What's your quick meal?

[sundropdlc]

I'm relatively new to the board, and as I was reading I was beginning to get a little intimidated. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif You all cook such wonderful sounding meals! I find myself more often than not, in a hurry and relying on (I hate to say it...) those frozen meals (create a meal, etc). http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif I know, I know, not quite a culinary feat.

But then I got to thinking, that probably nobody can cook new, wonderful CL recipes 7 nights a week. So, I was wondering, what do you all fix when you don't have a lot of time (usually without a recipe)?

Hopefully, if I stick around long enough, all of these recipes here will come second hand! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[cryskie]

sundrop,

Our quick meals consist of either:

Pasta with sauteed garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, parmesan, basil and french bread (purchased)

Quesadillas filled with avocado, cheese, tomato, with homemade salsa

Baked potatoes (in the microwave) topped with tomatoes, avocado, cheese, etc.

Grilled cheese with homemade tomato soup (just saute some garlic, and fennel if you like it, in olive oil, blend it with a can of tomatoes, salt, pepper and heat)

I'm sure there are other things, but this is what I can think of off hand!

Crystal

[Nullsy]

I too am sometimes a little intimidated or maybe just in awe of all the culinary talent on this board but I just learn from everyone and have tried a lot of new things since finding this site in January. Now here's something that is definitely not an intimidating throw together meal. We have beanie weenie casserole with corn muffins and a green veggie of some sort. My husband loves this casserole and it's very kid friendly.

[SusanL]

sundropdlc -here is a thread of previous postings you might get some great ideas from them, I know I did http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/002961.html
Actually, I believe there is another but somehow I keep getting the 02961 for two different threads- If you go to search and type in favorite quick meals, you will see them.
Enjoy!

[Grace]

Fajitas. I keep frozen chicken breasts on hand at all times, and a huge package of tortillas in the freezer (I take out only as many as I need each time, so I always have tortillas on hand). Cut up a green pepper and an onion, cook in a skillet until soft and lightly browned. Remove from the pan, add the cut up chicken to the pan and cook, add a package (those little envelopes) of chicken fajita "mix", and the required amount of water, return the green peppers/onions to the pan, and then serve on the tortillas with say, a can of black beans, salsa, fat free sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, low-fat shredded mexican cheese (or whatever you have), and voila. Dinner in 15 minutes flat. This is pretty standard at our house. Also, the 30 minutes or less section of the magazine comes up with a few winners....keep an eye out and try those when you have a chance.

[BeckyM]

Our most common quick dinner is similar to one cryski suggested: pasta with veggies. I usually saute whatever vegetables I have on hand (always mushrooms, onion & garlic, with others I have on hand), then depending on my mood, I'll either add a jar of spaghetti sauce, or I'll add canned diced tomatoes. It's quick, healthy, and yummy.

Of course we have some of those Lean Cuisine "Skillet Sensations" in the freezer too, and I am not ashamed to say I take advantage of them on occasion. I just feel proud of myself for not succumbing to the lure of fast food or pizza delivery on those nights when I need something quick. We sometimes even just microwave some frozen veggie burgers on nights we get home late. My philosophy is to try to eat as healthy as possible and attempt amazing new culinary creations only when I have time!

One other strategy I use is to make large amounts when I do cook, so we'll have leftovers for those nights we don't have much time. Luckily my husband and I both like leftovers (assuming the original dish was good), so it's nice to come home having something in the fridge that just has to be heated up.

[karenv]

for me it would be sauteed vegies with fresh herbs, garlic and wine over pasta, rice or couscous. Sometimes I combine a can of beans in there for some protein or even tofu.
It is so quick and easy to clean up. Any leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

KarenV

[SandyM]

I was starving on Friday night, and my husband was at school. I diced some garlic and shallots and sauteed in low fat chicken stock. I added chopped parsley and crushed red pepper toward the end; I threw in some angel hair pasta and tossed it with parmesan cheese. Quick, easy, low fat and delicious!

[BarbaraL]

Standard fare is a protein (chicken, beef, pork or fish)-- frequently cooked on the outside gas grill (even in winter), or cooked on the stove, like CL's raspberry/balsalmic vineger chicken. Served with a starch -- rice is a favorite, also microwaved "baked" potatoes, or a pasta; and steamed veggies.
I usually try out CL recipes on weekends. Sometimes I get inspired (when I'm not too exhausted from work) and I'll cook a CL dish (a new one, or an involved one) during the week. A week or two ago, I was determined to make the BBQ chicken potpie. I cooked the chicken on night #1; assembled the casserole (minus the cornbread) on night #2, and cooked and ate it on night #3.

[comabri]

Mine is usually the Pillsbury reduced-fat pizza crust -- flatten it, throw it in the oven at 400 degrees for 6 minutes, top it with chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, drained spinach, and feta cheese. Put it in another 6-8 minutes and that's it! And, it's fun for the kids to make, too. So really, the only effort I put forth is flattening out the dough!

Oh - almost forgot. Sometimes I do the same thing but then fold it in half and seal the edges with a fork to make a calzone!

[This message has been edited by comabri (edited 02-12-2001).]

[hhcowgirl]

I like to make sauteed veggie omelets. Sundrop, you must be from NC or TN--does your name come from the soft drink I grew up on??

[eloise forever]

I tend to rely on DiGiorno or Contadina refrigerated pastas. I toss them with some tomato sauce from a jar and whatever frozen or fresh veggies I have on hand. I usually always have frozen brocolli on hand, so I warm it in the pasta water while I am putting the pasta/seasonings/sauce together. Then I throw the veggies on top. If I have enough forethough to preheat the oven and if I have any on hand (usually do), I make some garlic breadsticks to go with it. This is really easy, fast, and yummy.

I also love to fry up some french fries and frozen chicken fingers when I am feeling like something fattening!

[sundropdlc]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas! I'll have to check out the past postings on this; I admit that I didn't think about that before I asked the question.

Pasta with sauted vegetables seems to be a common theme and one that we really don't have a lot. Definitely gave me some ideas for supper tonight! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Michelern
Thanks for the ideas about chicken breast with wing sauce! We have gotten various bottles of wing and hot sauce for gifts and I wasn't sure how we were going to use them because wings are usually reserved for Superbowl Sunday only-haha.

hhcowgirl
I'm from PA and I had no idea that there was a soft drink named sundrop! That's kind of funny! I actually don't know where I got the name from... a version of sunbeam I think.

[beacooker]

One of my favorite quick meals is to take a french bread baguette (store bought), slice it in half lengthwise, and top it with a mixture of diced red onion, tomato, grated cheddar, olive oil, red wine vinegar, italian seasoning (the herb mixture) and minced garlic. Sprinkle some chopped deli ham slices over this, and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until chesse melts. YUM!! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

[JHolcomb]

My husband and I will take a boneless, skinless chicken breast, dip it in a spice mixture (I think I got the recipe for the mix from Emeril) and serve it over a big green salad with light ranch dressing.

I like to take part of a baguette and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on it and top it with tomato, fresh mozerella, basil, and a little salt. Yum.

Sometimes I make little pizzas on tortillas. I actually like the canned sauce, so I'll buy that and top the pizza with whatever I've got around that sounds good.

[Kristilyn1]

Quick meals at my house have to be totally little kid friendly--so they may be bland, but they end up getting eaten....

english muffin pizzas--I buy the jarred sauce and sprinkle mozzarella for the kids--for us grownups we do sliced thin tomatos and fresh mozzarella, basil, garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

quesadillas--I spread a tortilla with diced red pepper, monterey jack jalapeno cheese, diced tomatos, green onions and a sprinkle of those "mexican blend" cheeses. I top with another tortilla and bake for 20 minutes.

Jilted Eggs(out of the Nov 99 issue, I believe) I drop eggs in greased muffin tins top with a little skim milk, salt and pepper, fresh basil and a sprinkle of whatever cheese I have on hand. Bake until done and I like to serve these on english muffins.

I also like to keep a package of those "fresh pastas" on hand with the Contadina marinara sauce for those days when I really need to whip something up.

Kristi

[michelern]

my husband and I have learned to love our "quick meal". We cook some boneless/skinless chicken in some already prepared chicken wing sauce. Then we cut the chicken up bite sized and add it to a salad...The salad is great with ranch dressing!!! Get the spicy wing sauce for a great kick!!!

[pammy]

A few quickies we like:

The "big salad" a la Elaine on Seinfeld: Grill/broil a couple of chicken breasts that have been doused in a little light salad dressing; boil some fun shaped pasta, chop up whatever veggies are on hand and mix it all together with your favorite salad dressing.

Spicy spinach burritoes: Saute some mushrooms with garlic and onions, add a 10 oz package of spinach, 1/2 C. salsa, a few dashes of chipotle sauce, and a can of drained beans. Layer this in a burrito shell with some light cheese or other burrito fixins, I usually make some (gasp!) packaged mexican rice to throw in, too.

Quick chicken cacciatore: Saute some chicken with garlic, onions, mushrooms and bell peppers. Add a can of diced tomatoes and usually 1/2 a jar of Barilla sauce. Pour over pasta. Yum!

[kwormann]

It almost always revolves around beans. We always have black beans on hand (dried then cooked, or in a pinch, canned and rinsed WELL). Then we add one or more of the following things: Grilled chicken, rice, tortillas, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, aweet potatoes etc. (we love mexican/SW food!) We pair it with salad or steamed veggies.

Sometimes we eat the beans whole, sometimes refried.

I also make extra rice (on rice nights) and do veggie fried rice the next. Thank god DH doesnt mind repetition in his food.....

Kim

[bossy]

Originally posted by Kristilyn1:
Jilted Eggs(out of the Nov 99 issue, I believe) I drop eggs in greased muffin tins top with a little skim milk, salt and pepper, fresh basil and a sprinkle of whatever cheese I have on hand. Bake until done and I like to serve these on english muffins.

Kristi


Does anyone have this recipe in an easy to post format? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[eloise forever]

Bossy, here is the Jilted Eggs recipe!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Jilted Eggs

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine. December 1999. Page: 104.
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Miscellaneous

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 large eggs
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups diced tomato
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1-1/2 ounces)
shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Break eggs, 1 at a time, into a shallow casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Combine tomato and basil. Top each egg with 1/4 cup tomato mixture. Combine milk, salt, and pepper; spoon 2 tablespoons milk mixture over tomato mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Serve with English muffins. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 egg with toppings and 1 muffin half).

Note: Eggs can also be baked individually. Break 1 egg into each of 6 (6-ounce) custard cups coated with cooking spray. Top with tomato and milk mixtures and cheese as directed in recipe. Place cups on a baking sheet, and bake as directed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 75 Calories; 5g Fat (54.4% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 187mg Cholesterol; 326mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[browneye]

Here is my favorite quick dinner:
I pick up some sandwich size baguette or just a long baguette and cut it into sandiwich sizes, then
I brown some fresh Chicken or Turkey Italian Sausages in a saute pan, then I pour in a jar of purchased lowfat Marinara Sauce (gasp) and let that simmer, covered, until the sausages are cooked through. (about 15 to 20 minutes.)Then I cut open the baguettes lengthwise, slice up the sausage into coin sized pieces, right in the pan, and put the sausage and sauce over the baguette. Top with some grated lowfat mozarella cheese, stick under the broiler for a minute until the cheese is melted and voila! Yummy open faced Italian sausage sandwiches... MMMM... I add a side salad for a complete meal.

[kima]

One of my favorite quick meals is baked potatoes (done in the microwave) topped with baked beans (usually Libby's) and then grated cheese. When my daughter and I were in London. England a few years ago we found the food prices very high. We dicovered carts (kind of like popcorn stands) where we could get baked potatoes and beans- about the cheapest thing we could fid and delicious. I add a salad at home and we are set!

[cryskie]

kwormann, we seem to have a lot in common! My DH and I have black beans once a week! Whole or refried, chalupas, burritos, topped with avocados and tomatoes...yummmm!!

Another quick meal I forgot is a French bread pizza. We slice it lenghtwise to make a long top and bottom half, then brush it with olive oil and garlic. Top it with sliced tomatoes, basil, black pepper, and parmesan, and bake it till it's crispy on and the tomatoes are warm!

Crystal

[saw]

Wow -- Kima -- my DH and I love baked potatoes with baked beans and cheddar as well! We discovered them in Scotland when I was studying in England during college. I have never met anyone else who makes that -- we eat them pretty often when we need something quick and filling.

One of our other quick favorites is black beans and rice -- black beans (canned) mixed with fresh veggies and tomatoes, sauteed with spices and then served over rice -- yum!

[bossy]

Thanks a bunch Eloise!!

[Lynn B]

One of our favorite FAST (and I DO mean FAST!!!!) dinners is something we had while on vacation once in Cancun. (And it always brings back fond memories!)

Slice a store bought loaf of crusty bread lengthwise. Spread refried beans, shredded mozzerella or asiago cheese (pepper jack is good, too... actually, any cheese will do!), sliced green onions and chopped cilantro. Bake till crisp and cheese is bubbly. Cut into slices about 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide and enjoy!

That's it! 10 minutes prep time (or less)!

Lynn

[acorreia]

1. frozen bag of mixed seafood. thawed out.
2. frozen veggies - sugar snap peas, brocolli, whatever - defrost in microwave
3. maybe some mushrooms and basil and tomato
4. After everything is sliced/thawed/defrosted, put in a pot with wine and lemon juice and warm it all up together.
5. you can put in extra spices, but keep it simple.....it's like a seafood stew.

And, there's no oil/butter/ or fat

-Angela