The Ultimate 15 Minute Dinner

Let me start out this post by saying that I am by no means a gourmet chef. I enjoy food but my cooking skills are very basic. Between being on a strict budget and not having hours on end to cook delicious meals I look for EASY and HEALTHY recipes that won't burn my wallet. The first step to these meals is to shop at the right place. I stay away from the typical New York Supermarkets because they mark up their prices way too much. I know that Whole Foods isn't that much better with their pricing but their 365 brand is definitely more affordable. When I shop at Whole Foods I look out for this brand and every now and then splurge on some tasty cheese. The place to find guaranteed low prices is Trader Joe's. Not only is Trader Joe's extremely affordable, their frozen food is so tasty and healthy. Which brings me to the feast I made for myself tonight!

When I first moved to NYC I was truly afraid of my kitchen. I ordered in almost every night for the first 4 months I lived here and then became so bored of all the delivery places around me. In order to cure my case of boring meals I went to Trader Joe's and decided I need to get into my kitchen. Like I said, I am not a gourmet chef but one of my favorite meals that I compiled tonight is what I like to call my Trader Joe's Turkey Meatball Stir Fry. You can make this dish any way you would like and can add or remove any items.

First go to Trader Joe's and buy frozen spinach, Trader Joe's Turkey Meatballs (located in the frozen section), sliced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw (in the produce section), and any other fun types of veggies you would like to add! I like to change up my veggie choice to mix things up.

Once you have your chosen ingredients go the kitchen and get your pan and stove top ready. I spray a little amount of olive oil spray on the pan so nothing sticks before I start cooking. Now the fun begins, all in less than 15 minutes!

I usually eye all my ingredients since my hunger levels always differ. Tonight I had a large appetite because I had an intense boxing session with my trainer. So I poured a little over one cup of spinach into the pan, then added the broccoli slaw. While I add all the ingredients I put the meatballs into the microwave for one minute to get them heated. During that minute I add the rest of my ingredients then pour Trader Joe's organic tomato sauce into the pan. After the meatballs are heated I chop them up and place them into the pan. At this point the food is nice and hot and it's tough to overcook any of these ingredients. After about a total of 6 minutes of the stove being on high I turn the knob down to the lowest heat so everything is just simmering in the tomato sauce. I usually take a small taste of the stir fry to make sure everything hot. Once everything tastes ready (usually after about 8 minutes on the stove) I add a small teaspoon of Genova Pesto (also from Trader Joe's) and parmesan cheese. This dish is all vegetables and the meatballs are very low in fat so this dish fits all my criteria. The best part is how GREAT IT TASTES!! Check out my pictures so you can create this meal yourself!