Speedy Dinners

I've made three of the 15 meals that you can make in 15 min. I'm really not following any specific order. It really depends on what we feel like eating that day and what ingredients I have in my pantry and my refrigerator. So far we've made Burgers with pesto and provolone, spicy orange chicken stir fry and pasta with goat cheese, lemon and asparagus.

The recipe was a portobello burger but since my sister is visiting and she is not a huge fan of mushrooms, I used 90/10 ground beef instead. I seasoned with salt and pepper and since it was so lean I grated a whole onion into the meat. The recipe called for purchased pesto but I had some frozen that I'd made with spinach and basil and I added some mayo and made some quick aioli. We topped the burger with arugula and provolone cheese. The burger was good but it probably be better with a portobello mushroom.

I never make Chinese food at home. That's why I like the recipes that are featured in Bon Appetit, they challenge me to make food out of my comfort zone. This recipe for spicy orange chicken stir fry called for sugar snap peas but I had frozen string beans so I used that instead. The chicken had good flavor but the the orange taste was a little overpowering. Maybe next time I'll make it I would use a mixture of orange juice and chicken stock.

Burger with Pesto and Provolone

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 3

1/2 cup of purchased pesto (I made my own with spinach and basil)

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

3 ciabatta rolls, split horizontally

3/4 lbs of ground sirloin

1 1/2 cups of baby arugula

3 slices of provolone

1 small onion grated

1 tomato sliced

Stir pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare indoor grill to medium high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste and add the grated onion. Grill the rolls, cut side down, until slighly toasted. Transfer to plate. Spread grill side of rolls with pesto. Set aside. Cook the burger about 4 min on each side for medium. Place one burger on each bottom roll. Top each with cheese, 2 slices of tomato and enough arugula to cover. Press roll tops over and serve.

Spicy Orange Chicken Stir fry

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 6

11/2 cups of long grain white rice
3/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced
Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper
11/2 pounds of chicken cut into cubes
1 grated garlic clove
1 8oz package of string beans

Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in bowl until cornstarch dissolved.
Heat oil in large wok or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and crushed red pepper. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Season ckicken with salt and pepper and grated garlic clove. Add to wok and stir fry until onion are crisp-tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the string beans and juice mixture. Toss until sauce thickens and beans are crips-tender about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.