6 minute read
10 Simple Meals in 10 Minutes or Less
With the sky-high cost of going out to eat and making meals at home, it is still easy to have some simple and affordable meals that you can make for yourself and your family members that take the anxiety out of the dinner hour. Finding the inspiration to prepare meals every day can be difficult enough without the added task of trying to keep things affordable. Having ten meals that you can put together in 10 minutes or less helps to control your weekly food budget.
1. Tacos – tacos are tough to beat for healthy, fun eating that brings together multiple food groups. They are also incredibly flexible, with chicken, beef, fish, and vegetarian and vegan versions available.
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2. Soup on the Fly – While many soups require longer prep times and slow simmering, there are a few ways to get a decent soup on the table in minutes. A version of pasta fagioli is one. Onions and celery cook quickly, carrots can be grated to speed the process, canned beans are already cooked, and most dried pasta cooks in six to eight minutes. Add a quick salad and some bread, and you have a nice summer meal on the table in no time.
3. Fried Rice – for this super-quick inexpensive meal, use precooked rice from a prior home-cooked or takeout meal or a minute rice, then add almost anything you want.
Whether you’re using leftover pork ribs, sale ham, or chopped chicken, fried rice is a great way to use leftovers of all types. Don’t forget the soy sauce.
4. Gourmet Sandwiches – horseradish-infused tuna melt, oven-toasted ham, and Swiss, a fresh mozzarella caprese-style sandwich spread with fun condiments and bargain banana peppers. Add some homemade potato chips or crispy oven fries, and you get a decently replicated café’ experience right at home.
5. Dinner Salads – There are plenty of creative opportunities for salads: Chicken Caesar, sliced steak, spinach, and strawberry with feta and sunflower seeds. The time-saver here is the low number of prep dishes to scrub and scour and the reduced or removed cooking time depending on whether you use precooked meat or grill it up fresh that night. Either way, this strategy puts a healthy, fast meal on the table in a flash.
6. Stir-Fry – Thinly sliced beef, shrimp, small chunks of chicken, and tofu cubes all cook quickly. Add to that the rapid cook time of diagonally sliced vegetables, and stir-fry bumps nearly to the top of the list for time-saving dinners.
7. The Slow Cooker or Air Fryer – The benefits here are the extremely reduced preparation and flexibility and fewer dishes to wash afterward. It takes no time to cook something with either kitchen tool. Having a hearty dinner ready when you walk through the door is decadent indeed. Many simple, time-efficient recipes are out there for slow cooker and air fryer meal prep.
8. Rip and Dunk – These are simple, flexible, and extremely affordable, depending on your choice of ingredients. Hummus with a selection of flatbread and vegetables is one way to go. Bread-bowl dinners and fondue are others. This type of dinner option can be as rustic as you like.
9. Breakfast for Dinner – This is yet another area where you have great flexibility. Both quick options are using homemade baking mix or on-the-go pancakes and waffles or serving a hearty egg scramble with sausage and peppers.
10. Affordable conveniences – Still cheaper than takeout or restaurant dining, having a few convenience items on hand for those evenings when your schedule is completely out of whack is a viable alternative. Frozen grocery store entrees, rotisserie chicken, and even tater tots can get everyone fed easily. The time saved can be used to regroup and get things back on track for the next morning.
Enjoy this opportunity to add more fresh vegetables and fruit as convenience foods. So many colorful and flavorful easy meals can be made with them. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
August 2023
August 1 8:30 a.m. Open Art Studio 10:00 a.m. Country Music House Singers
″ Wii Bowling
″ Sr. Games Darts * Registration Required*
August 2 12:30 a.m. Games 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Movie
August 3 11:00 a.m. Speaker Rick Gunter Golden Age Health 12:30 p.m. Corn Hole
August 4 8:30 a.m. Open Art Studio 12:15 p.m. Bingo with Kristin Oak Street Health p.m. Senior Games Hand & Foot
*Registration Required* 2:00 p.m. Table Tennis
August 7 9:00 a.m. Classic Movie
August 8 8:30 a.m. Open Art Studio 10:00 a.m. Library with Cheyenne 10:00 a.m. Wii Bowling
August
August
Meeting with Kim Lopez
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
August 29
August
August 31
Exercise: Mon, Wed, & Fri 10:15
Stretch, Strengthen and Health: Tues. 9:30
Chair Yoga: Tues. & Thurs. 10:15
Arm Chair Travel: Wed. 9:00am
Woodcarving: Wed. & Thurs. 9:00-11:00
Dominos, Card games, Jig-Saw puzzles, Pool, Quilting, & Volunteer work to assist the homebound or work is available at the Brand Center.
August 16 11:45 a.m. Fresh Cobbler provided by Village on the Park
Moore Council On Aging Bus Service: 799-3130 Seniors may have transportation anywhere in the City of Moore for errands or appointments 8am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday
Aging Services
Monday through Friday
Call & make reservation by 1:00pm.
Graham Amanda Senior Center
Reservations for meals: 793-9069
Donation for a meal for seniors 60 & above: $2.25
Required cost for guests under 60: $5.00
BUSINESS: Tacologia
ADDRESS: 2100 N Eastern Ave, Suite 5
PHONE: 405-735-7525
WEBSITE: tacologiaok.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: facebook.com/mooretacologia/ and Instagram.com/tacologia_moore/
Tacologia: A Delightfully Geographical Tour of Authentic Mexican Food
HOURS: Monday – Friday 11 am – 7 pm Saturday 11 am – 4 pm Sunday Closed
While there is a certain rationality to the name of one of Moore’s best authentic Mexican restaurants, Chef Ray Delgado says Tacologia is more about location than logic.
“The initial idea was to offer a special menu item from different parts of Mexico,” said Delgado. “And we wanted to make sure everything on our menu was an authentic Mexican recipe.”
Delgado is a classically-trained chef who has worked most of his life in the Pacific Northwest. He says every recipe in the store is a personal effort using only fresh ingredients.
We take so much pride in what we do, so everything is fresh,” said Delgado. “We do everything in-house, so absolutely no processed foods. And this is authentic Mexican, not Tex-Mex.”
Tacologia is a true, family-owned, and operated business. Delgado and his wife, Blanco, own and run the business with just two other employees. They chose a fast-casual, counter-service concept with a small menu to allow them complete control over the quality of the dining experience. Those decisions have paid off with loyal clients who appreciate the fast service and uniquely delicious food.
Delgado and his wife were determined to bring their unique brand of authentic Mexican food to the area, even though they realized there were already many “taco shops” open in the area. They have also weathered the challenge of starting up a new business about 15 months ago, in the wake of the pandemic when so many other businesses have been closing.
“Beginnings can be rough, and you must be very dedicated,” said Delgado. “But we take the attitude that our customers are our friends and neighbors, and if we can just get an opportunity to share our passion and food with them, they will continue to support us. We are so grateful to the people in Moore for their support.”
Moreover, one thing that genuinely sets Tacologia apart and keeps customers coming back is the originality of the food. Delgado, who has been cooking for almost 35 years, says coming up with these recipes is a labor of love. He also loves the more intimate atmosphere here after a successful career managing large hotels with multiple kitchens and hundreds of employees.
”These are all my own recipes,” said Delgado. “My background and training as a chef has allowed me to do a lot of research. I’ve taken authentic Mexican recipes and added my own twist on it and believe we’ve come up with some delicious things for our customers.”
Researching and experimenting never really stops at Tacologia. While customers will always settle on favorites, you’ll also occasionally be surprised with new items.
“We have a foundation menu, I guess you would call it,” said Delgado, “But we also have specials that sometimes we keep because our customers like them so much. That’s why the shrimp, fish tacos, and enchiladas are now on the menu.”