Seven Fast Dinner Ideas for Singles

One of the reasons I started this blog was when I read an article in the Globe and Mail about a young woman of 20 who was babysitting some children overnight. Their parents had asked her to make them Kraft Dinner for their supper, and she couldn’t even manage it…she didn’t drain the pasta, resulting in a watery pasta soup. Her own parents said they had never taught her to cook. It made me think about the number of young people who do not or cannot cook, and I wanted to help them. So this is 7 simple supper suggestions for young people who are in a hurry and don’t want fast food (or Kraft Dinner).  All should take about 20 minutes or less.

Pita Pizza

• 8″ pita bread
• 2-3 tablespoons tomato or pizza sauce
• whatever you like for topping (I like artichokes, spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese. My daughter likes ham, mozzarella and pineapple)

Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Check. If cheese has melted, it’s ready. If you want it browned, put it under the broiler for a minute.

Vegetable Soup

• 1 can beef or chicken broth and one can water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2-3 cups diced vegetables ( carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, cabbage…whatever you like)
• season to taste with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, curry powder…
• a couple tablespoons tomato sauce (if desired)

Bring the broth to a boil, add the garlic and onion. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables and cook for about 10-15 minutes. You can use an immersion blender and make it into a thick soup if desired, and you can add milk or cream to it at that point if desired.

Pan Fried Fish with side salad

• fish fillet (Cod, haddock)
• flour
• egg (optional)
• salt, pepper

This one is very simple. Make your salad first or buy a bagged salad. You could also bake a potato in the microwave (takes about 5 minutes- poke holes in it first).   Then wash the fish, dry it, and dust it in flour. You can then dip it in beaten egg, and flour it some more if you like. Put a frying pan on the stove over medium high heat, and put a tablespoon of oil in it. Make sure the pan is covered in oil and add the fish. Cook for 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. The meat should turn from slightly translucent to white.

Udon Noodle Soup

• one can chicken broth and one can water
• one package udon noodles
• vegetables that you like (carrots, mushrooms, green onion, green beans, sui choi, bok choy, red pepper…) cut into similar sized pieces
• chicken breast thinly sliced or 5-6 prawns, peeled

This one is very simple. Heat the broth and water in a large pot, and add the vegetables and chicken (or prawns). Cook about 10-15  minutes, then add the udon noodles and cook another 2-3 minutes (or whatever is on the package). Serve with Sriracha sauce if you like it:)

Chicken Salad 

• 2 cups lettuce or mixed greens
• green onion
• grated carrot
• sliced pepper, celery,  tomato, snap peas (or other veggies you might prefer)
• sliced cooked chicken breast
• sliced almonds or toasted pine nuts (optional)
• dried cranberries
• 2-3 tablespoons feta cheese (crumbled)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil shaken together or commercial dressing
• brown rice, quinoa or wild rice (optional)

I didn’t give much in the way of amounts because everyone likes different amount of veggies in their salads. It’s very filling, and is an all in one meal.

Spaghetti with Shrimp

• small handful of spaghetti
• 6-8 prawns, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes (if desired)
• salt, pepper, parsley
• parmesan cheese

Boil the spaghetti according to the package directions (about 9-11 minutes in boiling, salted water). When there are about 5 minutes to go, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the garlic, stirring frequently. Do not burn the garlic! After a minute, add the prawns (and cherry tomatoes if you are using them). Cook until the shrimps are pink and firm. Drain the pasta, and stir into the prawns and olive oil. Serve with parmesan.

Omelette

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons grated cheese
• ham slice, diced
• chopped mushrooms, peppers, green onions…whatever you like
• butter
• salt, pepper,oregano

Put a knob of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When melted, add the beaten egg and season with salt, pepper and oregano (if desired). Pour the cheese, ham and veggies over the egg and allow it to cook, continually lifting the edges of the egg and tipping the pan to allow the remaining liquid egg to  underneath.  When the egg is mostly cooked on top, fold one side over the other, cook for another 30 seconds, then flip it over. Cook a further 30 seconds and serve.

Any suggestions?