10 Freestyle Dinner Ideas—Including One Winning (Not)Recipe—from Our App

Update! We've chosen a winner: A big congratulations to emilyc, whose shaved asparagus salad with lemony tahini dressing won your hearts and bellies.

When we launched our new app, (Not)Recipes, we launched it with a contest—a (not)contest, if you will. And in it, we asked for you to show us not only how you're really cooking, but how you throw together dinner from your back pocket in twenty minutes (or less!).

And boy, did you, putting our toast-more-often-than-we'd-like-to-admit dinners to shame. Here are a ten of our favorite (Not)Recipes from our first (not)contest—and among them, one winning last-minute dinner. The catch: We couldn't choose the winner! Help us choose one by voting in the comments below.

(That winning cook will take home a spiffy, shiny prize: A set of Staub cookware and an iPhone 6. Lucky duck!)

Here are the 10 finalists from our Your Best 20-Minute Freestyle Dinner (not)contest—which should win?

EmilyC over 8 years ago

85

Make a lemony tahini-parmesan vinaigrette by whisking tahini and parmesan with boiling water until smooth and emulsified, then add lemon juice, olive oil, and sumac. For the salad, shave asparagus into long ribbons with a serrated peeler, add a few handfuls of arugula and some crushed pistachios. Dress with the vinaigrette, then sprinkle with sea salt and sumac to taste. #notcontest

Kerry almost 9 years ago

13

Salt and pepper cleaned whole fish (black bass here) inside and out then stuff with thinly sliced lemon and herbs to taste. Drizzle with olive oil then roast on a parchment lines baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350F or until the flesh flakes easily. Quick and easy! #notcontest

mehrunnisa over 8 years ago

43

Toss a roughly turn head of radicchio with segmented blood oranges. Drizzle with olive oil. Roll labne into little balls. Dot in the bowl of salad. Scatter with toasted almonds. #notcontest #salad

3 comments

fatimah | Instagram @petitbakes almost 9 years ago

79

Purée a roasted red pepper and a clove of garlic make a roux add in the purée and some chicken broth let that simmer to finish grate in some fresh parmesan and a swish of heavy cream toss in your pasta #notcontest

2 comments

Melina Hammer almost 9 years ago

164

Quick (and terrific) shaved raw beet salad: piled with radish sprouts atop a few swirls of Greek yogurt, then showered with fresh parsley, mint, and toasted pistachios. Drizzle of good oil, champagne vinegar, and sea salt, and you are good to go. ?#norecipe #nocontest #lickingtheplate #notarecipe #vegetarian #lunch

8 comments

Nicole Hope almost 9 years ago

104

When you buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe just to use a pinch, tabbouleh will take care of the rest of them (waste not!) and help you clean out your fridge. Finely chop your herbs and toss with a grain (traditional uses bulgar but you can use quinoa, Farro, rice). Add some crunchy veg, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. This version is lots of chopped parsley and cilantro with pearl couscous. Served with #notrecipe green tahini sauce! I feel so clean ? #notcontest

Tanya almost 9 years ago

26

Lunch is only 15 minutes away with a stash of kimchi in the freezer. Chop, add to a hot pan along with sliced green onions and any veggies you have lying around. Add water or stock, bring to a bubble, add noodles and cook till al dente. #notcontest #kimchi #lunchbowl

2 comments

Rebecca Firkser over 8 years ago

74

It's getting cold out again ? but ravioli make everything better! Fill wonton wrappers with a puréed mixture of roasted beets, ricotta, manchego/cheddar, lemon zest. Seal 'em up and boil for two minutes. Finish with oil and chopped sage! #f52contest #f52grams #notcontest

1 comments

Joy Huang | The Cooking of Joy almost 9 years ago

213

Zuni Cafe's Fried Eggs in Bread Crumbs: saturate a handful of fresh bread crumbs with olive oil over medium heat, crack an egg or two on top, sprinkle with salt, and cook until set to your liking. Slide onto a plate, swirl some balsamic vinegar around in the hot pan and drizzle over egg. #notcontest

4 comments

Jill Haapaniemi over 8 years ago

85

Moules à la Marinière - sauté shallots and garlic in butter, add mussels and dry white wine, cover and simmer 5 minutes until mussels open. Sprinkle with parsley, serve with fries and white wine or cold beer. #nocontest #dinner

1 comments

A big congratulations to emilyc on her winning (not)recipe!