Let’s be honest. None of us want to come home after a long day, be it from class or from work, to chef up an entire Food Network worthy dish. Especially if it is a time consuming one. As soon as I come home in time for dinner, my comfy clothes are on and I’m ready to watch an episode of whatever show I’ve been binge-watching that week. I’m definitely not in the mood to spend more than an hour preparing dinner for myself…so a quick and easy meal is the answer. These meals featured below take no longer than 20 minutes each and they’re all just as yummy as the next. This is really dinner recipes made easy!
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with cities full of culture, history, and great food. One of their most well-known dishes, Risotto, is a perfect dish to make for people who might not have a lot of experience cooking or want to take the easy way out (just for the night). Of course, some Risotto recipes may take longer than others, but not in this case. The trick here is to use leftover rice. So, not only are you making some delicious food in a short amount of time, this recipe gives you a reason to use the leftover cooked rice sitting in your fridge. You can really make anything with leftover rice. Stuffed peppers, fried rice, bowl meals, soup, the list goes on. For this recipe, in particular, the steps are simple. You melt butter in a non-stick skillet, add the rice and Italian seasoning, then slowly add in some broth (vegetable or chicken, the choice is yours). As you repeat that last step, the rice will start to absorb the broth. Add salt and pepper to taste, maybe even some parmesan, and you’re all set.
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This dish is healthy, full of flavor, and quick to make. It’s a win-win. Not to mention the combination of honey and garlic is one of the best known to man. Seafood is also surprisingly quick to cook up, especially shrimp, so is it really a shocker that it made it onto this list? If you want, you could marinade the shrimp while you’re out earlier in the day, making for an even easier dinner to make. (Be sure to leave some of the sauce on the side to pour onto the dish later on). Also, if you’re a big fan of ginger, add some, freshly minced of course, to the sauce!
All you need is shrimp, honey, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, and chopped green onion for garnish. You whisk the honey, garlic, soy sauce, and ginger (optional) together in a bowl, packing it into a Ziploc bag or Tupperware to shake and marinade in for however long you like. When you get to making the actual dish itself, start by heating olive oil into your skillet of choice, adding the shrimp in just a few seconds later. Cook the shrimp on one side and then flip to cook the other, about 45 seconds to a minute for each. Pour the remaining sauce/marinade into the skillet once the shrimp is fully cooked. It’s that easy! If you want to get real fancy, add some broccoli and brown rice on the side.
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Lemon and chicken go together very nicely. The bitter and rather sour flavor from the lemon balances out well with the tender, flavorful chicken. Prior to cooking this dish, marinate the chicken in the honey lemon sauce for at least 30 minutes. (This is recommended, not mandatory). You can even let the chicken sit in the sauce while you cut up the green beans. All you have to do once those two things are set is cook it all up! The green beans get cooked in olive oil until they’re tender yet crisp. You then transfer them to a plate and use the same skillet to sauté the chicken in. Using a slotted spoon, add the chicken to the plate of green beans and then pour the rest of the honey lemon sauce into the skillet to cook by itself for a few minutes. Add the chicken and green beans back into the pan and boom! You’re all done.
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Cauliflower has been getting a lot of hype these days. It can be used as a meat substitute or just as a simple side dish. Either way, it is bound to make any meal scrumptious. The great thing about cauliflower is that it will really end up tasting like whatever sauce you throw it around in. Like this one, for example. When you add it into such a rich, sweet sauce, you’re going to get an abundance of flavors! The sauce for this recipe has soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. How yummy does all of that sound?
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This dish takes only 20 minutes and can be made in one skillet. Whenever I want something quick to make, pasta always seems to be the answer. It’s cheap, quick, easy, and typically only ever needs a few other ingredients. Sun-dried tomatoes can be used with and for everything. Sandwiches, pasta (duh), as a flatbread topping, salads, etc. In my opinion, they taste best with anything that includes chicken and cheese. Take this recipe for example!
To start things off, cook the pasta of your choice in a pot (my favorite is penne). In the meantime, start cooking the chicken. You then start to sauté the garlic and tomatoes, adding in the cream and cheeses before finally seasoning the dish to your liking. Cut up the chicken, add it in with the pasta, and stir it all up. It’s that simple.
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