Quick And Easy Cooking Tips For Southwest Cuisine

These days it’s quite normal for families to put a home-cooked meal on the back burner, figuratively speaking, and go the fast food route simply because it takes less time.  However, it’s important to remember that there are ways to prepare meals in a quick, easy way.  You can do this at a fraction of the cost of fast food, and will be able to create a healthier meal for your whole family.  Southwest cuisine offers many options for simple family dinners that will make everyone happy.

Quick and easy meals begin by learning the key ingredients that go into the dish you are creating well before you head out for the store.  A small amount of preparation often adds up to some much needed extra time.  Having a few staples in the house can help you quickly prepare a variety of simple southwestern classics.  Here are several suggestions for easy basic dishes that will please the palate and have you in and out of the kitchen in no time.

Burritos

This meal is comprised of a protein, tortillas, greens of some kind, salsa, spices and seasonings to taste.  Keep cooked chicken, beef, or fish on hand to speed up the process.  Baking or grilling the tortillas will provide a quick and healthy way to warm them up.  The ingredients you use depend on your taste buds and what you have on hand.  Be sure to keep your kitchen stocked with some sort of greens, like lettuce or cabbage, some cooked protein, jarred salsa and, of course, tortillas.  Remember, if you have cooked or canned black beans on hand, that's another protein available for a quick meal.  With just these few ingredients, you can make delicious burritos in a flash.

Nachos

This is one of the simplest, most filling meals you can make.  There are so many different ways to create the perfect plate of nachos. The ingredients all depend on how simple or how complicated you want your dish to be.  Use tortilla chips, green chiles, refried beans, and whatever type of melting cheese you like if you’re looking for something simple.  Of course more spices, ingredients, and seasonings can be used if you want to add more flavor and texture.  If you keep cooked beef, chicken, or fish on hand, you can create a well balanced meal in minutes.

Bean and Corn Salad

These two ingredients, beans and corn, are a staple in southwest dishes, so make them a staple in your kitchen.  With just these ingredients, you have the beginnings of a savory salad.  Mix in crunchy chopped onion, celery, bell peppers, and even tomatoes if you like.  Then add spices like cumin and chili powder to kick up the flavor.  A dash of hot sauce and vinegar, and you have a salad that is delicious and filling, and in barely any time at all. 

Not every meal you make has to turn into an all day event.  You can find plenty of recipes that will allow you to create a tasty, nutritious meal for your family and still have time to relax.  Keeping a kitchen well stocked with a few southwest cuisine staples can make your meal preparation time shorter, and your time to enjoy it longer!