Quick Meals

[Stevenj214]

What do you cook on the days you are pressed for time? Let's say maximum prep + cook time of 30mins?

[chard]

Pasta with pesto sauce (from a jar)

[grumbledoak]

You can make carbonara from scratch in less time than it takes to cook the pasta! Ditto a simple blue cheese and Creme Fraiche sauce...

[RizzoTheRat]

Pasta, tin of sweetcorn, pesto, toasted pine nuts, grated cheddar.
Beans on toast, with some thai sweet chilli sauce in the ebasn, and some grated chese on top.

Both take around 10 mins and involve stuff I've usually got in the cupboard so great when in a hurry.

Also tend to freeze extra portions of chilli/curry/bolagnase which can be thawed in about the same time it takes to cook the rice, pasta or jacket potato.

[Mobile Chicane]

Grilled meat/fish and salad.

[oldbanger]

Stir fry
Steak salad
Grilled meat/fish and salad as another poster said, or with fresh/frozen veg as long as you get it on asap, or with microwave veg. Yeah, I know that's a total cheat, but I have a bit of a thing for Aunt Bessies frozen mashed carrot and swede.
Or cook a meal needing more time (e.g. stew) but make 2 or 3 times as much as you need (or more - I have a 6l slow cooker), then portion it up and freeze.

[HereBeMonsters]

grumbledoak said:

You can make carbonara from scratch in less time than it takes to cook the pasta! Ditto a simple blue cheese and Creme Fraiche sauce...

My creamy pasta sauces always end up tasting of flour. Any tips?

[grumbledoak]

HereBeMonsters said:

My creamy pasta sauces always end up tasting of flour. Any tips?

No flour in either of the ones I listed- cream or creme fraiche, so that's an easy tip!

But, if you are making a white sauce, you do need to cook the flour/butter mix properly before adding the milk or it will taste of flour. You should smell 'biscuits'. hth.

Edited by grumbledoak on Saturday 21st November 20:06

[superpippo]

carbonara with blue cheese ?!? that's new to me ;-)

[Colonial]

pasta with smoked salmon, dill and caper sauce.

takes as long as it takes pasta to cook.

[condor]

Omelette, sometimes mushroom sometimes cheese ( pretending it's a souffle)with bread and butter and cup of tea. 10 mins max

[shirt]

i think other than a roast or something that requires to be baked [lasagne etc.] then most things can be made in under 30mins. i.e. thai/stir-fry/curry/fajitas/pasta dishes spring to mind but also like steak, fish [steamed, grilled] with new potatoes & salad etc.

[AndyAudi]

Eggy Bread & bacon.

[escargot]

HereBeMonsters said:

grumbledoak said:

You can make carbonara from scratch in less time than it takes to cook the pasta! Ditto a simple blue cheese and Creme Fraiche sauce...

My creamy pasta sauces always end up tasting of flour. Any tips?

You need to cook the flour out for longer. I find it takes less time if I add the flour via butter (beurre manie) for some reason. Also enriches the sauce.

[Pferdestarke]

I buy a large chicken from Sainsbury's for a fiver, joint it, slash the skin and marinade it in various spices depending on what I fancy.

We then roast off what we want each night and it feeds the two of us twice.

We also tend to have a rice night where we use up all the odds and ends in the fridge. Last week it was egg fried rice with chicken and peppers, onions, garlic and chili which ended up being very tasty indeed with some added Ketchap Manis