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30 Minutes or Less…for the Time-Challenged Cook

Let’s face it—our everyday lives don’t allow us to luxuriate in stirring a risotto for an hour or tending a boeuf bourgnignon all day.  You get home and realize you forgot to pre-cook ingredients, pick up extra things at the grocery store, or put something in the crockpot before leaving the house.  So here are some 30-minute meal recipes that you can literally whip up in a half hour from start to finish…or less in some cases!

Pizza

Amazing Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Traditional Margherita Pizza

Chicken & Turkey:

Super Easy & Healthy “Loaded” Thai Chicken Salad
The Crispiest Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
30-Minute Mongolian Chicken
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
One-Skillet Thai Ground Turkey Curry with Rice
Maple-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potato Hash
Apricot Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary
Lemon Shallot Chicken
Chicken with Creamy Feta Sauce
Easy Chicken Nachos
Balsamic Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
Dynamite Grilled (or Sauteed) Chicken
Easy Sesame Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herbs
Barbecue Chardonnay Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Barley Corn Tomato Salad & Tomato Vinaigrette
Grilled Balsamic Chicken
Honey Goat Cheese Chicken
Pinterest’s Famous Man-Pleasing Chicken
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken
White Wine & Lemon Chicken
Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
Easy Chicken-Fried Chicken

Fish:

Healthy, Spicy Fish Soup (great for liver detox, gut health protocol, etc)
The Best Pan-Seared Stovetop Salmon…& How To Cook Salmon Without Oil
Salmon & Potato Hash with Fresh Herbs
Pan-Caramelized Salmon
Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes & Shallots
Rosemary & Garlic Roasted Salmon
Sesame-Soy Grilled Salmon
Maple & Citrus Grilled Salmon

Vegetarian:

Easy & Flavorful Marinated White Beans
Creamy Curried Carrot Soup
Sweet Potato “Toast” with Guacamole & Chili-Lime Black Beans
10-Minute Spiced Chickpea Scramble
Grilled Sourdough Bread with Whipped Ricotta & Toppings
Socca (Chickpea Flatbread) with Roasted Veggies & Goat Cheese
5-Minute Healthy Breakfast Tacos
Feta & Sweet Potato Hash with Greens
One-Pot Yellow Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry (vegan)
Roasted Vegetable & Farro Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing
Creamy Oven Risotto with Spinach & Roasted Cauliflower
Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Turkish Red Lentil Soup (corba)
Easy Pad Thai (you could add chicken or whatever if you want)
Ricotta, Tomato, & Spinach Frittata
Frittata with Beets, Leeks, & Feta
Roasted Sweet Potato, Red Pepper, Kale, & Goat Cheese Frittata
Frittata with Baby Spinach, Goat Cheese, & Sweet Potato Hash Crust
Leftover Pasta Frittata
Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Dried Cranberries, & Citrus Honey Vinaigrette 
Frittata with Summer Squash, Tomatoes, & Scallions
Basted Eggs with Shredded Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Omelet with Caramelized Onions, Kale, Tomatoes, & Goat Cheese
One-Pot Farro with Tomatoes
Barley Corn Tomato Salad & Tomato Vinaigrette

Pasta:

Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach, & Feta
Kale & Walnut Pesto with Whole Wheat Pasta
Pasta with Garlic Spinach, Chicken, & Goat Cheese
Cavatappi with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Kale, & Grilled Zucchini
Easy Pasta with No-Cook Sauce
Pasta with Roasted Peppers, Chicken Sausage, & Goat Cheese
Pasta con Pesto
Traditional Tuscan Pasta with Walnut Sauce (version 1 & version 2)
Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, Spinach, & Ricotta
Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon, Goat Cheese, & Kale
Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes & Ricotta
Pasta with Sausage, Cabbage, & Kale
Pasta with Mixed Greens & Goat Cheese

Red Meat:

Lebanese Hushwee (Fragrant, Spiced Ground Beef with Toasted Pine Nuts)
Pakistani Kima
Mexican Meat & Beans (for taco salad, nachos, etc.)
“Crack” Beef & Cabbage Stir Fry

Sides:

The Best Easy Cumin Roasted Broccoli Bits in the Air Fryer (or Oven)
Super Easy Onion Pakoras (Without a Deep Fryer)…with Tamarind Chutney
Fluffy, Fragrant Turmeric Rice
Easy Air Fryer Green Beans (Blistered Green Bean Fries)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts “Rubble”: The Easiest, Fastest, Most Delicious Way
Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Dates, Pine Nuts, & Thyme
Easy Fried Baby Potatoes
Cheesy Rosemary Sweet Potatoes on the Grill
Brussels Sprout & Kale Slaw with Maple-Cider Vinaigrette
Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Salt
Breaded, Baked Okra
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Oven-Roasted Okra
Corn & Black Bean Salsa
Sautéed Kale & Scallions
Sautéed Kale
Caramelized Shredded Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Cabbage
Pioneer Woman’s Crash Hot Potatoes
Parmesan Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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    February 16, 2014 at 9:17 am

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About Me

Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I created this blog for people who love cooking & baking but are challenged to find the time and energy to do it. Recipes run the gamut from super healthy to indulgent, but the focus is on using REAL food no matter what.

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Recent IG Adventures!

While I eagerly await warmer weather, I snuck in o While I eagerly await warmer weather, I snuck in one last winter cocktail...here's some Sage Advice! It's a winter-y version of a whiskey sour bringing both cinnamon and sage, and then skirting the line of daiquiri with the substitution of lime juice for the traditional lemon. 

Tap the link in my IG bio & pick this photo to get the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking
#cocktailrecipe #bourbon #bourboncocktails #whiskeysour
Forget your run-of-the-mill double chocolate cooki Forget your run-of-the-mill double chocolate cookies 🍫 These TRIPLE dark chocolate cookies (with a hint of whiskey & balance with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt) are rich indulgence without being sickly sweet. They're also soooo easy...no special tools, no dough chilling. Delish cookies in under 30 minutes! 

Tap the link in my IG bio & click on this photo to get the full recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking 
#chocoholic #chocolatecookies #darkchocolate #cookierecipe
A recipe that gets me to eat broccoli every day?? A recipe that gets me to eat broccoli every day?? SOLD. And it is so fast & easy that it can barely be called a "recipe"...these cumin roasted broccoli bits in the air fryer (though you can use an oven instead) are crazy fast, healthy, & delicious!

Tap the link in my IG bio & pick this photo to see the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking 
#airfryer #broccoli #easysidedish #airfryerrecipes
I've been making these healthy 5-ingredient browni I've been making these healthy 5-ingredient brownies on REPEAT for a couple months now. And knowing that they only take a few minutes to make has been a bit dangerous on random Tuesday nights when my sweet tooth strikes! 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that they're naturally gluten- & grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, and (optionally) no sweetener added? 

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking 

#healthydessert #healthybrownies #glutenfreerecipes #vegandessert
This cranberry snack cake is seriously my platonic This cranberry snack cake is seriously my platonic ideal for a cake. I DREAM of this cake. A soft, moist, dense buttery vanilla cake batter is studded with tart fresh cranberries, with a tiny crunch of raw sugar on top. A perfect dessert or snack for pretty much any occasion...including with a cup of tea on a random Tuesday afternoon...

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the recipe! 
--> @findingtimeforcooking 
#cranberrycake #cranberries #cranberryrecipe #bestdessert
These super easy marinated white beans are packed These super easy marinated white beans are packed with flavor & only take a few minutes to make! Even better?? They're best when made ahead of time (in 5 minutes!) and left for a day or two in the fridge for the flavors to really meld & intensify. 

This has become a go-to plant-based recipe, but I often throw some grilled salmon or chicken on top for a full meal. 

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this pic to get the recipe!
#veganrecipes #vegetarianrecipes #whitebeans #plantbasedrecipes
A lot of people don't realize how easy & cheap it A lot of people don't realize how easy & cheap it is to make your own kombucha at home...you can have an entire gallon for less than the cost of one bottle at the store! 

I can't even keep a bamboo plant alive, yet have managed to keep the same "scoby" starter healthy & active for well over a decade. 

Here are easy step-by-step instructions for making your own kombucha at home, & the tools you'll need to do so! Tap the link in my IG bio (@findingtimeforcooking) & click on this photo to see the whole post.
#homemadekombucha #kombuchabrewing #healthyguthappylife #scoby
I'm not generally a soup person, though I'm trying I'm not generally a soup person, though I'm trying to be more 🍜 But this Turkish corba (a spiced red lentil soup) has always been one of my exceptions.  It's CRAZY easy to make, full of veggies and the protein from the lentils, and just feels like a warm hug in a bowl!  A great vegetarian dinner idea, perfect on any detox protocol, and just a great cozy recipe for the winter months.

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the recipe!
#corba #redlentils #souprecipe #drcabraldetox
Today, we FANCY. But also lazy. When I first saw a Today, we FANCY. But also lazy. When I first saw a recipe for the "lazy person's kouign amann", I was intrigued...and it definitely lives up to the hype! The texture isn't quite the same as the much more time-consuming and complex authentic French pastry it's hacking, but it's darn close and absolutely delicious. 

To see the recipe, tap the link in my IG bio & click on this photo! --> @findingtimeforcooking 
#kouignamann #frenchpastries #bakingfromscratch #frenchbaking
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