Yay! I love sharing cooking ideas! None of these are actual recipes, just things I've thrown together, or learned and modified. It's all to taste, and these are enough to make one serving generally -- I just double or triple it all if I'm cooking for others.
I like to do things like cook up chicken breasts, roast a whole chicken, or cook some ground meat in advance and then have it at hand for adding to different recipes through the week.
I even have some pictures from the Food Porn thread.
Curry is one of my faves. I usually do it vegetarian, but you can throw any combo of veggies, meat, and/or beans in for a great one-pan meal ( I like easy clean up, too).
Time Takes about 25 minutes, prep, cooking, and cleaning combined.
I just sauté 1/4 sliced onion and a few minced garlic cloves in about a Tbsp of oil and a splash of seasoned white wine vinegar (Marukan is tasty). While those brown, I chop up a bit of red bell pepper, a couple mushrooms, and 1/4-1/2 an eggplant (aubergine) -- lots of people don't like eggplant, it's just one of my faves. Add all that in (eggplant last so it doesn't absorb all the oil and get gross. I add a few chickpeas and then season. I make my own garam masala, and add turmeric, but curry powder is good too. I also add black pepper and a few squirts of sriracha because I like it spicy. Then I add about a cup of broth (I just use Better than Bouillon) and let it simmer down. A bit of paneer on top when it's done and it's delish.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Again, you can do a million variations. The one I did the other night was chicken parm.
Time Takes about 30-40 minutes depending on whether you're using leftover meat or need to cook up some raw meat, 2 dishes to clean
Halve a bell pepper and remove the innards. Place in a small baking dish with a little bit of water or broth and put in the oven at 400ºF.
Sauté minced onion and minced garlic in oil and vinegar. Add a couple minced mushrooms, half a minced tomato, and some chopped spinach. Last night I chopped some leftover grilled chicken breast in, but I've also made this with ground chicken/beef/and turkey (the difference is you just cook that up first). I add some Chohula (again, I like spice), about 1/4 of your favorite tomato-based sauce (marinara, sockarooni, etc.), and lastly, a bit of grated cheese -- last night I did manchego and a bit of feta, mozz is good too. Stir until the cheese melts in the mixture and then put into the peppers. Cover the peppers and stick back in the oven for about twenty minutes. Last, uncover, add a little parmesan on top, and put back in the oven for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown.
Stovetop or Baked Omelette
This is a great way to use leftovers. Even take out leftovers go well in an omelette. If you have an oven safe skillet, cook up your fillings in that, otherwise, use a regular skillet and a small casserole dish.
Time 15-35 minutes
I usually do vegetarian, but sometimes I'll put beef, chicken, or chorizo in. I cook up fillings first in butter and a bit of vinegar. Favorites are bell peppers, jalepenos, mushrooms, spinach...I spice according to the fillings. I'll do five spice with shitake mushrooms and bell peppers, or an Italian inspired with sausage, or Mexican inspired...really anything goes. When everything's cooked I put it on my plate and set aside, then:
For folded omelette add a little more butter (you don't need to wash the pan unless there's something stuck to it) and beat two eggs with a bit of milk or water. Poor eggs into the pan on low heat, you want it to cook slowly and evenly and avoid bubbles or it won't fold. Add your fillings, including any cheese you like, and when the omelette moves as stable whole, fold.
For baked omelette keep your fillings in the skillet if it's oven proof, if not, transfer to a small baking dish. Beat eggs and stir cheese into the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture and stick in oven, covered, for about 15-20 minutes. I like to do the same as with the bell peppers and cook uncovered for the last 5 minutes with some more cheese on top.
Soup
Often quicker and easier than most people give it credit for. I make a stock every time I cook a chicken, but Better than Bouillon, or regular bouillon can make good soup too.
For veggie soup I just sauté the veggies I want in a big pot with a little oil and vinegar (always starting with the onion), add seasonings, add broth, and let cook over a medium heat. Add a can of diced tomatoes for a tomato based soup, beans if you like, and it's a great way to use leftover chicken or turkey. Generally takes less than 40 minutes to cook, and only about 15 of that is prep work. I can give some more detailed soup recipes too.
Here's some Matzo ball soup I made:
I hope you belong to the percentage with not so sensitive skin *keeps fingers crossed*
