20 Minute Meals

Rachel Ray got famous for her 30 minute meals but I've got her beat by 10 minutes easy!  Let's face it, by the time most of us get home from work, or are ready to put dinner on the table after an afternoon of chauffeuring the kids around to various activities, who has the energy to make a bit production out of dinner?   Time is of the essence both because you don't want to spend a lot of it getting dinner ready, and no one wants to spend a long time waiting to eat. 

But the benefits of home-cooked food and the family dinner table are numerous and well-documented.  It's important to put healthy food on the table, as opposed to so much of take out which has way more salt and fat than you'd ever use at home.   And cooking your own meals is also a great way to save money-- it costs me more to feed our family at a fast food restaurant drive-through than it does to make a healthy meal.   And even if you're just cooking for one (as I did for many years of my adult life), it's a great feeling to take care of yourself with a good meal. 

There are plenty of cook ahead ideas I'll share in future posts -- meals you can make over the weekend, and/or in bulk, so all you have to do is heat them up in the evening.

But in this post, I wanted to share some of my favorite quick dinner ideas.   None are glamorous or gourmet, but that's the point -- no one needs coq au vin or osso bucco every night!  A simple, tasty, and well-balanced meal is the goal -- nothing more and nothing less.

Proteins:

Chicken sausages -- you can get them in any supermarket, and they come in at least a dozen varieties these days.  I'm particularly fond of Trader Joe's Basil Pesto and Smoked Chardonnay/Apple, but they're all good.   The Nature's Promise line from Giant/Stop and Shop is also great, and Costco sells Aidells' in bulk.  They cook on the grill, in a grill pan, or in a saute pan in about 10 minutes.  I wouldn't recommend doing them more than once a week, and I'd mix up the varieties from week to week to keep things interesting.

Ham Steaks -- a nice slab of ham, that's pre-cooked and only needs to be heated.   You can warm it in the microwave in 3 minutes, or in a pan in about 8-10 minutes.   Serve with mustard, or your favorite jelly for a little more sweetness.

Waterfront Bistro Fish and Seafood -- Safeway has a very good line of pre-prepped frozen fish and seafood.   Yes, you read that right -- frozen.   It's not as good as fresh of course, but honestly, lots of fish you get even in high end stores and restaurants was previously frozen and defrosted and you never even realize it.   Besides, gourmet isn't the goal, remember?   This line has salmon with a dijon sauce, herb-crusted tilapia, de-veined shrimp, bay scallops, and many other varieties and combos.   You place them straight from the freezer onto a sheet pan or into a pot/pan, cook as directed, and in 15-20 minutes, your entree is ready to eat.   They're low-fat, relatively low in sodium, and even my kids enjoy them.

Chicken Breast or Pork Chops -- throw defrosted meat into a ziploc back the night before you want to eat it with your favorite bottled or home-made marinade, and then cook them on a grill or a grill pan for dinner.  10-15 minutes tops.

Steak -- defrost a nice rib-eye or New York strip in the fridge the day before you want to eat it.   Season with salt and pepper and grill it for another quick option.

Flank Steak -- this relatively thin cut of meat is designed to be marinated, cooked quickly, eaten on the rare side,  and sliced thin.   A little goes a long way!  Defrost in the fridge the day before you want to serve it.   Then the morning of the day you want to serve it, put it in a ziploc baggie with a little red wine or balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.   When you get home, throw it onto a screaming hot grill or grill pan, and cook for 5 minutes on each side.  Let it rest for 5 minutes, slice thinly and against the grain, and serve.

Side Dishes: 

Steam in bag veggies -- the cost a bit more than if you buy them from larger bins in the supermarket, but they're washed, trimmed, and ready to steam in the microwave.  I always steam them for about 30-45 seconds less than recommended (I like them crisp), and then sprinkle with a little olive oil and garlic salt for extra flavor.

Steam in pouch rices and grains -- Uncle Ben's has a lot of varieties, as does Target and most supermarkets.   Look for whole grain rices, quinoas, and other whole grains such as farro.  2 minutes from pantry to table.

Salads -- again, pre-washed bags of salad cost more than whole heads of lettuce, but they're SO easy and often, some variety is on sale at your local supermarket.   Splash your favorite bottled or homemade dressing on them, doctor them up with pre-shredded carrots, nuts, halved grapes, dried cranberries, crumbled or grated cheeses . . . the sky's the limit.