I am really struggling to find time in the kitchen to whip up meals for my family. I know that I am not alone in this task. Seriously, how many of us have the luxury of spending hours in the kitchen with our busy lifestyles? It does take a lot of time to create an average meal let alone a culinary masterpiece. My ideal would be quick and easy 30 minute meals.
After looking at a lot of cookbooks and reassessing my organisational skills I’ve realised that it is possible to create 30 minute meals. All it takes is some menu planning and a well-organized kitchen. Once these tools are in place you too can make 30 minute meals in a jiffy. Here are some tips to help you serve delicious meals to your family. The meals only take half an hour which saves you time and they are budget concious so they are also saving you time and money.
Make two meals ahead. When you are creating one culinary masterpiece double the recipe and put the excess in the freezer or use it as the base for the next nights meal. I usually make two quantities of spaghetti bolognaise or meatballs and freeze the excess (pasta included). Casseroles are great to do ahead of time (just double the quantity and freeze). If you are making a tomato sauce for a pasta make extra and use it for a veal parmigana the next night. Always think ahead and plan ahead for what other meals you are making throughout the week. You can double the recipe for meatloaf and burgers and put some in the freezer for next time. The list is endless and there are a ton of time saving solutions that you could take advantage of.
If you are planning hamburgers for dinner tonight use this trick. Once the burgers are cooked turn the heat down on the pan to low. Add some more ground beef and leave that to brown while you enjoy your dinner. After dinner add a chopped onion and your favourite italian sauce. By the time the dishes are stacked your spaghetti sauce will be ready. Leaave it to cool and either freeze it or save it for tomorrow nights feast. You could even make a few meals out of this trick. Put some in the fridge and some sauce in the freezer. Make sure you label everything clearly.
I like to use a crock pot for making casseroles. I gather my ingredients in the morning before I go to work and then set the cooker to low. When I come home my hearty casserole is cooked to perfection. Serve it with some mashed potatoes or just a warm, crusty loaf of bread. Dinner with very little effort. Of course, all those left overs can be popped in some containers for another meal..
Making good use of your alloted 30 minute timeframe is the key for weeks of hearty meals. If you are making a meatloaf divide the mix into one thirds. Flavour one meatloaf “Italian” style, another “Mexican” and the other with bacon or your favourite seasoning. Cook all the meatloaf at once. When cooled have one loaf for dinner and slice the others and freeze. You can also do this with cakes. Divide a plain mix into halves or thirds and flavour them differently, ie lemon for a light lemon cake, chocolate for the chocolate lovers, orange for something fresh and tangy. Cook all at once. Cool, frost, slice and freeze. Yum! Perfect for an after school snack. Just thaw a slice of cake half an hour before your kids get home for a tasty treat.
If your family is like ships that pass in the night and you feel you are running a restaurant not a home try this technique for easy 30 minute meals. Slice or allocate servings of your preprepared meals into individual packets or containers. A quick side salad prepared and a quick zap in the microwave will make a fast and healthy dinner for diners on the run. So as you can see it really is possible to have 30 minute meals. Not only are these meals simple to make but they should inspire you to make your own 30 minute meals.
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