Start With What You Already Have

If the ingredient is already open, cook from that. Full recipe pages are linked. The four shorter methods below are the ones that do not have their own page.

Chicken

Lemon chicken and rice is the skillet, about 35 minutes. Add the lemon at the end.

Sheet-pan chicken and vegetables

About 40 minutesServes 4

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces and 1 pound of boneless chicken into large chunks. Toss both with 2 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and a sliced onion or bell pepper.
2. Spread them on a sheet pan in one layer. Roast 20 minutes, turn, then roast about 15 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
3. Taste a potato. Add salt if it needs it.

Quick chicken tacos

About 25 minutesServes 4

1. Cut 1 pound of boneless chicken into strips. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder.
2. Cook in 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add a chopped onion for the last 3 minutes if you have one.
3. Warm 8 tortillas. Fill them with the chicken, salsa, and shredded cabbage or lettuce.

Pasta

Garlic tomato pasta, about 30 minutes. Lemon tuna pasta, about 20 minutes. The baked version is on the tomato pasta page and takes closer to 40 minutes.

Rice

Chicken and rice skillet, about 35 minutes. Egg fried rice, about 20 minutes if the rice is cold.

Rice with beans and salsa

About 20 minutesServes 3

1. Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add 1 chopped small onion and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 drained can of beans and 1/3 cup water. Simmer 5 minutes. Mash a few beans so the mixture thickens. Salt it.
2. Spoon the beans over 3 cups of hot cooked rice, or leftover rice reheated with a spoon of water. Add salsa. A handful of shredded cheese or lettuce is optional.

Eggs

Egg fried rice and vegetable quesadillas are both about 20 minutes.

Soft scramble with spinach and toast

About 15 minutesServes 2

1. Toast the bread. Beat 4 eggs with a pinch of salt.
2. Warm 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add a big handful of spinach and stir until it wilts. Pour in the eggs.
3. Stir slowly until the eggs are just set and still a little glossy. Take the pan off the heat. Pepper, and eat with the toast.

The substitution list on the front page covers missing spinach, chicken, rice, herbs, cream, and lemon.