Fastest Food Challenge

Uniscots97

My quick favourite is spaghetti with tomato pasta sauce (with a pinch of chilli powder) and some grated cheese. Less than ten minutes or under five if you use quick cook spaghetti.

or

cook pasta shapes, drain then add a beaten egg and a tablespoon of pesto and stir through on low heat for 1 minute. Again this works out at 10-11 minutes to make.

happyathome_withmyboys

my emergency soup is
an onion chopped up, in pan with a bit of butter, low heat while you
chop up a couple of carrots
get two tins of value toms from the pantry, open and snip up with scissors
get red lentils from pantry
get veg stock granules from pantry
lift lid of saucepan, give a stir,
add carrots, toms, granules, handful of lentils and a couple of tin measures of water
leave for 25 mins while you have a bath, do some flying, read a book, etc etc - and Bob is your uncle.
If I'm really hungry I add some rice with the lentils, Dh loves salami/ham/bacon with it (I know that is no good for you!) Also good with chilli flakes, grated cheese, worcester sauce - whatever you fancy.
And the two boys (and their pals - far fussier: if it isn't chicken nuggets we can't eat is..... aaaagh) absolutely love it.

MimiF

My stand by that I always have in the freezer is a pack of fresh tortellini. Even from frozen it only takes five mins or so to cook and then for the kids I just sprinkle it with grated cheese, maybe some chopped ham if I have any that needs using up and thats it. 10 minutes tops.

For us, just some pasta, sundried tomato pesto and parmesan is delicious.

By the way Asda's are doing packets of tortellini (or torteloony as DD calls it) for £1 at the moment. Never by the dried stuff it's dreadful.

Mimi

competitionscafe

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Just what I was going to put :beer: We had it last night after I'd had a long day on a training course. I add a few chilli flakes, fresh herbs, and use shavings of parmesan (use the potato peeler).

I have something similar and also recently discovered the trick of shaving the parmesan with the potato peeler - works a treat!

I often add some black olives, if I have broccolli or purple sprouting brocolli or similar green veg I sometimes steam that in a colander above the pasta for 3-5 minutes and add it. I add anchovies sometimes (goes really really well with broccoli / purple brocolli and a few chilli flakes) and leave out the parmesan or if no green veg I add a tin of tuna and some black olives and parmesan. Obviously for veggie versions no tuna or anchovies. Gorgonzola cheese and broccoli pasta is gorgeous too.

Also good is spaghetti or linguine with garlic, cheerry tomatoes, capers, chopped parsley and olive oil:

caroline1973lefty

Not a recipe as such, but a suggestion for time saving, cheap and healthy eating...

Why not get an organic veggie box delivered - cheaper than you'd think (try abel & Cole). I've been getting one for the last year, and it's lovely to know i've always got something fresh and seasonal in the house. This, plus a well stocked store cupboard, really stops those 'pop into tescos on the way home from work for a ready meal, and come out with £30 worth of rubbish i didn't need' kind of moments, saving both time and money. (Haven't got a freezer - for economic and environmental reasons, as well as lack of space).

Plus, organic veggies taste so much better that i find I don't need to spend long fussing with them for a nice meal, basically i just chop up whatever i've got, and chuck it in a salad, stir fry, soup, pasta, omlette, or casserole, with some tinned beans, or some seeds or some cheese, plus whatever herbs come to hand, add some bread, rice or noodles if i'm hungry, and enjoy

mrs_potato_head

I love any cooked pasta with some pesto (out of a jar) stirred in with grated cheese on top mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

MrsP

indebted

The quickest meal we have in our house, when kids all have somewhere to be, is Spagetti Carbonara. I know you are a veggie but its easy to omitt the Bacon, (we've tried it) and still tastes scrummy.

Fry 1 small chopped onion in oilve oil whilst cooking Pasta.

Mix in a jug 1 whole egg, and either 2 egg yolks or 1 egg yolk and a spoon full Fromage Frais. Add pepper & nutmeg and whisk(enough for 4 large portions) and add either 4-6 Tbsp Parmesan or enough regular cheese to make it thick but still stirable(too much cheese makes it claggy).

Once the pasta is nearly cooked, add a knob of butter/marg to the softened onion. Drain the pasta and pour into the pan with the oinions and stir in to the butter/onion . Then add the egg mixture and work it all together quite fast so that the eggs do not scramble. Once all incorporated, it is ready to eat.

I think it is advisable to avoid this if pregnant or have or for the very young/old, due to the eggs.

jazzyjustlaw

Paulie'sGirl wrote: »

(just a question on the rules - does it mean under 30 minutes fresh on the night?)

cos cooking stuff in advance drastically reduced cooking time on a night. mass cooking of a weekend when you have time saves it in the midweek when you don't

also making stuff like pizza bases on a saturday when you just wanna punch some dough means you can roll them out and freeze them on greaseproof paper for another time. PM me for the recipe, or check the magnificent index...

No need for fresh on the night for example, I have prepared a veggie bolognese for tonight and I shall reheat the rest tommorrow.

jazzyjustlaw

competitionscafe wrote: »

I have something similar and also recently discovered the trick of shaving the parmesan with the potato peeler - works a treat!

I often add some black olives, if I have broccolli or purple sprouting brocolli or similar green veg I sometimes steam that in a colander above the pasta for 3-5 minutes and add it. I add anchovies sometimes (goes really really well with broccoli / purple brocolli and a few chilli flakes) and leave out the parmesan or if no green veg I add a tin of tuna and some black olives and parmesan. Obviously for veggie versions no tuna or anchovies. Gorgonzola cheese and broccoli pasta is gorgeous too.

Also good is spaghetti or linguine with garlic, cheerry tomatoes, capers, chopped parsley and olive oil:

Wow thanks for that.

In fact thanks to all I am so chuffed to come on here today and see 27 responses!!

jazzyjustlaw

Queenie wrote: »

OK, what are your cooking instruments?

Obviously a microwave makes things easier ... but by the same token, if you have a slow cooker, the prep time is similar even though the cooking time can be considerably longer; likewise with a pressure cooker!

It's horse for course in some respects What cooking facilities are available?

I have a cooker, microwave and a slow cooker - pressure cooker - what does that do?