The holiday season creates the need for two kinds of recipes: First, those that impress in-laws and children at holiday events. Second, those that are healthy and quick to prepare, but tasty enough so that you don’t feel like you’re taking a respite from the death march (the mall) to be fed some gruel before moving on to forced labor (wrapping presents).

Here’s are 5 10-Minute Gourmet meals that I like. I’d love to hear what’s in your repertoire.

1. Thin-crust tortilla pizzas. (Recipe here.)

2. Lemon-pepper papparelle (egg) pasta or whole wheat pasta tossed with olives, artichokes, tomatoes , capers, arugala, garlic salt, pepper, parmesan, and canned tuna.

3. Canned tomato soup made with milk and served alongside “fancy” grilled cheese (i.e. normal grilled cheese cut in triangles with very slim slivers of tomato included inside).

4. Roasted chicken, potatoes, and asparagus: Rigorously garlic-salt and pepper some frozen chicken breast tenders and quartered baby potatoes. Roast at 500 until both are near done. Then push it all to one side and throw some asparagus in the pan, salt/peppering it and squeezing on some lemon if you have. 5-10 minutes later, depending on how you like your asparagus, roasty deliciousness is served.

5. Fritatta Special: Throw fake or real eggs, whatever cooked grains you might have laying around (quinoa, brown rice, etc), fresh spinach and garlic, copious parmesan, salt and pepper into a little frying pan. Cover and heat on low until cooked through. Flip out of pan onto plate using spatula.

Bon appetit and happy shopping this weekend! And do please share your quickie meals.