It amazed me that Rachael Ray has made an empire with 30 Minute Meals, mostly because 30 minute meals are all I eat and they don’t seem so special. My little secret is—save roasting a chicken or potatoes where all you have to do is put them in the oven and wait—I cook a total of 5 meals that take longer than 30 minutes(we’re excluding brownies and all other desserts from this; some things are worth waiting for).
Especially during the week, I don’t have time for elaborate meals; I want something delicious and want it fast. I’ve been eating my weight recently in pumpkin quinoa. It’s really easy to throw quinoa in the rice cooker and forget about it for 15 minutes while it cooks. Here I use that time to sauté some beef and bok choy; on other days I’ve added leftover chicken right into the rice cooker and made my whole meal in there.
The other pumpkin dish I can’t get enough of is autumn stuffed acorn squash.
This one even got a “That smells good” from whomever happened to be around the kitchen while I was cooking. I must admit—anything with sautéed onions and peppers does smell amazing. And it was fast to whip up, too! You can vary the spices and seasonings to change the flavor so it doesn’t feel like eating the same dish(I used chili powder and cumin instead of maple syrup and rosemary this time around).
So no, I definitely don’t think balanced and flavorful meals have to be long and elaborate. In fact, the less equipment I have to dirty to make it, the better. And one of these days I might even eat something without pumpkin in it(but don’t hold your breath).
I agree– my dinners rarely take longer than 30 minutes to make. And if they do, it’s just baking time or simmering time. I’m too hungry to sit around and cook for hours at a time!
The less equipment the better! And the shorter, the better!
I just made a one pot meal that’s awesome, uses coconut milk and although I want a rice cooker like you when I grow up, this one didnt use one and it turned out fab! I just posted about it it was that good!
“Especially during the week, I don’t have time for elaborate meals; I want something delicious and want it fast.”–Totally agree!!!!!! That is life. Especially with a family, hubs, kid, different work schedules, fast & easy is KEY!
Man, you’re getting a “smells good” from me all the way in Philly!
Huh, I never thought about that. Most of my dinners are under 30 minutes, too. I mean, college students don’t have three hours on their hands to cook dinner (that’s what the weekends are for…)
I have reason to believe pumpkin has an addictive substance somewhere within it’s delicious chemical make up. I also agree that the easier, faster meals can be the most satisfying.
And isn’t it great to use the dorm kitchen and get a “wow, oh my gosh that smells amazing!” from random folks?
Did the football player comment on how good your food smells?
I can almost smell it through the screen! Great lunch!
I agree. 99% of my meals are definitely LESS than 30 minutes, so HA Rachael Ray! Now are they always delicious? Well, no, but most of the time they are. In fact most of my meals are more like 15 minutes, but that’s because I do a lot of prep beforehand (like cooking the meat and veggies, Gordon Ramsy would hate me!).
I am definitely trying your pumpkin quinoa stuffing. It’s officially added to my “must make” list!
Delicious, Evan! I made a butternut squash and beet napoleon with pesto and cashew cheese last night, and have squash to last me days. Very pleased about that!
My latest post has at least one funny comment. I’m not quite you, but I’m getting funnier, I think.