Meals in 30 minutes (or less!)

A tasty, healthy meal does not have to take a long time to prepare. With just a little bit of prep—and some multitasking during preparation—you can put dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Don’t believe us? Set your timer and prove it for yourself with these delicious recipes.

SHRIMP AVOCADO TACOS

MAKES 4–5

4–5 corn tortillas, or store-bought taco shells

1 pound jumbo shrimp (about 16), peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

¼ cup sour cream, plus extra for garnish

1 tablespoon Sriracha, or hot sauce

2 cups grated red cabbage

2 small avocados, chopped

Lime wedges

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wrap tortillas—no more than five to a pack—in foil and place in oven for 15 minutes. While tortillas are warming, place shrimp, seasoning and garlic in a medium bowl and toss to combine. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook shrimp 2–3 minutes per side until charred—do not overcook. If using a smaller skillet, cook shrimp in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

In a small bowl, mix together sour cream and sriracha. To build tacos, hold a warm tortilla in your hand, folding slightly, and place red cabbage on the bottom followed by avocado chunks and finally 3–4 shrimp. Squeeze fresh lime juice over top and drizzle with sour cream. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.

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Pork medallions with glazed apples and green beans

SERVES 4

This recipe calls for a pork tenderloin which weighs between 1 to 1½ pounds, not to be confused with the pork loin which weighs 6 to 8 pounds. You’ll need to prep the tenderloin the night before by removing the silver skin—and easy process once you know how. For detailed instructions, see my latest how-to video. 

Green beans

1 pound whole green beans, trimmed

¼ cup water or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon garlic olive oil, or plain olive oil with 1 small garlic clove, minced

Kosher salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

Glazed apples

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon cardamom or nutmeg

Pinch salt

2 large Granny Smith apples (or your favorite)

Pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed and sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces

All-purpose seasoning (your favorite)

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a large skillet over medium heat, add string beans and water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes while you start the apples. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid has evaporated. Toss beans well with garlic olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

In another large skillet over medium heat, add butter, brown sugar, cornstarch, cardamom and salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Slice tops and bottoms off apples and discard, and then slice apples crosswise into ½-inch rings. Use a very small cookie/biscuit cutter to quickly remove center seed core. Add apples to skillet, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a medium to large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Season pork medallions all over. Add to skillet and cook 5 minutes on each side, or until brown. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Pour off excess oil. To skillet, add onions and cook until wilted and lightly brown. Add vinegar and stock, and stir to dissolve the brown bits in bottom of skillet. Cook until slightly thickened. Add butter and blend well. Return medallions to skillet and coat thoroughly with the sauce. To serve, divide beans among individual plates and top with pork medallions and apple rings.

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Chicken Milanese caprese with linguine (aka breaded chicken with tomatoes and cheese)

SERVES 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to ¼-inch thick)

Kosher salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

2 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

Linguine, cooked according to directions and kept warm

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 large Roma tomato, cut into 8 slices

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

½ cup pasta sauce, heated

Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Rinse and pat dry chicken; season with salt and pepper. In a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add oil. While pasta is cooking, place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in bread crumbs and add to skillet. (If skillet is small, cook two at a time.) Cook 3–5 minutes on each side until brown and reaches 165 F. Add 2 tomato slices and 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each chicken cutlet. Cover, turn off heat and allow cheese to melt, about 2 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce. To serve, place each cutlet on a bed of linguine and sprinkle with basil.

Chef’s tipsPound away Pounding boneless, skinless chicken breasts makes them even in thickness and tenderizes the meat, allowing it to cook faster. No meat mallet? No problem. Just cover the chicken with plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it 2–3 times with the flat bottom of a cast-iron skillet.

Perfect pasta To keep pasta from sticking, follow manufacturer’s instructions—do not overcook. After draining pasta, add it back to the pot and stir in 1–2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cover and keep warm. Do not rinse pasta or add olive oil. Both of these steps prevent sauces from absorbing into the pasta.

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Steak spinach salad

SERVES 4-6

Steak

1 flatiron steak, about 1½ pounds (substitutes: sirloin or ribeye)

Kosher salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salad dressing

Kosher salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

¼ cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ cup olive oil

Salad

8 cups baby spinach, rinsed

½ red onion, sliced very thin

1 cup sliced mushrooms, optional

4 slices crispy bacon, crumbled (can be store-bought bacon bits)

½ cup feta cheese (or blue cheese), crumbled

Season steak with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. In a cast-iron skillet—or on an outdoor grill—over medium-high heat, grill steak 4–5 minutes on each side or to desired doneness. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Into a small bowl, add salt, pepper and vinegar, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Add mustard and slowly whisk in oil until emulsified. Set aside.

Into a large salad bowl, add spinach, onion and mushrooms and toss lightly with some of the dressing. Divide salad among individual serving bowls and sprinkle with bacon and feta. Add steak slices on top of salads. Pass remaining salad dressing with the meal.

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Related story

Prepping pork tenderloin—Before cooking a pork tenderloin, you’ll need to remove the silver skin membrane. A butcher can do this for you, but it’s also an easy do-it-yourself job. Chef Belinda shows us how it’s done.

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Tips to ensure recipe success

• The first time you prepare a new recipe, read it twice before starting.
• Make sure you have all ingredients measured, prepped and ready to use; as some cooking tasks can move very quickly.
• Always taste and adjust seasonings, as necessary.
• Make the recipe the first time “as it is written” before you experiment with swapping out ingredients, which could alter the flavor profile.
• Test the recipe at least once before serving for a special occasion.