That Time of Year An Easy Recipe for Every Season
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You have errands to run and dogs to walk. You have batteries to buy and split ends to unsplit. Because of those and an ever-growing list of things to do, what you don’t have is time. Or at least time to waste making four-course meals involving a tasting menu of appetizers and made-from-scratch desserts. So, let’s tackle ways you can save time on the things you do every day.
That’s where these recipes come in
Somewhere between smoking a brisket and serving cold cuts, these recipes deliver maximum sumptuousness with minimum time, energy and effort. To truly meet your I-don’t-have-time-for-that needs, we’ll do a hard pass on a conventional oven. They consume a lot of energy and take a lot of time. We’ll also take a hard pass on slow cookers. While they consume very little energy, they take a lot of time (the word “slow” is actually in the name). So, we’ll stick to options that are both time and energy efficient. We’ll also give a nod to each season for a total of four recipes. Enjoy.
Recipes Below
Buffalo Chicken Wings –for fall
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Fall often means football. Football definitely means wings. When the air turns crisp, bundle up on the inside with these eye-watering hot, hot wings. Great things about wings: They’re crispy, they’re delicious and they require no utensils to enjoy. That last one is big if you have kids in your family. So, embrace your carnivore messiness and dig into these crowd pleasers.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup hot sauce
- Black pepper to taste
- Kosher salt to taste
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for serving
Instructions
- STEP 1. Pat the chicken wings dry and sprinkle generously with salt. Place the wings in the air fryer basket so they are not touching.
- STEP 2. Set the air fryer to 360°F and cook for 12 minutes, then flip the wings with tongs and cook for 12 minutes more.
- STEP 3. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for one minute. Whisk in the hot sauce.
- STEP 4. Toss the wings with the sauce in a large bowl. Serve with dressing on the side.
Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Baked Eggs –for winter
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Perfect for winter, a time when cold mornings are made better with a hot breakfast. And perfect for breakfast, a time when you rarely have a lot of time, these delicious eggs will upgrade your cooking game. Serving a crowd? Fear not. You can easily scale the quantities up or down to match the size of your group. You’ll just need one ramekin per person. No ramekins? Get some. They’re perfect for making fast and easy dishes. And you’ll save time doing dishes since you bake and eat in the same little cup. Don’t have a slew of ramekins on hand? You can substitute a muffin pan and serve on plates.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon fresh basil
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- STEP 1. Preheat toaster oven to 350°F.
- STEP 2. Coat the inside of one ramekin or oven-safe dish with olive oil.
- STEP 3. Line the bottom of the dish with sundried tomatoes and break two eggs on top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
- STEP 4. Bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes until egg whites are firm.
- STEP 5. Serve immediately.
Toaster Oven Tortilla Pizza –for spring
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Light and savory, this recipe is perfect for when the air gets warmer and green shoots appear on lawns. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make a pizza with really simple ingredients. Now, you can make your homemade pizza sauce. It’s just tomato paste, water and spices. But if the whole point is to save time and energy—in this case, your energy—just get some from a jar. And you just might be able to recruit others for the making of the pizza part. It’s easier on you and fun for your fellow pizza creator(s). Most importantly, when people make their pizzas, they tend to eat (and love) their pizzas.
Ingredients
- 1 tortilla
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano & basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 ounce pepperoni (optional)
Instructions
- STEP 1. Preheat the toaster oven to 400°F and line the tray with tin foil. Then, lay a tortilla on the tin foil.
- STEP 2. Mix tomato paste, 1 tbsp water, salt, oregano, basil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl to make a quick pizza sauce. If you have a jarred pizza sauce on hand, you can use 2.5 tablespoons of that instead.
- STEP 3. Next, spread pizza sauce over the tortilla. Then, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Finally, top with pepperoni or toppings of your choice.
- STEP 4. Bake for seven minutes. Slice into four pieces and enjoy.
Hamburgers From the Grill –for summer
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Firing up the grill for summer does a lot of good. It keeps you from heating up your kitchen and allows you to wear silly “Kiss the Cook” aprons and poofy chef’s hats. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, you can whip up these burgers in minutes. Not only will you save time doing dishes (since this is a knife-and-fork-free meal), you can also make the neighbors jealous as you fill the neighborhood with delicious smells.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup soft breadcrumbs
- 1 medium onion, chopped
Instructions
- STEP 1. Preheat the grill to 350°F–400°F.
- STEP 2. Add all ingredients (ground beef, soft breadcrumbs, large egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, cayenne and salt) into a large mixing bowl and mix by hand.
- STEP 3. Divide mixture into six ⅓-pound patties.
- STEP 4. Grill patties for three minutes per side.
- STEP 5. Add toppings and serve warm.
