Favorite QUICK go to meals? (20 min or less)

dfwesq wrote: »

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/steps

Am adding in my favorite frittata fixings- thinly sliced purple potatoes, spinach and feta, I also sometimes use beet greens with feta in a frittata (adds beautiful pink color in the eggs:)).

I also like to throw frozen green beans, sliced turkey kielbasa and diced potatoes in a slow cooker as a meal.

The ground beef, turkey or sausage recipes with dry shredded cabbage - seems interesting and simple. Do you guys use any sauce with it? One of you mentioned to leave some of the oil in the pan from the meat.

Can of chicken or turkey salad, add mayo, and/or diced celery and/or Bermuda onions. Good with cucumber slices or green peppers.

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.

I'd say the rush is that she's a single mom trying to cram everything into a day (drop offs, pick ups, work, house chores, exercise, meal prep, sleep, actually raising a kid alone). Not cool to tell her what she "should" be doing when I bet she has the bases covered there, buddy ole pal. She just wants some quick recipes, which is totally reasonable- why waste time on something when you don't have to?



My favorite go-to meal is super easy and requires 3 things- a baking dish, knife, and cutting board! Add aluminum foil for even quicker cleanup.

1. Cut up sweet potatoes (or any veggie really) and pop it in the oven at 425-450 for ~20/25 minutes. I always add olive oil and any spices (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and basil/parsley are so yummy as a combo!) before baking.

2. Flip the potatoes, then add seasoned chicken breasts (raw or pan-seared) right on top of the potatoes! Put back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes until chicken juices run clear.

3. Voila! All finished. Tastes great, super easy, very filling, and fast cleanup! I always mindlessly put it in the oven and can do whatever while it bakes.


*** if you cook the diced potato/veggies and chicken in a skillet instead (same seasonings) it is usually finished in 25 minutes too!

All my meals are that quick, I do rely on frozen protein for dinner. Fresh is cheaper but more work.

Veggie saute with sauce- either red sauce or Alfredo, 400-600g zucchini, 200-300g mushrooms, and then about 400g chicken. (for two)

Taco salads- all I need to cook is the chicken, while that cooks I chop lettuce and tomatoes, weigh out my refried beans, sour cream, and salsa, combine and done.

Cajun Red beans- No rice, but basic red beans. Two cans of kidney beans with no sodium(smash half), two cans of diced tomatoes drained, 400g Bell pepper and 400g mushrooms for texture so we don't miss meat. Then I use Cajun seasoning, some cumin/chili powders, garlic and onion powder, and oregano. Sometimes I use the pressure cooker for 10 minutes or simmer for 15-20. Longer makes it better but I am usually quick about it.

Super simple stir fry- just frozen shrimp/chicken, frozen broccoli, and a store bought sauce. Higher in sodium but the fastest meal on my go to list.

Check out the Skinnytaste Fast & Slow cookbook.... everything can be prepared in 30 mins or less, or cooks all day in slow cooker (crock pot).

I also learning how to cook in the Instant Pot

I batch cook meat and reheat it w/ veggies in the microwave all week. If I have a few extra minutes, I will scramble up cheesy egg whites or peanut butter yogurt.

____________________________________________

Down 140lbs: My story.

Low carb go-to is typically throwing some frozen chicken breasts into the oven to add to salad. Chicken is topped with salt, pepper, and whatever herb I'm feeling before baking. If the chicken is going on a Mediterranean-inspired salad I'll top with oregano.

For the Mediterranean salad
2 cups greens (usually romaine lettuce or spinach for me)
1 oz feta cheese
1/2 cup cucumber
red onion (raw, or pickled)
olives (optional)
3-4 oz of the baked chicken breast

Dressing made from: olive oil, red wine vinegar, squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano.


Not low-carb, but I'll eat this if I've been low-carb earlier in the day:

(1 serving)
2 oz whole wheat pasta (penne, fusilli, whatever kind of shape) - you could sub zucchini noodle "zoodles" here for low carb - I've done it and it's tasty.
1/2 cup tomato sauce (I use Safeway Organics tomato basil)
2 Trader Joe's frozen turkey meatballs
1.5 oz baby spinach
1 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

I usually have everything on hand - cook and drain the pasta, add the pasta back into the pot and add tomato sauce and spinach and heat until spinach wilts, while pasta is cooking microwave the turkey meatballs until warmed through, add meatballs to pasta, top with cheese.

Pretty much a one-pot kinda deal, so less time doing dishes and ready in 20 minutes or less!

Do you use a slow cooker? I've made this before, coconut curry lentils:

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/07/slow-cooker-coconut-curry-lentils/

Put it all in the slow cooker, then when it's done serve it over some rice and you're golden.

It pretty much got demolished, it's really good.

I make a chilli. Small amount of mince about 400grams. 2x cans of Hot Chilli Beans， 2x cans of Flavoured tomatoes then herbs and spices. Simmer for 5-10 mins and all good to go. I'll throw it on top of some pasta and if I have enough calories add some cheese very quick and easy! Ill split the chilli into 6 sepetate meals then later in the week put the chilli in a wrap， on some toast， on corn chips. Its versatile， tasty and comes out at about 300 calories per serving. Obviously you could add lots more ingredients if you find it to bland but it does it for me

Child Protection won't break the door down if you nuke some pre-made meals from the freezer section occasionally.

A quick healthy meal for me is a stir fry.. spray oil on the wok, then I have cut my chicken into small pieces, stir fry them till they're cooked, then add my chopped veggies - hard one first, such as carrot, broccoli, and peppers, then softer veggies such as mushrooms and baby sweetcorn last. I then add my soy and whatever else I'm using and finally noodles last. Only the wok and dinner plate/cutlery to wash up after wards :-)

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.

Nothing enhances a cooking experience like a hungry young child or toddler with associated tantrum at arsenic hour!

She is a single mum, maybe she has to pick up the child from long day care or after school care after a full day's work, get home at 6, get dinner on the table and kid/s bathed, fed, homework done by 730? SO she needs a quick healthy meal.

Carry on!

Alatariel75 wrote: »

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.

Sounds delish!! Approximately how long do you let it simmer? Thank you!