Knowing how to cook quick and easy meals is extremely helpful in a busy medical professional's life (and even more so once you have kids). I'm not an amazing cook, but I have been slowly building up my repertoire over time and want to keep track of some of my more common "go-to" meals here. My main priorities are: minimal amount of prep (generally no big/super involved recipes), and minimal amount of attention needed while in the actual cooking process. A big part of this is because it's hard to be fully 100% focused on cooking while also trying to take care of and entertain a toddler. This naturally leads to a lot of simple recipes that you just season really quickly and pop into the oven or Instant Pot. Honestly even with such simple cooking, I've found that it can taste quite good - sometimes even better than when I go out to restaurants (which makes me question why I spend the money and time doing so)! Most of the ingredients I use below are easily found at Costco.

Chicken

 

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

• Pat dry
• Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and saute until browned
• Add 1 cup chicken broth or water
• Cook on high for 8 minutes (10 minutes if bone in. If frozen, 13 minutes boneless or 15 minutes bone in)
• 5 minute natural release

 

Roasted Chicken Thighs

• Pat dry
• Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano
• Roast 400 degrees for 40 minutes
• Can broil 2-3 minutes at the end for crispier skin

 

Chicken Stir Fry 

• Cut chicken breast or thigh into cubes
• Stir fry on medium high until cooked through
• Add salt and pepper
• Remove from skillet
• Stir fry chopped broccoli, bell paper, carrots, onion, or whatever vegetables are available
• Add minced ginger and garlic
• Add chicken back
• Add 1/4 cup chicken broth, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp corn starch
• Optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Beef

 

Ground Beef Tofu

• Stir fry ground beef on medium-high
• Add chopped green onion, ginger, and minced garlic once brown
• Add 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• Add tofu cubes
• Cover for 8 minutes on medium-high, stir occasionally
• Add salt and starch if needed

 

Hongshao Niu Rou

• Costco chuck roast beef
• Wash thoroughly
• Cut into large cubes
• Cut onion into cubes and ginger into chunks
• Saute onion for 3 minutes, then add beef and ginger
• Once color turns brown, add light soy sauce (shengchou) 3/4 cup or so, dark soy sauce (laochou), cinammon stick, Sichuan pepper, aniseed, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, olive oil
• Continue frying until meat changes color, then add some water until boils
• Cook on Manual high setting for 14 minutes

Salmon

 

Oven Roasted Salmon

• Add soy sauce, garlic, tiny bit of Chinese vinegar, honey
• Roast at 400 degrees for 18 minutes
• Can also try low and slow style 275 for 30 minutes

Pork

 

Instant Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

• Put salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin all over the ribs
• Put it into the Instant Pot
• Add Chicken broth
• Cook on Manual high pressure for 45 minutes with at least 10 minutes natural release
• Serve with BBQ sauce

 

Pork Bone Soup

• Boil water and put bones in until it boils again, then dump the water and rinse
• Add filtered water
• Add ginger and green onion
• Bring to boil
• Add cooking wine
• Simmer on low or med-low for at least 2 hours
• Add Daikon and boil for last 20 minutes or so
• Add salt and pepper
• Can also add tofu, napa cabbage, etc.

 

Grandpa's Meatball Soup

• Heat water in a pot until boiling
• Peel off leaves from Napa cabbage or green cabbage into chunks
• Add minced garlic, minced ginger, 2 eggs, corn starch with water, salt to ground pork
• Slap the pork onto a bowl with the spoon to create a firm texture, make into meatballs
• Boil 15-20 minutes
• Can add chicken soup flavor extract, cilantro when done

Lamb

 

Roasted Lamb Racks

• Wash lamb rack and areas with excess fat
• Add medium diced garlic, rosemary, good amount of salt, pepper, paprika, then olive oil
• 450 degrees for 16 minutes, then 300 degrees for 18 minutes 

Potatoes

 

Roasted Potatoes

• Cut into 2 inch cubes
• Drizzle olive oil
• Add salt + garlic powder
• 425 for 45 minutes

 

Stir Fried Potato Slices

• Peel and julienne potatoes
• Soak in water for 30 minutes
• Add chopped or minced garlic, can add a few Sichuan peppers
• Add potatoes
• Add sliced peppers and green onions if available (dried Chinese chili peppers and Chinese long pepper also work)
• Add 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, 2 tsp light soy sauce
• Can sprinkle some sugar and chicken boullioun if desired

Brussels Sprouts

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• Cut in halves
• Pour olive oil on top
• Add salt, pepper, garlic sliced or diced, Parmesan cheese
• 400 degrees for 40 minutes

Eggs

 

Perfect Boiled Eggs

• Bring pot of water to boiling (removes variable of how long it takes to boil if you're in a different location)
• Add eggs
• 6 minutes for runny yolk, 8 minutes for soft, 10 minutes for hard (I usually go for 9 minutes)
• No need to fully submerge the eggs if you keep it covered
• Once time is up, pour out the hot water and add cold water + ice to stop the cooking process

Cauliflower

 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

• Roast cauliflower in oven 425 degrees for 25-35 minutes
• Add olive oil into soup pot
• Add chopped medium red onion, salt, garlic (pressed or minced)
• Add 4 cups vegetable/chicken broth
• Transfer cauliflower to the pot (can reserve 4 of the best looking ones for garnish)
• Cook and stir occasionally for 20 minutes
• Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Transfer to blender
• Add salt as needed to taste
• Can top with garnish cauliflowers, chopped parsley, green onion, and/or chives

 Chinese Vegetables

 

Sesame Sauce Long Beans

• Get changdou long beans from Asian supermarket
• Chop off the ends
• Boil the whole beans in water for over 10 minutes until they are soft
• Put sesame paste into bowl and add water until it has a sauce consistency
• Add salt, diced garlic, and mix

 

Lotus Root Stir Fry

• Peel lotus root, cut off the ends
• Cut in half, then into slices
• Add 10-15 Sichuan peppers, hen garlic to pan
• Add lotus root, Chinese vinegar and sugar (not too much), 1 tbsp light soy sauce (shengchou), salt, 1 tsp dark soy sauce (laochou)
• Medium heat, cover, occasionally stir and don't overcook (when core is no longer white, add more garlic then take it out. Okay to have a slight brown edge if you like)

 

Roasted Chinese Peanuts

• Chinese large peanuts 1.5 lbs
• 350 F for 9 minutes, stir, 6 minutes, stir again, then 4 minutes