by Jon Blank

Created on: April 20, 2008   Last Updated: July 02, 2008

I prefer fast food home cooked.

Celebrity chefs on the TV and cable channels pass elaborate variations of fast food recipes off as menu ideas for the family. Forget the questionable extra ingredients and add ons and do what the professionals do is my opinion. Keep it simple.

Certainly there are those days when a roast might be preferred or a wholesome stew (which is still surprisingly, fast food with the correct equipment and spin)but on those occasions when the actuality of the situation is that you simply don't want to cook because you are tired or don't have the time, cook anyways. You can do it better and faster than they can, if you do it the way they do it. In the time you wait in a cue wherever you could have had it done in the comfort of your own home. And it costs a third of what they do it for if that matters to anybody.

You shop right? Plan.

Lets run through a process from which many recipes can realize. Not recipes as such but ideas.

You have shopped right and when you did you had a plan... right?

Tonight its burgers - Beef, chicken, fish whatever.

There was a plan... right?

So you are tired after a big day at work but fortunately you have kids who are somewheres in the house playing the X box, studying, texting, whatever.

I should state at this point that chips, in a home environment, rain on anything that might be termed fast food, since many houses don't have deep friers. However there are many potato products out there that crisp up in a freaking hot oven in around 15 minutes and there is always the left over potatoes from the roast the other day cut in to wedges and ovened as those other products are.

To do it like restaurants do, half an hour before you are going to cook, or as I walk through the door in my case, turn the oven, whatever hot plates you are going to use on full (bore - an Australianism - not sure you'd know what I meant) and sit down to a cup of tea.

Call the kids, tell them its burgers tonight and point them at the buns, the lettuce, tomato, and anything else you may have had planned.

Chuck the meat patties you got from the butcher, the chicken thighs or breast, the fish on a tray into the well preheated oven the same time you put the potatoes in and fifteen minutes later its assembly time.

All ovens are different so watch whats happening.

Home made Pizzas work in the same time frame.

Rice and stir fries also.

Buy vegetables and protein cut and ready to go. Sure its pricier but you are still saving money if you don't get some one else to cook it.

Need recipes? Write to me.

Rather eat a burger I made than a Macca's

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