Even if you only have 15 minutes of time you can put delicious dishes on the table. We present you with ideas of what you can cook in that time or even less.
Even if you have very little time, cooking yourself is more sustainable and healthier than ready meals or home delivery services.
With these 15-minute recipes you can bring delicious dishes to the table and choose ingredients that are organically grown, regionally produced and come without plastic packaging.
Organic ingredients are not treated with synthetic chemical pesticides, so by consuming them you support an agriculture that is better for people and the environment. In addition, if you buy locally, you reduce the emission of harmful CO2 gases.
1. ZUCCHINI SALAD
A zucchini salad is a fresh and light side dish or starter, especially in summer. We show you a recipe that only requires a few ingredients and very little time.
Ingredients (for 6 people):
- 4 medium zucchinis
- 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper
- 1 handful of fresh basil and parsley
Elaboration:
- Wash the zucchini and cut them into thin slices. Then cut the slices into narrow sticks.
- Wash the lemon with hot water and grate about half a teaspoon of the lemon peel. Then squeeze the juice.
- Mix the juice and lemon zest with oil, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
- Wash the aromatics, shake them to dry them and chop them fine.
- Now mix the zucchini, dressing and aromatics in a bowl.
- You can serve the zucchini salad right away or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours.
Variations
You can easily give zucchini salad a different flavor or consistency with different dressings and other ingredients:
- For a fruity note, you can add dried cranberries.
- If you want a crunchier touch, you can add chopped walnuts or sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
- You can also add other seasonings such as garlic or chili to the dressing.
- It is possible to add other vegetables such as beets or carrots. These should have the same shape as zucchini.
- To turn zucchini salad into a main meal, you can serve it with couscous, bulgur, spelt or chickpeas, among other things.
- Finely chopped feta cheese or fried tofu cubes are also suitable as a dressing.
2. SPINACH SOUP
This spinach soup tastes good to both spinach fans and skeptics, who are sure to convince. You can consume it both hot and warm or even cold.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 1 kg fresh spinach leaves
- 200 g cottage type fresh granulated cheese
- 200 g crème fraiche (or vegan substitute)
- 1 l vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
Elaboration:
- Wash the spinach leaves and cook them in the broth until they have lost their crunchy consistency. Turn the broth and spinach into puree.
- Add the crème fraiche and fresh cheese and season the soup with salt and pepper.
3. SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO
“Spaghetti aglio e olio” means nothing more than spaghetti with garlic and oil. It is a simple pasta dish from the cuisine of southern and central Italy that does not contain products of animal origin.
If you want to cook very fast or if you don’t have many groceries at home, spaghetti aglio and olio are the right dish.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 5 liters of water
- 5 teaspoons salt
- 500 g spaghetti
- 4 to 8 garlic cloves
- 100 ml olive oil
- Chili powder
- Some fresh basil leaves (optional)
- Cherry tomatoes (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Elaboration:
- Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
- Add enough salt to boiling water.
- Let the spaghetti cook for the time indicated on the package.
- Pour the cooked spaghetti into a large strainer and let it drain briefly.
- Peel the garlic.
- Pour the olive oil into a second saucepan and heat it a little.
- Pass the garlic through the garlic press and add them to the warm olive oil (if you do not have a garlic press you can cut them into small pieces)
- Leave the garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t turn brown.
- Add some chili powder to the garlic.
- Add the drained spaghetti and mix with the garlic and olive oil. Serve immediately.
- You can decorate the spaghetti on the plate with fresh basil or two or three sliced cherry tomatoes. In Italy, freshly ground black pepper is also popular in aglio and olio spaghetti.
