Quick and easy dinner recipes
You are tired. The family is hungry. You need dinner and you need it now. Here are some ideas for a quick and easy dinner.
We all have days we need to fix a meal fast. The key to being able to fix a meal in a hurry is to find several quick and easy dinner recipes your family likes. Then be sure to stock the pantry with the ingredients for those meals.
Life is busy. Whether you stay at home, work full time or something in between, there are days when you need something quick and easy for dinner. You don’t have energy for a lot of steps, or the time to wait for something to cook. Here are some quick and easy dinner recipes:
Cheesy broiled fish
2 pounds mild fish fillets (Tilapia works well)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat broiler and grease broiling pan. Mix together butter, mayonnaise, cheese and lemon juice. Add spices, and mix well.
Arrange fish in a single layer on the pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and broil a few more minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the cheese mixture. Return to the oven and broil until the topping is browned and the fish flakes easily, about 2 minutes.
Serve with steamed broccoli, and microwaved potatoes for a fast and healthy meal.Quesadillas with black bean salsa are one of my favorite quick meals in the summer. The black bean salsa is best if it chills overnight, but is still good if you don’t have that much time. Serve them separately or make the quesadillas with the black bean salsa cooked right in. These two items are a great meal alone, or are also good with grilled or blackened chicken breasts.
Blackened chicken breast
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon red pepper
4 tablespoons melted butter
Pre-heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Dip chicken on both sides into melted butter. Place on a sheet of waxed paper.
Combine the spices, and sprinkle over the chicken evenly. Pat the mixture onto the meat. Place the chicken into the hot skillet, and cook until blackened, about five minutes. This may produce smoke, so be sure to turn the exhaust vent on. Turn the chicken over. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about an additional five minutes.
Black bean salsa
3- 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 – 11 ounce can white corn, drained, (yellow corn is fine too, but white makes it pretty)
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 tomatoes diced
1 bunch of cilantro chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice
Mix it all together and chill.
Quick quesadillas
10 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 onion finely chopped (optional)
Preheat a skillet on medium high heat. When hot place one tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese and onion. Put another tortilla on top. Cook until the cheese is beginning to melt and the bottom tortilla is slightly brown. (About four minutes.) Flip and cook a few additional minutes until the cheese is melted. Cut into quarters and serve with sour cream and salsa.
You can vary quesadillas by using whatever you have on hand. Add refried beans, black bean salsa, salsa, leftover chicken, taco meat, chili, or fresh tomato for a delicious variation.
Blackberries without the seeds