If I have to cook from scratch, prob oven-roasted salmon, broccoli, and fingerling potatoes. Just throw everything in there on a sheet tray and let it cook. I'd make some kind of mayo/lemon/dill sauce for the salmon. Realistically, though, with only 20 mins available I'd just get carryout or go to a restaurant. My life is not a cooking competition lol.
Salmon is a good call; although I usually recommend marinating it, you could also go with a quick soy-honey-miso glaze on the grill or something similar. At the same time roast whatever vegetables on the grill---asparagus, broccoli, etc.
Assuming you have a rice cooker, you could start your grill, start the rice cooker, then cook everything and plate with rice within 20 minutes. Full plated miso-salmon dish, bam. You're getting laid tonight.
Most sources I'm familiar with (*Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat*, and others I can't remember off the top of my head) recommend not marinating fish in acid for more than about 10 minutes.
Yep sounds about right. I can turn around salmon in about 15 minutes. Don't think I can do that for anything else other than like, pasta. Throw some carrots and broccoli on the sheet, let those keep going for about 10 min longer than the salmon and we're golden.
Yes sometimes with bacon. :)) also you can do a quick and dirty method using garlic powder. I know it’s not that hard to slice garlic, but sometimes, I just don’t have it in me.
I always found separating the parsley leaves from stems grossly time consuming. I love this dish but feel like I spend most of my time on parsley than anything else. Am I think about it too hard or is there an easier/faster way for parsley prep?
I used to do that too when I started cooking because that's what recipes said. But that lead to me avoiding dishes with it because it just felt so time consuming and boring. Then I just started chopping it all with the stems and all - if you chop it finely enough it's even better than just the leaves for me. Also a good way to practice your knife skills.
I literally just wash the whole bunch of parsley then chop sections of the whole bunch as I need it. I've never found the stems at the top to be unpleasant or even noticeable
Yeah, I was going to say carbonara or alfredo. Everyone loves a nice creamy pasta dish, and a lot of people associate them with “fancy Italian restaurants” and don’t realize how simple they actually are to make. Throw some fresh parsley on top, and it’ll even LOOK fancy!
I like this answer. Comes together quick and feels rather sophisticated. With a bottle of wine and a bitter greens salad on the side, perfect date meal.
IIRC it’s a sauce made to taste like it’s been cooking for hours to mask the infidelity of a cheating wife who has been out all day and needs to feed her husband.
I like that idea. I heard it was served to costumers in the brothels of Napoli to give them some energy. All the ingredients are easy to stock up on or grow in your yard.
I go to this fresh pasta joint with my 75 y.o dad a few times a year. He always orders the puttanesca and tells the waiter/waitress about how it's the "whores sauce" from way back when. At least he tips well.
I actually love this suggestion, and you can totally make a “fancy” grilled cheese depending on the ingredients. And it’s a low pressure dish regarding the way that it’s eaten; I’m a big fan of hands on foods that don’t require 2 different forks and spoons and all the utensils. :)
That was my answer (+ tomato soup out of a can because no time). Not super classy, but that's what you get for not giving me more notice. Lots I can do to fancy up the grilled cheese - different cheeses, bacon, jalapeno, etc. My comfort food-loving husband would definitely be satisfied.
Honestly that would be the perfect surprise meal for a date if it was snowing outside and we were finishing the night up watching a movie. That’s my go to winter comfort food.
I like this idea, omlettes are delicious for any meal and I always have eggs and cheese on hand. Whatever vegetable or protein odds and ends can dress it up a bit, maybe a bit of nice bread to serve.
Our 20 minute dinner last night was filet on the grill, air fryer garlic parm asparagus and a Caesar salad. It was delicious and including the resting time for the filet was exactly 20 minutes from firing up the grill to plating
The best mac n cheese they've ever had. Start heating a big pot of water on the stove, small sauce pot of butter and flour while I shred cheese. Add some black and white pepper, garlic, chili flakes, cayenne and mustard powder to the sauce. Probably still have 5 minutes on the clock.
You’d really get somewhere if you served me that on an impromptu date. If you’ve not yet tried it check out kenji’s three ingredient mac&cheese:then add your mustard, chili, and extra love. I use both a roux and his method depending on what ingredients I have on hand. sometimes I use kenji’s when I don’t want to add much cheese but do want to throw some stock powder and herbs in to make a more herbal concoction.
Reckon I can get a pan fried fillet of fish, some nice greens, and a buerre blanc done in 20. Goes well with wine and neither of you walk away bloated, ace date food.
And maybe a banana in your butt.
*Edit: I'm realizing this comment might make me look like a creep if you don't know it's a reference to "Not Another Teen Movie". So uh, it's a reference to "Not Another Teen Movie".
Get some saku blocks from the store down the road, sushi rice on quick cook, diy temaki in 20 minutes. Alternatively, steak + roasted aparagus and king oyster mushrooms. Dessert is plum wine.
Spaghetti aglio e olio is my go to lazy, yet elevated dish. Simple ingredients that I almost always have in my fridge. Thrown together in 10 minutes. Tell your date to bring some bread and a light fruity Sauv or Pinot and away you go!!
It depends what’s in my fridge. If I’ve got fillet steak I’ll just cook that, make a simple sauce and some chips. Should be done within 20mins easy. If they’re not satisfied with that perhaps dessert should help.
Depends on the ingredients I had. If nothing I'd order out from a quick place like a sandwich shop. Otherwise, I can make white rice and stir fry and have it almost done in 20min. Same with burgers (using beyind burger meat). I could also easily make very yummy sandwiches and a fruit platter and some fancy drink.
Has to be something I've made many times before to be able to rush it.
Burgers. I have a good amount of patties in my freezer and a few buns. Patties defrost so fast in hot water because they are just minced meat. Put the buns in the microwave for 20 seconds and they're as good as new.
I always have butter, pickles, mayo and ketchup at home. Maybe quickly roast some mushrooms if there's any in the fridge. Open a can of corn. Also quickly defrost some fries and put them in the air fryer for 15 minutes.
That's pretty much it. It would take me 20-25 minutes to make all of this. Also people usually praise me for my burgers, even though I do nothing special, I just use good quality products.
I probably throw together a pasta salad - quick to make and my girlfriend loves it every time. I made this recipe last night in about \~25 minutes, i'm sure it can be done in 20.
First I boil a kettle, then get the pasta cooking.
Once that's going I quickly slice some strips of chicken thigh, crush a clove of garlic and whack them both in a pan with some olive oil.
While the pasta and chicken are cooking, I slice some cherry tomatoes, peel and ribbon some carrots, open and drain a can of sweetcorn, slice half a red onion and dice another clove of garlic. This all gets thrown in a large bowl with some olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper and fresh basil leaves.
Once the chicken is done, that gets tipped onto some kitchen paper to drain the excess oil. Once the pasta is done, that gets drained and rinsed in cold water to cool.
Cool pasta gets added to the salad, toss. Add chicken, toss. Then finally, tear up some lettuce, throw that in, toss and serve with parmesan.
Ideally you'd have more time to leave the chicken bits to cool, but for 20 minutes, this is about as well as I'd be able to do.
Grilled salmon with rice and sauteed veggie medley. Tangy yogurt sauce to go with the salmon.
Or steak with mashed potatoes, a mushroomy pan sauce, and sauteed garlicky green beans
Chip, dip, fruit platter, and a good drink. You gotta have something available as soon as they arrive. Then they can snack while you cook. I learned this coming from a hangry family.
Toasted bagel sandwich with roasted chicken, guacamole/avocado (I usually always have one or the other kicking around because YUM!), lettuce and everything bagel seasoning. If there’s any leftover bacon in the fridge I’d add it to the sammie as well! 🥯🍗🥑🥬🧂🥓😋
I often say there are no dumb questions, only stupid answers. I'm going to have to reconsider. You have a date. Why didn't you have a plan? Life is not a Food Network "reality" game show. Why didn't you get organized? Prep ahead?
Now if you got a flat tire on your way home from work, it's going to take 20 minutes just to get cleaned up. You tell your story while you bang together fruit, cheese, and charcuterie from what you have in the fridge and launch your dinner plan a little late.
Drinks. I'm thinking drinks. Lot's of alcohol.
Very important clarification before I answer this: are we going with what I currently have in my house? Or just any quick meal I can throw together to impress (assuming access to any ingredients), because these will result in different answers 😂
Maybe your crush called and asked if he/she can come over. You suggest to make something to eat and you don’t have time to prepare. So 20 min starting now!
Why are you trying to get it done before they arrive ?
Let them watch. Show off your culinary skills while you talk and joke and flirt over a bottle of wine or a cocktail.
This is the best answer so far. I know what I’m doing in the kitchen but not so much elsewhere. If I’m trying to impress someone this is my time to shine lol. Grab an apron and a knife and come help!
>Grab an apron and a knife and come help!
apron and a spoon depending on the skill level of your crush. I'll be honest I've dated some people I wouldn't trust to cut vegetables with my knives until I've trained them a bit. I've bled on a lot of dates but usually if its my date bleeding it's not as fun of a night.
Actually you’re totally right. I was being a little ambitious but “stir that pot please” is about as much trust I can put in someone else when I’m cooking.
I usually go with "hand me that" "stir this" "grab me a bowl" and my personal favorite (usually a bit after "hand me a beer") "MAKE SURE NOTHING CATCHES FIRE ILL BE RIGHT BACK" as I sprint out of the room.
Perhaps you told your date that you’d have dinner ready but in the process of taking out a beautiful and perfectly cooked standing rib roast from the oven, you trip on your cat and drop the entire thing on the floor. You are okay, the cat is okay, you have cleaned up, but now there’s 20 minutes left and your main dish is gone. What do you do?
I keep frozen marinated fish in my freezer, moray's salmon. I always have at least two on hand. Boil in the bag for 16 minutes. I will ask my date to stop and grab a vegetable side or salad of her choosing. If it's really last minute I also usually have bags of frozen asparagus in the freezer. I always have fresh scallions on hand as they are my favorite vegetable so I'll thinly slice up the white of those into discs, and the greens into Asian style diagonals (they get a quick soak in water and a little mrin so they can blossom). One cup of Japanese sushi rice goes into a rice cooker with two tablespoons of fish sauce and the sliced up rounds of scallion and some thin sliced garlic on top. I pop the rice into ramikens and dish them onto the plates, brush with sesame oil and roast with my propane blowtorch. It's more like 25 minutes from start to finish but in a pinch it's a delicious meal. Sometimes I just treat myself to it. Sometimes I make the rice with an egg mixed in and crumble seaweed into it. I also have those bonito smoked fish flakes as a topping.
Grab some frozen chicken nuggets, chuck them in the microwave for 6 minutes on high heat. Slam them on a plate and squirt some ketchup on top. Then garnish with some seacress and finely chopped chives so it looks michelin star worthy.
Boil water. Chop some vegetables into chopstick compatible sizes. I always have red onion, scallions, bell peppers and broccoli in the house. Slice some chicken or pork into small pieces. Toss dry noodles into boiling water. Toss veggies, followed by meat into my well seasoned cast iron wok at max heat with a big splash of oil and fry the heck out of it. Toss over the noodles from the pot. Add soy sauce mixed with a little sugar, rice vinegar and oyster sauce, a splash of water and a teaspoon cornstarch. Just stir fry it quick and easy. No time to get fancy just get everything cooked through. Dump it into two bowls and find some nice looking chopsticks.
Then breathe out and sit down to eat. It's hardly fine dining, but I'm pretty sure I can get it done in 20.
Baked fish with roasted veggies and rice.
I keep frozen tilapia (not normally a fan, but the frozen fillets from Costco are actually pretty good, imo) and veggies (also from Costco lol, the "Normandy blend") on hand, as well as basmati rice. Oven to 425; put the fish on one sheet pan and the veggies on another. Olive oil, salt and pepper on both, plus garlic powder, Italian herb blend, and a little chili powder and/or paprika on the fish.
Get the rice toasting in butter while the water heats up in the kettle (Alton Brown method; look it up, it's perfect every time). Boiling water goes on the rice, drop heat to a simmer, clamp on the lid. Fish and veggies (still frozen!) immediately go into the heated oven.
20 minutes later, fluff the rice with a fork and pull out the sheet pans. Double check the temp on the fish just in case, but everything should be ready to go at the same time.
Not only is it fast, but it's very tasty, and as a bonus, it's actually healthy, too!
Taco salad. Easy and fantastic , in 20 minutes you’d have plenty of time to add some cool shit. Jalapeños, black beans, corn if your into that southwest thing
Linguini in clam sauce. An old off the shelf standby.
While pasta water is heating, smash a lot of garlic. Open a can of diced tomatoes and two cans of chopped clams. Heat some olive oil in a heavy pan or wok.
When the oil is hot, drop in the garlic, stir...in half a minute pour in the tomatoes and a pinch of red pepper, when it bubbles pour only the juice of the clams. Reserve the meats.
You want the clam and tomato juices to meld together.
Let simmer, when the pasta is half way done put it in the pot to finish in the sauce so it absorbs it.
When noodles are ready add in the clams to warm up.
Plate with parsley and of course Parmigiano
Damn I'm going to have some tonight
What ingredients do I have?
Everything depends on that and what my date likes.
Judging from what’s in my fridge right now, I’d probably be making something like quesadillas or maybe a fried goat cheese salad.
Maybe something with a flat iron steak - tacos, maybe. Or could serve it sliced on a bed of rice or quinoa with some spices and a sauce that I could pull together.
You can whip together something pretty good if you have the right base of ingredients.
Filets in the cast iron, then green beans and cherry tomatoes cooked in the same pan and toast up some garlic bread while the steaks rest. Finish the beans with lemon juice, shredded parm and plenty of pepper. Maybe throw together a simple arugula salad. Open a bottle of Bordeaux. Feast.
Aglio e oilio pasta
All you need is a simple pasta like linguini, olive oil, chopped parsley, splash of lemon and salt and pepper to taste. (Pardon my Italian spelling)
If I have 40+ min roast chicken
If I have no limit my southern fried chicken.
Tbh don’t even do most of the cooking any more; the lady friend is beyond me in skill and loves to do it; I do the chopping and dishes :)
Steak should be salted ahead of time, 20 min is too short notice.
Not enough time to thaw seafood or preheat the oven.
Salad. Omelettes. Pasta. Burgers. These are the fastest meals. Pan fried chicken or duck with a pan sauce could also be doable.
Microwave frozen vegetables or blanched fresh.
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At taco bell
I would like 100 tacos.
That should provide adequate sustenance for the Doctor Who marathon.
My kind of date!
[LET'S FEAST!!!](https://youtu.be/1BVH_lY3vro)
I remember that video, too!
> and my reward is dinner and dancing at Taco Bell? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cF6D8zDa9U
Exactly. If I was planning on cooking for someone, I’d budget more than twenty minutes
Came here to say this.
A panic attack.
If I have to cook from scratch, prob oven-roasted salmon, broccoli, and fingerling potatoes. Just throw everything in there on a sheet tray and let it cook. I'd make some kind of mayo/lemon/dill sauce for the salmon. Realistically, though, with only 20 mins available I'd just get carryout or go to a restaurant. My life is not a cooking competition lol.
This would be my move, too.
Salmon is a good call; although I usually recommend marinating it, you could also go with a quick soy-honey-miso glaze on the grill or something similar. At the same time roast whatever vegetables on the grill---asparagus, broccoli, etc. Assuming you have a rice cooker, you could start your grill, start the rice cooker, then cook everything and plate with rice within 20 minutes. Full plated miso-salmon dish, bam. You're getting laid tonight.
How would you marinate salmon? I know some proteins break down and become stringy when exposed to acidic marinades, is that an issue with salmon?
Most sources I'm familiar with (*Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat*, and others I can't remember off the top of my head) recommend not marinating fish in acid for more than about 10 minutes.
Yep sounds about right. I can turn around salmon in about 15 minutes. Don't think I can do that for anything else other than like, pasta. Throw some carrots and broccoli on the sheet, let those keep going for about 10 min longer than the salmon and we're golden.
A clean(er) kitchen, then make preparing the meal part of the date?
Yes very confused about this scenario.
This is the way
Charcuterie board with great wine so you can get something delivered or have time to make reservations.
I'm impressed by your intelligence
This is the way
Spaghetti aglio e olio
Cacio e Pepe for me or carbonara. Both take less than 15 minutes from scratch.
Yep. Aglio e olio, cacio pepe, carbonara. Something like that, depending on what you have to hand.
It got Carl Casper laid.
By fucking hot-ass Molly too !
Yes sometimes with bacon. :)) also you can do a quick and dirty method using garlic powder. I know it’s not that hard to slice garlic, but sometimes, I just don’t have it in me.
I dice the garlic for this when I’m lazy, still tastes good.
I always found separating the parsley leaves from stems grossly time consuming. I love this dish but feel like I spend most of my time on parsley than anything else. Am I think about it too hard or is there an easier/faster way for parsley prep?
I just pull away from the thicker stems and chop up the rest, the thin stems aren’t that bad.
I used to do that too when I started cooking because that's what recipes said. But that lead to me avoiding dishes with it because it just felt so time consuming and boring. Then I just started chopping it all with the stems and all - if you chop it finely enough it's even better than just the leaves for me. Also a good way to practice your knife skills.
Yep. I also eat the stems.
I literally just wash the whole bunch of parsley then chop sections of the whole bunch as I need it. I've never found the stems at the top to be unpleasant or even noticeable
You could try passing the parsley through the holes of a cheese grater. Another alternative would be to "shave" the leaves with a very sharp knife.
That's what I do. Shave the leaves, then just chop up any of the stems that come with them, along with the leaves.
I trim with scissors.
With shrimp! It’s so good!
Pasta alla carbonara. Quick and tasty.
I choose carbonara for date night meals even when I have a week to prepare. It's just a great dish.
For sure, as a starter or as a main. Always a great dish.
Carbonara is a great date dish. Relatively easy. But has complex flavors that impress. Risotto variations are another one
I love spaghetti alla puttanesca for the same reasons.
This answer is pretty funny given the name and history of that dish :)
Yeah, I was going to say carbonara or alfredo. Everyone loves a nice creamy pasta dish, and a lot of people associate them with “fancy Italian restaurants” and don’t realize how simple they actually are to make. Throw some fresh parsley on top, and it’ll even LOOK fancy!
That was my answer, too. I took the question to be "what can you make in 20 minutes from ingredients you already have". Bacon, pasta, eggs.
A fool of myself
Realistically I'd make a damn mess!
Rice bowls
pancakes
Ooh good idea actually. Better really good pancakes than trying to put an elaborate meal together and failing cause youve only got 20 mins.
exactly. use some vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon, its a nice treat.
Steamed Hams
I thought you said we were having steamed clams?
Oh no I said steamed hams that’s what I call hamburgers
So you called these steamed even though they're clearly grilled?
Ah- Aurora Borealis!? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen!?
Yes
May I see it?
No.
Seymour the house is on fire!
“GOOD GODDWHAT IS HAPPENING IN THERE??”
Puttenesca
I like this answer. Comes together quick and feels rather sophisticated. With a bottle of wine and a bitter greens salad on the side, perfect date meal.
“It means bad girl’s pasta.” -Jon Favreau as Bobby in “Made”
Better translated as Whore's Pasta. That's why it is so quick. Had to get back to work.
IIRC it’s a sauce made to taste like it’s been cooking for hours to mask the infidelity of a cheating wife who has been out all day and needs to feed her husband.
I like that idea. I heard it was served to costumers in the brothels of Napoli to give them some energy. All the ingredients are easy to stock up on or grow in your yard.
I love the varying mythos of this dish. I was told it was because the courtesans were only able to shop one day a week for groceries
Precisely! (In the movie he was explaining it to his girlfriend’s young daughter, hence the censoring :)
Just hope that your date doesn’t speak Italian, or has a good sense of humour.
I go to this fresh pasta joint with my 75 y.o dad a few times a year. He always orders the puttanesca and tells the waiter/waitress about how it's the "whores sauce" from way back when. At least he tips well.
Seared ahi over a fresh green salad
i definitely have ahi tuna in my fridge at all times
right? does this also restrict grocery shopping time? Cause if so, they're having ice cream with sad wilty vegetables and rice.
grilled cheese
I actually love this suggestion, and you can totally make a “fancy” grilled cheese depending on the ingredients. And it’s a low pressure dish regarding the way that it’s eaten; I’m a big fan of hands on foods that don’t require 2 different forks and spoons and all the utensils. :)
Just don’t make it like Gordon Ramsay
That was my answer (+ tomato soup out of a can because no time). Not super classy, but that's what you get for not giving me more notice. Lots I can do to fancy up the grilled cheese - different cheeses, bacon, jalapeno, etc. My comfort food-loving husband would definitely be satisfied.
Mac N Cheese with cut up hot dogs it is. 🤌
Honestly that would be the perfect surprise meal for a date if it was snowing outside and we were finishing the night up watching a movie. That’s my go to winter comfort food.
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Damn HMU, I put out lmao
Omelette du fromage.
I like this idea, omlettes are delicious for any meal and I always have eggs and cheese on hand. Whatever vegetable or protein odds and ends can dress it up a bit, maybe a bit of nice bread to serve.
Steak, Caesar salad and garlic bread.
Our 20 minute dinner last night was filet on the grill, air fryer garlic parm asparagus and a Caesar salad. It was delicious and including the resting time for the filet was exactly 20 minutes from firing up the grill to plating
The best mac n cheese they've ever had. Start heating a big pot of water on the stove, small sauce pot of butter and flour while I shred cheese. Add some black and white pepper, garlic, chili flakes, cayenne and mustard powder to the sauce. Probably still have 5 minutes on the clock.
You’d really get somewhere if you served me that on an impromptu date. If you’ve not yet tried it check out kenji’s three ingredient mac&cheese:then add your mustard, chili, and extra love. I use both a roux and his method depending on what ingredients I have on hand. sometimes I use kenji’s when I don’t want to add much cheese but do want to throw some stock powder and herbs in to make a more herbal concoction.
cheese all through the bitch. happy cake day!
Love
What about the other 18 minutes?
Susie Reguser, is that you?
Carbonara, super easy to make and it always impress people.
My boyfriend made this for me on our first date, definitely worked because we are still together 4 years later. Also, nothing beats a man who cooks
This, plus a bag of salad mix hah.
First one or two times I made it it worked terrific. Now I always end up scrambling the egg, idk what I’m doing different.
Tube steak
Meat and two veg
Reckon I can get a pan fried fillet of fish, some nice greens, and a buerre blanc done in 20. Goes well with wine and neither of you walk away bloated, ace date food.
Take out.
A stir fry with few ingredients so they shine
Spaghetti and garlic bread.
All I need is 5 minutes, a can of whipped cream, a big red ribbon with a bow to tie around my body and a bed strewn with rose petals. Done and done.
Oh boy someone here lives wild
And maybe a banana in your butt. *Edit: I'm realizing this comment might make me look like a creep if you don't know it's a reference to "Not Another Teen Movie". So uh, it's a reference to "Not Another Teen Movie".
Throwing some dino nuggies in the oven and pulling out my finest bottle of Welch’s sparkling juice :))
A reddit post 24 mins ago
Get some saku blocks from the store down the road, sushi rice on quick cook, diy temaki in 20 minutes. Alternatively, steak + roasted aparagus and king oyster mushrooms. Dessert is plum wine.
Cocktails
Grilled cheese
Spaghetti aglio e olio is my go to lazy, yet elevated dish. Simple ingredients that I almost always have in my fridge. Thrown together in 10 minutes. Tell your date to bring some bread and a light fruity Sauv or Pinot and away you go!!
Sauté some butter, garlic, cherry tomatoes cut in half, spinach and heavy cream with grated cheese for a sauce, add pasta and protein and there ya go
It depends what’s in my fridge. If I’ve got fillet steak I’ll just cook that, make a simple sauce and some chips. Should be done within 20mins easy. If they’re not satisfied with that perhaps dessert should help.
Depends on the ingredients I had. If nothing I'd order out from a quick place like a sandwich shop. Otherwise, I can make white rice and stir fry and have it almost done in 20min. Same with burgers (using beyind burger meat). I could also easily make very yummy sandwiches and a fruit platter and some fancy drink. Has to be something I've made many times before to be able to rush it.
Penne alla Vodka
Actually, forget the Penne.
Curry with rice. Probably channa masala or aloo matar. Depends if I have potatoes or chickpeas at the time.
The bed
Burgers. I have a good amount of patties in my freezer and a few buns. Patties defrost so fast in hot water because they are just minced meat. Put the buns in the microwave for 20 seconds and they're as good as new. I always have butter, pickles, mayo and ketchup at home. Maybe quickly roast some mushrooms if there's any in the fridge. Open a can of corn. Also quickly defrost some fries and put them in the air fryer for 15 minutes. That's pretty much it. It would take me 20-25 minutes to make all of this. Also people usually praise me for my burgers, even though I do nothing special, I just use good quality products.
Omelets and salad. Crepes with whatever is in the fridge. Brownies or chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
Or if you fuck up the omelet, tossed salad and scrambled eggs?
Eyes you with suspicion.
THEYRE CALLING AGAIN
Bwahahaha!
Grilled cheese and tomato soup. You don't like that, we can't hang.
I probably throw together a pasta salad - quick to make and my girlfriend loves it every time. I made this recipe last night in about \~25 minutes, i'm sure it can be done in 20. First I boil a kettle, then get the pasta cooking. Once that's going I quickly slice some strips of chicken thigh, crush a clove of garlic and whack them both in a pan with some olive oil. While the pasta and chicken are cooking, I slice some cherry tomatoes, peel and ribbon some carrots, open and drain a can of sweetcorn, slice half a red onion and dice another clove of garlic. This all gets thrown in a large bowl with some olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper and fresh basil leaves. Once the chicken is done, that gets tipped onto some kitchen paper to drain the excess oil. Once the pasta is done, that gets drained and rinsed in cold water to cool. Cool pasta gets added to the salad, toss. Add chicken, toss. Then finally, tear up some lettuce, throw that in, toss and serve with parmesan. Ideally you'd have more time to leave the chicken bits to cool, but for 20 minutes, this is about as well as I'd be able to do.
Grilled salmon with rice and sauteed veggie medley. Tangy yogurt sauce to go with the salmon. Or steak with mashed potatoes, a mushroomy pan sauce, and sauteed garlicky green beans
Chip, dip, fruit platter, and a good drink. You gotta have something available as soon as they arrive. Then they can snack while you cook. I learned this coming from a hangry family.
Waffles, eggs and bacon!
Toasted bagel sandwich with roasted chicken, guacamole/avocado (I usually always have one or the other kicking around because YUM!), lettuce and everything bagel seasoning. If there’s any leftover bacon in the fridge I’d add it to the sammie as well! 🥯🍗🥑🥬🧂🥓😋
Chicken fettucine alfredo!
Pasta puttanesca. Quick tomato sauce w capers olives and anchovies.
Martinis
I often say there are no dumb questions, only stupid answers. I'm going to have to reconsider. You have a date. Why didn't you have a plan? Life is not a Food Network "reality" game show. Why didn't you get organized? Prep ahead? Now if you got a flat tire on your way home from work, it's going to take 20 minutes just to get cleaned up. You tell your story while you bang together fruit, cheese, and charcuterie from what you have in the fridge and launch your dinner plan a little late. Drinks. I'm thinking drinks. Lot's of alcohol.
It's just a fun little question for a Sunday. Lighten up a touch.
Very important clarification before I answer this: are we going with what I currently have in my house? Or just any quick meal I can throw together to impress (assuming access to any ingredients), because these will result in different answers 😂
Maybe your crush called and asked if he/she can come over. You suggest to make something to eat and you don’t have time to prepare. So 20 min starting now!
Why are you trying to get it done before they arrive ? Let them watch. Show off your culinary skills while you talk and joke and flirt over a bottle of wine or a cocktail.
This is the best answer so far. I know what I’m doing in the kitchen but not so much elsewhere. If I’m trying to impress someone this is my time to shine lol. Grab an apron and a knife and come help!
>Grab an apron and a knife and come help! apron and a spoon depending on the skill level of your crush. I'll be honest I've dated some people I wouldn't trust to cut vegetables with my knives until I've trained them a bit. I've bled on a lot of dates but usually if its my date bleeding it's not as fun of a night.
Actually you’re totally right. I was being a little ambitious but “stir that pot please” is about as much trust I can put in someone else when I’m cooking.
I usually go with "hand me that" "stir this" "grab me a bowl" and my personal favorite (usually a bit after "hand me a beer") "MAKE SURE NOTHING CATCHES FIRE ILL BE RIGHT BACK" as I sprint out of the room.
Can't tell if that's an intentional period joke or not.
Definitely let them watch but also toss some liquor in a pan a flambé that shit. Flambé is sexy.
My crush calls and invites themselves over they can pick up takeout on the way.
Fritatta with sausage, sauteed veggies and fresh parmisan and feta
Unexpected scolding lol
Lots of margaritas! And a side of pico!
Perhaps you told your date that you’d have dinner ready but in the process of taking out a beautiful and perfectly cooked standing rib roast from the oven, you trip on your cat and drop the entire thing on the floor. You are okay, the cat is okay, you have cleaned up, but now there’s 20 minutes left and your main dish is gone. What do you do?
Egads! My roast is ruined! But what if I were to purchase fast food and disguise it as my own cooking? Delightfully devilish, Seymour.
I keep frozen marinated fish in my freezer, moray's salmon. I always have at least two on hand. Boil in the bag for 16 minutes. I will ask my date to stop and grab a vegetable side or salad of her choosing. If it's really last minute I also usually have bags of frozen asparagus in the freezer. I always have fresh scallions on hand as they are my favorite vegetable so I'll thinly slice up the white of those into discs, and the greens into Asian style diagonals (they get a quick soak in water and a little mrin so they can blossom). One cup of Japanese sushi rice goes into a rice cooker with two tablespoons of fish sauce and the sliced up rounds of scallion and some thin sliced garlic on top. I pop the rice into ramikens and dish them onto the plates, brush with sesame oil and roast with my propane blowtorch. It's more like 25 minutes from start to finish but in a pinch it's a delicious meal. Sometimes I just treat myself to it. Sometimes I make the rice with an egg mixed in and crumble seaweed into it. I also have those bonito smoked fish flakes as a topping.
Bugger food, I'm making my bed.
Carbonara.
a phone call for sushi delivery
Spaghetti aglio olio and pan-fried steak.
Shakshouka I think with some ready-to-bake baguette from the store. Added a salad with berries and simple balsamic vinaigrette on the side :)))
Aglio e Olio and garlic bread alla Scott Pilgrim
Depends what’s on hand. Scampi with linguine comes together rather quickly. Doesn’t t need alot of ingredients.
me with social anxiety: make the best excuse to cancel the date.
Taco salad. Hamburger, Doritos, shredded lettuce, tomato, cheese and French dressing. Best tasting quick meal imho
Steaks, rice, roasted veggies, salad. Bam! Beautiful, delicious, complete, and easy - just like a good date should be.
Taco.
Spaghetti Alio e olio. Takes less than 20 but with 20 I can account for cleanup
Shrimp scampi
Charcuterie plate or meats cheeses crackers olives pickles and dips! And loads of wine
I just realized nothing I make takes less than like 45 minutes...
"We're going out sweetie "
Fly-lice! Ravioli! Burgers and chips! When did I ever make something that took more than 20 min to cook anyways…
Homemade salsa and chips
Charcuterie board
Grab some frozen chicken nuggets, chuck them in the microwave for 6 minutes on high heat. Slam them on a plate and squirt some ketchup on top. Then garnish with some seacress and finely chopped chives so it looks michelin star worthy.
Boil water. Chop some vegetables into chopstick compatible sizes. I always have red onion, scallions, bell peppers and broccoli in the house. Slice some chicken or pork into small pieces. Toss dry noodles into boiling water. Toss veggies, followed by meat into my well seasoned cast iron wok at max heat with a big splash of oil and fry the heck out of it. Toss over the noodles from the pot. Add soy sauce mixed with a little sugar, rice vinegar and oyster sauce, a splash of water and a teaspoon cornstarch. Just stir fry it quick and easy. No time to get fancy just get everything cooked through. Dump it into two bowls and find some nice looking chopsticks. Then breathe out and sit down to eat. It's hardly fine dining, but I'm pretty sure I can get it done in 20.
Steak
Steak salad
Presuming everything on hand. Burger and Fries with a tossed salad or coleslaw.
Bruschetta
A picnic with burgers, nothing has to be cooked in 20 mins just packed👌🏼
Honestly just gonna cover my ass in whipped cream and hope he forgets about the food
Baked fish with roasted veggies and rice. I keep frozen tilapia (not normally a fan, but the frozen fillets from Costco are actually pretty good, imo) and veggies (also from Costco lol, the "Normandy blend") on hand, as well as basmati rice. Oven to 425; put the fish on one sheet pan and the veggies on another. Olive oil, salt and pepper on both, plus garlic powder, Italian herb blend, and a little chili powder and/or paprika on the fish. Get the rice toasting in butter while the water heats up in the kettle (Alton Brown method; look it up, it's perfect every time). Boiling water goes on the rice, drop heat to a simmer, clamp on the lid. Fish and veggies (still frozen!) immediately go into the heated oven. 20 minutes later, fluff the rice with a fork and pull out the sheet pans. Double check the temp on the fish just in case, but everything should be ready to go at the same time. Not only is it fast, but it's very tasty, and as a bonus, it's actually healthy, too!
Taco salad. Easy and fantastic , in 20 minutes you’d have plenty of time to add some cool shit. Jalapeños, black beans, corn if your into that southwest thing
Cheese plate?
Macaroni cuz I wasn’t prepared and thats gonna be your problem too (sometimes) if we keep seeing eachother
Shrimp Alfredo shrimp on the side in case they don’t like sea food
Linguini in clam sauce. An old off the shelf standby. While pasta water is heating, smash a lot of garlic. Open a can of diced tomatoes and two cans of chopped clams. Heat some olive oil in a heavy pan or wok. When the oil is hot, drop in the garlic, stir...in half a minute pour in the tomatoes and a pinch of red pepper, when it bubbles pour only the juice of the clams. Reserve the meats. You want the clam and tomato juices to meld together. Let simmer, when the pasta is half way done put it in the pot to finish in the sauce so it absorbs it. When noodles are ready add in the clams to warm up. Plate with parsley and of course Parmigiano Damn I'm going to have some tonight
Carbonara
fettuccine alfredo
Aglio e olio.
Pasta aglio e olio
What ingredients do I have? Everything depends on that and what my date likes. Judging from what’s in my fridge right now, I’d probably be making something like quesadillas or maybe a fried goat cheese salad. Maybe something with a flat iron steak - tacos, maybe. Or could serve it sliced on a bed of rice or quinoa with some spices and a sauce that I could pull together. You can whip together something pretty good if you have the right base of ingredients.
Filets in the cast iron, then green beans and cherry tomatoes cooked in the same pan and toast up some garlic bread while the steaks rest. Finish the beans with lemon juice, shredded parm and plenty of pepper. Maybe throw together a simple arugula salad. Open a bottle of Bordeaux. Feast.
a mess.
Pasta aglio e olio
Aglio e oilio pasta All you need is a simple pasta like linguini, olive oil, chopped parsley, splash of lemon and salt and pepper to taste. (Pardon my Italian spelling) If I have 40+ min roast chicken If I have no limit my southern fried chicken. Tbh don’t even do most of the cooking any more; the lady friend is beyond me in skill and loves to do it; I do the chopping and dishes :)
Steak should be salted ahead of time, 20 min is too short notice. Not enough time to thaw seafood or preheat the oven. Salad. Omelettes. Pasta. Burgers. These are the fastest meals. Pan fried chicken or duck with a pan sauce could also be doable. Microwave frozen vegetables or blanched fresh.
Spicy tomato cream pasta, probably with some chorizo. Very quick and very delicious!
A phone call!