In Honor of Single People and Fast Good Meals!

[Foofoogal]

Ok, sort of feeling sorry for Nashoba. Thought maybe for you single folks a thread on simple fast meals. I am a freezerholic so when I make big meals for everyone will lots of times freeze small portion for when I need to eat alone. Like spaghetti.
My favorite fast meals.

1. A good steak broiled about 10 minutes on each side or Talapia fillets thawed broiled with a bit of olive oil, garlic powder and pepper and salt to season. Done best I have found in a Pyrex square pan.
Salad, etc. as sides.
2. Buy a package of the mixed frozen veggie medleys like the broccoli, pasta, cauliflower, baby corn, water chestnut thingys. Cook up some turkey hamburger or beef or chicken breast cut up. Brown meat and then put in package, add a bit of water to not burn and cover for about 5 minutes or until you want. One package will last at least 2 meals for single person.
These are the quickest good meals I know.

 

[panamag8or]

Totinos.

Actually, I doctor them up with real bacon, extra pepperoni and cheese.



Man, am I pathetic.lol

 

[Joie DeVive]

Everybody needs some fast meals for just in case!!
Here are my favorites:

French bread pizza- Cut french bread to desired length and cut the long way to make open faced sections with crust on the bottom. Spread Hunt's tomato sauce on them (I add a pinch of italian spices first). Top with mozzerella cheese and whatever else you want. Broil until the cheese melts; less than 5 minutes.

Tuna pasta- Ok, this one sounds weird, but I really like it. Put one can of tuna packed in oil in a small saucepan add fresh chopped garlic (1-3 cloves). Salt and pepper to taste. If the oil does not cover the tuna, you can add a little more olive oil. I add a squirt of anchovy paste (maybe 1/2 t?), but if you don't like it, leave it out. The original recipe I took this from called for red pepper flakes to taste, but I leave that out. Heat on low for as long as you need to make the pasta of your choice. Once pasta is cooked and drained, stir the tuna mix over the top and serve hot.

Pasta Pomodoro- Really best for summer only! Saute a clove or two of fresh garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil on low heat and be ready to remove it from the heat once it's soft. If you don't it gets crispy! :eusa_doh: Chop one medium tomato, or 2-3 roma tomatoes. Slice up a few fresh basil leaves into ribbons (I cut across the center vein). Toss this all over angel hair pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh grated parmesean cheese if possible.

Quesedillas- Grilled cheese in a tortilla! I serve it with canned refried beans and salsa.

 

[Doh!]

Here's one you can avoid like the plague: Bachelor Stew

Ingredients:

2 pkgs Rice-a-Roni (the San Francisco treat)
1 can green beans
1 can carrots
1 tin Spam

Cook the Rice-a-Roni per directions on the box. While cooking, dice up Spam and cook (or "fry") to perfection. Towards the last 5 minutes of the Rice's cooking time, add green beans and carrots (they're precooked so really only need warming).

Toss in Spam, mix everything together. Serves between 4 and 8 persons, depending on appetite.

This delicacy got me through many a lean time when my budget was tight. Sure, it was pretty God-awful but at least I didn't go to bed hungry. Luckily, I've had steady work for 10 years and haven't had to eat Spam in all that time!

 

[Diamondback]

I usually just wing it with some improvisation based on either Hamburger Helper or macaroni and cheese if I'm hungry, in a hurry and solo (or cooking for relatives who're in a hurry and didn't remember to buy the supplies for anything better). Bacon bits (for those who can have 'em), assorted spices and shredded cheeses are always good...

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Any kind of south-east Asian stir fry. Fast, easy and super-tasty. All you need is a non-stick wok.

bk

 

[LizzieMaine]

I make a lot of homemade macaroni and cheese -- there's always enough left over to heat up for a quick lunch later on.

However, my favorite Single Person Fast Food recipe goes like this.

Take one pair of comfortable shoes.
Put them on.
Walk four blocks down to the hot dog stand.
Stand in line.
Buy two with mustard and relish.
Enjoy!

 

[Quigley Brown]

Totinos.

Actually, I doctor them up with real bacon, extra pepperoni and cheese.
Man, am I pathetic.lol

Well, I go a step further and add fresh onions and green peppers.

 

[Foofoogal]

Lizzie, can you put your macaroni recipe here. I have been trying to find a good one forever. Have never made it before. [huh]

 

[imoldfashioned]

Sunday is cooking day for me. I'll make one or two dishes that will last a couple of days (pork chops, meatloaf, a pot of homemade spaghetti sauce) and freeze it. That way I can come home and make a quick side dish and I'm done. It's a modified version of Once a Month Cooking.

I'm also addicted to those Ethnic Gourmet meals--the only good Indian food I've ever found in the frozen section. I could eat their Eggplant Bhartha with Trader Joe's frozen Naan every night. Speaking of Trader Joe's, what a godsend. Love their frozen enchiladas but I have to invite friends or I'll eat the whole tray!

I do the French Bread pizza except I use English Muffins. Campbell's Tomato soup with Pumpernickel croutons is another favorite quick meal. Annie's Mac & Cheese with broccoli. I'm sure there's more but that's it off the top of my head.

 

[imoldfashioned]

Lizzie, can you put your macaroni recipe here. I have been trying to find a good one forever. Have never made it before. [huh]

Seconded! I've made loads of different recipes but I haven't liked any of them.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Don't ask me, my idea of a home-cooked meal is hot dogs in the microwave.

 

[Lancealot]

Fast Meatloaf
Preheat oven to 375
mix 1-1/2lbs groundbeef
1 cup water
6oz stove top stuffing
2 tsps chili powder

place in 6 count muffin tin, use a tablespoon to make a dent in the top and fill with barbque sauce of your choice. Bake for 30 minutes. During last 5 minutes sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.

I have also made and variation on this substitue ginger for the chili powder and use sweet and sour sauce instead of the barbque and leave of the cheese.

 

[Quigley Brown]

My landlord...who lives below...grills out about every night, so I just toss on some hamburgers or bratwurt.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Lizzie's Macaroni and Cheese

Boil 1 box Macaroni -- I use Prince's Casserole Elbows -- drain and turn into greased casserole dish.

For cheese sauce --
Melt two tbsp. butter in saucepan over med. high heat
Whisk in two tbsp. white flour, cook till it bubbles
Slowly whisk in 1 pint milk
Add:
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper

When mixture thickens stir in 8 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, stir till smooth.

Pour over macaroni and blend. Bake in 325 degree oven for approx. 1/2 hour or until top is crispy.

And there it is. It's sublime fresh out of the oven, and just as good fried up in a skillet as leftovers!

 

[Nashoba]

Oh FooFooGal you're so sweet! You don't have to feel sorry for me ! Some of it is sheer laziness lol I don't have a family to feed it's just me and the dog. And while he adores my cooking, I refuse to cook for him lol. At least I'm not desperate enough to dip into the massive store of MREs my husband has accumulated for food storage
I'll be going home to Nor. California next week to visit family and have a bachelorette week for my best friend in Disneyland so Mama will be feeding me along with Anaheim's finest gourmet fast food and decent sit down restaraunts. IN and Out Burger here I come!!!! (sad, but thats what I miss the most food wise, other than mom's cooking of course). Then it won't be too much longer until I'm cooking for two and small armies of friends again.
Some of these suggestions are great! Now where did I put my motivation.....dang it...I'll have to hunt some up... lol

Doh: that looks...um....intriguing...Spam scares me though...

Panama: I've done that too. Although I make a danged good canned salsa (if I do say so myself) and sometimes I'll just grab the bag of chips and a jar of that and call it a night.

Lizzie: Thank you for posting your Mac&Cheese recipe! I have a few that I've used but they're all mediocre and I've resorted to the packaged variety which is less than mediocre. And I'm not a huge fan of boxed food to begin with.

 

[PA Dancer]

I am a cook and freeze person too. I just don't eat out.

One hour meals that freeze well

Meat loaf:
One egg and a sprinkle of oregano
1 lb ground beef,
1/4 c chopped onions
1/4 chopped green peppers
1/4 bread crumbs (plain or italian style)
1/4 milk
cook 350 for 1 hour

Breaded Chicken
1 lb chicken (I'll buy the chicken breast cut into strips for this so I don't get my hands all slimey)
Pour Italian bread crumbs on a plate
1 egg
oil
Line baking dish with foil. I put a little butter on the foil.
Dip the chicken in egg, then in the crumbs, and put it in the pan.
I pour about a capful of oil over the chicken, cover it, bake for one hour.

When I get really motivated, I make pizza dough and sauce and never have any left over to freeze. heehee

 

[Joie DeVive]

I thought of a couple more when I couldn't sleep last night...

Brocolli and Walnut Penne- For this one you need some roasted garlic, so either you can do a whole head and have some for later, or there is a shortcut. I roast single cloves. I take single cloves still wrapped in their papery skin, and wrap them individually in foil. Then bake them on 250 until I can smell them. I know, not a typical timing device, but I haven't found a standard time that works, so when I can smell them I go check, and if they are not soft enough, I come back every 5 minutes until they are. Once roasted, set these aside.
Put your water on to boil for the penne and make the penne according to the box when the water boils. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, saute some sweet onion and brocolli in a tablespoon or so of olive oil on a medium low heat. You want the brocolli to just have a little browning. In the last 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, add a handful or two of walnut halves or pieces. Salt and pepper to taste. Cut or tear up the garlic you set aside into chunks and add to the serving bowl. Combine the pasta and brocolli mix into the serving bowl with the garlic. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese. Mmmmm

Easy fish- I love the small serving packets of fish available in the frozen section. They are really good when cooking for 1 or 2 and sometimes go on pretty good sales here. I especially use the pollack, which is a simple whitefish. I can get 4 fillets for $2.29. Thats around fifty cents a piece!
I like to thaw it and broil it with a little oil and some spices. Mrs. Dash's garlic blend is pretty good. If you want to go even farther, you can make an easy sauce out of 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 T milk, and about 1 t dijon mustard. Mix these together over low heat and allow to warm through. The fish takes 5-10 minutes to broil, and the sauce takes about 5 minutes to warm. Fast and easy! Great with a green salad!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Practically any kind of frozen food made by or for "Trader Joe's" markets.

.

 

[Nashoba]

Practically any kind of frozen food made by or for "Trader Joe's" markets.

.

Thanks for reminding me that I live in a Trader Joe's defficient area. Geez, I miss Ca some days.