheese, tbsp of full fat mayo. Mix up and put between two glass dishes. Top with shredded cheese and cook in toaste oven for 20 min. In a hurry you microwave til heated thru and cheese is melted. I dip veggies in it. I have subsititued tuna and it was good as well.
  • samko1976
    samko1976 Posts: 125 Member
    I know its really basic but I make a cheese and onion omelette. I fry a small amount, 10g, of onions, in butter for 1 minute on medium/high. Add 3 beaten eggs, Push in from the edge using spatula/fish slice so most of the uncooked runny eggs gets fried. Add cheese once half cooked. I slice or add grated cheese up to 30g of usually cheddar. Then flip over the omelette over to fry/melt the cheese. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper. Serve