I admit it: I love to cook, but sometimes it does not give me life and I need easy and quick recipes to get out of the way without having to resort to sandwiches or ultra-processed foods.
- The trick to achieve this is to opt for simple recipes (such as, for example, this salad of tomato, pepper, red cabbage, young beans and avocado), opt for very simple cooking (grilled, sautéed, microwave …) and take advantage of processed foods that are considered acceptable (cooked legumes, washed and cut vegetables …).
It is what we have done in the following recipes to go in a hurry. See what you think. They work for me.
I admit it: I love to cook, but sometimes it does not give me life and I need easy and quick recipes to get out of the way without having to resort to sandwiches or ultra-processed foods.
- The trick to achieve this is to opt for simple recipes (such as, for example, this salad of tomato, pepper, red cabbage, young beans and avocado), opt for very simple cooking (grilled, sautéed, microwave …) and take advantage of processed foods that are considered acceptable (cooked legumes, washed and cut vegetables …).
It is what we have done in the following recipes to go in a hurry. See what you think. They work for me.
White bean and sardine salad
White bean and sardine salad
It is as simple as mixing some drained canned white beans with canned sardines (which give a lot of play to make countless easy and quick recipes), tomato cut into wedges, avocado slices and black olives.
- Other options. You can put tuna in place of sardines and other pickles.
Zucchini spaghetti with bolognese
Zucchini spaghetti with bolognese
Take some zucchini spaghetti that they sell already cut, sauté them for a couple of minutes and accompany them with a bolognese sauce from a pot or that you already have prepared in advance so as not to throw away ultra-processed ones.
- More ideas. You can also make the spaghetti with a potato peeler or spiralizer (it doesn't take more than 2-3 minutes) and put other sauces you have in the fridge or pantry: homemade fried tomato, pesto, romesco …
Scrambled eggs with asparagus and prawns
Scrambled eggs with asparagus and prawns
Just sauté the wild asparagus for a couple of minutes so that they are al dente. Add some cooked or frozen prawns or prawns that are already peeled . And mix it all with beaten egg.
- Other ingredients Skip the prawns and, instead, put some mushrooms that they sell already cut and washed to sauté or some canned.
Quinoa, avocado and salmon poke
Quinoa, avocado and salmon poke
In a bowl or a glass jar, put a quinoa base that they sell already pre-cooked. Add on top spring onion feathers, avocado tacos and raw salmon (but previously frozen for 72 hours to prevent anisakis), some edamame grains, some raw and sprouted broccoli trees to decorate.
- Faster. Instead of raw salmon, you can put marinated or smoked salmon; instead of edamame, some cooked beans or canned sweet corn; and if you do not like raw broccoli, substitute it for another vegetable such as cucumber.
Cuba style rice
Cuba style rice
In addition to being one of those easy and basic recipes that we can all make, Cuban rice can be prepared in 5 minutes by playing with the ingredients. The trick is to make it with precooked rice, canned tomato sauce and a fried or grilled egg if you want it with less fat.
- Good ideas. Both the white rice and the tomato can be already made or have them made in advance in a batch cooking plan (cook one day at a time for the whole week) and store them in a tupper in the fridge to use them according to your menus or needs.
Chickpeas with egg and cod
Chickpeas with egg and cod
Boil some quail eggs (4 minutes is enough). Meanwhile, drain some chickpeas from the pot and mix them with fresh spinach leaves. Add some crumbled salted cod, peeled quail eggs, and you're done.
- Faster. Substitute fresh cheese for the boiled egg and the cod for canned tuna.
Avocado and smoked salmon salad
Avocado and smoked salmon salad
Cut the avocado in half, remove the bone and remove the pulp with the help of a spoon. Fill the shells with green shoots, chive feathers, diced pulp, and smoked salmon.
- Other options. You can also fill it with homemade or purchased Russian salad and enriched with avocado pulp and salmon instead of tuna. For dinner, for example, this option is better, which will be less indigestible than the one with young shoots and onion.
Goat cheese salad with mushrooms
Goat cheese salad with mushrooms
On a bed of lamb's lettuce, place sliced mushrooms (so they don't oxidize, sprinkle them with a little lemon juice), washed cranberries and a slice of grilled goat cheese back and forth.
- More options. You can also sauté the mushrooms a bit, if you don't like them raw, and thus get a warm salad ideal for dinner.
Tender beans with grilled fish
Tender beans with grilled fish
Although they are almost always eaten boiled, young beans are also very tasty, lightly sautéed if they are very fresh. You just have to wash them and sauté them for a few minutes in a very hot pan or wok. So they are crispy and al dente. And at the same time you can grill, round and round, a hake fish, salmon, fresh cod, mackerel …
- More flavour. To make it richer, you can dress the fish and beans with ajito dorado in a pan with a little oil. But keep in mind that if you overdo it, the garlic will turn sour.
Asparagus with salmon and soft-boiled egg
Asparagus with salmon and soft-boiled egg
Hard-boiled eggs require about 8-10 minutes, but boiling or poaching takes 3-5 minutes. While the egg is cooking, make grilled wild asparagus with a thread of oil. Assemble the plate with the asparagus on the base, smoked salmon and the egg on top.
- Alternatives. You can add mushrooms and feta or tofu and skip the egg and smoked salmon.
Express lentil stew
Express lentil stew
Lightly sauté a few slices of chorizo. Add ratatouille that is already made or homemade or purchased tomato sauce. Add drained pot lentils. Mix well so that all the flavors are impregnated and accompany with a half glass of pre-cooked basmati rice.
- Vegetarian version. Instead of chorizo you can put tofu cubes and season them with sweet or spicy paprika so that they have that chorizo point.
Sausages with ratatouille
Sausages with ratatouille
It is as simple as making grilled sausages and serving them on a bed of pisto or sanfaina that you already have made beforehand or purchased. For the sausages to cook faster and be juicy, cover them while you cook them and add a splash of white wine.
- Alternatives. You can also put as a bed some vegetables that they sell prepared to cook them in the microwave in their own bag. And instead of sausages, grilled tenderloin, canned sardines …
Omelette stuffed with ham and cheese
Omelette stuffed with ham and cheese
Faster impossible. You make a thin French omelette, cut it in two, and fill it with ham and cheese as if it were a sandwich. To make it a more complete dish, you can accompany it with some green shoots and slices of raw tomato.
- Other options. If it is for dinner, instead of green sprouts, accompany it with some vegetables or broccoli in the microwave.
Chickpea salad
Chickpea salad
You just have to mix drained canned chickpeas with crumbled canned tuna and diced onion, tomato and pepper. And to garnish, a little old mustard and lemon.
- Faster. Add only chickpeas, canned tuna, cherry tomatoes and sweet corn and pickled chives. This way you save cutting the vegetables.
Grilled chicken with tomatoes
Grilled chicken with tomatoes
The trick to go in a hurry is to cut the chicken breast into finite fillets and accompany it with some raw tomatoes, or if it is for dinner and you want it to be less indigestible, passed through the paella. You can accompany it with yogurt sauce or another light vinaigrette.
- More side dishes. If you don't like tomatoes, you can put mushrooms or other sautéed or preserved mushrooms, microwaved broccoli trees, zucchini spaghetti …
Carpaccio
Carpaccio
Any of the ready-to-serve carpaccios they sell can solve a meal or dinner in 5 minutes. It is a salmon carpaccio and we have accompanied it with a melon carpaccio that is made with the help of a kitchen mandolin.
- More ideas. You can also opt for a beef carpaccio or a cod carpaccio and accompany them with salad.
Chickpeas With Spinach
Chickpeas With Spinach
Sauté some fresh spinach, washed and cut (no need to boil them), and when they are losing all the water, add some drained pot chickpeas. And to make it more complete, you can accompany it with meat, fish or, if you prefer a vegetarian recipe, grilled seitan or tofu.
- More options. You can make the same recipe with fresh, washed and sliced chard instead of spinach.
Gazpacho with ham
Gazpacho with ham
The gazpacho or salmorejo is another of the classics of quick meals or dinners as long as you have it prepared in advance or bought. You just have to take it out of the fridge and accompany it with ham (like here), sardines, boiled egg, fresh cheese, vegetable hash, strawberries …
- Express gazpacho. If you don't have it already done, you can grate just a few tomatoes directly on the plate, season it and accompany it with the same garnishes as the traditional gazpacho.
And if you still want more ideas and don't mind spending a few more minutes, take a look at our quick and easy recipes that you can make in less than 15 minutes or the quick and tasty meals that you can make in less than 20 minutes.
