Help with 20 minute meals

[ittybittycoconuts]

My hobby has turned into a full time job then add on kids and life and Im flat out of time most days and tired. Weve resorted to too many fend for yourself days and we are watching what we eat for weight loss so that adds a whole new dimension. I need some new ideas for quick meals from fresh ingredients. We do not like freezer meals much but quick toss together crock pot ideas are welcome too. Cost isnt as much of a factor, we do fish once, shrimp once, and alternate chicken beef or pork for the other days. We are not opposed to vegetarian either.

[cherylchoo]

Oooh! I will be watching this. We have gotten WAY too dependent on frozen veggies and homemade freezer meals.

[ambieone]

Chicken and rice is always a quick option. I use chicken breasts in mine, so a semi-healthy. Use instant rice and the meal can be made in a short amount of time.

[Palooka]

Last night I made chicken and veggie couscous. I like that couscous cooks really quickly, and if you throw in some feta cheese and parsley the left overs are still yummy cold.

But I need way more ideas...

[ittybittycoconuts]

Originally Posted by ambieone Chicken and rice is always a quick option. I use chicken breasts in mine, so a semi-healthy. Use instant rice and the meal can be made in a short amount of time.

Regular white rice only takes 20 min....funny I can't cook minute rice without killing it

[DottieHarley]

Quinoa cooks in 20 mins and is super healthy. Stirfry is quick too, and you can use the quinoa instead of rice. If cost is less of an issue, buy precut veg.
Quesadillas - fast and you can sneak in some veg
Salads - i have been on a kale salad kick bc its so sturdy. I literally cut up kale AND dress it on sunday and can eat it all week without it getting mushy and weird.
When all else fails... Breakfast for dinner. I even sometimes make oatmeal for dinner

[ambieone]

Originally Posted by nikkicaligirl Regular white rice only takes 20 min....funny I can't cook minute rice without killing it

You don't cook the minute rice by itself so it may work!

Here's the recipe:
1.5c water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1tbsp parsley
salt/pepper to taste

put all those in a pot, simmer for 10 minutes
(if you have precooked chicken you can throw that in too)
OR you can cook the chicken first in the pot, remove it and shred, then add back to the liquid
add 1.5c minute rice, reduce heat to low and stir often until all liquid is absorbed

super easy! we serve it with corn and bread

[ctj101502]

Veggie spirals cooked sometime, then when it is cold pull it from fridge, throw in feta w. Chicken in a can or some cooked already from another meal that is cold and toss in poppy seed dressing..mmmmm though we often only do feta and no meat

Do you have a rice . Maker, bread maker, crock pot with timers? This is what I use I just set timers on them in the morning before going somewhere so everything is done when we walk in the door

[lakemom]

Heavy on the tossed salads with just a simple meat side and a veggie/fruit to go with. So something like:
tossed salad
grilled chicken (marinated or not)
green beans

tossed salad
baked fish
carrots

I like to make a big bowl (I have a Tupperware one that's pretty big) of tossed salad and we eat it for several days. Then I wash out the bowl and make up another big batch of salad. Filling and good for the weight loss.

[MDever]

Two ideas that might help. There are lots of crockpot threads on diaperswappers and you might find some great ideas for your family. I always find new ideas when a thread pops up. Also, I do not like entire meals that I made in advance and then froze but I always prepare lots of meat in advance and freeze it cooked in family size portions. I always have shredded beef, chicken, and pork in the freezer as well as ground beef or turkey all browned up and ready to go. It makes my meal prep time so much faster and I can't "forget" to thaw the raw meat which is something I do all of the time.