Meals in minutes
Hunger can strike quickly any time of day. At any time, someone can pop into the kitchen saying “I’m starving!” The solution: a reserve of healthy, quick and tasty recipes that can be made in minutes and they’re so easy, kids can become instant chefs. What you need are versatile ingredients that can do double or triple duty, playing a role in breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner.
The flour tortilla is one of the best examples of bringing versatility to meals-in-minutes. The tortilla can function as a wrap, pizza crust, flat bread, substitute for pasta or a sandwich bun, and its fillings and toppings can easily change. You choose your favorite variety — flour, fat-free, low-carb, corn or whole-grain.
Convenient tortillas can be used in numerous quick meals, such as egg/salsa/cheese breakfast tacos, lunchtime turkey and vegetable pizzas, cheese and vegetable wraps for snacks or a grilled chicken and black bean tostada for dinner. Tortillas can embrace many flavors, many cuisines. No wonder Americans eat 7 billion pounds of tortillas a year — the equivalent of one tortilla per person per day.
For more ideas and recipes, visit www.missionmenus.com.
Keep these family-lovin’ ingredients on hand:
“Versatile breadstuffs like tortillas, taco shells or bagels
“Good-quality canned vegetables and fruits, pizza sauce, salsas and bottled condiments
“Seasonings your family loves
“Shredded cheeses, crisp lettuce, sour cream, eggs, cooked turkey breast, fresh ground beef and boneless, skinless chicken breasts
“Fresh bell peppers, tomatoes and fruits
Low Carb Sunrise Burrito
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4
6 whole eggs
Iodized salt, to taste
Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked, small diced ham
4 tablespoons water
4 10-inch whole wheat tortillas, warmed
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup refried beans (optional), hot
4 tablespoons sour cream
“1. In small bowl, whisk eggs with salt and pepper, add ham and water and mix together to evenly combine.
“2. Pour egg mixture into oiled skillet or omelet pan, over medium-high heat.
“3. Cook until eggs are firm, but moist, approximately 5 minutes.
“4. Place warmed tortillas on work surface and evenly divide eggs on each tortilla. Evenly top each tortilla with grated cheese, refried beans and sour cream.
“5. Roll up tortillas. Serve with fresh salsa, if desired.
B.L.T. Rolls
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 3
3 10-inch flour tortillas
8 ounces vegetable cream cheese, room temperature
16 to 20 spinach leaves
2/3 pound Canadian bacon, thinly sliced
3 large plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
15 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
“1. Place tortillas on work surface and spread each with equal amount cream cheese.
“2. On each tortilla, arrange spinach leaves over 2/3 of cream cheese leaving bottom 1/3 with cream cheese only. Top spinach with Canadian bacon slices, tomato slices, avocado slices and crumbled bacon.
“3. Beginning with end covered with filling, roll tortilla into tight roll toward end covered with cream cheese only.
“4. Cut rolls into six 1-inch-thick slices for snacks or in halves for lunch.
Turkey Pizza
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 6
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons olive oil
6 8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup small diced turkey breast
1 green bell pepper, small diced
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
“1. Heat oven to 400°F.
“2. In small bowl, combine basil, oregano and garlic powder with olive oil. Lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with oil mixture.
“3. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons cheese. Sprinkle equal amounts of turkey, green pepper and tomatoes over tortillas.
“4. Place tortilla pizzas directly on rack in middle of oven and bake 8 minutes until crisp.
Sesame Ginger Beef Wraps
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 5
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1 pound flank steak, sliced very thin across grain
1/2 cup sesame ginger stir-fry seasoning, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 5-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
5 10-inch tortillas
“1. In large skillet, heat 1/2 oil over high heat.
“2. Add steak and cook 3 minutes; stir in 1/3 stir-fry seasoning. Cook 1 minute; remove steak mixture to bowl and reserve.
“3. Add remaining oil and heat over medium high. Add broccoli, red pepper and water chestnuts. Stir-fry until almost tender, about 5 minutes; add steak mixture and remaining 2/3 stir-fry seasoning. Cook 4 minutes and reserve.
“4. Place about 1/2 cup mixture on each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up tightly.
“5. Slice wrap in half diagonally to serve.
Find hundreds of printer-friendly recipes at spokane.net/recipes