Sometimes you need a meal in a hurry. Whether you have unexpected guests, you just came home from work or you simply don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen, there are plenty of ways to make a great meal in just 20 minutes that don't involve picking up the phone. Here are three easy shortcuts and three easy 20-minute recipes that will satisfy even the most impatient eaters.
Shortcut #1: Turn Up the Heat
If you're in a hurry, avoid the oven at all costs. Learn to use the burner instead. Pasta can be boiled, meat can be sauteed and vegetables can be steamed. All of these quick cooking techniques yield great food with minimal effort.
Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Stampede
1 tablespoons light olive oil:1 pound chicken strips:
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce:
1 tablespoon white vinegar:
1 tablespoon butter or margarine:
1 pound baby carrots or carrot sticks:
1 pound celery sticks:
2 cups blue cheese dressing:
Put olive oil in skillet. Set burner to medium-high. Heat oil for 1 minute. Add chicken strips. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer tenders to platter. Put cayenne pepper sauce and white vinegar in skillet. Remove skillet from burner and add margarine. Stir until blended. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve with carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing on the side. If you want to save even more time, keep presliced carrots and celery on hand.
When it comes to cooking food quickly, smaller is better. The reason why turkeys take so long to cook is that there's so much meat to cook at once. Slicing and dicing is the key to quick meals. Again, supermarkets carry plenty of food cut into various shapes and sizes that will save you valuable time.
Recipe: Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry
1 cup instant couscous1 cup water
1 pound diced pork
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups chopped broccoli
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Put couscous and water into a small saucepan. Cook for about 5 minutes. Cover couscous and set aside. Put vegetable oil in skillet. Set burner to medium-high. Heat oil for 1 minute. Add pork and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccoli, soy sauce, and ginger to skillet. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve pork and broccoli mixture over couscous.
Shortcut #3: Be Prepared
There's no rule that recipes need to be prepared on the spot from scratch. Preparation just requires one of two things: time or money. If you've got more time, prepare the vegetables, sauces and meat that you need the day before you have to start cooking. If you've got more money, supermarkets sell pre-chopped vegetables, pre-marinated meat and plenty of spice mixes.
Recipe: Tuna Pesto
8 ounces (half a box) penne rigate2 tablespoons basil pesto
2 cans tuna in olive oil or water
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
Cook penne according to label; drain and return to pot. Add basil pesto, tuna, and artichokes to pot. Cook for 3 minutes.
With these three shortcuts and these three recipes, you should have no problem getting a meal ready that will satisfy anyone's appetite. The only part of these meals that will take time is eating them.
