Making dinner speedy

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10/06/2009 20:29

Subject: Making dinner speedy

Anonymous

I posted this on another forum and thought I would repost here.

I am the QUEEN OF SPEED in the kitchen. Make the fastest ever meals. Only real food, no packages and crap. I am a loser for being proud of this but so be it.

The KEY is making a ton of everything. Really. Just double or triple what y0ou make. Your kids will NOT mind yesterday's pork loin or pasta or roast chicken!

Here's what you do

on Day One:
Walk in the door and boil water in 2 pots. Fill them up halfway. Fill the electric kettle (you must have one!!) with water and boil. Once boiled, add this to your 2 half-full pots of water.

Put a TON of veggies in one pot (best if steamed but if you are rushed plain old boiling would be fine). Put in twice the amount you would normally.

Put starch in the other (pasta or potatoes....) Twice the amount you need for one meal

OK, now you dont eat all of these two items tonight: the substantial leftovers go in the fridge for tomorrow. Tomorrow all you have to do is reheat the veg and starch and add a meat or fish or seafood or tofu or whatever.

So, basically, every night you walk in the door, reheat the starch and veggies from the night before. And then add your protein.

Some quick proteins:
1) Roll chicken breasts in flour, then egg, then thick grated real parmesan cheese then flour again. Fry in a pan of olive oil on high heat. YUM. 15 min

2) Steak--any cut. salt and pepper and sear in a pan on very high heat. Then put under a low broiler or in oven at 375 for 10 minutes or so....

3) hamburgers or turkey burgers

4) gourmet healthy sausages from Whole Foods. Boil them first in a pan for 10 minutes. Then pour out water, add olive oil and fry for 5-10 minutes. Yum.

5) Salmon pan fried or broiled. Sprinkle with olive oil, dill or rosemary, salt and pepper. Takes 8-10 minutes. I do on high heat in pan to sear then finish in oven for a few minutes.

6) Tilapia. Roll in panko or breadcrumbs. Broil or bake or pan fry. So quick. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

7) Chicken quesadilla. Get pre-cooked chicken tenders (no breading, just grilled) from TJ or WF. Lightly coat 2 low-carb tortillas (low-carb weirdly has easier texture for chewing!) with oil or butter. Put in non-stick pan. Add low-fat mexican shredded cheese and chicken strips. Cook both sides until lightly brown and crispy. Serve with slices of avocado and tomato. My kids and husband LOVE THESE.

8) shrimp scampi pasta. Not super healthy but so good. Cook pasta or reheat pasta from night before. Make sauce. --Find on epicurious.com
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Slightly longer meals (these are easy but take 30 minutes or more to cook; you can give the kids Annies mac and cheese or frozen pizza or those healthy chciken nuggest from WF these nights and then eat these with your husband.

Pork loin. Buy the whole loin from wherever. Sometimes they are cryovac-ed. Marinate in the morning in garlic, rosemary, olive oil and thyme.
Cook in baking dish on 400 for about 30 minutes. Halfway thru splash in some white wine and some chicken stock (a half cup or so) and flip the loin. Dont overcook. YUM

Roast chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shove a lemon and garlic clove and rosemary inside. Cook on 375 or whatever...So easy.

Vace lasagne or eggplant parm

Make homemade teryaki sauce (look online....super easy) make a ton and freeze. Then whenever you have steak just cook steak, slice and chuck on rice with sauce.

ANything from America's Test Kitchen 30-min meals. Those mags rock.