Really Fast Dinners

[mixmaster b]

What do you make when you need a decent meal really fast?

I love to dedicate time to cooking, but it is not always an option. I'm looking for ideas for fast homemade or semi homemade dinners.

Last night I got home at 9:45. Very little in the house, so I ended up making a take-off on a nicoise salad:

Greens

Yukon Golds nuked for 5 mins and sliced to cool

Hierloom tomato

Italian tuna packed in olive oil

Capers

Dressing was Dijon, caper juice, evoo, lemon juice.

Quite serviceable, and did not include frozen pizza or canned soup.

Any other ideas out there?

[elmo]

Marie Calendar Pot Pies aint bad when you dont want to make anything.

[Wendy DeBord]

Hum lets see, tonights dinner consisted of a huge hunk of watermelon and a heap of heart burn. The heart burn came first and pre-empted any thoughts of dinner.

Sorry I've gotten really bad. Once you get sick of eating nothing but salads I think the only real solution is to made items ahead, portion them and freeze. Or don't freeze and keep left overs on hand.

Many nights opening that can of tuna and sticking it on a salad is too much effort....but the micro is my friend. Pop something in it, wash face and go change into something comfy, by that time food's ready.

For mini cooked meals: pasta and jarred pesto, egg sandwich, pork tenderloin on a metal scewer douced in bbq (under the broiler it only takes minutes) and veg, fried bolona sanwich, cucumbers dipped in salad dressing and rolled up cold cuts on the side.

P.S. Never make a meal of of p & j on ritz's after 8 p.m.!

[fifi]

I know that during the week, inspiration and the need to cook is rare. I do my cooking and get my creativity kicks on the weekends. That is where the freezer and my little jars come it. I like "pots of stuff", stews and soups. I put that up in small serving packs, ziplocs or deli containers from the kitchen supply. Cooked meats like pulled pork go in foil packets, ready to put in the toaster oven. The little jars are for my condiments, sauces, roasted garlic from when the fresh garlic comes in, seasonings, etc. Then, I can get something out, heat and eat, roll it in a tortilla, whatever. Not a lot of cooking goes on during the week. This is easy because I am only me. When my son lived with me for a couple of years we kind of did the same kind of thing. Maybe we got ambitious and made a Thai curry from leftovers or made a sauce and boiled some pasta. But not a lot more.

[SobaAddict70]

Congee.

Quick (less than half an hour), easy (prepare the toppings as the porridge cooks), and oh-so-comforting.

I like to keep things simple: minced scallions, shredded shiso leaves, toasted nori, sesame oil, white pepper. Maybe a spoonful of fermented black beans.

Soba

[snowangel]

Frittata.

[Jaymes]

I keep individually frozen fish fillets in the freezer. I usually buy them from Sam's or Costco, and they come in big bags. The orange roughy is particularly good.

And I also keep jars of Herdez salsas - red & green, and Timpone's or Mom's pasta sauces in the pantry.

So on busy nights, I put one or two of the fish fillets on the baking sheet of my toaster oven, top with either the salsa or pasta sauce, depending on whether or not I'm in an Italian or Mexican mood, and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

This is really, really good, quick, easy, healthful, and it gives you your protein, which many "quicky" meals do not.

If I'm doing the "Mexican" version, I also throw an ear of corn into the microwave - do absolutely nothing to it - just throw it in there husks and silks and all - and cook for about 8 minutes or so. Then, I'll also open a can of refried beans, and toss a salad and heat up a tortilla or two.

If I'm doing the "Italian" version, I'll boil a little pasta, and then toss it with some evoo and garlic and maybe an egg yolk, little cream, parsley, etc., al la Pasta Carbonara, to serve as a side dish. With this, I'll toss a salad and heat up some garlic bread, either "American-style" made with garlic and butter; or bruschetta - Italian-style garlic bread made with garlic, and olive oil instead of the butter.

Both of these meals are really good. In a pinch, I've even made them for last-minute dinner guests.

Edited September 5, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[SobaAddict70]

And pasta:

Spaghetti with EVOO, garlic and herbs.

Penne with fresh tomato sauce, either P-R or fried breadcrumbs.

Linguini with Italian tuna, lemon and caper sauce.

Farfalle with EVOO, anchovies, sauteed onions, Italian parsley and cracked black pepper.

Fettuccine with ricotta, caviar and vodka.

Bucatini with eggs and cream.

Spaghettini with pecorino and cracked black pepper.

Soba

[Jason Perlow]

Boil up some pasta, throw on some marinara sauce, and grate a lot of parmigiano reggiano on it. Never fails. Or chop up a ripe tomato and toss it with the pasta with some sliced garlic and some olive oil.

Also, some perfectly made scrambled eggs with some bacon, salami or chopped ham thrown in with some toast always hits the spot.

[fresco]

Making and freezing a bunch of pesto helps a lot. If you start the water boiling as soon as you get in the door you can have pasta with pesto and a simple salad in about half an hour.

Just about any omelette takes about 10 minutes, and that includes the filling.

Fish and shellfish are really fast, if you happen to have them fresh on hand or can pick them up on the way home. Mussels in a simple white wine sauce (or with a chorizo and herbs thrown in) takes probably about 20 minutes to prepare and five minutes to cook and seems like a much more elaborate dish.

[torakris]

If I have rice made, I make up a pot of a hearty soup like tonjiru or kenchinjiru

if there is no rice, then pasta sauced with whatever is in the cupboard

Edited September 5, 2003 by torakris (log)

[Jason Perlow]

If I have rice made, I make up a pot of a hearty soup like tonjiru or kenjiru

if there is no rice, then pasta sauced with whatever is in the cupboard

If you got pre-made day old rice, toss some rice into a wok with some oil, throw in some chopped veggies and a cracked egg, some shopped up leftover meat, toss up with some soy sauce and some sesame seeds, and you got yourself some really good fried rice.

[KatieLoeb]

Making and freezing a bunch of pesto helps a lot. If you start the water boiling as soon as you get in the door you can have pasta with pesto and a simple salad in about half an hour.

This goes back to my usual method of freezing the pesto in an ice cube tray that's been coated with non-stick vegetable or olive oil spray. When the cubes are done they pop into a zip-lock freezer bag and are perfectly portion controlled and utterly convenient in this sort of circumstance. One cube will make canned tomato soup taste homemade. One cube also instantly turns canned minestrone into Soupe a la Pistou that tastes like you slaved over it. A salad and some crusty bread and you're done.

A couple of cubes tossed into the hot pasta, or put through the microwave on the "defrost" setting first and you have instant pasta with pesto in as long as it takes to boil the pasta.

Some defrosted pesto spread into a DiGiorno type pizza shell and topped with some sliced tomatoes and some shredded mozzarella makes for a pretty quick and tasty pizza.

Other easy and fast "I-can't-deal-with-cooking" meals are the quesadillas I whip up from pre-packaged tortillas, shredded cheese and whatever veggies are in the pantry. At this time of year it is inevitably fresh tomatoes, but even jarred salsa will do in a bind. Cook in well greased small saute pan until cheese is melted and quesadilla is completely warmed through and slightly browned on the outside. Cut into wedges with a pizza wheel and you're good to go.

[FoodZealot]

Trader Joe's is my friend!

Since a protein is usually the most time consuming item to prepare, I cook a package of chicken sausage or a few chicken breasts at a time, then keep them in the fridge, then slice and heat it up with some marinara and pasta or with onions and peppers on a sandwich. Also, there's a Japanese market near me where they have karaage (boneless fried chicken pieces) - these particular ones are flavor non-denominational, so they can be used in a variety of ways.

Although not as good as steaming multiple times over a stew, you can make couscous really fast if you just boil the water or flavored stock, throw it in, let it sit, then fluff it. Then treat it like either pasta or rice.

Pre-made bruschetta sauce is great for instant checca sauce.

I also keep yakisoba noodles (usually portion packed) in the fridge or freezer for something better than ramen. Also, I just discovered these Chinese ready to eat crispy noodle cakes that can are great with any stir fry over them.

Frozen potstickers - but instead of following the package directions, I boil/steam in about 1 cup of water, then pour it off and fry - better texture, IMHO.

Quick pizzas or quesadillas with tortillas or other flatbreads from stores - lavash, lahmejun, pita etc. Papadums are great for an instant extra touch - inexpensive and they just take a minute in the toaster - I find it easier than over a burner or in a pan.

I try to think of it as the reverse of Garbage In, Garbage Out. I guess that would be Good Stuff In, Good Stuff Out. Nice EVOO, real Parmegianno, fresh black pepper, and good salt all make simple things taste better, whether from scratch or "cheated".

~Tad

[Sam Iam]

My favorite... dig a confit of duck leg out of a pot of duck fat in the fridge, wipe off the fat, zap it a minute or two, blot the fat again, shred the meat on romaine, drizzle a little vinegarette on. Perhaps 5 to 6 minutes tops.

[mixmaster b]

Wow, thanks everyone for the good ieas!

I totally lamed out tonight and had chicken chili and a ceasar salad from the Bristol farms takout. Not half bad, though less appetizing than many of the posted dishes sound!

I love the frozen components that can be thrown together at the last minute--I need to think this way more often. Also, I should try to make extra food on cooking nights so I can have leftovers/leftover components to work with.

Also, I just discovered these Chinese ready to eat crispy noodle cakes that can are great with any stir fry over them.

Hi Food Zealot! Can you say more about the noodles? Are they from Trader Joe's? They sound like the Vietnamese noodles that come with stir fried veggies.

My favorite... dig a confit of duck leg   out of a pot of duck fat in the fridge, wipe off the fat, zap it a minute or two, blot the fat again, shred the meat on romaine, drizzle a little vinegarette on. Perhaps 5 to 6 minutes tops.

Sam Iam, I love the salad idea, but rarely find myself with much duck confit in the fridge. Any tips?

[GordonCooks]

Soups!

Always on hand: Chicken Broth & Beef Broth

Last night's emergency dinner for 6 (didn't know I'd be babysitting)

2 qts Beef Broth

Left over italian sausage (chopped)

Frozen broccoli

leftover carmelized onions

a handful of dried Porcinis

canned diced carrots

Drizzle of white truffle oil

2lb of Cooked Orzo

Boiled on High for 15 mins and added the Orzo at the end. Topped with fresh grated Regg Parm and served with Fresh Tomato Salad with balsamic drizzle. Soup & Salad

[fifi]

I see a trend here.

A well stocked pantry and freezer + leftovers => fast dinner.

[Carlovski]

Yep, eggs, pasta, noodles - the saviour of the hungry in a hurry!

Some of my 'quick fixes' are

Spaghetti with garlic, chilli (Lots for me!) and olive oil. Sometimes I add a little grated lemon zest, and a bit of juice.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Sort of indian scrambled eggs - Not sure on the authenticity, but start by caramelizing some onion (The long winded bit!), adding coriander, cumin, touch of chilli, some garam masala, and then quickly scrambing the eggs. I pretty much change it every time I cook it, change the spicing, add some bell peppers, some coriander leaf etc. Nice served with the flatbread of your choice.

Simple green salad, with frazzled bits of bacon/pancetta, and some shavings of hard cheese. Make the dressing from the bacon juices, splash of sherry/red wine vinegar and a dash of mustard.

And my ultimate quick supper? Cheese on Toast! Or A proper Welsh Rarebit if I can be bothered.

[Fat Guy]

Bread & Cheese

[FoodZealot]

Also, I just discovered these Chinese ready to eat crispy noodle cakes that can are great with any stir fry over them.

Hi Food Zealot! Can you say more about the noodles? Are they from Trader Joe's? They sound like the Vietnamese noodles that come with stir fried veggies.

Hey Mixmaster B! Great thread-

The noodles aren't from TJ's, probably 99 Ranch. I think they're Chinese - I'll try to take a picture or scan it.

~Tad

[alkonin]

pancakes or waffles

store-bought rotisserie chicken and salad

pasta with olive oil, garlic, hot pepper, bit of tomato paste, parsley, & lemon

scrambled cheese eggs and toast

[NeroW]

When I'm desperate, I call my ex-boyfriend.

[marie-louise]

When dining w/ my husband: take-out, plated on nice dishes and eaten at the table.

When alone: popcorn. Air-popped, w/ tons of melted unsalted butter and Kosher salt. Eaten in front of the TV with a beer.

[Jinmyo]

Steak.

And a baguette with cold butter.

What could be faster?