Hi, as a young student in Junior high I don't have much time all the time. So I was wondering if anyone could point out to me good food that can be made without much effort in about 10-20 minutes. I really don't want to eat fast food as I find most of it dusgusting. Any help would be apreciated.

if you dislike preparing food, keep some fruits with you all the time and eat more grains / wheat breads.

Well, there's always the staples, rice, ramen, pasta. =p They're all easy and fairly quick to make. If you're feeling adventurous you can always nuke some frozen meals, but the cheap ones are usually pretty disgusting.

My brother tends to do things like getting toast or bread, covering it in tomato paste, cheese and season all (which is like, salty seasoning stuff) and then putting it in the oven for a while.

I don't dislike preparing food, I just don't know how, that's why I made this thread, so I could get some ideas.

Just eat a diet of Microwave meals, Poptarts, Toast, Cereal and orange juice. Its what I do….

You can make most food that quickly. Seriously; tastey quick cooking is easy peezy booby squeezy!
Cuting and cooking a nice pice of steak takes that long if your fry it in a pan. I like to do that with some dried rosemary, salt and black pepper, cook it in olive oil and butter, (not too much). Just sere it on both sides first and then turn it over and cook it till it's the way you want it: quick for rare, a bit longer for well done. You can simply throw in some nice veggies too after the steak is done a bit and those will soak up some of the lovely tastey stuff left in the pan: thinly sliced cabage, zukini, capsicum… Nothing hard though because that takes too long to soften.

Yeah, so that's quick and tastey.
You can cook a lot of stuff that way… Sliced salami or peperoni with some veggies or rice is delicious, Minced meat with seasonings and a bit of sauce for moisture (after you've browned it first) and veggies.. Fish, the list goes on!

Plus, Noodles! You can cut up a few veggies, like carrot, zukini etc, put them in a saucepan of boiling water, add salt, sliced peperoni (if you want), saltanas, the noodle seasoning (I prefer a teaspoon of hot mustard), wait till they're a bit soft (it can take 5 or 10 minutes), then add the noodles and you're done in less than 3 more minutes!
You can eat the whole lot, including the water, it's lovely.

Oh yeah, you can get a nice piece of fish, or even steak (but not both), wrap it in some foil along with some other nice things: slices of onion, herbs like thyme and sage, pepper and salt; then put it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes and it bakes in a lovely way. Squeeze lemon on it and eat it…

So basically, making food that's nice to eat, as well as cheap to make and basic to prepare is the easiest thing that there is to do in the world. Certainly easier than web comics. More fun too. ;)

If you don't mind slightly unhealthy food…

You can cook one of those instant noodles (I'm not talking about the cup kind but the one in packs and you cook them in a pot.) Those usually take me 10 minutes to prepare depending on how fancy you want to make it. I usually soften them in boiled water first, drain the water, then really cook them. Either with chicken broth or just plain water.

The packs usually come with seasoning but I usually don't touch that and instead go for salt and pepper. Sometimes I may crack an egg into the pot. Other times I may add leftovers or some mushrooms.

A more healthy dish is steamed eggs. You'll need a wok for steaming, a dish, and a can of chicken broth. You crack about 3-4 eggs onto the dish, scramble it, then add chicken broth. Fill the wok with water, get something (I'm not sure what to call it honestly) to prop the dish slightly above the water (I have this metal thing), and then just fill the wok with water. (The water should just slightly touch the bottom of the dish.) Steam it over the oven for about 8-10 minutes. If you want it very soft and smooth, put a plate over the dish so that the water doesn't evaporate from the eggs.

…I hope I made some sense. O.o But I find that soft steamed eggs go very well with rice.

Eggs, versitile. Fruit, versitile. Bread, versitile. Pasta, versitile. Pheasant, not so much.

Hey, food, this is exactly the topic that I was wishing that would come up in the forums.
Ozoneocean hit it right on the head- you can cook great food in a short period of time. First you have to decide what you like… I can imagine that in junior high you really are not too familiar with a lot of flavours- And also have a tight budget.

I recommend scrambled eggs for starters. If you can, buy the grain fed- they are excellent.
Just crack a few eggs, add some milk, some grated cheese, maybe some tomato, a little salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a high protein meal
- add in some 100 % whole grain bread (I recommend flax seed)- trust me on this- white bread is cheaper, but it is garbage.
- add some ham, or bacon, or even chicken on the side and you have yourself a good solid meal.

For an easy lunch, buy one of those pre-made garlic breads at the grocery store, a package of pepperoni, some spinach, some pizza sauce, and, some cheese.
-Put it all together, throw it in the oven until the cheese is melted and you've got a garlic pizza sub
-it will be huge, so it is a great sandwich to share with a friend, and it is fun to make.

Fruit is also a great thing to always have around- bananas, apples, pears, maybe a pineapple (not the pre-peeled ones though-they lose their nutritional value quite quickly after they are peeled)if you feel like something a little different.

These are just a few ideas. Hopefully that is what you're looking for.

Thank you Addled, Black_Kitty and ozoneocean, that's exacly what I was lookin for. Sounds delicious too.

There's a recipe for beef stroganoff I particularly like. ^_^ I found it in a diet recipe book, but it can be adjusted to be fattening and unhealthiy (and tastier), too.

Get some thin-sliced steak and cut it into strips or bite sized pieces, whichever you prefer. Put it into a frying pan and cook in a little oil until it loses its red colour. Throw in a pinch of salt, a couple cloves of garlic (or garlic powder) and a good sprinkle of paprika. Add a couple spoonfuls of dijon mustard (yeah, sure, the original recipe had measurements, but it's more fun to just throw things together. We're a creative bunch, right? ;) ), and some sliced mushrooms. Add a splash of worcestershire sauce for extra tangy-ness if you like, then a good glug of white wine, and a beef stock cube. Cook until the mushrooms are reduced in size, and then add a splash of heavy cream (the unhealthy but extra delicious version) or low-fat yoghurt. Thicken with cornflour if need be.
Be cooking some rice a little after you start, and it should be ready about the same time. Whole thing takes about 15-20 minutes. ^_^
Looks really nice if you spread rice out over a plate, then put the meat/sauce in the middle, and sprinkle the whole thing with paprika, and it's a lovely, creamy, full of flavour sauce. Makes great leftovers, too.

If you're looking for something a little simpler, one of my favourite easy meals is to get a stack of pita bread (whole wheat and flax ones are my favourite), a nice pile of cut-up cooked chicken breast and thin steak strips seasoned with salt and pepper, and a little pile of cucumber, tomato and shredded lettuce. Arrange all of that on a plate and grab a few bottles of various condiments, and you can have a happy fun meal making your own pita bread pockets. ^_^

Do you just want meals that can be fully made within 20 minutes, or will stuff that takes less than 20mins to prepare, but longer to cook work too?

No problem~ Just a word of warning: sometimes I forget the plate and what ends up happening is that the water evaporates and the egg is not only rougher in texture but it looks kinda…ugly. ^^;;; But it's still edible.

There's even a Wikipedia article on it! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_steamed_eggs

I find chicken broth and rice to be my friend when one's in a hurry. If you go to an Asian supermarket, they have stuff like beef/fish/whatever balls. So you can grab some bok choy, some noodles, and beef/fish/whatever balls, throw them into a pot of chicken broth and eat that with rice.

One thing I really liked but I have no time lately is fish and peppers. You get some green/red/yellow peppers, cut them into quarters and clean them out. Then you fill each slice with fish paste and fry them. Taste pretty nice.

lol funny this thread should pop up. I was just making dinner. you know Tortellini pasta? the kind with stuff like meat or cheese crammed into pockets? those are pretty easy to make. just boil for like 10 minutes and it's done. you drain the water, and then you put in Ricotta cheese and marble jack cheese along with a bit of milk to keep the bottom from burning the pasta and cheese, and plus the bit of milk will help all that cheese become nice and creamy. but the milk has to be like only 1/4 cups or something. can't have it be too much otherwise it just becomes a little bit too wet.

and you got yourself a delicious dinner.

edit: oh yeah, provolone cheese is GREAT with that type of dinner too. combined with the Ricotta cheese it's really delicious! mixing that with Marble Jack cheese too gives the favor that kick.

it tastes just like lasagna, only in a more smaller manageable form.

Black_Kitty
If you don't mind slightly unhealthy food…

You can cook one of those instant noodles (I'm not talking about the cup kind but the one in packs and you cook them in a pot.) Those usually take me 10 minutes to prepare depending on how fancy you want to make it. I usually soften them in boiled water first, drain the water, then really cook them. Either with chicken broth or just plain water.

The packs usually come with seasoning but I usually don't touch that and instead go for salt and pepper. Sometimes I may crack an egg into the pot. Other times I may add leftovers or some mushrooms.

A more healthy dish is steamed eggs. You'll need a wok for steaming, a dish, and a can of chicken broth. You crack about 3-4 eggs onto the dish, scramble it, then add chicken broth. Fill the wok with water, get something (I'm not sure what to call it honestly) to prop the dish slightly above the water (I have this metal thing), and then just fill the wok with water. (The water should just slightly touch the bottom of the dish.) Steam it over the oven for about 8-10 minutes. If you want it very soft and smooth, put a plate over the dish so that the water doesn't evaporate from the eggs.

…I hope I made some sense. O.o But I find that soft steamed eggs go very well with rice.

allso you can cook eggs in mrowaves 30 seconds a side is pretty good they can explode on you hot dogs explode two bred gose hard if its in to long there mirovape pizza you can by more vegatables and cheese on top. i like it better when my mum makes this really good pizza thing with pumken and freash breed i can still reamber when she made this amzing pizza were the dow was so sofft and yumy *happy day dreem about food*sory i gess thats not help full

uh, you mean cracked eggs, right? if you just put a egg in there with the shell on it explodes. and not very good for the mircowave. I tried that once when I was younger… -__-;; although when I had this poaching thingy where I could crack open the eggs and put it into that thingy to put in the mircowave it cooked with no problems.

yep sunny side up not bad but i have a really mondern one so it tewnsds to explloed a lot of things

Get 2 eggs.
Get a pan.
Get some cheese.

Stir eggs.
Add cheese.
Fry eggs wile scrambling them.

Or
Get tuna.
Get mayo.
Get olive oil.
Get bread (sliced).

Mix tuna and mayo.
Ad a few drops of olive oil.
Mix again.
Put on bread.

Eat.
Digest.
Poop.

herio
yep sunny side up not bad but i have a really mondern one so it tewnsds to explloed a lot of things

That is the funniest post here lol!

ozoneocean

herio
yep sunny side up not bad but i have a really mondern one so it tewnsds to explloed a lot of things

That is the funniest post here lol!

you know what? every time Herio posts, I can't help but picture him as this cartoon character that's depicted as a very young boy with a gap in his teeth… talking halfway like a young boy with an lisp, and halfway talking like elmer fudd…

Fish is one of my favorite quick meals to prepare (but it does tend to make the house smell like fish…) If it's a flavorful slice of fish, like salmon or tuna, I usually dust it with Konriko brand Creole seasoning, then wrap in in tin foil and bake it at about 400 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes. When the fish flakes apart easily with a fork, it's done. This is very good with a side of couscous, which is available in the grocery store usually in the rice section, but sometimes in the mediteranean food section. Couscous is very easy to prepare out of the box (about five minutes) and comes in all kinds of tasty flavors.

Less strongly flavored fish, like talapia or walleye, is very good pan-seared. I like a recipe based on one of Rachael Rays. Get a couple of tomatos, a red onion, and a jalapeno or other spicy pepper, dice them all up finely and saute in a little olive oil. Season the fish with cumin and paprika, then add it to the pan. The original recipe calls for you to add about a half a bottle of light Mexican beer, but you can substitute vegetable broth if you are too young to get beer. Keep the heat on to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. You're done! This is excellent with a side of rice. Brown rice is better for you than white, and I think it has more flavor (especially if you boil it in vegetable broth instead of water!) You can also add some vegetables, like carrots, celery, or onions to the rice as it boils for a little extra flavor.

I love cooking. And I'm not a pork or beef eater, so I get to have a lot of fun with new flavor combinations. I LOVE tofu, but I can't prepare it as well as restaurants.

stir fry is easy and delicious. :)

Get some chicken, and cut it up into bits. Slightly frozen chicken makes it easier to cut.

Toss the chicken into a big pan with just a little olive oil (or sesame oil for a more oriental flavor). Sprinkle in some chinese 5-spice and a bit of soy sauce (found in the spice aisle) or (for more flavor and less healthy) pre-made stir-fry sauce like teriyaki. Stir that sometimes while it's cooking- once you can't see any pink on the outsides, toss in veggies like chopped up baby carrots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, etc, and more sauce/seasonings. Simmer that for a while (5 minutes?) while stirring occasionally. You can cook up some rice and mix it together if you want, you can also mix in some egg at the very end if you want more protien. :)

If you use tougher veggies like carrots, broccoli, etc, they need to cook for longer, so put them in before you do the chicken. Then separate them out while you cook the chicken, and put them back in with the others to get them hot again. (That's what I do anyway.)


“Greek” pitas!

Get some pita breads from the store, and some chicken breasts, some lettuce, some feta cheese if you want, and some balsamic vinagrette (or other really sharp, tangy vinegar… not just plain vinegar though). Cook the chicken in the microwave (or grill it if you have more time). When it's done, shred it with a couple of forks, or chop it into smallish cubes. Throw the chicken, lettuce, crumbled feta, and some vinaigrette into a bowl, and mix it all up. Then stuff it into the pitas. :) Yummy! Cucumbers are good too.

peanut butter on a spoon, pluss if you put a flourescent light in the microwave it will glow !

I live on peanut butter sandwiches.

Sit down young one, and I shall tell ye of the marvelous dishes that are getting me through college.

10 minute spaghetti- (personal fave)
3 itallian sausages, mild or medium whatever you prefer, dice and brown in a saucepan. Drain grease. Then, add any kind of premade spaghetti sauce you desire, personal fave- ragu roasted garlic. After that, take about a 1/3 to 1/2 cup of red wine (Merlot or Shiraz preferably) and pour in the empty sauce bottle. Swish it around to get all the extra sauce, then add it to the saucepan. Stir, cover, reduce heat, and let simmer until your noodles are done.

This dish is amazing, and serves 3-5 people! Huzzah!

Chicken Tostadas- Family recipe-

Real easy one ‘ere, because the main fun of eating tostadas is assembling them yourself. The hardest step you’re going to have to do is fry the tortillas. Ingredients desired-
Can of Black Olives
Rotissarie Chicken (already cooked)
Corn or flour tortillas, I prefer flour.
Lettuce (romaine, not iceberg)
Salsa (whatever flavor you prefer)
Grated cheese
Refried beans, if you want.
Sour Cream
Diced tomatoes
Guacamole (my family has a rocking guac recipe)

All of these ingredients can be found premade and mostly in cans and such. So no preparation there! ;)

To fry the tortilla, in a frying pan, (deep sides preferably) pour about a 1/4 inch of olive oil (always use olive oil for cooking, much better). Turn stove to medium high, and when you dip the corner of the tortilla in and it bubbles, then the oil is ready. Fry quickly, it doesn't take long AT ALL, turn, and then place on a plate with some paper towels to drain. Lightly salt the tortilla and you're good to go. Also feeds a good number of people (big family). The great thing about this one, is that its great for leftovers. Just put everything in the fridge, and you're good to go!

Now, the important part that is more artistic than anything. ;) Assembling your tostada. First have all your ingredients ready to serve, and begin adding whatever you prefer. As an example, I shall tell you which ones work best for me. Fist, have your fried flour tortilla, add the chicken, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, guac, and sour-cream. Huzzah! Er, I mean, Ole!

Best of luck, and I hope those help!

Huge portions are a great way to go- I rarely have to make lunch, as packages of meat we buy and such tend to be a little more than 2 portions, so I make a little more of whatever sauce I'm using (chicken in white wine with pasta is great for this!) and just stick it in a container for the next day.

My mum tends to make GIANT portions of things, since it's not much more work than making a small amount, and then put what isn't used into plastic tubs and into the freezer. That way, when she's working through dinner time, my helpless dad and brother can just pull a spaghetti bolognaise or chilli out of the freezer and boil some pasta or rice. :)

Peanut butter and honey sandwiches. They're delicious!

Ooo! While we're on peanut butter and whatever…

Peanut butter and condensed milk. Delicious! They serve them in Hong Kong cafés and it is soooooo good! Best when it's warm.

Baked beans on toast

peanut butter on a spoon

handful of cereal

just some veggies and salad dressing is quick and easy