No Recipe Needed: 3 Meals You Can Make Right Now
Roast Chicken
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees before removing the giblets from your chicken and patting it dry. Rub the chicken with olive oil or butter and sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper. If you want, stuff the insides of the chicken with cut lemons, peeled cloves of garlic, sprigs of herbs, or aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions. Tie the chicken's legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body. Roast the chicken in the oven until the juices run clear, about 90 minutes — that should give you plenty of time to cook some quinoa or make a salad to accompany the chicken.
Fish in Parchment
Cooking fish in parchment paper (or aluminum foil packets) is one of the easiest ways to make a complete meal quickly and without a lot of clean-up. Simply season your fish filet with salt and pepper and then place it on the paper along with chopped vegetables like onions, peppers, broccoli, or potatoes. Add a pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil and any other seasonings that you'd like (lemon, sprigs of thyme, etc.). Then, seal the paper so that it forms a pouch around the fish and bake the packet in a 375-degree oven until the fish is cooked through, generally about 12-13 minutes.
Vegetarian Chili
Heat oil in a large heavy pot and add diced onions and peppers and minced garlic. When the vegetables begin to soften, add salt, pepper, and dried spices like chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Then, add cans of diced tomatoes and beans until you have a chili-like consistency. Add some water or stock and simmer the chili until it thickens again. It's that easy!
Kristie Collado is The Daily Meal's Cook Editor. Follow her on Twitter @KColladoCook.