Usually, on Monday I do a post called ’30 Minutes or Less’ where I describe how to make a specific dish in under 30 minutes. I make and document the dish on Sunday night and write the post in the morning. This weekend I was out of town helping some friends of mine with a large event and I didn’t get home last night until about 10 pm. Needless to say, I didn’t cook anything when I got home last night. Not even something that takes less than half an hour. I ate a salami sandwich, some doritos and fell asleep on the couch.

Today, because I don’t have a new dish to post I’m going to do something a little different. I thought it would be interesting to reflect back on all the ’30 minutes or less’ posts I have done so far, pick out the most popular ones and compile a list. Here we go…

Total ’30 minutes or less’

I started doing the ’30 minutes or less’ post way back in February. Since then I have done 23 posts in total. That equals a total of 690 minutes or about 11.5 hours of cooking. In that time I have cooked a wide range of items from herb and garlic pork chops, to chickpea curry, to linguine and clams. All have been delicious except for one, which was the haddock en papillote I messed up last week.

Of all the posts I do, all the social media content, everything, ’30 minutes or less’ is by far the most work. For an average 30 minute meal, I take at least 100 pictures. That means I have to edit and upload all of those pictures which generally takes about 1 to 2 hours. By the time I come up with the recipe, go out and buy all the groceries, set up the camera and lights, cook the meal, clean up the kitchen, edit and upload the pictures, write and edit the post and publish it about 6 1/2 hours have gone by. Even though it’s the most work of pretty much everything I do, it is also one of my favourite things that I do.

Considering all the work that goes into these posts it is nice to see the positive reaction that they get. I love to hear from people who cook the dishes because that’s really the whole reason I do this. That’s why I like doing these posts so much, they actually get people cooking. That makes it all worth it.

So, let’s take a look at the ’30 minutes or less’ posts that you guys liked the most.

Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps

In all honesty, I am a bit surprised that this post has been as popular as it has. When I came up with it I knew the dish would be good but I wasn’t sure people would necessarily be interested in it. Well, I had no need to worry because I posted this back in May and it is still really popular.

What exactly is it? That’s a great question. It is ginger beef, with fresh vegetables and sriracha mayo wrapped in a lettuce leaf. I can’t express to you how delicious and simple this recipe is. If you haven’t made it, you should. Mix it into your weeknight schedule and you will not be disappointed.

You can find the full post here.

Chicken Shawarma Bowl

This one is also from way back in May. It is a base of white rice, with lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and pickles, with garlic mayo and chicken dusted with homemade shawarma spice and roasted.

I love this post for a few reasons. It was one of my favourite ’30 minutes or less’ dishes to eat, and continue to eat as I make it regularly. It initially got a big reaction from people which I love, and it continues to perform very well. It is a delicious and healthy dish that also happens to look beautiful too.

Check out the full post here.

Corn Chowder

From all the way back in April we have my absolute favourite comfort food, Corn Chowder. This is one of the first dishes I ever learned to cook from my mom and I still make it her way to this day.

I love this post because it has deep personal meaning to me. You loved it because who doesn’t love Corn Chowder?

With the colder weather quickly approaching it is time to start planning to add this dish into the rotation again. Nothing warms the body and soul like a big bowl of homemade corn chowder.

Find the full post here.

Spicy Noodles

When I get home from work late, I’m tired and I don’t know what to eat, this or a version of this is my goto. Noodles with lots of vegetables, some kind of meat, a quick sauce and lots and lots of spice. It is filling, quick, easy and delicious. What’s not to love?

Check out the full post here.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a noodle dish from Thailand most often served as street food. Some versions have shrimp, tofu, pork or chicken. This one is a chicken version but the chicken can easily be substituted.

Over the past 5-10 years, Thai food has really grown in popularity which makes it no surprise that this is my most popular ’30 minutes or less’ post. One of the great things about Thai food is there is no BS. The food is made with lots of fresh, good quality ingredients, and big bold flavours.

Interestingly enough, Pad Thai was one of the dishes we were serving at the event I was helping with this weekend .So, I had a version of Pad Thai for lunch yesterday. What I love about this dish is that it is so versatile and there is so much variety. I mean, I ate it yesterday, but I would be more than happy to eat it again today.

Check out the full post here.

Conclusion

I really enjoy doing these ’30 minute or less’ posts and I look forward to doing more of them. I think and I hope that there is a lot of value in them.

If you have a suggestion for a ’30 minutes or less’ post I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment on this post or contact me on social media.

Thank you as always for reading.

Oh! I almost forgot, I now have an amazon.ca storefront. Essentially I have compiled a few lists of my favourite cookbooks, favourite tools, that type of thing. If you buy something from the store I get a few cents. So, check it out here. If you see something that you were going to buy anyway, buy it there! You’ll get the product you wanted and you will help to support a blog you love.

Thank’s everyone!