Quick, healthy food?
Discussion
I'm sure this isn't the first time that this has been asked and it won't be the last 
.
Basically, when I get in, I really can't be arsed with a 30 minute cook time. I get radgy at having to wait 10 minutes. At the moment I'm eating losts of chicken breasts done on a frying pan with a tiny bit of oil (10mins), accompanied by pasta (14 mins) or salad (2 mins)
Are there any meals that are quick, healthy, cheap, nutritous, and ideally I can make a lot of, so I can take it to work for lunch the next day? Or is it a case of one or the other?
Culinary skills I suppose are fairly limited, but I suppose following a recipe is like following a Haynes only without scuffed knuckles and a full swear jar
.
Main ingredients would be pasta (big sack of the stuff from Tescos), salad bags, not really that many veg (invest in a steamer?), and meat for lots of protein. If I need to make changes to what I buy thats fair enough.
Appreciated,
T
.Basically, when I get in, I really can't be arsed with a 30 minute cook time. I get radgy at having to wait 10 minutes. At the moment I'm eating losts of chicken breasts done on a frying pan with a tiny bit of oil (10mins), accompanied by pasta (14 mins) or salad (2 mins)
Are there any meals that are quick, healthy, cheap, nutritous, and ideally I can make a lot of, so I can take it to work for lunch the next day? Or is it a case of one or the other?
Culinary skills I suppose are fairly limited, but I suppose following a recipe is like following a Haynes only without scuffed knuckles and a full swear jar
.Main ingredients would be pasta (big sack of the stuff from Tescos), salad bags, not really that many veg (invest in a steamer?), and meat for lots of protein. If I need to make changes to what I buy thats fair enough.
Appreciated
,T
Chicken stir fry? As long as you cut up everything you want beforehand, just throw in a very hot wok, cook noodles or rice alongside (noodles - 5 mins, rice - 15). You can add whatever spices, herbs, veg or meat you want, & create Japanese style, Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese food!
Standard stir fry:
Chicken
Red peppers
Green beans
Brocolli
(but really any veg you like, just cook leafy stuff like spinach for a much shorter time)
Garlic (chopped)
Ginger (chopped)
Chilli (you can use chilli flakes from a jar)
Soy sauce
Heat oil in wok till it's smoking hot, add chicken & cook till coloured, throw in veg and spices. The trick is to use a very hot wok & keep all the food moving, don't overcook, the veg should still have some 'crunch' to it. As it's nearly done, splash in soy sauce, it will evaporate off in the heat.
Serve
Variations:
Add chopped lemongrass and throw in coriander at the end. Mix the soy sauce with juice of one lime and cook as above = Thai style
Do as Thai style using ingredients above but make a sauce of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar & the lime juice and throw over the food just before it's done. Add chopped fresh mint to garnish = Vietnamese(ish)
I often use soy sauce and one spoon of honey as well.
Stir fry can be adapted to whatever taste you like. After you've made it a couple of times you'll get the hang & add whatever flavours float your palette. It's quick & healthy. I often make enough rice for 2 days & just re-use the next day which cuts the cooking time to 5 mins. No rules (except very hot wok & keep stirring the food) add whatever combo of flavours you like best
Standard stir fry:
Chicken
Red peppers
Green beans
Brocolli
(but really any veg you like, just cook leafy stuff like spinach for a much shorter time)
Garlic (chopped)
Ginger (chopped)
Chilli (you can use chilli flakes from a jar)
Soy sauce
Heat oil in wok till it's smoking hot, add chicken & cook till coloured, throw in veg and spices. The trick is to use a very hot wok & keep all the food moving, don't overcook, the veg should still have some 'crunch' to it. As it's nearly done, splash in soy sauce, it will evaporate off in the heat.
Serve
Variations:
Add chopped lemongrass and throw in coriander at the end. Mix the soy sauce with juice of one lime and cook as above = Thai style
Do as Thai style using ingredients above but make a sauce of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar & the lime juice and throw over the food just before it's done. Add chopped fresh mint to garnish = Vietnamese(ish)
I often use soy sauce and one spoon of honey as well.
Stir fry can be adapted to whatever taste you like. After you've made it a couple of times you'll get the hang & add whatever flavours float your palette. It's quick & healthy. I often make enough rice for 2 days & just re-use the next day which cuts the cooking time to 5 mins. No rules (except very hot wok & keep stirring the food) add whatever combo of flavours you like best
Hello Taita
It sounds like you're in the same boat as me in terms of limited time and needing to count pennies a bit.
I think the key with cheap, healthy, quick food is getting flavour in and getting the best out of the ingredients. It follows that a bit of cooking nouse, smart shopping and dare I say it, planning help too.
One thing that saves time is a store of decent homemade tomato sauce. Next Sunday take your biggest pan (or even 2 biggest pans) and chuck in a good glug of olive oil several chopped garlic cloves, -fry gently for a mnute or two then throw in 8 cheapest cans of tinned tomatoes, a couple of veg stock cubes, a pinch of sugar a splash of vinegar and some dried mixed herbs. Oh and another glug of olive oil. -4 minutes work (£2-3 cost?). Put a lid on the pan and just have it simmering slowly in the background for 3 or 4 hours. At some point blend it smooth with a hand blender.
When its reduced down a bit thicker and tastes good divide it up into containers freezing 2/3 mug's worth at a time.
This sauce is the base for:
-Quick pasta sauce -obviously
-Quick bolognese
-Quick chilli -just add onion, mince, cumin, beef stock, kidney beans
-Quick sausage casserole, oven on high when you get in, chuck decent sausages into tomato sauce in baking dish with a couple of handfuls of froz broad beans or whatever and bake for 25 mins.
-Quick curry, fry some onion with curry powder (and whatever butter your health kick allows) for 10 mins until soft, add whatever meat/prawns/veg, stir in tomato sauce and some natural yohurt, a big pinch of sugar.
-Quick fish dish. Cheap frozen 'blocks' of white fish can be dumped straight into a pan with the tomato sauce and simmered until the fish is cooked through. Chuck in the dregs of yesterdays white wine if poss. Lots of fresh basil helps.
-Quick Tuscan Bean soup -chuck in some tins of canellini, flagolet beans & bit more stock etc serve with bread warmed through in oven.
List goes on and on.
You'll get bored of too many tomato based meals of course but its a useful cheat for making quick meals taste slow-cooked.
In terms of quick salads, some of the oriental salads work well because you can throw in noodles, beansprouts, sugar-snap/mangetout to make them a proper meal. Just make sure the dressing is right. For a nice Thai one, throw some olive oil, garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, fresh coriander & basil, a pinch of sugar & some chilli to taste & blend smooth. Tastes great with some cheap seared steak/chicken/prawns.
God I'm a fat food bore.
It sounds like you're in the same boat as me in terms of limited time and needing to count pennies a bit.
I think the key with cheap, healthy, quick food is getting flavour in and getting the best out of the ingredients. It follows that a bit of cooking nouse, smart shopping and dare I say it, planning help too.
One thing that saves time is a store of decent homemade tomato sauce. Next Sunday take your biggest pan (or even 2 biggest pans) and chuck in a good glug of olive oil several chopped garlic cloves, -fry gently for a mnute or two then throw in 8 cheapest cans of tinned tomatoes, a couple of veg stock cubes, a pinch of sugar a splash of vinegar and some dried mixed herbs. Oh and another glug of olive oil. -4 minutes work (£2-3 cost?). Put a lid on the pan and just have it simmering slowly in the background for 3 or 4 hours. At some point blend it smooth with a hand blender.
When its reduced down a bit thicker and tastes good divide it up into containers freezing 2/3 mug's worth at a time.
This sauce is the base for:
-Quick pasta sauce -obviously
-Quick bolognese
-Quick chilli -just add onion, mince, cumin, beef stock, kidney beans
-Quick sausage casserole, oven on high when you get in, chuck decent sausages into tomato sauce in baking dish with a couple of handfuls of froz broad beans or whatever and bake for 25 mins.
-Quick curry, fry some onion with curry powder (and whatever butter your health kick allows) for 10 mins until soft, add whatever meat/prawns/veg, stir in tomato sauce and some natural yohurt, a big pinch of sugar.
-Quick fish dish. Cheap frozen 'blocks' of white fish can be dumped straight into a pan with the tomato sauce and simmered until the fish is cooked through. Chuck in the dregs of yesterdays white wine if poss. Lots of fresh basil helps.
-Quick Tuscan Bean soup -chuck in some tins of canellini, flagolet beans & bit more stock etc serve with bread warmed through in oven.
List goes on and on.
You'll get bored of too many tomato based meals of course but its a useful cheat for making quick meals taste slow-cooked.
In terms of quick salads, some of the oriental salads work well because you can throw in noodles, beansprouts, sugar-snap/mangetout to make them a proper meal. Just make sure the dressing is right. For a nice Thai one, throw some olive oil, garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, fresh coriander & basil, a pinch of sugar & some chilli to taste & blend smooth. Tastes great with some cheap seared steak/chicken/prawns.
God I'm a fat food bore.
captainzep said:
One thing that saves time is a store of decent homemade tomato sauce.
Absolutely, we do this too, and you can use it for so many things.You can also "hide" a lot of veg in it, onion, garlic, tomato, so it's good for kids who might not like a particular veg. Our nipper doesn't like whole tomatoes but LOVES out homemade sauce.
Dirt quick & tasty.
Heat a wok or frying pan.
Either use fresh chicken/turkey strips, in which case fry them off first for a minute or two or use frozen, ready cooked chicken strips(not breasts) & pop them in a dish in the microwave for 4-5 mins.
While they're cooking...
Chop a large onion & sling in the wok. Add a chopped pepper. Add the chicken (if not already in) & add a generous waft of cajun spice.
(A slug of tomato purée works well here too).
Stir it all around then add tin of pineapple slices (use the juice too if you like) & a sliced banana.
Stir for a touch longer but not so long that the banana goes too mushy & then serve.
10 mins tops. Delicious.
You can add wok noodles too if you want a little more but it can be surprisingly filling.
Heat a wok or frying pan.
Either use fresh chicken/turkey strips, in which case fry them off first for a minute or two or use frozen, ready cooked chicken strips(not breasts) & pop them in a dish in the microwave for 4-5 mins.
While they're cooking...
Chop a large onion & sling in the wok. Add a chopped pepper. Add the chicken (if not already in) & add a generous waft of cajun spice.
(A slug of tomato purée works well here too).
Stir it all around then add tin of pineapple slices (use the juice too if you like) & a sliced banana.
Stir for a touch longer but not so long that the banana goes too mushy & then serve.
10 mins tops. Delicious.
You can add wok noodles too if you want a little more but it can be surprisingly filling.
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