![\"MerguezBurger\"](\"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/MerguezBurger-295x300.jpg\")
(StatePoint) There are unlimited excuses you can make to skip cooking. But if lack of time or money is the reason you\u2019re getting take-out yet again, consider this — plenty of fresh, inventive meals can be prepared quickly and on a budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because you can\u2019t get a steak with roasted potatoes on the table in twenty minutes doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re stuck with cereal for dinner,\u201d says Caroline Wright, author of a new cookbook, \u201cTwenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute Meals.\u201d \u201cGood ingredients, like cheeses, nuts, spices and oils often don\u2019t require much meddling. They bring a lot to a dish just by showing up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wright says the key to quick cooking is to think simple where ingredients are concerned and to make inactive time in a recipe work for you. For example, while you boil water for pasta or preheat the oven, move on to the next step.<\/p>\n
With those principles in mind, skip the burger joint tonight. Instead, try this homemade twenty minute version from Wright:<\/p>\n
Merguez Burgers with Cucumber Dressing<\/strong> Serve the burgers on rolls topped with the cucumber dressing or with tahini, lemon juice, roasted red peppers and mint.<\/p>\n Want to round out the meal?<\/p>\n \u201cAlways keep salad greens and homemade dressing in your fridge for an impromptu side dish,\u201d advises Wright.<\/p>\n
\n(Makes four burgers)<\/em><\/p>\n\n