Any good dinner ideas?!
Any good dinner ideas?
My boyfriend and I work a lot and when we come at night we want to have a fast dinner. What do you guys make for dinner that isn't time-consuming, and still good? We are stuck in a rut, I guess! Any help is much appreciated!
Answers:
chicken salad
For when you don't want a hot meal, make a pasta salad before hand. Depending on what you add, it can be a really good meal.
Chili
brown 1 lb. gr. beef, drain
open a can of chili beans
open a can of tomato sauce
open a can of diced tomatoes
throw in a packet of chili seasoning
mix all thoroughly
cover & simmer 10-15 minutes
DINNERTIME!!!!
serve with, sliced green onions, shredded sharp cheddar, sour cream
I hear you - I have the same dilemma. Fortunately, I sometimes use this recipe with great results. It does not take longer than 30 minutes to make:
VIETNAMESE BEEF/PORK
Serves 2
3 to 4 beef or pork fillets (doesn’t have to be expensive)
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning (to taste)
3 tbsp. margarine
2 large green onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Juice of ? lemon
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. fresh OR 1 tsp. ground ginger
? cup white wine (very dry)
? cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed into ? cup water
Season meat on both sides with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Melt the margarine and brown the meat on both sides, about 5-6 minutes. Remove meat from the pan and set aside. Turn heat down to medium.
Scrape everything together in the pan and evenly distribute the fat. Sauté the green onions for 1 minute, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the ginger, soy sauce, cilantro, lemon juice and white wine (in that order). Stir together for about a few minutes until the flavors are mixed well.
Slowly add the cornstarch and water, stirring until the sauce thickens. (Hint: put in about half the cornstarch mixture and stir, and then add the other half if the sauce hasn’t thickened.) Add the meat back into the pan and cover with the sauce. Add any drippings from the plate where you kept the meat warm. Turn down the heat to low or very low and let the meat simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Serve with plain or flavored rice. Have lots of bread handy for sopping up the sauce.
A few timesaving but tasty ideas:
-Invest in a crockpot...love them or hate them, they are great for setting up in the morning and coming home to a hot meal at night. Search for crockpot recipes online...there are tons and sometimes they only take a few ingredients and a few minutes to prep.
-During the weekend and you are cooking dinner, make double portions and freeze them in microwavable containers. Store them in the freezer until you want to eat them. Another trick is to bake up a large chicken, leave it in the fridge and use it for various meals. You can debone the chicken (save the bones and make a nice chicken soup (in your crockpot-just add water & some vegetables). With the meat, you cna make entrees like:
Chicken Caesar Salads
Chicken salad for sandwiches or stuffing large tomatoes
Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken Enchiladas: Shred up some chicken, roll up in corn tortillas, place in a baking dish, top with enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and bake.
-You can also bake a beef roast and use it in the same manner as mentioned above.
Other entrees that can be made ahead of time and easily reheated & served up with a side salad: Beef stew, lasagna, meatloaf, casseroles,various pasta dishes, chili & hearty soups: black bean soup, lentil, chicken & dumplings, Italian wedding soup/Minestrone, Split pea soup, etc....
tacos all you cook is the meat
Do you own a Foreman Grill? These are great for quick dinners. When I am looking for a quick dinner, I use lean ground turkey, form it into turkey burger patty, and put it on the grill. It only takes a couple of minutes to cook. I put Whole wheat English muffins in the toaster, and add a slice of Jalopeno Jack Cheese. You can microwave a frozen vegetable and within 5 or so minutes, you have a healthy and super quick meal with out lots of prep or clean up.
always have washed veggies in the fridge (or frozen veggies)
you can cook rice or pasta (which takes 20 min tops)...and you can make a stew (beef peas and carrots, beans stew, stir frye veggies,etc)
Probably not the best suggestion on the list but you could watch Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals.
Foodnetwork.com also has lots of recipes under "Quick & Easy" too!
I know exactly what you mean. Our whole life seems to be consumed by shopping for food, thinking about what to eat and then cooking it and clearing up after!
A really quick and easy dish we always fall back on is Chicken Jambalaya, ingredients and instructions here: http://www.gidiet.com/en-gb/recipes.php?... - preparation and cooking time combined about 35 mins and its especially nice in the winter.
Another one is Taboulleh, which is a really nice summer dinner if you feel like eating vegetarian:
Ingredients (2 people)
Bulgur Wheat (1 cup)
2 tablespoon Olive oil
Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Finely chopped fresh mint
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cucumber cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tin of chick peas or red kidney beans
Put the bulghur wheat in a large pan and pour boiling water over until it just covers the wheat, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand until all water is absorbed and the bulgur wheat has cooled. Then add all other ingredients,and stir well. Voila - dinner is ready!
Both dishes are also really good for lunch the next day if you make enough so there are leftovers, meaning you don't have to worry about what to make for lunch after you've just made your dinner! Hope this helps and if you try these recipes - enjoy!