Meals under 60 minutes

[CWS4322]

The company for which I test drive recipes has asked if I can develop some recipes for meals under 60 minutes, preferably 30-40 minutes. Anyone care to give me some ideas? I have several recipes to test drive of my own (wild rice walleye cakes with lingonberry ketchup/salsa, shrimp (seafood) corn chowder, cabbage roll mini meatloaves, a chickpea curry, etc.). Some TNT ideas for vegetarian dishes would be nice--need some of those. I have a lot more recipes that don't fit into that time frame. Nothing that has to be marinated or prepped the day before, nothing that requires a pressure cooker. I'm not looking for recipes, just ideas. And, homemade pasta is not an option.

 

[Kayelle]

With the exception of soups and stews nearly everything I make is in under 60 minutes. Take a look at all the daily dinner threads for some great ideas for your project.

 

[Zhizara]

At this time of month, I tend to start dishes that take a long time. Chili. beans, etc.

For later dishes, I tend to use some of the ingredients to make dinner dishes. Beans are great with added meats, Chili is often paired with hot dogs, vegetables with cheese sauce.

I'm lucky that I'm retired so I can take all the time I want. Some dishes end up being easy, some are more complicated.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I'm with Kayelle, most of the things I cook take much less than 60 minutes to prepare.

I suppose you could stretch the time to an hour if you have an extra glass of wine!

I would back into this by selecting the food to highlight and then choosing the recipe.

Eggplant would be great with a version of Eggplant alla Norma.

Red Bell Peppers maybe a new twist on stuffed peppers.

Escarole bean and greens.

Kale soup with beans and sausage.

Pick one inexpensive fresh item to highlight and then poke around in your pantry for inspiration. Keep it fast, fresh, simple, inexpensive and if possible kid friendly.

Good luck!

 

[GA Home Cook]

i did a great tomato bisque the other day. Canned tomatoes with basil and 1/2 and 1/2 with some sweated veggies. Buzzed in blender topped with sour cream drizzle.

 

[menumaker]

Vegetarian cottage pie. It's made with minced eggplant instead of ground beef. All the other ingredients remain the same but make vegetable stock instead of beef stock.

 

[CWS4322]

Vegetarian cottage pie. It's made with minced eggplant instead of ground beef. All the other ingredients remain the same but make vegetable stock instead of beef stock.

Great idea. I should mention that the meals do use local ingredients and are home-cook gourmet meals.

I am test driving one today--no recipe, but I have ingredients I'm supposed to turn into a recipe--my starting point is a couple of beef shanks. I've got kale, Swiss Chard, celery, tomatoes, carrots, rutabaga, potatoes, bacon, chorizo, zucchini, black/red/white beans, chickpeas, garlic, onion, shallots, beef stock, polenta, smoked paprika, jalapeno peppers, lemon, thyme, bay, rosemary, chives on the counter. I have anchovy paste in the fridge...red wine and lots of vinegars, white wine, brandy, Jack Daniel's, and beer. Maple syrup. I'm going to start by braising the beef shanks and go from there. Not sure where I am going or what I'm going to do with the polenta. Right now I am thinking a onepot dish with polenta as the side...I cook by the seat of my pants all the time...but today is a bit intimating. I have apples to make into an apple crisp for dessert, but desserts aren't part of the deal. Wish me luck!

 

[CWS4322]

Great idea. I should mention that the meals do use local ingredients and are home-cook gourmet meals.

I am test driving one today--no recipe, but I have ingredients I'm supposed to turn into a recipe--my starting point is a couple of beef shanks. I've got kale, Swiss Chard, celery, tomatoes, carrots, rutabaga, potatoes, bacon, chorizo, zucchini, black/red/white beans, chickpeas, garlic, onion, shallots, beef stock, polenta, smoked paprika, jalapeno peppers, lemon, thyme, bay, rosemary, chives on the counter. I have anchovy paste in the fridge...red wine and lots of vinegars, white wine, brandy, Jack Daniel's, and beer. Maple syrup. I'm going to start by braising the beef shanks and go from there. Not sure where I am going or what I'm going to do with the polenta. Right now I am thinking a onepot dish with polenta as the side...I cook by the seat of my pants all the time...but today is a bit intimating. I have apples to make into an apple crisp for dessert, but desserts aren't part of the deal. Wish me luck!

I also have beets, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, sour cream, and celeriac.

 

[Zhizara]

Under 60 minutes? Well, most everything.

The exceptions being beans or soup. I love to have something on the stove, bubbling away for hours, or a roast braising low and slow.

 

[CWS4322]

I braised the beef shanks. While they were braising, I sweated a celery-onion-carrot-garlic mixture (1 c carrot, 1/2 c onion, 1/2 c celery, 2 cloves garlic). Tossed the two together, added a shot of Jack Daniel's, tomatoes, cabbage, chopped chorizo, anchovy paste, a dill pickle (yes! a dill pickle), some dill pickle brine, white beans and chickpeas (already cooked), thyme, cayenne pepper, simmered for 30 minutes, removed the dill pickle, simmered another 15 minutes, removed the beef shank, pulled the meat off the bone, added 4 c kale, cooked for 5 minutes, added grated lemon zest. Topped with sour cream and grated fresh beet and a bit more of fresh thyme, chopped dill pickle, and lemon zest. Yum.

 

[Kayelle]

I braised the beef shanks. While they were braising, I sweated a celery-onion-carrot-garlic mixture (1 c carrot, 1/2 c onion, 1/2 c celery, 2 cloves garlic). Tossed the two together, added a shot of Jack Daniel's, tomatoes, cabbage, chopped chorizo, anchovy paste, a dill pickle (yes! a dill pickle), some dill pickle brine, white beans and chickpeas (already cooked), thyme, cayenne pepper, simmered for 30 minutes, removed the dill pickle, simmered another 15 minutes, removed the beef shank, pulled the meat off the bone, added 4 c kale, cooked for 5 minutes, added grated lemon zest. Topped with sour cream and grated fresh beet and a bit more of fresh thyme, chopped dill pickle, and lemon zest. Yum.

That sounds delicious, but I know for sure, just adding up your cooking times, it would not be a 60 minute meal for the average home cook like me.

 

[GotGarlic]

That sounds delicious, but I know for sure, just adding up your cooking times, it would not be a 60 minute meal for the average home cook like me.

Not to mention prep times for all the veggies.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Baked pastas with any number of sauces, the addition of steamed vegetables, vegan cheeses are widely available now.

My sister made a veggie casserole, so simple and vegan, large-rough chopped veggies (zucc, summer squash, onions, broccoli, carrots, parsnips and the like) in a 9x13 pan, a bit of soy milk (or almond I would think would work too) loads of chopped garlic, cover with tin foil and bake for about 20-30 or until veggies or crisp tender. A sprinkle of fresh herbs at service, very tasty and satisfying for an omnivore.

 

[Kathleen]

All three of the Wonderpots that I've made took less than an hour. In fact, if you include prep and clean up, it is still under an hour.

 

[CWS4322]

Not to mention prep times for all the veggies.

The veggies, spices, wine, vinegar, exotic oils are delivered mise en place, so that cuts down on the prep time. I, on the other hand, have to do the prep when we do a photo shoot. One of my friends who comes to help makes delicious potato pancakes (she's German-Czech). We're going to combine those with a variation of the German pork roast I make using pork tenderloin instead of rolled pork roast to cut the cooking time. Since I use apple cider to make the roast, we're going to add grated apple and some dijon mustard to the her potato pancakes. I'm sure we'll spend a couple of Sundays getting everything figured out before the photographer takes pics.

 

[GotGarlic]

Oh, I didn't realize or I forgot that it's a delivery meal deal. That roast sounds great. Please post the link when it's available

 

[Kayelle]

I braised the beef shanks. While they were braising, I sweated a celery-onion-carrot-garlic mixture (1 c carrot, 1/2 c onion, 1/2 c celery, 2 cloves garlic). Tossed the two together, added a shot of Jack Daniel's, tomatoes, cabbage, chopped chorizo, anchovy paste, a dill pickle (yes! a dill pickle), some dill pickle brine, white beans and chickpeas (already cooked), thyme, cayenne pepper, simmered for 30 minutes, removed the dill pickle, simmered another 15 minutes, removed the beef shank, pulled the meat off the bone, added 4 c kale, cooked for 5 minutes, added grated lemon zest. Topped with sour cream and grated fresh beet and a bit more of fresh thyme, chopped dill pickle, and lemon zest. Yum.

Going back to your recipe needing to be completed in under 60 minutes, I still don't think it can be done CW, even if everything is delivered chopped and ready to go. Beef shanks are tough and I'd cook them longer than you did. Then there's the time it takes to remove the meat from the bone, in addition, the kale would need more time to cook than just 5 minutes for it to be anywhere near tender. Like I said before, it sounds delicious, but not in under 60 minutes.

 

[CWS4322]

Going back to your recipe needing to be completed in under 60 minutes, I still don't think it can be done CW, even if everything is delivered chopped and ready to go. Beef shanks are tough and I'd cook them longer than you did. Then there's the time it takes to remove the meat from the bone, in addition, the kale would need more time to cook than just 5 minutes for it to be anywhere near tender. Like I said before, it sounds delicious, but not in under 60 minutes.

It depends on the quality of the meat--we use grass-fed beef. It also depends on the kale and the size of the leaves. I picked small, purple kale (the one that looks like oak leaves). This type of kale tends to take less time to cook than curly kale. To be fair, I probably should use kale from the grocery store, but I refuse to buy ingredients if I can pull them from the garden. Soon there will be no more kale and Swiss Chard, so I'll be stuck using root veggies and going to the store for other veggies.

Aunt Bea--unfortunately, all your suggestions have already been made into recipes...this is the next step in the company's evolution--instead of featuring recipes by local chefs (the company pays for the recipes), the company wants to develop its own recipes. Since I am not a chef but have prepped and cooked a number of the recipes, I have been tasked with coming up with some "winter comfort food" recipes to fill in the rotation. I also know how much each recipe costs from the home cook's perspective, so am also looking at ways to cut costs (the lobster-crab-mussel recipe was ridiculously expensive) to help improve the company's bottom line. At the same time, I am also tasked with using ingredients that are "in season" and, whenever possible, locally sourced. And, more vegetarian offerings.

FWIW, tuna season in NA closes December 31st. For us, this means tuna steaks/loin will be more expensive than they are now. Although pricey, the price right now is the lowest it will be until the season opens again.

 

[GotGarlic]

Foods that are in season available locally vary widely. What local area are you using as the basis of the recipes?

 

[CWS4322]

Foods that are in season available locally vary widely. What local area are you using as the basis of the recipes?

Eastern Ontario. We have had a late fall, so have root veggies, squash, pumpkin, apples, Swiss Chard, kale, cranberries (there is a cranberry bog about 20 minutes from where I live), leeks, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and second crop peas available. Fall slaughtered beef, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, goose, and sustainable fish.