Books | Giveaways
OK. We can agree we're all busy. We're moving at the speed of light most days. Between working, parenting, friending on Facebook and in person, doing good, working out, praying, loving, laughing, and doing an occasional load of laundry, cooking sometimes falls to the bottom of the list. Even for someone like me who really enjoys cooking and finds it a relaxing end to my day, sometimes the drive-through line is calling.
Enter in the quick and easy recipe. Whether on TV, in your favorite food magazine, or with recipes you swap around with friends, 30-minute, 20-minute, quick, and superfast reign. At Cooking Light, the food editors work tirelessly to deliver quick recipes that actually taste good. What we've learned is that great-tasting quick food doesn't have to mean convenience products and cans of this and that. Fresh veggies and smart cuts of lean protein can be just as fast or faster as a meal-in-a-box.
Step 1: “Like” us on Facebook (use the Facebook box to the right and click “Like” if you don’t already like us).
Step 2: Describe for us here in 50 words or less your ideal amount of time spent on a weeknight meal and why. Entries should be typed into the comments field of this blog post. Entries are due by Monday, September 20 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Editors will select their favorite based on originality, creativity, and how well you address our question. Winner will be notified via email by September 24, 2010. For full contest rules, click here.
P.S.: Congrats to the winners of our last 2 giveaways.
Kat won a copy of Weber's Way to Grill with this tempting description of her perfect grilled meal: "An actual 'grilled' grilled cheese sandwich with thick crusty bread and tomatoes. Throw in some prosciutto for some crispy saltiness, it cooks faster than bacon. Yum! I'm going to go make one now."
Jordan P. won a Coleman Cooler with this tailgating tale: "Carolina's first home game is against Georgia Tech next weekend, so I've already plotted the tailgate cooler! In true southern fashion, we’ve planned an epic bbq of ginger/garlic/honey glazed ribs, black eyed pea caviar with lotsa chips, and a jug of our infamous bourbon punch. We’ve got the classics too: fruits and a yogurt dip, sodas and juices for mixing, beer for the boys, and finger sandwiches for snacking! Go Tarheels!!"
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Ideally, I spend about 30 minutes making dinner...last night's lemon-basil risotto in the pressure cooker, sauteed garlicky spinach, and cubed cantaloupe took 25 minutes from start to finish. My family loves home-cooked meals, but with 3 kids under 6, speed is of the essence!
Depending on how many roommates are in the house around dinner time, my meals can take anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes. I have tried every kind of pasta and sauce imaginable, which seems to be the perfect college girl's comfort food. The longest ones to make are the red sauces, cooked low and slow, but worth ever second!
A half hour is a good amount of time preparing - cooking can be another half hour to an hour. After working all day you want something easy, healthy and good but that doesn't take an hour to prepare. I want the TV on for news of the day.
20 to 30 minutes. I've found I'm kind of a spacy cook and if a recipe takes a long time to cook or a lot of sataying I get bored and distracted and end up burning my dinner!
20 to 30 minutes. I've found I'm kind of a spacy cook and if a recipe takes a long time to cook or a lot of sataying I get bored and distracted and end up burning my dinner!
My ideal meal would take 15 minutes to fix. My husband & I are both in grad school & we get tired of eating fast food or yucky quick-fix food from the store. We need tasty, healthy meals that either of us can fix in a flash!
My ideal meal would take 15 minutes to fix. My husband & I are both in grad school & we get tired of eating fast food or yucky quick-fix food from the store. We need tasty, healthy meals that either of us can fix in a flash!
The ideal time for a weeknight meal would be three or four hours... because that would mean I've retired and have plenty of time to play! :)
My ideal time for making a weeknight meal would be between 30 minutes to an hour, because that gives me enough time to prepare all the ingredients and have a healthy and delicious meal ready right before my husband gets back from work.
The ideal time depends on the day. For busy evenings, 20-30 minutes to throw together a pasta dish is all I have. For nights where there is more time, I don't mind spending an hour or more, especially if there will be leftovers.
In summer, I like 15-minute meals because I spend most of my time walking, swimming, or growing fresh veggies in the garden. In winter, 30-45 minutes is OK because I'm indoors more and longer-cooking meals warm up the kitchen and are perfect for cold-weather eating.
For school days with lots of activities or homework lined up, a good 15 minute recipe prevents a drive through the fast-food joint without adding to an already tightly scheduled day. Otherwise, 30 minutes is plenty of time to prepare something delicious, healthy, and homemade.
20 minutes. For some reason in my brain when it goes to 30 or 45 minutes it's a long time. Like telling me to do the treadmill for 30 minutes...it seems like 3 hours. 20 minutes seems doablez
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
I'd love 15-20 minutes for prep, up to an hour to cook without me standing over it, freeing me up to help a kid with homework or to ignore the housework.
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
Ideally, I'd spend 30 minutes or less making dinner on a weeknight because I work long days and get home late.
If I had a choice, I'd love to cook for an hour or more. It's relaxing to me and enjoyable because my husband pitches in and has fun right along with me. BUT, I have 3 kids. So 30 minutes fits my life right now.
If I had a choice, I'd love to cook for an hour or more. It's relaxing to me and enjoyable because my husband pitches in and has fun right along with me. BUT, I have 3 kids. So 30 minutes fits my life right now.
My ideal meal takes about 30 minutes to prepare. After 9 years of being out of school, I finally decided to go back this year to figure out a career instead of a job. When I get home from class, it's after 6 and my brain is tired. I love being able to throw together something quick and easy that tastes like I spent all day on it. Ok, back to homework & studying!
Ideally, on weekdays, I like meals to take about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare. By the time the kids and I get home from after school activities, we're already hungry! And if the meal is fairly quick and easy to prepare, there's time leftover for presentation!
