Quick Meals

[SeaCat]

I work three, four and five 12 hour shifts a week. Because of this when I get home I don't really want to cook. I'm tired, I'm dirty and I'm hurting but I know I have to eat.

I have several ways around this. On my days off I cook a lot of food and freeze it. These are complete meals that have been vaccume packed and frozen. All I have to do is pull the meals in the morning, put them in the fridge and by the time I get home from work they are defrosted. All I do when I get home is toss them in the Nuke. (I have things like Rabbit in a Cream and Peppercorn Sauce, Beef and Pork Roasts, {Already sliced and packaged in meal sized portions} Chicken wings and even soups and stews.)

Another thing I have is things like packages of shaved steak along with individual packages of dough for rolls. I can defrost the rolls during the day then when I get home I make Steak and Cheese Subs.

I have been known to deep fry up to 100 Chicken Wings and freeze them in ten wing packages. I'll cook and mash spuds so I can freeze portions. (Think Potatoe Pancakes.)

I'll buy large amounts of fish fillets and freeze them in individual packages so I can choose how many I defost. I'll buy huge Boneless Pork Loins so I can cut them up and freeze them in small portions.

My wife and I eat well even on the days we work. It isn't hard for us, it just takes some forethought. (Hell we even enjoy the occasional Steak.)

What do you do for quick meals?

Cat

 

[elsol]

The best thing for me is...

Egg Whites & turkey on a Pita with Mango side.

Pretty much can eat that every day.

 

[cumallday]

I remember a time when I could walk into a grocery store and NOT see a single frozen pizza. Thank heavens this is no longer the case. I worship at the alter of the almighty 'Za.

Pepperoni - ohm...
Mushrooms - ohm...
Onions - ohm...
Mozzarella - ohm...

 

[DerelictionOfSanity]

I try to keep some pre-cooked rice or pasta on hand and some near instant vegetable available (Like zucchinis to be zapped in the microwave). Protein isn't a problem, I'll cook big batches of stuff and freeze in individual portions, but I find starch and veg. don't freeze as well.

 

[rachlou]

Pasta with pesto sauce & cheese. Take approx 5/6 mins to cook the pasta and just stir in the sauce! Yuuummmm

Stir fried veggies can be added should you feel the need for extra vitamins.

Pasta is always a quick and easy filler meal. Plus it's nutritious.

 

[Penelope Street]

Most weekdays, we flip a coin to see who cooks, so neither of us knows it's her turn until it is- which means we each end up making dinner with little planning. This is one of my faves because it's cupboard to table in about the same amount of time it takes to make boxed macaroni and cheese- and not much more trouble either.

Start by boiling water for pasta of your choice.

Next, in a separate pot, combine one jar of Alfredo sauce (your choice of brand and flavor), 1/2 tsp pepper (white is best), 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tiny can of mushrooms, 1 small can of meat of your choice. We like chicken, crab, and shrimp and sometimes we cheat and add a second can.

Start heating this sauce when you put the pasta in the water, but not too high or too long because it'll start to separate- Icky!

This is enough sauce for the three of us, but larger families may need to use two or more jars.

It's not really great cuisine, but it's fast, easy, and not too expensive.

If you're like us, you'll have some sauce left over, but somehow most of the meat will have ended up on someone's plate...

The next day, we use our Kitchen Aid to make pizza crust. If you don't have one of these gems , then you can probably buy uncooked french bread dough from the bakery of your local grocery and use that for the crust. Or if you're really in a hurry (or just lazy!) buy one of the premade crusts.

With our crust, some cheese, a little package of pepperoni or ham, and the leftover sauce and we've a second easy meal- no matter who lost that second coin toss.

 

[Vermilion]

We have a few of the frozen meals for when I'm just too too exhausted to cook, but mostly cooking is how I relax. It's so therapeutic chopping an onion, stirring things round and round, adding a pinch of this, a splash of that, the smell slowly starting to waft round the flat.
Cooking makes me happy. It's rare when I'm too past it to cook anything
x
V

 

[English Lady]

It's not really a quick cook, but it makes preparing dinner quick. I have a big stockpot/slowcooker and it's fantastic. wang all your ingredients in, leave it all day then serve up a delicious stew at meal time. Yum.

If I'm cooking I cook more than we'll eat and freeze the extra so it's just a case of defrosting something.

I always have in a tin of corned beef. Then I can boil up some potatoes, mash it and add the corned beef and voila -cornedbeef hash Wirral style. Add peas/sweetcorn/broccolli or veg of your choice and some baked beans and you've got a good, filling meal that's taken all of 15 minutes to cook and prepare.

 

[buxxxom]

We have a few of the frozen meals for when I'm just too too exhausted to cook, but mostly cooking is how I relax. It's so therapeutic chopping an onion, stirring things round and round, adding a pinch of this, a splash of that, the smell slowly starting to waft round the flat.
Cooking makes me happy. It's rare when I'm too past it to cook anything
x
V

This works for me, too! I often have a stock pot going with at least a gallon of chicken stock in it on Saturdays. Usually, I have some cooked, deboned chicken in the deep freeze as well. Using these two things, I can come up with something in a flash: cassrole, pasta, roll ups, etc.

My kids, however, prefer spaghettio-s.

 

[Vermilion]

This works for me, too! I often have a stock pot going with at least a gallon of chicken stock in it on Saturdays. Usually, I have some cooked, deboned chicken in the deep freeze as well. Using these two things, I can come up with something in a flash: cassrole, pasta, roll ups, etc.

My kids, however, prefer spaghettio-s.

Kids eh, <rolls eyes>
I was picky as a kid.
I made the nicest Moroccan lamb casserole the other day. mmm. So rich and flavoursome.
x
V

 

[SeaCat]

It's not really a quick cook, but it makes preparing dinner quick. I have a big stockpot/slowcooker and it's fantastic. wang all your ingredients in, leave it all day then serve up a delicious stew at meal time. Yum.

If I'm cooking I cook more than we'll eat and freeze the extra so it's just a case of defrosting something.

I always have in a tin of corned beef. Then I can boil up some potatoes, mash it and add the corned beef and voila -cornedbeef hash Wirral style. Add peas/sweetcorn/broccolli or veg of your choice and some baked beans and you've got a good, filling meal that's taken all of 15 minutes to cook and prepare.

Never underestimate the power of the Crock Pot. (I have two.) I'm well known for getting everything ready the night befoe, ossing it in and leaving the place for my shift. By the time I get home dinner is ready.

On the other hand most of the meals I have for quick meals aren't that quick. In the freezer right now are several batches of Rabbit and portions of roasts. Hell I even have some Lasagna in there ready to be defrosted and reheated.

(I also have things like frozen Burritos and Chimichanga's in there for something different. )

Cat

 

[Just-Legal]

Pasta with pesto sauce & cheese. Take approx 5/6 mins to cook the pasta and just stir in the sauce! Yuuummmm

Stir fried veggies can be added should you feel the need for extra vitamins.

Pasta is always a quick and easy filler meal. Plus it's nutritious.

Pesto *drooooool*

 

[Dar~]

Tater tot casserole.

1 lb ground beef browned with pepper and onion.
1 can green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
cheese shredded. any kind works
tater totos.
mix the beans, beef, and soup spread in a dish. sprinkle with cheese and lay tater tots over it.
bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes Mmm Mmm good!

 

[Penelope Street]

I made the nicest Moroccan lamb casserole the other day. mmm. So rich and flavoursome.

Do share!

 

[neonlyte]

Fresh spagetti, tossed in a garlic infused olive oil and sprinked with a dried red chilli. Serve with green leaf salad. Takes 5 - 7 minutes.

 

[fcdc]

What do you do for quick meals?

I do a lot of stovetop cooking, and have the additional challenge of (most often) cooking for one, as I have neither a roommate nor a longterm SO. It helps that I prefer Indian, Thai, Arabic, Jamaican, etc. - all of those can be very easily and very quickly cooked, and can be sized to one person. There is nothing wrong with a meal that a can of coconut milk, or some masala, baharat, or allspice can't fix, depending on what genre I want to eat.

When I do eat meat (about once every two weeks), I eat fish, which cooks quickly and can be more easily sized to one person than, say, a side of beef or a chicken breast. Stir-frys, pasta (I have four packages of rice noodles as we speak), and pilafs are the lazy but creative cook's best friend. I also make a lot of salads, having never met a spinach salad I didn't like (lettuce is boring unless fresh from the garden, preferably butter/Boston lettuce - iceberg is tasteless.)

I also have a crockpot (mini-sized) but I have that on more during the winter. During the summer, I tend to not want stews and soups.

 

[Vermilion]

Do share!

1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1tsp each of cumin, coriander and tumeric
neck of lamb cut into cubes
a tb sp flour
glass of white wine
3 handfuls of sultanas
2 handfuls of dried apricots cut in half
1/2 pint of chicken stock
seasoning

OK, fry onion and garlic till onion is transparent. Add in the spices and stir. Sprinkle the flour over the lamb until it is coated, then chuck the lamb in the pot and fry until browned on each side. When the lamb is browned pour in the wine, stir to deglaze the pan, then add the dried fruits and the stock. Season with fresg ground pepper and some salt, stir a couple of times, then put the lid on and leave to simmer for half an hour.

Check on it, if the gravy is getting too thick add in a little extra water, if it's too thin then just leave the lid ajar so the steam can evaporate a bit.

This is a great casserole when you don;t know what time people will be sitting down to eat, because it can take quite a lot of time simmering on the stove and I think the lamb just gets more tender and delicious.

Serve with cous cous and toasted almond flakes.

Enjoy
x
V

 

[fcdc]

Serve with cous cous and toasted almond flakes.

Q: Ever tried that with chicken? I decided to splurge a bit and so I have one Cornish game hen that I'm making tandoori-style tomorrow, but this sounds good too, for the second hen, in a day or two.

Thanks!

 

[Penelope Street]

This is a great casserole when you don;t know what time people will be sitting down to eat, because it cantake quite a lot of time simmering on the stove and I think the lamb just gets more tender and delicious.

Thank you!