Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

[GreyhoundsRUs]

So I am trying to come up with some type of arsenal of recipes for things I can make in a snap. I think that having a rotating menu to pick from will help simplify my life. I always have chicken breast on hand, along with potatoes, and green veggies.

Growing up, my mom made what I consider "Eastern European" type foods - the meat, gravy, potatoes, bread (high calories, fat, salt). Therefore, I have a very limited healthier food list.

What are some of your favorite quick/easy recipes? (DH likes anything spicy)

[alison]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

Pesto.

Boil spaghetti, and then spoon out pre-made pesto from a jar into it (Costco has good pesto). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. I usually make a tomato-basil-mozarella salad to go with it to cut the oil.

[Pollyanna]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

We're big fans of tacos for an easy meal. Ground beef, taco seasoning packet, fat free refried beans with some Trappy's red devil sauce for spice, lettuce, grated cheese, taco shells, and salsa. You can have this meal on the table in less than 20 minutes. Serve with fruit and you cover all the food groups. We also like breakfast burritos for a quick meal. Ours are very simple: scrambled eggs, cheese, flour tortillas. On the side we have turkey sausage or sometimes bacon, also serve with fruit.

[MrsK]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

I agree with the pasta and tacos suggestions. I do turkey or chicken tacos with leftover turkey/chicken scraps instead of ground beef or chicken. Sometimes I serve this as a taco salad without the shells. Those are a favorite around here.

I also recommend stir fry with lots of veggies, a little of whatever meat or poultry is left over or on sale, and maybe some rice or noodles -- I make it with low sodium soy sauce or with peanut sauce.

It's really easy to bake fish or chicken pieces and serve with steamed veggies -- you can steam in the microwave. Frozen veggies are easy to prepare and are usually pretty tasty. I use them a lot because produce tends to spoil quickly here.

Or I bake lamb if it is on sale -- I get shoulder pieces instead of chops because they are less expensive and there is more meat. This is nice served with couscos and veggies.

I usually make a big pot of stew, soup, or chili about once weekly. This is super easy too and does not take too long unless you use dried beans or stew meat that is tough and needs to simmer a long time (which I usually do). Stews and soups are a really great way to use up leftover veggies or to use them before they spoil. The soup/stew/or chili can be re-heated for snacks or lunches the next day and I usually freeze a couple portions so DrK can eat it when I'm out of town.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

Also this time of year since "root veggies" are in season, I do a lot of veggies baked with chicken. One of our favorites (the ingredients aren't very picky, you can add or remove anything):

Chopped:
Apples (1-2)
Lg red onion (1)
Sweet potatos/potatos (2-3)
Garlic (1-2 cloves minced)
Carrot (2)
Beets (however many you like)

Place these in the bottom of a baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over it, pour BBQ sauce over it, and bake for 40 minutes at 350 or 375.

I've also thrown cranberries on top of that and it's delicious! What I like about this meal is that it's the whole meal (starch, veggies, protein) in one dish.

[ladymoreta]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

I like to use the seasoning/marinade packets that you can find at the grocery store, usually in a big section around gravy mix, taco mix, etc. It does require planning ahead enough to start them marinating, but when it's done, you can just grill the chicken (or pork chops), and it's really fast. When we were in an apartment without a grill, we used a roasting pan (with the wire rack) to broil them in the oven. Lots of the fat cooks out, and it has a great flavor from the seasoning.

We also like canned soup, but that's not exactly a recipe.

[HouseofWool]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

DS's favorite meal, hands down, is Tortellini Soup.

Your favorite tortellini simmered in chicken broth topped with a bit of parm cheese.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

DS's favorite meal, hands down, is Tortellini Soup.

mmmm...I think this might be dinner tonight! It is one of my favorites, too!

I love getting new recipes and ideas!

[Vishenka69]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

I love 1-2 pot cooking. The easiest thing for me is to either do Asian veggies/protein over rice or tomato sauce with veggies/protein over pasta. I buy several different Asian sauces in the international section of the supermarket and make sure to always have a few cans of plain tomato sauce. I also like to stock up on frozen shrimp when they're on sale because they don't need advance planning and thawing like chicken.

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

I don't really have any specifics but we love Rachel Ray, her recipes are as easy as they sound they do take a little bit of prep work in chopping, etc. Her 30 minutes is usually my 45. But almost all of her recipes are very flavorful and easy.

[MrsK]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

Ok, so DrK will be home late and I just finished making dinner. It looks and smells good and it's a super-easy one-pot recipe that appears to be worthy of sharing. I used a recipe with my own substitutions. Here you go.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatos w/ liquid
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 lb chicken filled totellini (fresh or frozen but defrosted)
salt, ground black pepper, and dried parsley to taste

1. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add eggplant, bell peppers, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stiring occassionally, until veggies begin to soften. About 7 minutes.

2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook, stiring, for 1 minute.

3. Add broth, tomatos w/ liquid, and tortellini. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until tortellini are cooked through and broth is absorbed. About 15 minutes. Note: the liquid will not cover the tortellini but they will cook and will puff up as they cook.

4. (And this is the part I'll do when DrK gets home. Soon!) Fold in the parsley and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle w/ remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

[Urowife]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

I made a dish last night very similar to yours, MrsK. Unfortunately, I didn't measure out the crushed red pepper and added a bit too much and it was too spicy for me DH liked it though, I think. I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

The recipe sounds good, Mrs. K! I have this awesome eggplant recipe from "Everyday Italian", but it's so time consuming: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/g...pe2/index.html

[MrsK]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

I haven't tried this one but it looks super-easy:

Chicken, Zucchini, and Prosciutto

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound (about 8 slices) prosciutto
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F.

2. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven and roast for 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a second skillet, over medium heat, heat the remaining oil. Cook the prosciutto until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add the zucchini, garlic, and the remaining salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.

5. Transfer the prosciutto, zucchini, and garlic to the skillet with the chicken, squeeze the lemon over the top, and toss. Divide among the plates.

[houseelf]

Re: Favorite Quick/Easy Recipes

This is from Rachael Ray, but we LOVE this recipe:

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2164

Ingredients2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
1 pound kielbasa (Polish sausage), cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces
1 pound frozen, diced hash brown potatoes, defrosted
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 cups refrigerated sauerkraut
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
PreparationPre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Cook the kielbasa until brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the hash brown potatoes into the same pan with the sausage drippings and cook until brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes.

While the hash browns are crisping, place a medium size skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, about one turn of the pan. Add the onion, garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the chicken stock, milk and mustard. Bring the gravy up to a bubble, then reduce the heat and add the sauerkraut. Cook until the gravy has thickened and the sauerkraut is heated through, 3-4 minutes.

Stir the reserved kielbasa into the gravy and sauerkraut, and transfer the mixture to a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish. Top with the hash brown potatoes and a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Transfer to the oven and cook until the cheese has melted.