Cooking is not everybody's favorite activity in the kitchen - raise a hand if you disagree, and let us tell you that you are one lucky human being!
But we all have to grab a bite sometimes, so a couple of tips and tricks won't do any harm. On the contrary - we could learn a lot, even from cooking trends over the Internet and social media.
Do you remember Jamie Oliver's 15-minute cooking videos? From this point, it seems like they were preparing the ground on what followed next: the 5-minute meals.
Well, welcome to the new era! These videos showed us a total reconstruction of the cooking process without causing any damage to the taste of the food.
Although they last approximately 5 minutes, these entertaining videos showed us how cooking can be fun, easy, and fast!
So, if you are not fond of food deliveries, or you just want to upgrade your cooking game - these 5-minute meals are the thing you need to see.
Forget the microwave or the long hours spent in the kitchen while guarding the oven and waiting for the meal to be done.
The new culinary era is out and about.
Breakfast In Five Minutes or Less
Many people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Moreover, breakfast is like fuel to your mind and body.
Knowing this, the necessity to have a nutritious breakfast comes naturally.
All you need to do is to choose the first meal of your day smart, to feed the brain, and keep your body healthy.
When Baloo from The Jungle Book said that the bare necessities are old Mother Nature's recipes, we all laughed and clapped.
But now, when the adulting game is on, we know that in this sentence lies a big truth: keeping it simple.
Peach cobbler oatmeal
Oatmeal is the best thing you need in the morning for a couple of reasons:
1. You can prepare it in a minute.
2. You can add your favorite fruits.
3. It's mouthwatering-delicious!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of oat flakes
milk
slices of fresh peaches
a couple of pecans
cinnamon
coconut crisps
Which side do you take - do you add the oat flakes first or the milk?
Either way, the process of preparing a bowl of oatmeal is easy-peasy and lemon squeezy.
Mix all ingredients, and pour some milk. Or pour some milk first, and then add your favorite things to it.
Certainly, the choice is yours to make, but there's no doubt that you'll love oatmeal!
Veggie Sammie
If you like to start your day in colors, then you'll love the veggie sammie!
Ingredients:
wheat bread
1/2 avocado
hummus
arugula
red peppers
salt and pepper
First of all, toast the bread, and then add a layer of hummus to each piece of bread.
Slice the veggies, and put them on the bread. Voila, you just made yourself a nice breakfast to brighten up your morning!
Cheese Omelet
Who doesn't want a good omelet to start the day with?
Ingredients:
eggs
shredded cheese
ham
chopped onions
butter
your favorite spices to accentuate the dish
Beat the eggs along with the spices in a bowl, and let them blend in. Then add the butter to a medium heated pan, and when it melts, just pour the eggs in it.
When the eggs lose the runny consistency, you can flip the omelet with a spatula and add the shredded cheese, meat, and onions.
But don't leave it as it is - be brave, feel free to play with your omelet ideas!
This is an amazing meal if you want to keep things simple. However, if you feel like playing bold, then try adding some avocado, sliced tomatoes, or even spinach to your omelet too.
It's Lunch Time!
Lunch can be your favorite meal of the day when you're at work.
Let's be honest - this is the only opportunity to get away from the working desk and refresh your mind from work.
Whether you're working from home or in an office, these lunch ideas could serve you well either way.
Lazy Lentil Soup
Lentil beans are full of fibers, protein, and iron. And many people hate them because let's admit it - they're boring.
Maybe it's time to spice things up and make lentil soup popular again.
Ingredients:
1 can low-sodium lentil soup
1 cup mixed frozen veggies
Just mix them in a soup pot, and heat them at medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes.
Ta-daaah, done!
Enjoy your lazy lentil soup, and be proud of it - your immune system will thank you later.
Pan-Seared Salmon And Tomatoes Over Quinoa
Salmon is a perfect idea for a delicious lunch. And when combined with veggies and rice or quinoa, then you're sure that besides finger-licking-good, your meal will be well-balanced too.
Ingredients:
1 fillet salmon (3-5 ounces)
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
olive oil
Heat your pan over medium-high heat, add a bit of olive oil, and put the salmon in it. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa, or reheat your quinoa leftovers from last night.
Make sure to flip the salmon because you want it nicely cooked from both sides. Then add the tomatoes, and let them sauté.
Put the quinoa on a plate. This will be your base to pull out a fancy restaurant dish. Then add the salmon and put the tomatoes over the plate. You can add balsamic vinegar and sprinkle some basil leaves if you like.
3-Ingredient Stir-Fry
Stir-fry usually takes longer to be prepared, but not when you use the pressure cooker or if you have some leftovers that you can combine.
Ingredients:
rice
broccoli
chicken or tofu
chose your spices
If you want your rice and meat ready in an instant, then feel free to put them in the pressure cooker and forget them in there for about 5 minutes.
Cook the broccoli, and fry the tofu if you choose it instead of meat. Then take out the rice and put it in the pan. Let the flavors mix for a bit.
Finally - add the spices, and there you have it - a stir-fry in 5 minutes!
Zoodles
If you try to keep away from noodles or pasta, then zoodles are your go-to lunch!
Ingredients:
1 zucchini
2-3 cloves of garlic
tomatoes
spinach
ground turkey, tuna, chicken, or something else you prefer more for your protein
olive oil
sesame, salt, pepper
Spiralize the zucchini. Put them in a pot or a pan, and cook them like you'd cook pasta. When they become tender, add the veggies and spices, mix it all up and enjoy your healthy lunch!
Dinner Is Served
Evenings are made to be spent with family or loved ones.
But even if you enjoy your alone time with your pet, dinner is the most challenging meal of all.
Don't forget that you could enjoy it with a glass of wine! Adulting is hard, so enjoy your evenings to the fullest, and have zero regrets about it.
Bruschetta
The taste of Italy on your plate never sounded better. And all of it just in a couple of minutes.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. tomatoes
1/2 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of basil
4 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil
Italian bread or baguette
salt and pepper
Just dice and chop the tomatoes, add onions, basil, olive oil, and spices.
Slice the bread and toast it to make it crunchier. Or if you want to ease the whole process, just coat the bread with a layer of olive oil and put it in the oven for a few minutes.
Then add the bruschetta mix on top, and enjoy your dinner.
Pressure Cooker Shrimp-Scampi Paella
If you want to have an instantly prepared dinner without using the microwave, then this might be the time to put your pressure cooker in use.
Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp
a cup of rice
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of parsley
juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups water
4 garlic cloves
salt, pepper, paprika, saffron
The ingredients might sound a bit overwhelming, but don't worry at all.
You'll just need to chop the parsley, mince the garlic cloves, and then combine all ingredients into the pressure cooker. Add the shrimps on top, and don't worry if they are still frozen.
The pressure cooker will do the rest, and you'll have your fancy shrimp paella ready to go in 5 minutes.
A Mighty Bowl Of Goodness
Who said that pasta can't be a healthy dish?
The bowls are amazing when you want to savor the taste of pasta. They fuse grain, fruit or veggies, and protein into one healthy dish to warm your soul.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta
steamed spinach
1/4 cup roasted diced zucchini
1/4 cup of cooked white beans
3 to 4 ounces grilled tofu
salmon or chicken
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and top your meal with a pinch of herbs by your choice.
Snack Delicacies
Who doesn't want some crunchy snacks?
Instead of eating a bag of chips or a bar of chocolate while binging your favorite Netflix show, try something new and up your couch potato game healthily.
Nutty Berry Trail Mix
This is a great bite if you crave something sweet but also like to keep your snacks on the healthier side.
Ingredients:
1 cup of mixed nuts
2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
a package of raisins
a package of chopped dried pineapple
1 jar of sunflower kernels
a package of dried cranberries
Mix them, and there you have it - your granola trail mix ready to be served!
There are loads of versions for it, and you could always mix your favorite nuts, berries, and delicacies for your sweet tooth pleasure.
Easy-Peasy Cheesecake
Cheesecake sounds scary to all culinary beginners. But it's not hard to prepare it at all. a little bit of mixing and stirring, and there you'll have it.
Ingredients:
1 carton (24.3 ounces) Philadelphia ready-to-serve cheesecake filling
1-1/2 cups coarsely crushed Oreos (about 12 cookies), separated from the filling
1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches)
In a large bowl, combine the cheesecake filling and add the 1-1/4 cups crushed cookies. The rest of the cookies will be enough for the crust of your cheesecake. Pour them into a cheesecake pan, and flatten them with a spoon to turn them into a nice crust. Add the filling, and sprinkle with Oreos if you wish.
Chill the cheesecake until it's ready for serving.
Raspberry Sorbet
Frozen desserts are something to die for. They're prepared in 5-minutes and can be eaten in an instant.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3-3/4 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
2-1/4 cups of powdered sugar
Put all ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Cover and blend them until smooth. Then transfer the mixture to a freezer container, and put it in your freezer for a couple of hours until it gets firm.
Salads Are A Meal, Too
Whether you're on a diet or not, salads should often be on your meal schedule.
The time when we thought that we need salads only when we practice a food regime is over.
Salads can be a meal only if you combine your ingredients smart.
Noritos
Try these healthy vegan burritos, to fulfill your daily dose of vitamins.
Ingredients:
1 nori sheet
1-2 tsp. of condiment by your choice
1-2 tsp. of hummus
vegetables - feel free to choose your favorites
Spread the nori sheet and add the 1-2 spoons of mustard or the condiment you chose. You can add a leave of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, olives, and nearly anything that pops into your mind.
Add hummus to connect all veggies, and then roll it up like a burrito.
Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas are awesome if you like to prepare healthy meals. They are a rich source of minerals and fiber. Besides, they are an excellent ingredient for improving your digestion.
There are loads of versions on how to prepare a chickpea salad, so here's one simple recipe to try out the next time you crave a salad.
Ingredients:
2 cans of chickpeas
1 medium cucumber
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
1 cup of parsley
4 tbsps. of lemon juice
2 tbsps. olive oil
2 tbsps. of feta cheese
salt, pepper, smoked paprika, or any other spices you like
Make sure to chop all your vegetables and parsley. Transfer them into a big salad bowl, then combine with olive oil, lemon juice, and add the spices.
Strawberry Caprese Salad
Caprese salad is a classic. But of course, the rules are made to be broken. How could you resist adding strawberries to your salad and turn it into a fancy, fruity Caprese?
Ingredients:
strawberries
tomatoes
spinach
basil
mozzarella cheese
balsamic vinegar
Chop everything, including the basil leaves. Add all of the chopped strawberries, tomatoes, mozzarella, and spinach into a bowl and mix them. If you want your salad with spices, you could add some salt and balsamic vinegar along with the basil.
Don't Forget To Hydrate
Last but not least - don't forget the liquids!
Water is a must, but make sure that you include other beverages too.
At the end of the day - a glass of Mimosa never hurt anybody!
Cranberry Fizz
Cranberries are the most popular superfood. So, why don't we enjoy them in a glass of a fresh non-alcoholic cocktail?
Ingredients:
1 bottle (32 ounces) cranberry juice
1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups of chilled ginger ale
Mix the juices in a pitcher, and put them into a fridge. Before you serve the cocktail, stir in the ginger ale. If you like your cocktails served fancy, you can always add a couple of orange slices and fresh or frozen cranberries.
Coffee Milk
A cup of coffee is always a good idea. But if you don't like the dominating taste of coffee beans, then here is a lighter version.
Ingredients:
1 cup of coffee syrup
2 quarts of cold milk
Put them into a large pitcher, mix until blended, and serve them in your favorite coffee jar. You can put the coffee milk in a fridge or add ice cubes to refresh on a summer day.
Mimosa Floats
Everybody needs a Mimosa, or two!
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups champagne
1/2 cup orange juice without the pulp
1 cup vanilla ice cream
Pour 6 tablespoons champagne and 2 tablespoons orange juice into a 6-ounce champagne flute. Stir in 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream.
Repeat the same steps all over for the other 3 Mimosa glasses.
If you have a sweet tooth, you could top it with chocolate shavings.
Who said that to enjoy a good meal, you have to spend hours in the kitchen?
These recipes will prove the opposite to all doubting souls out there. Don't ask yourself if you can do it. Give it a try and let the results surprise you.
