There certainly is an art to cooking – timing is definitely key – but there’s a freedom to it as well. Don’t like mushrooms? Substitute them with peppers for a new dish. Don’t want post-meal garlic breath? Cut the recipe amount in half and add other spices that you prefer. Cooking can be fun and creative, but sometimes a little intimidating. These recipes can help with that: to encourage beginners, but still please the seasoned cook. We know every night can’t be a Thanksgiving feast; but it can be quick, easy, and filled with variety. Here are 20 dinner ideas from around the world and from my mom’s kitchen that can be whipped up in a jiffy after a long and busy day.
1. Pasta with Scallops, Cream, and Dill
This is an elegant and filling meal that will be sure to mix up the typical dinner menu, inspired by Mom and the Scottish purveyors of fine food, Valvona & Crolla. Serves 4. 20-30 minutes. INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf of garlic bread 9 oz. dried linguine or penne pasta 3 tablespoons butter 12 oz. scallops, cut into 1/3-inch wide medallions 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of whipping cream 1 teaspoon tomato paste 3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, divided 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper Parsley to garnish (optional)
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2. Balsamic Pork Chops Over Rice
For a fresh, unique recipe for pork chops, look no further. Mix up meal night with tender pork chops offering a simple but not overpowering flavor. Add a blended rice for the side, and you have a complete meal ready on the stove in under an hour.
3. Traditional Tacos
Mom made these for us as a treat, and it can be one of the fastest, easiest recipes on the list. You can make homemade seasoning, or if time is limited, pick up 1-2 packets of pre-mixed spices like Ortega Taco Seasonings® at any regular grocery store. Combine with browned ground beef, and you have a meal in 30 minutes or less.
4. Roasted Chickpea Gyros
For the vegetarians among us, this recipe will satisfy your body’s craving for protein: the hearty texture of the chickpeas will stick to your ribs, and the rich and flavorful seasonings will make you feel like you aren’t missing a thing. Make the homemade yogurt in advance for an enhanced melding of flavors, or whip it up quickly while the chickpeas bake.
5. Chicken Curry and Rice
Add an ethnic flare to your family’s dinner with an Indian curry dish that’s bound to excite your taste buds. Both the protein from the chicken and the carbs of the rice will leave you feeling full and satiated. For a richer flavor, triple the curry and double the garlic and red pepper flakes when cooking the chicken. This meal is ready to serve within 45 minutes.
6. Shrimp, Leek, and Spinach Pasta
A healthy seafood dish mixing the textures of veggies, shellfish, and pasta, this combination will certainly please the palate and fill you up. It’s easy, too, and ready in about 30 minutes on the stove.
7. Grilled Portobello Goat Cheese Pitas
Here is a vegetarian dish that adds hearty, meaty mushrooms to your plate. The creamy goat cheese gives a pungent but delicious bite, and the tomatoes are a refreshing infusion to it all. Grill over medium heat, and this meal is ready in a half hour.
8. Mashed Potato Soup
This is another one of my favorites that Mom made while I was growing up. It’s an easy, one-pot dish, and you can save time if you’re preparing mashed potatoes earlier in the week for another meal: mash extra potatoes and keep the leftovers for this dish a couple evenings later. Serves 4-6. 30-45 minutes. INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes 3 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup minced onion 1 small rib of celery including leaves, finely chopped 1 carrot, coarsely grated 2 tablespoons of butter 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon of parsley leaves 1/4 teaspoon of dill or rosemary Cheddar cheese, shredded (optional) Bacon bits (optional)
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9. Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin and Caprese Spinach Salad
Nothing goes better with a meal than bacon. Here, we have bacon wrapped around more bacon. Enjoy an otherwise lean and healthy dinner with this oven-baked pork tenderloin balanced out with a fresh caprese spinach salad. The salty bacon will complement the creamy mozzarella and acidic tomato.
10. Farfalle Bolognese
One of my all-time favorite meals, this traditional Italian red meat sauce dish is my go-to for home cooking and eating out! A rich, hearty comfort food meal perfect for inviting company, this pasta Bolognese recipe is sure to be a hit. If time is running short, you can substitute the homemade sauce for any preferred jarred brand found at your local supermarket and blend it with the browned ground beef or turkey, then add to pasta.
11. Roasted Salmon, Potatoes, and Zucchini
This is another balanced blend of Mom’s – fish, carbs, and greens. It’s easy, one pan for clean up, healthy, and delicious! Serves 4-6. 30-45 minutes. INGREDIENTS:
16-24 oz. wild salmon filets 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices 3 large potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 yellow onion, sliced thin 1 shallot, chopped Rosemary salt Olive oil Balsamic vinegar Butter Dill
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12. Ham and Broccoli Quiche
This versatile and easy recipe of broccoli, ham, and cheese requires longer baking time, but very little preparation and monitoring. Come home from work, get it started and stick it in the oven, then relax and unwind. Dinner will be ready before you know it! For faster cooking, pour quiche mixture in muffin pans instead of a 10-inch quiche dish.
13. Grilled Chicken Salad
This is a classic go-to when you’re on the go. Light yet filling, this salad will make you feel healthy and satiated. The only cooking is the chicken. If you don’t have a grill, sautéing on the stove works, too. It’s ready in under 30 minutes.
14. Betty’s Potato, Sausage, and Broccoli Skillet
It doesn’t get easier than a tried-and-true Betty Crocker® recipe that’s tasty and filled with healthy vegetables. An added bonus is the cleanup: prepare this meal in one large saucepan.
15. Healthy Ramen Alternative: Soba And Maitake Mushrooms In Soy Broth
This recipe might require adding a few special ingredients to your grocery list, but it’s bound to please and is trendy to boot. Skip the MSG-laden ramen packets and create your own healthy and satisfying slurping noodle dish that’s making waves in the foodie world. You’ll have a few pots on the stove cooking at once, but dinner can be ready in about 45 minutes.
16. Onion Buttered Sirloin with Roasted Asparagus
The juicy, full-of-flavor sirloin is mom’s and inspired by a Better Homes & Gardens recipe from over 40 years ago. It can be accompanied by any side, but roasted asparagus adds a healthy green balance to the red meat intake, and both textures and tastes pair well together. Serves 4. 30-45 minutes. INGREDIENTS:
24-32 oz. sirloin steak 1 cup butter 1/2 cup snipped parsley (optional) 1/2 cup minced onion 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed (to remove woody ends, grab stalk of asparagus at either end and bend until it snaps. It will naturally snap where it starts to get tough.) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Asparagus: Sirloin:
17. Arctic Char with Warm Olive and Lemon Dressing
For olive and capers lovers, this broiled entrée is your next meal. Light and fresh, the Mediterranean notes flavoring this fish will delight your senses. Arctic Char is related to salmon and trout, but offers a milder flavor for those whose palates are sensitive to fish tastes.
18. Chipotle Chicken Fajitas
For a zesty, spicy meal that makes for easy cooking and cleanup, whip up some Chipotle Chicken Fajitas like you’d find in any good Tex-Mex restaurant. One large skillet is all you need to cook the spiced chicken, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Serve with a side salad or Mexican rice for an even larger appetite, and you’ve got dinner with a kick in about 30 minutes!
19. Tomato Parmesan Soup and Baked Potato
The soup can hold its own, but added with a baked potato, you have a hearty, hot meal that’s perfect for those frosty winter nights. Mom and I are both fans of this recipe, inspired by Turley’s in Boulder, Colorado.
20. Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Another one of Mom’s classic dinners is her own take on a Gourmet Magazine recipe from years ago. If you have pancetta, you’ll likely have all of the other ingredients lying around the kitchen: an easy, last-minute meal that’s rich and creamy. Serves: 4-6. 45 minutes. INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. spaghetti 10 oz. pancetta 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup dry white wine 3 large eggs 3/4 to 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated 1/3 to 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS: Featured photo credit: Hirsheimer & Hamilton via bonappetit.com
