We, humans, are funny species. We spend hours watching the show Master Chef. But when we step into the kitchen we automatically switch to easy-to-cook foods.
“Someday we would cook that “Mediterranean Shrimp Kabobs” but today let’s just search for super quick dinner ideas.” But easy-to-cook foods don’t always have to be boring. You can be creative with them and even come up with your own inventions. Also, if you are a cake person, here are some eggless cake recipes for you.
We have created a list of 8 recipes keeping in mind that few days can be hectic. And even in those days when you have to eat an instant meal, it can still be a tasty one.
- Mac and Cheese
- Pancakes
- Smoothie
- Pepperoni Pan Pizza
- Cheese Garlic Bread
- Lemon Rice
- Fruit Salad with Cashew Cream
- Cheese Fried Eggs
Let the cooking begin!
1. Mac and Cheese
You can’t get a lot of things done in 15 minutes, thank God cooking mac and cheese is not one of those things. As a child, mac and cheese used to rescue us from broccoli and veggies. As adults with hectic lives, it gives us the comfort of a quick and tasty meal. And it has cheese that everyone loves, so extra 50 points just for that alone.
Ingredients
Dry macaroni/pasta, salt, flour, milk, mozzarella cheese, black pepper, oregano, chilly flakes
Steps to Cook
Boil the pasta in salted water on high flame
For the roux (cheese sauce), melt the butter in a pan and keep adding flour in small proportions. Keep whisking during this process to achieve the right texture of the sauce. Add other dry herbs like pepper, oregano, salt, as per your taste.
Add milk, let it heat on a medium flame for some time. Then add shredded cheese and let the sauce thicken in texture.
Once the sauce is thick and you feel the consistency is right, you can mix the boiled pasta with the sauce.
Mix the pasta and the sauce well. You can adjust salt/herbs as per your liking.
Tadaa! Your dish is ready.
2. Pancakes
A lazy heart loves pancakes. The good thing about cooking pancakes is that they are one of the most easy-to-cook foods. But what makes it awesome are its ingredients. They are the regular cooking items. They are available in your kitchen at all times. No hustle!
If you have honey or chocolate syrup, they act as a great add-on to pancakes. Simply perfect for the days you crave sugar.
The best part is, you can store the pancake mix in a freezer and use it the next day as well! (win-win)
Ingredients
flour, baking powder, salt, white sugar, milk, eggs, melted butter
Steps to Cook
To make the pancake batter take a large bowl and add all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar). Whisk it and mix it.
Make some space in the center of the bowl. Pour milk, egg, and oil. Back to whisking and mixing.
Once you have the batter, heat the pan on medium flame. Moist it with oil.
Now, pour ¼ cup of batter into the pan in a circular shape.
Heat it on both sides. When it gets brownish in color, consider it ready to serve.
Pancake on plates baby
3. Smoothie – the healthy one
You got to agree that smoothies are the quickest and the healthiest breakfast.
Although most of us are working from home, the mornings continue to be bombarded with zoom calls.
On these days of erratic breaks and unpredictable work hours, smoothies come as a savior for your health.
Ingredients
Apple or any other fruit of your choice, dates, oats, milk/water, Indian gooseberry, almonds, apricot peanut butter, fig, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds
Steps to cook
You just need to put all the above ingredients in a mixer.
You can chop the apple or any other fruit that you choose before adding it to a mixer
Mix it for 2-3minutes
Pour it in the tumbler
And you are done!
Easy Peasy!
4. Pepperoni Pan Pizza
Pizzas are one the best comfort food. We hear the word pizza and instinctively our fingers start dialing Dominos. While we love dominos, there are few varieties of pizza that you can also make at home.
“Pan Pizza” being one of them. As evident from the name, you don’t even need an oven to make it. However, while cooking on the pan, you need to give extra attention to the base of the pizza, to ensure it doesn’t get burnt.
Ingredients
warm water, sugar, yeast, salt, tomato sauce, olive oil, flour, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, onion, olives
Steps to Cook
Take a non-stick pan. The one with a large base would be more preferable.
Add water, olive oil, flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Keep stirring them until you get a gooey texture of the dough.
Spread the dough to the edges of the pan. (you can also get a ready-made pizza base and if you have time, you can leave the dough in the refrigerator for some time so that it can rise)
To the base, add tomato sauce. (you can add marinara sauce – a mix of tomatoes, herbs, onions and garlic)
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and other herbs like oregano, chili flakes, pepper, etc.
Add pepperoni and other toppings of your choice like capsicum, onion, olives, etc.
Allow it 10-15 minutes to cook
And
The delicious Pizza is ready!!
5. Cheese Garlic Bread
If the world of food was a world of superheroes, garlic bread would be the coolest sidekick. You can eat it with pizza, pasta and even soups. But the thing about sidekicks is that they secretly aspire to be heroes. Garlic Bread is no different. It becomes the hero when it is combined with cheese. Hot Cheese Garlic Bread, seasoned with oregano and chili flakes is the perfect meal to make your day.
Ingredients
Italian bread, butter, seasoning, mozzarella cheese, pepper
Steps to Cook
Take an Italian bread (preferably) and slice it into two halves
For the base of the bread, take butter in a bowl. To add flavors to it, add crushed garlic, salt, and pepper and mix it well.
Spread the mix on both sides of the bread.
Now time for mozzarella cheese!
Sprinkle shredded cheese over the bread.
Sprinkle seasonings like oregano, chili flakes, or pepper on top of it
Let it bake for 10 minutes
And it is ready!
6. Lemon Rice
This dish comes from the southern part of India. Lemon Rice is also popularly called Chtranna in Kannada.
If you are the kind of person who doesn’t cook “at all,” lemon rice is a good place to start. It would probably rank among the top 3 easy-to-cook foods for lunch!
It is a dish full of flavors. Especially, if you like tangy flavors, you are certainly going to love lemon rice.
Ingredients
cooked basmati rice, oil, asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves, whole red chili, turmeric powder, salt, lemon juice, peanuts, black lentils, split chickpeas, ginger
Steps to Cook
We start with preparing the rice first. Take a pan and add rice, salt, and water. Close the lid and allow it to fully cook. Now, we have fluffy rice.
Add more water to it, if you think the rice is not fully cooked.
Now, it is time to saute. Take a separate pan and add oil, mustard, black lentils and split chickpeas. Heat it on medium flame. Once you see a golden brownish color, you can add curry leaves, ginger, red, and green chilly.
After 1-2 minutes, add salt, turmeric and asafoetida.
Now, mix the cooked rice with the sauteed herbs. Stir them well and squeeze lemon juice and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
It is read! Enjoy
7. Fruit Salad with Cashew Cream
Fruit salads are not only easy to make but they are also good for your health. You can always choose seasonal fruits for more benefits. Watermelon on a hot sunny day is true bliss. You can add different herbs or creams as toppings to enhance the flavors.
Ingredients
Fruits of your choice. For example, for summers you can go for (mango, papaya, grapes, watermelon, apple, etc.), cashew, vanilla extract, sugar, chilled water
Steps to Cook
Chop all the fruits that you want to add. Mix them in a ball.
For the cashew cream, crunch the cashews and add them to the blender. Add cold water and mix it.
Add some sugar and vanilla extract. Blend it again.
And your creamy cashew sauce is ready.
You can add this sauce to the top of your fruits. Or, you can add it in layers like bananas, some cashew cream then watermelon, and so on…
8. Cheese Fried Eggs
Cheese is your life savior in many foods. It can make everything tasty. Cheese fried eggs are one of the RIDICULOUSLY quick and easy meals.
Perfect for the lazy Sundays or even the busy Mondays.
Ingredients
butter, eggs, salt, pepper, oregano, cheese
Steps to Cook
Melt some butter into your pan
Crack open the egg directly in the pan
For seasoning add salt, pepper, oregano
Add some shredded cheese and cover it for two minutes
Get your fork and knives, it’s time to eat!
Cooking already?
We would love to know your experience with these recipes and your interesting tweaks to them.
Keep cooking! Keep creating!
