What's the quickest meal that you can cook?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
September 7, 2007 9:30am CST
So, what type of dinner could you cook in thirty minutes or less? What are your favorite quick-cooking dishes that you always use when you are short on time or ingredients? Do you find that those dinners prepared in a hurry, are just as popular as the ones that you spend all day preparing?
I'm always amazed to see Rachel Ray cook entire dinners in less than thirty minutes. In fact, thirty minute meals are her trademark. Personally, I don't think I could cook an entire meal in thirty minutes or less, even following her recipes or cooking instructions. Too many distractions and too little time in the kitchen.
But, I suppose I could cook a one pot meal like tacos or tuna mac. Those dishes are easy cause I know the recipes by heart. If I were really in a rush and needed to fix a meal in no time flat, then I'd cut out the cooking altogether and make my world famous tuna fish sandwiches. They're usually very bland, but I add a little bit of chicken stock to the tuna for flavor, chopped onions and garlic powder, along with mayo (but no mustard) and it's always a winner. I've never had a complaint yet. And, when you serve it up on toasted bread with melted cheese, it's the perfect companion to canned soup.
So what's the quickest meal or dish that you could make if you were short on time and needed to prepare dinner rally quick?
4 people like this
15 responses
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
7 Sep 07
As a contest cook, I have learned to prepare high quality meals very quickly... It's a matter of preparation and timing...
Once you know exactly how long it takes for each ingredient to reach it's peak flavor in the cooking process- it's simply a matter of bringing them together at speed, with a method of cooking that lends itself to speed, like stir frying- it's not only for Asian cuisines but this versatile cooking method can be used to prepare many other cuisines very, very quickly.
The average breakfast of toast, eggs and sausage for four, can be made in under 3 minutes in a Wok...
Here's a free video from Expert Village with Wok cooking featured:
http://www.expertvillage.com/videos/japan-fried-rice-wok.htm
You see how a great meal can be made in minutes with this ancient technological gem! :)
1 person likes this
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
10 Dec 07
some meals that i make are hot dog casarole, which is just cut up hotdogs with macaroni,parmesean cheese and bake for 30 minutes.chicken marinated with scalloped potatoes in the casarole dis and bake for 30 minutes on 400.spagetti pie bake, which just use your left over spagetti and add egg to it and fry in a pan.some type of rice dish,then ofcourse you have your tuna sandwich with soup,which i love to add onion and garlic powder to with melted cheese.
@meljessxena (2315)
• Australia
8 Sep 07
well a dinner to me is classed as meat and vegies, unless like sometimes we have nights when we are buggered or just want something different then we have like chips and meat, eggs etc. but i think vegies and meat can be cooked quickly if watched constantly and dont them the go dry etc
@stella1989 (2274)
• India
10 Dec 07
Well if making a dinner in thirty minutes then ..
I can make...
* mashed egg fry
* rice
* I can make a simple salad consisting of simple onions,tomatos,and some carrots ..aafter all it just needs some wahsing and cutting..!!
* a paste of tomatos mixed with some chillies, onions and lemons.
* can fry some onions also with some spices and "masala"
I can make all this in 30 mins..!!
A typical light, nice and healthy meal!!
I just love it..!
:)
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
26 Sep 07
How about crock-pot meals! Throw in the meat (usually beef roast) , add carrots, potatoes, and water—Leave for work and come home 8 hours later- to a wonderful smelling house—Throw together some biscuits—or plain rolls- and you have a meal! YUM!!
Also quesadillas- We love these things- takes 5 minutes to warm up machine- and 5 minutes to cook! Healthy- we always have cheese (sometimes it is frozen) and I always make extra chicken each time we have it- then I cut it up and freeze it into small baggies. We have chicken – cheese- quesadillas. These are great for snacks too!
@molusk (857)
• Philippines
8 Sep 07
If you ask me, I can tell you that I can cook several
'fried' meals in less than 30 minutes, even less than
10 minutes. The first shortest possible time would be
fried eggs. Next would be fried eggplants mixed on stirred eggs. Coming on third will be egg omelet with
chopped beans and corned beef. I think these are all
that I can cook within 30 minutes - and also, the only
dishes I knew how to cook. My wife would rather take us all out for dinner at her expense in case I would
volunteer to cook for dinner.
@jothis (518)
• India
7 Sep 07
I don't know the art of cooking. But I know one thing Whenever i got hungry and if there any body in home to cook I just tried my hands with eggs and easily make Omlets. This is what I know to make within no time. No recipe secrets at all. Any body can make
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
7 Sep 07
A simple rice dish is usually what I make when I'm short on time. I make a huge pot of rice all at once, and then freeze it in portions that are perfect for one meal.
Usually I use just a little bit of oil and fry the rice, throw in some grilled (or canned if I am in a real hurry) chicken, an egg, some soy sauce, and a package of frozen peas and carrots. It's done in about 10 minutes or so, and my whole family loves it.
@mossjanicelynn (1240)
• United States
7 Sep 07
Some good 'ole Eckerich Sausage, fried potatoes and onions and make a salad. I made this the other night and it was a hit, it
was even great for lunch leftovers the next day, I really enjoyed it. Sausage whatever kind it might be is very popular at our
house, Walmart has a frozen sausage, they have mild, spicy, or maple flavored that is just a brown & serve type it's really
good, the spicey is my favorite and I pack last such a long time. Sausage is good wrap in a piece of bread with a little
mustard. On the go it's a great snack, especially when you tired of lunch meat. Sausage speghetti with the italian sausage is
great with some jar sauce and freshly cooked noodles. It taste alot different than hamburger meat and you don't have to season
it, just skin it. Grilled cheese sandwiches w/tomatoe are really good.
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
7 Sep 07
Anything with pasta and leftovers can easily be thrown together for a quick and tasty meal. Here's one I learned from Rachel. I had leftover pizza (which by the way, she urges people to re-heat in a skillet, not the microwave). I cut the pizza up into small, bite-sized pieces and set aside. I also had leftover pasta with marina sauce. I added the pasta and the pizza together and threw the mixture into the skillet with a little olive oil. I also threw in some grated cheese and some pepperoni. I served it with a side salad and it took me about twenty minutes tops to throw together.
Tuna is a great dish too because you can do so much with it like add a can of mushroom soup and noodles and you have a tuna casserole.
You can also add some pickle relish to tuna and instead of making sandwiches with bread, you can serve the tuna in toasted hotdog buns with melted cheese and a side of baked beans.
@8ctavarium (552)
• Australia
8 Sep 07
Rice with fried eggs. It's for when I am on the go, and need a quick dinner, this takes about 5 minutes to cook up. I would add a few slices of tomato along with lettuce and it would fill me up in no time as well. Although it does get a bit ordinary after a while as there isn't much too it. But at least it is quick and filling.
@peanutjar (5198)
• Canada
7 Sep 07
Beef macaroni!!!Sliced beef for subs,2 cups macaroni,1/4 slice green pepper,1/4 slice of a whole onion,pinch of ginger powder,pinch of garlic powder,salt&pepper to taste and some beef stock.Cut meat into pieces(like a small quarter(25cents))Boil the macaroni and stir fry the meat with the onions and green peppers.When the macaronis cooked,strain and add to pan.Mix and add spices and beef stock(about3-4 tablespoons).All done!!I learnt this from the chinese restaurant where i use to waitress.:):)15-20 minutes
@gesell03 (173)
• Philippines
8 Sep 07
filipino dish"
sweet peas
hibi(dried shrimps_
chopped onions and garlic
then i mix it and put soy sauce and salt, fry it then its good to go takes about 7 minutes or less, i sometimes even place pineapple in it.
@bbcszone (99)
• Romania
7 Sep 07
The type of dinner coult i cook in thirty minutes or less is soup.i cook soup in five minutes before i cook much more.my favorite quick-cooking dishes that i always use wehn i am short on time and ingredients is pizza .
I cook the pizza in 15 minutes , and i use some ingredients:salame,chese,prime.
