Meal Ideas

Question: meal ideas? I have to coojk a meal for four people and I cant deside on what to make. I need a main dish, appitiser, bread and desert. I would appricate any idea you might have! I need a theme and Im cooking for picky teenagers and only have about 2 hours to cook it so try and keep it simple but not to simple.

Answer: Mexican Fiesta theme (I tried to keep this easy) Appetizer: nachos and salsa or cheese These are *really* good!! Low-Fat Fajitas like Chili's® Serves: 4 1/4 cup lime juice 2 Tbls. olive oil 4 cloves garlic - crushed 2 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts OR skirt steak (or you could use those pre-packaged deals) 2 Tbls. water 1/2 tsp. lime juice 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 dash salt 1 dash black pepper 1 Tbls. oil 1 lrg. Spanish onion - sliced thin 1/2 med. green bell pepper - seeded, sliced thin 1/2 med. red bell pepper - seeded, sliced thin 1/2 med. yellow bell pepper - seeded, sliced thin Marinade: -Combine 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 Tbls. oil, garlic, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. salt, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper in a sealable plastic container, add chicken/steak to container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight (preferred). -Grill meat over a medium-high flame for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (or use package deals) -Cut meat into thin strips; set aside and keep warm. -Combine water, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. lime juice, and a dash of salt and pepper; set aside. -In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and peppers in 1 Tbls. oil until brown; remove from heat; pour above liquid mixture over onions and peppers. -Toss together meat, onions, and peppers. Notes: Serve with warm tortillas, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole Dessert: Ice cream sundaes with sauce, nuts, fruit, etc.

Question: Meal ideas? I need some ideas for meals. In general. Preferably things on the healthier side. It can be out of the ordinary, just not to expensive. Recipes would be fantastic! When you list your face dinner;say, like what do you like for your sides, exct. Example: Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. I want complete meals! p.s. (I'm trying to avoid bread so ifyou have any yummy wrap recipes that would be magnificio!) Thanks so much!

Answer: CHICKEN OLA 4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless 2 bell peppers, sliced thin 2 onions, sliced thin 4 tomatoes, quartered 1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil salt & pepper to taste 4 slices mozzarella cheese In large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Remove chicken; add sliced peppers & onions. Saute gently, until onions are clear. Add tomatoes and place chicken on top of veggies. Cover and simmer 45 min. Before serving, place 1 slice of cheese on top of each chicken piece. Cover pan until cheese has melted. ... Crisp green salad with some mandarin oranges and sliced almonds tossed in....... Since you want to cut down on carbs, instead of the usual rice with this, maybe some steamed carrots, green beans or cauliflower?

Question: MEAL ideas........................? would like some ideas for meals that are quick and easy.. (no chicken)

Answer: Hamburgers, soup and sandwiches, tacos with ground beef.

Question: Does anyone have any different meal ideas, as im completely stuck? I have 2 boys ages 3 and 6 and also a partner that comes in from work at around 7-7;30pm. My kids will eat more or less anything but my bloke is fussy and wants different things all of the time instead of the same meals week after week. The thing is im stuck for ideas and have got a mental block!! I shop at asda so anything that i can get from there would be great. And its got to be something that doesnt take ages to cook, ive got all day to prepare but limited time to cook as we dont want to be eating our meal late on a night. thanks for any ideas .

Answer: Maybe you should tell your fussy husband that if he wants different things *all* the time then he should learn to cook himself, and take some of the burden off you. Nobody can be expected to keep coming up with new things all the time. It usually takes at least three or four goes before you get a recipe right, anyway. In the meantime, assuming that the useless git isn't going to do that, one of the best things you can do is get some useful cookbooks. The French are very clever at disguising the same old ingredients with different sauces. Say you cook a chop or a steak. Have the oven on low (like, reheat temperature, about 120C) and when the chop or steak is done almost how you like it (but not quite - very important) whack it into the oven to finish cooking for 5-10 minutes. While it's finishing cooking, you can make many different sauces with anything left in the pan in which you cooked the chop/steak. (This does mean that you shouldn't cook chops or steaks under the grill, so if you do do that, please don't. It's not really any less healthy, anyway.) Have an onion or a shallot chopped fine before you've even cooked the chop or steak. Shallots are better because they taste more interesting, but they aren't vital. Add a little oil or butter to the hot pan, turn up the heat and then add the onion/shallot. Great. You are now making the base for a sauce. You now need a liquid to deglaze the pan. You can use wine (good), stock (good) or water (less good). When the onion/shallot is soft and beginning to turn gold, add a glassful of the liquid. Turn the heat right up, so that it bubbles fiercely. What you do now depends on what your meat course is. If it's a steak, some more stock or red wine will go very nicely. If it's a lamb chop, white wine is good, as is finely chopped fresh rosemary/garlic. If it's a pork chop, a generous spoonful of mustard plus some chopped pickled cucumber/dill pickle and a dash of red wine vinegar will make the sauce fit for a king. Add a handful of capers and you're laughing. However, kids tend not to like capers; I did, but then I'm funny that way. Re stock: if there is a health food shop near you, they might have Marigold stock powder. Get a tub of this stuff. It's brilliant. I have made stock from scratch, using chicken piecs and vegetables etc, and Marigold is as good and as healthy but takes a tiny fraction of the time and expense. Bung some in a pyrex jug, pour boiling water over and bingo, instant stock. Way better than stock cubes. With all these things, a handful of finely chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley (assuming you can get them in Asda, which I don't think you can) will liven it up no end. All of these things taste brilliant with any kind of potato dish or even steamed green vegetable, or both. Mashed potato is specially good at soaking up a tasty sauce. None of these things take more than half an hour to actually cook, but the chopping of onion/shallot/caper/cucumber etc will take a bit longer. Allow me to recommend Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook and Nigel Slater's Appetite as ways into thinking about basic dishes which you can cunningly vary so that your picky husband doesn't notice that he's basically getting the same thing with lots of different accompaniments. One last one; my mum's old standby was flank steak. Dunno if you can get it in Asda, but probably any cheap cut of steak will do. She marinaded it overnight in olive oil, soy sauce and garlic and cooked it under the grill for about ten minutes. I can still taste it. It was fabulous.

Question: Meal ideas for family of 4 on a budget? Money is tight at the moment and I'm looking for meal ideas for 2 adults, a five year old and a 14 month old. Nothing with too many ingredients so my husband can share the cooking load (he's not so that good where cooking is concerned) Thanks Stella : That site is fab. Thanks!

Answer: yeah pizza and pasta are good ideas though i understand if you want to keep healthy and try some variety. try this website www.cookingbynumbers.com you check the boxes of all the ingredients you have at home and it gives you simple recipes to make with them good luck :)

Question: What are some quick easy meal ideas for when we are on vacation? I'm looking for some quick and easy meal ideas that don't contain a lot of ingredients. My husband, our 6 year old and myself are going to Orlando for 2 weeks in December. We will be spending most days at Disney or enjoying other attractions. We plan to eat out some but in order to stay within budget we will often be making meals at our rented house.

Answer: bbq chicken drums (chicken w/a handle as my son calls them) Pasta w/ sauce Basic salad w/ beans and tomato's

Question: What low-budget recipes/meal ideas do you have? I'm on limited income, and get $150 in food stamps. I'm looking for tasty recipes/meal ideas that could have the following criteria: few ingredients, cheap ingredients, recipes that can go a long way, recipes that freeze well, vegetarian/healthy, easy to make, etc. Please list all ingredients and directions. Thank you.

Answer: I would buy frozen fries, fresh vegetables, burgers, things that you can get more than 1 use from, pastas, lasagnas and soups.......... 1 lb spaghetti salt 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, sliced 6 small hot red chili peppers (or generous qty of crushed red pepper) 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped Cook the spaghetti in abundant salt water following manufacturer’s instructions, tasting for readiness from time to time. While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic and red pepper. Turn the heat to medium. Sauté the garlic briefly, but turn heat off before the garlic could begin coloring. When pasta is al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked), drain and transfer to a bowl. Top with the oil-garlic mixture. Spread the chopped parsley on top (if desired). Toss thoroughly and serve at once.

Question: what are some meal ideas for a truck driver with no means of heating up a meal? My husband is a local truck driver in our area. He is tired of the normal sandwiches, soups and spaghettio's. I am looking for some meal ideas!

Answer: Make him up some nice pasta salad. Whatever kind is his favorite, and put a bun in there for him to eat too. I also sometimes take wraps. Get spinach tortillas, spread with herb & garlic cream cheese, put some ham and some pickles sliced thin in it and roll it up. Delicious, and keeps well. You could also make him fancier sandwiches like turkey on rye with lettuce, tomato, and swiss cheese instead of just turkey on white with mayo. If he is a veggie eater he could also take a garden salad with some sliced chicken breast in it, or a chef salad as well. Hope that helps!

Question: What are some great meal ideas for a toddler birthday party? We are having over about 4-5 little boys for my son's 3rd birthday party. It will be a pool party with lemonade in a big bubba keg. The theme is Spider Man with little treat bags for all kids. I'm looking for some meal ideas that I can make for the event. I want to avoid the typical pizza or hot dogs and try to have something at least somewhat healthy. I will do a fruit tray but want something for the main meal. Ideas please?

Answer: wal-mart has some sub sandwiches in their deli section for only $5.00 and they are big. We have done that the last 2 parties we had. They are a quick, cheap, yummy idea. They have a few different types to choose from.

Question: Simple main meal ideas for a saturday night? I am looking for some really simple and quick main meal ideas just for me on Saturday night? The last few weeks I usually have a night off and get Chicken Treat but I don't think I want that this week.

Answer: My daughter fixed this for me and it was delicious and quick. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take 2 boneless, 3/4 inch pork chops season to taste, & bread with a "shake and bake" style breading. Place them on aluminum foil on a cookie sheet & bake for 35 minutes on medium rack (Check for doneness as every oven cooks differently.) While they are baking open a small can of whole potatoes, drain and place in small skillet with butter, salt, pepper, & a bit of oregano. Heat on medium. Serve with your favorite green vegetable eg: green beans, peas, broccoli, or make a little salad.

Question: What are some healthy meal ideas to take for lunch? I'm going to be starting work again next week so I need ideas of foods I can make ahead and take with me in a small tupperware. All I can think of is a salad, but a salad every day for lunch will get boring. I don't eat sandwiches and I don't want a frozen meal. Ideas?

Answer: You can do a fresh fruit and cheese plate Do cantaloupe filled with chicken salad Tuna Salad on top of lettuce with cucumbers and onions and vinagreitte Take a little frozen one person lasagna California rolls Fresh salmon served cold with cold veggies Vegetables and dip Cold chicken breast with cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes Soup that can be warmed up quickly with a few sliced of bread. One idea I used when I worked retail and brought a lunch was small tupperware container of hummus with individual bags of cut veggies and other "dippables". Hard boiled egg quarters, chuncks of lunch meats, carrots, celery, peppers, cheeses etc. Hummus is really healthy and comes in lots of flavors, but you can always make up some other kind of dip, like cheese or something. You can eat quite a few of these items cool (especially during the summer months) or warmed up. Hope these help!

Question: What are some easy vegetarian meal ideas? I plan on adopting a vegetarian diet so I need to start cooking for myself since other people in my household will still be eating meat. I need easy meal ideas that a suckish chef (like me!) could make everyday. I think I'm good on breakfasts, but I'll take some suggestions, along with LOTS of lunch and dinner ideas.

Answer: Here's some of the things I've made recently (everything is vegan): Breakfast: Banana bread Muffins Scones Granola with almond milk and bananas Banana crepes Lunch: typically leftovers from dinner Dinner: Shepherd's pie Veggie burritos TLT sandwich (tempeh, lettuce, tomato) Chinese food like orange tofu Mexi-millet (like Spanish rice, but with millet), black beans in adobo sauce, and guac Chili Pasta Sloppy Joes made with lentils instead of beef Soups/stews! Pizza [I usually make dough myself, but make multiples of it and store in the freezer, that way you just need to thaw, top, bake and eat!] I like to get ideas from food blogs and cookbooks. Cookbooks I typically borrow first from the library before buying to make sure I like the recipes and will actually use it. Some of my favs: http://101cookbooks.com [TLT recipe from here] http://blog.fatfreevegan.com [has a recipe tag called "ridiculously easy"; I like the smoky refried bean soup] http://vegandad.blogspot.com http://theppk.com http://vegweb.com [big veg*n recipe database; the Orange tofu and General Tso's is tasty] http://everydaydish.tv Cookbooks: Veganomicon Vegetarian Sandwiches [great for ideas beyond PB&J] The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet The Vegetarian Family Cookbook Vegan Planet Hope that helps and good luck!

Question: What is the best diet book with inexpensive meal ideas? My wife and I need to make some lifestyle changes. We are not extremely overweight, but could stand to lose about ten pounds. Looking for a book that's not too dry, and has some good meal ideas for a low budget.

Answer: Go to a used book store. Instead of hunting for the one new expensive best book, you can get a half dozen for the same price there.

Question: Easy meal ideas for a cabin trip? This fall I'm taking 6 friends up to a cabin in the mountains for a weekend scrapbooking trip. I'm doing all the cooking, but I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen for hours :) I need some easy meal ideas for lunches and dinners! Maybe even food I can make-ahead and bring up?

Answer: You can make a lot of stuff ahead of time and reheat it. Things like baked pastas (lasagna, baked ziti, homemade mac & cheese, stuffed shells), fried chicken, and casseroles would work well. Another idea is to have plenty of fresh veggies, cheese, and coldcuts for sandwiches and salads. I do a camping trip once a year with my nieces and nephews and we always make our own pizzas. You can buy everything ahead of time (pizza crusts, sauce, shredded cheese, pepperoni) and it's all sliced and ready to go. You can even get your friends to come into the kitchen with you to make their own...this way you won't be stuck in the kitchen alone. We also snack on cheese and veggies and dip ALOT during that trip. That's a meal for us! And you can keep breakfast really simple by having plenty of bagels, cream cheese, coffee, and patries. Hope this helps!

Question: Easy meal ideas with beef mince? I'm looking for some easy, yummy meal ideas with beef mince. Anything would be a great help. I'm sick of the usual spaghetti and meatballs.

Answer: Cream chipped Beef on Toast.- or SOS LOL 2 cups Whole milk 2 Tbls. plain flour 1/2 tsp. salt black pepper, to taste 1/4 capful dried minced onion 1 tsp. Crisco shortening very thin sliced roast beef (from sandwich meat section of your grocer)OR Armour dried beef in the jar from the canned meat section of the grocery or you can use hamburger toasted bread Authentic SOS is supposed to have a white gravy, so brown your meat first then set aside, then proceed with the gravy with a clean pan. (If you make the gravy in the same pan you cooked the meat in, you'll end up with brown colored gravy). Put about 2 cups of milk in a clean skillet along with a couple tablespoons of the plain flour, a teaspoon of shortening, 1/4 capful of minced onion, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and as much pepper to taste. Cook this over medium high heat stirring and scraping bottom of the pan constantly to prevent gravy from getting lumpy. When the gravy begins to thicken, add the browned dried beef cut into tiny squares (sandwich roast beef need not be browned prior to adding to gravy). Reduce heat to medium, still stirring and scraping bottom of pan with spatula and adding small quantities of milk to prevent over-thickening of gravy. Cook in this manner until bubbling for about 5 more minutes. Serve over toast or biscuits. Great as a side dish to bacon and eggs or by itself. A quantity of leftover SOS in a microwavable bowl is great for a bedtime snack or quick breakfast the next morning.

Question: What are some good Fondue meal ideas? I just got a fondue set and I've never fondued before? Any good meal ideas? Please include recipes for them too Thanks!

Answer: I love fondue! To me, one pot is best w/ no more than 4 people, 2 forks each. You can either cook in the fondue pot (w/ oil or broth/stock) or youcan dip bites into it (such as cheese or chocolate). Cheese is probably the most common. Great served w/ hunks of hearty bread (maybe a white and a pumpernickle or whole wheat) and apple chunks. --------------------------- Swiss Cheese Fondue 4 OZ White wine 1/2 TSP Garlic, chopped SQUEEZE Fresh lemon 1 C Emmenthaler Swiss cheese, grated 1 C Gruyere Swiss cheese, grated 1 TBL Flour or cornstarch 5 TURNS Fresh ground pepper 5 Dashes Nutmeg 1 TBL Kirschwasser cherry brandy ~Breads, cubed (French, Pumpernickel, Rye) ~Granny Smith apples, chunked & washed in citrus water to prevent browning ~Vegetables, cut (Cauliflower, Carrots & Celery) 1. Mix the flour, Gruyere, & Emmenthaler cheeses together. The flour will help keep the creamy texture. 2. Heat the white wine in the fondue pot. Once hot, stir in the garlic and lemon. 3. Slowly add cheese mixture while continuously stirring with a fork. 4. As the cheese melts add more until you achieve the proper consistency (warm honey). 5. Once the cheese is creamy, sprinkle nutmeg sparingly over the top. 6. Lastly, add the Kirschwasser brandy around the side of the pot and blend together. All dipping items should be skewered and dipped in the cheese. Be careful of the sides and bottom of the fondue pot; the cheese tends to be hotter there. --The Melting Pot -------------------------- Chocolate Fondue It's important to maintain moderately low heat (no more than 120°F) under your fondue pot so the chocolate stays melted and just warm to the touch. Too much heat can ruin the chocolate. 1/2 cup heavy cream 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped bar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 pints strawberries, rinsed and hulled Fill the fondue pot with 2 cups warm water and place the pot on the stand. Fill the fuel burner with oil according to the manufacturer's instructions and set it on the stand. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the cream until steam begins to rise, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted, smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and stir until blended. Pour the chocolate sauce into the porcelain insert and place the insert in the fondue pot. Set the splatter guard on the top. Set the fondue pot on the table and light the fuel burner, following the manufacturers instructions. Serve with pound cake, strawberries and individually marked fondue forks for dipping. Serves 6. --Williams-Sonoma