super quick family meal ideas

Pink.

Hi thecornflake,

There's a recent thread that should help with your requirements of being quick to cook and easy recipes so I've added your post to it.

For more ideas have a look at what others are having this week in this thread: MealPlans WB 26th September 2008 or have a look through The Complete Menu Plans Collection

For recipe ideas this thread should help: Recipe Collection Thread (recipe board)

Pink

Any

Hi:hello: ,
I thought it would be nice if we share quick dinner ideas - I am one of those people who want to come home from work, have a little rest, spend maximum half an hour with making of a dinner and be in front of TV/pub/games or with friends by 8 pm.

Unfortunately I am running out of quick dinner ideas and I feel we slipped into bit of a stereotype.

So here is my dinner and please share yours!!

Chicken stir-fry
I cut chicken into small cubes, cut 1 medium sized leek and few mushrooms (or sometimes I use green beans or brocolli cut into small pieces).
Throw a bit of olive oil into a wok pan, then chicken (if you like such a thing, I crumble in tiny bit of a chicken stock cube, but only tiny bit) and fry it for about 2 minutes. Then throw in the leek and mushrooms and pour over medium/dark soy sauce. Add little bit of water and leave it until the vegetables are soft to your liking - I generally leave it for about 3-4 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Larumbelle

OOh I love threads like this. This is my current fave - OH calls it 'stay home takeaway', but it's a long story why

Sticky lemon pepper chicken
Mix 5tbsp honey, the zest and juice of a lemon, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 2tbsp grainy mustard and 2tsp black pepper to make a marinade for some chopped up chicken, prawns, meat, veg... whatever you're into. Bung it all in together the night before if you're organised and two minutes before if you're not.
Fry in a pan, drizzling the marinade over gradually. Meanwhile cook some noodles, pasta or rice (depending on what's around) with some frozen peas in the same water. Mix everything together and add some chopped spring onions if you've got some kicking about. Serve with salad. Takes about 10 minutes start to finish, even allowing for making the marinade.

Pink.

Hi Any,

My favourite quick meal is omelettes as they only take minutes to make. Another good one is stew made with mince rather than stewing or braising steak as you only have to put the mince into a pot with potatoes, onions, carrots, add some stock (or a couple of stock cubes made up in water) and bit of seasoning and some worcester/brown sauce and leave it alone until the veg are cooked.

There was a recent thread on quick meals with links that may help so I've added your thread to it to keep the replies together.

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Any

thecornflake wrote: »

EDIT: Soup of any kind, although I'm working on this one (I love soup)

We can get it together Cornflake, I also love soup and my husband likes it only once a month:D
And then I have to do my fully homemade chicken soup or goulash soup that has a kick to it, otherwise he won't call it a meal:rotfl:

Pink.

Hi Any,

Have you got a slow cooker? They're invaluable if you're out all day and coming home to a hot meal is great. I work evenings so I'm home during the day but find I'm using mine more and more now it's getting colder for 'one pot meals' that save time and hassle when we're all like 'ships passing in the night' at tea time on busy weekday evenings.

Pink

keld

One of our favourites is tuscan chick pea soup. Very quick, tasty and from the storecupboard.

1 tin toms
1 tin chick peas
1.25 pts veg stock
1 tbsp tom puree
1 tsp rosemary
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil (if you want)
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz small pasta

Put it all in a pan except the pasta, bring to boil, blitz, then add pasta and let simmer. Then eat with warm crusty bread, delicious.:D

Another favourite is seafood pasta.

1 jar tomato pesto
1 carton creme freche
1 garlic clove / onion
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat through, add seafood, once hot through add to pasta.:D

Any

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi Any,

Have you got a slow cooker? They're invaluable if you're out all day and coming home to a hot meal is great. I work evenings so I'm home during the day but find I'm using mine more and more now it's getting colder for 'one pot meals' that save time and hassle when we're all like 'ships passing in the night' at tea time on busy weekday evenings.

Pink

Hi,
No, I don't have a slow cooker. If I need to slow cook something I just stick it into the bottom of my Aga...
To be honest I was thinking about having one, but I am not very good in the mornings and it would require to put it in before I go to work...

snoozer

I don't know if anyone else has the same problem but I have terrible trouble with the evening meal on Friday.

I work full time in a demanding job so by Friday I'm almost on my knees and it seems that no matter how much I meal plan by Friday I either don't want what I've planned or (more likely) I can't be bothered to cook and we end up with takeaway. As an occasional treat that's fine but I don't want to do that every week - I get fed up with takeaway as well.

DH would cook but he often doesn't get in till nearly 8.00 which is too late for me to eat by the time he has cooked.

Has anyone any bright ideas that could help?

rachbc

we have hm burgers, toad in the hole with frozen peas or thai curry (made with a pre made paste) most fridays. These are the easiest things in my 'rota' Or how about a freezer meal - make extra prtion of spag bol etc and just cook the pasta and add the pre made sauce.