Today is food related! What are your quick and easy meal ideas? Links to recipes would be helpful.
I struggle with quick and easy meal ideas. Usually I think of something that sounds good, is complicated, and I'll need to go to the grocery store for, and then lose steam before I get home. But I do have some fallback recipes that are my favorites.
1) My quick and easy pasta dish. I invented this in college when I had pasta noodles, a basil plant, and access to cherry tomatoes at the school cafeteria. I boil the pasta, half the tomatoes, and chiffonade the basil. After the pasta is done, heat a touch of olive oil in a pan, throw the cherry tomatoes in, cook for like, 2 minutes TOPS, toss in the pasta and basil, toss to combine, and it's a meal! Easy, not too terrible, and very tasty.
2) Black bean burgers. We get a box at Costco, and they are the best last resort meal. They can be crumbled on nachos or in tacos, eaten plain with some veggies on the side, or eaten like a burger (I like to add cheese and BBQ sauce). We've been relying on them a lot, apparently, because we're kind of getting sick of them, and looking for a new substitute.
3) Grilled cheese is what I make for just myself for an easy meal. I've learned my perfect formula; the cheese must be grated, slices don't melt as well. Pre-grated is fine, but I don't usually keep it around. Now I toss a tablespoon or so of butter in the pan as it heats up (instead of buttering each piece of bread), coat one side of each piece of bread in the butter, the assemble in the pan. Medium heat works well for me!
4) Salad is a big one. I love to add lots and lots of veggies to my salad (cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, whatever else is available) which Dino hates, but it makes it more like a meal. Especially if we have some cooked chicken to add.
5) Finally, chicken pesto pasta. Costco again is a lifesaver, and has great pesto in a jar. Boil chicken until it's done, shred it up, boil pasta, and combine in a bowl. Easy and tasty.
They might not be the healthiest, but when I feel uninspired it is better to make something like these than go get Chinese or pizza! Most of the things we have on hand anyway, which is the best.
Now, help me out. Any ideas that are quick, easy, healthy, and delicious that I can add to my repertoire?
1) My quick and easy pasta dish. I invented this in college when I had pasta noodles, a basil plant, and access to cherry tomatoes at the school cafeteria. I boil the pasta, half the tomatoes, and chiffonade the basil. After the pasta is done, heat a touch of olive oil in a pan, throw the cherry tomatoes in, cook for like, 2 minutes TOPS, toss in the pasta and basil, toss to combine, and it's a meal! Easy, not too terrible, and very tasty.
2) Black bean burgers. We get a box at Costco, and they are the best last resort meal. They can be crumbled on nachos or in tacos, eaten plain with some veggies on the side, or eaten like a burger (I like to add cheese and BBQ sauce). We've been relying on them a lot, apparently, because we're kind of getting sick of them, and looking for a new substitute.
3) Grilled cheese is what I make for just myself for an easy meal. I've learned my perfect formula; the cheese must be grated, slices don't melt as well. Pre-grated is fine, but I don't usually keep it around. Now I toss a tablespoon or so of butter in the pan as it heats up (instead of buttering each piece of bread), coat one side of each piece of bread in the butter, the assemble in the pan. Medium heat works well for me!
4) Salad is a big one. I love to add lots and lots of veggies to my salad (cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, whatever else is available) which Dino hates, but it makes it more like a meal. Especially if we have some cooked chicken to add.
5) Finally, chicken pesto pasta. Costco again is a lifesaver, and has great pesto in a jar. Boil chicken until it's done, shred it up, boil pasta, and combine in a bowl. Easy and tasty.
They might not be the healthiest, but when I feel uninspired it is better to make something like these than go get Chinese or pizza! Most of the things we have on hand anyway, which is the best.
Now, help me out. Any ideas that are quick, easy, healthy, and delicious that I can add to my repertoire?
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