Each menu below uses only recipes from this site and tells you how long it takes and the order to make things in. Pick the one that matches what you have at home. And remember: a snack and a cold drink on the table while you cook make everyone feel welcome right away.
How these menus work
The times are for the whole menu, from the moment you start until the food is on the table. They work because the TM7, the oven and the stove share the job: the TM7 has one mixing bowl and does one thing at a time, while the oven bakes and the stove fries.
- Start with whatever bakes, roasts or chills, so it works while you do the rest.
- In the TM7, make the cold things first (drinks, dips, sauces) and the hot dish after, so a quick rinse of the bowl between them is enough.
- Put out a snack and a drink as soon as guests arrive. Nobody minds waiting for dinner with something in hand.
- More people than the recipe serves? Add a second snack instead of doubling a TM7 recipe, and keep what goes in the bowl under 2 liters.
Planning a dinner days ahead instead? See Formal and Casual Dinners at Home.
Puerto Rican in an hour
About 1 hour, for 4. Sofrito cubes from the freezer, rice and a jar of alcaparrado turn a pack of chicken pieces into a classic plate.
- Snack: Tostones with Garlic Mojo and Mayo-Ketchup, 35 minutes
- Main: Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo, 1 hour, with the rice cooking in the TM7 while the chicken roasts
- Drink: Piña Colada, 10 minutes, made alcohol-free with the swap in its tips. The version with rum is for adults 21 and over.
In this order: turn on the oven and blend the piña coladas, then make the mojo and mayo-ketchup in the TM7. Put the chicken in the oven and start the rice in the TM7 right after. While both cook, fry the tostones on the stove and serve them as the snack.
Pasta night in 40 minutes
The fastest menu on this page, for 4: frozen shrimp, a box of linguine and a loaf of Italian bread.
- Side: Cheesy Garlic Bread, 25 minutes
- Main: Shrimp Scampi with Linguine, 35 minutes. No shrimp? Make One-Pot Creamy Spinach Pasta, 30 minutes.
- Dessert: Mango Sorbet, 5 minutes, from frozen mango chunks
In this order: thaw the shrimp in a colander under cold running water, as the scampi recipe explains, put the pasta water on the stove and turn on the oven. Make the garlic butter in the TM7 and spread it on the bread. Then make the scampi sauce in the TM7 while the bread bakes and the linguine boils. Blend the sorbet after dinner.
Taco night
About 1 hour, for 4: ground beef, taco shells, a few cans from the pantry and a block of cheese.
- Starter: Queso Dip, 20 minutes, with tortilla chips
- Main: Crunchy Beef Tacos, 45 minutes
- Side: Guacamole with Pico de Gallo, 10 minutes
- Drink: Whole Lemon Lemonade, 10 minutes
In this order: start with the cold things in the TM7, the lemonade, the guacamole (press plastic wrap right onto it) and the fresh salsa for the tacos. Then make the queso dip and set it out with the chips. Last, cook the beef filling in the TM7 while the taco shells warm in the oven.
Brunch
About 1 hour, for 4: eggs, masarepa, frozen fruit and whatever fresh fruit is in your kitchen.
- Main: Perico (Venezuelan Scrambled Eggs) with Arepas, 50 minutes
- Side: Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Lime Yogurt Dip, 30 minutes, with any fruit you have
- Drink: Tropical Green Smoothie, 5 minutes. One batch fills 2 glasses, so blend it twice for 4.
In this order: mix the yogurt dip in the TM7 and chill it, then make the arepa dough. While the arepas cook on the griddle and finish in the oven, cook the perico in the TM7 and thread the fruit. Blend the smoothies last, right before you sit down.
Just snacks and drinks
About 45 minutes, for 6. When people come over to talk, not to sit down for a meal, a few warm and cold bites are plenty.
- Hot, from the oven: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip, 45 minutes, made with frozen spinach and canned artichoke hearts
- Cold: Classic Hummus, 10 minutes, with crackers or cut vegetables
- Hot, from the stove: Queso Frito with Guava Sauce, 25 minutes
- Drink: Whole Lemon Lemonade, 10 minutes
In this order: thaw the spinach in the microwave and squeeze it dry, then mix the dip in the TM7 and get it into the oven. While it bakes, make the hummus and the lemonade in the TM7. Make the guava sauce last and fry the queso frito just before serving: it is best hot.
Something sweet
About 1 hour and 15 minutes, for 4, because the puff pastry has to thaw first. For friends who drop by after dinner, or as the sweet ending to any menu above.
- From the oven: Quesitos (Cream Cheese Pastries), 1 hour
- From the TM7 and the freezer: Hot Fudge Sundae, 30 minutes
In this order: set the puff pastry out to thaw as its package says and turn on the oven. While it thaws, make the syrup and the filling for the quesitos in the TM7. Fill and bake the quesitos, and while they bake, make the whipped cream and the hot fudge. Scoop the sundaes when the quesitos come out.
Keep these in your pantry and freezer
None of it has to be fancy. With a few of these on hand, every menu above needs a short shopping list, or none at all.
- Sofrito cubes: freeze the sofrito recipe in an ice cube tray and keep the cubes in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. A few cubes start Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas), Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans) and Puerto Rican Beef Picadillo.
- Rice, dried pasta and masarepa, for rice dishes, Fettuccine Alfredo, Creamy Mac and Cheese and arepas.
- Canned beans, gandules and chickpeas, for habichuelas, Huevos Rancheros and hummus.
- Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, evaporated milk and a jar of alcaparrado.
- Eggs, butter and milk, for brunch, Banana Oat Pancakes and many of the desserts.
- Cheese that keeps: a wedge of Parmesan, a block of cheddar, cream cheese and queso de freír.
- Frozen vegetables: spinach, peas and corn. Frozen corn kernels even work for the esquites in Esquites and Elote (Mexican Street Corn).
- Frozen fruit: mango, pineapple and banana chunks, for sorbet, smoothies and piña coladas.
- Frozen puff pastry, for quesitos and Pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava Puff Pastry Tarts).
- Frozen shrimp and ground beef. Pack the beef flat in freezer bags so it thaws faster.
- Tortilla chips, taco shells, crackers, guava paste and a carton of vanilla ice cream.
- Lemons and limes, for drinks, dips and sauces.
Thaw frozen meat and shrimp in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter. Cook anything thawed in cold water or the microwave right away.
Drinks count too
A cold drink in every hand makes a simple meal feel like a party, and most take only minutes in the TM7. Whole Lemon Lemonade is ready in 10 minutes and the Tropical Green Smoothie in 5. If you have an hour for it to chill, Papelón con Limón (Venezuelan Panela Limeade) is another favorite.
Drinks with alcohol on this site are marked for adults 21 and over. The Piña Colada has an alcohol-free version in its tips, so everyone at the table can have one.