Don’t feel like cooking? I get you. Here are some things to make for dinner when you don’t want to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen.
We all have those nights. Home late from work, on the feet all day, exhausted, and ready to grab a meal quick and relax for a while.
The cookbooks can linger on the shelf for another day when I'm motivated, not motionless.
Sure, I could order in… But making it myself is cheaper, quicker, and tastier too. (If I do say so myself.)
So when I'm looking to make something that will be ready in 20 minutes or less, I look no further than my own refrigerator.
Pizza
No matter what is left in the refrigerator, there's almost always something left that's good for pizza.
Top with any or all of the following:
- Red bell peppers
- Roasted potatoes
- Onions
- Garlic
- Pineapple
- Sautéed kale or collard greens
- Tomatoes
- Seitan
- Vegan sausage and/or pepperoni
- Sauerkraut
- Beans
- Spinach
- Artichoke hearts
- Olives
- Jalapeños
Add some jarred marinara sauce to a frozen pizza crust.
Vicolo cornmeal crusts (shown with vegan taco pizza) are one of my favorite options.
I like to bake the Vicolo crust for fifteen minutes at 425 degrees.
In no time at all I'm relaxing on the couch with a slice of pizza, adding generous amounts of hot sauce and jalapeños.
Salad with warm bread
Salad is another one of those meals for which I have all of the ingredients almost any time.
Spinach, romaine, or massaged kale make an excellent base.
Add whatever from the refrigerator & pantry:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Red bell peppers
- Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
- Jarred artichoke hearts
- Olives
- Raisins
- Peanuts
- Pine nuts
- Chickpeas
- Baked tofu – homemade or store-bought
For salad dressings, lemon tahini dressing is almost instant. If you have a jarred vegan dressing you love, that’s even easier.
If I'm up to it, I love roasting garlic while I'm chopping salad ingredients. (I use this roasted garlic air fryer recipe.)
A simple meal of salad and bread feels like decadence when I'm smearing hot and buttery cloves of garlic onto crusty bread.
Otherwise, homemade hummus or oil and balsamic vinegar with fresh ground pepper make solid dipping choices.
Quesadillas with your choice of filling
Tortillas are so handy for quick meals. Depending on my mood & what I have on hand, I can whip up a meal in no time.
For a bean-y option, I’ll take homemade vegan refried beans or hummus, and spread it on whole wheat tortillas.
For a nutty option, I’ll take peanut butter and banana, and spread it onto tortillas.
I smash the two tortillas together, and lay them on a hot, dry pan. Flip once, until they are brown and crispy on each side.
Serve with the bean-y one with avocado slices, salsa, jalapeños, and hot sauce for a quick, easy, and delicious meal. Serve the nutty one on its own.
Here are a few more quesadilla ideas:
- Veggie quesadilla with apples and caramelized onions
- Breakfast quesadilla
- Pierogi quesadilla with ranch
- Refried bean quesadilla
Vegetable stir-fry
If I have leftover cooked brown rice, then I’m halfway there. If not, I pull frozen brown rice and/or cauliflower rice from the freezer.
If I have none of the above, I’ll start the water boiling for rice noodles, which cook in only eight minutes. (Get more info on those in this noodle stir-fry recipe.)
Then sauté any of the following:
- Bok choy
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Peas
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Red bell peppers
- Carrots
- Celery
- Pineapple
- Peanuts or cashews
Add splashes of tamari, sriracha, and brown rice vinegar until you’ve found the perfect balance. A couple drops of sesame oil also adds some nice flavor.
Then I add in the rice or drained noodles.
Serve with potstickers & gyoza dipping sauce. Or add cubed tofu cooked in the air fryer.
Breakfast for dinner
Similar to the above stir-fry, a tofu scramble can be made in a jiffy with a sauté of any combination of vegetables.
Then add in firm or super firm tofu (not silken). I like to use vacuum-packed tofu that doesn’t have to be pressed. However, if you have water packed tofu, just drain it quickly, and give it a quick squeeze.
Crumble the tofu into the pan with the vegetables.
Then add spices and seasonings like cumin, black salt, ancho chili powder, paprika, granulated onion, nutritional yeast flakes… (All of these are on my herbs and spices list for a vegan kitchen.)
Pop a slice or two of bread into the toaster and serve with slices of avocado. Of course, hash browns in the air fryer and/or a couple slices of seitan bacon on the stove would not go amiss!
(If you’d prefer a recipe, here’s my favorite vegan tofu scramble.)
Maev
Wow…I came to this in true internet fashion…looking for a rescue dog for my daughters family….checked out a vegan poultry rescue that took some hens from a pound….looking a vegan/vegetarian food….and realised …I am almost there…..these are things I love….
I dont eat meat…just rarely chicken….and mostly fish….but I realise I would have not trouble taking that last step..
I have book marked your blog….Thanks.
Cadry
Best of luck, Maev!
LM
My favorite gourmet quick meal is zucchini, white beans & pasta.
I sauté the zucchini in olive oil, with garlic (basil, white wine, lemon zest & juice optional) till lightly brown. Add in a can of rinsed white beans and veggie broth at the end & heat thru. Then toss over pasta.
So easy. To make it gourmet I toast raw pignoli nuts in the pan before I sauté the zucchini & set aside to use as a topping. Yum!
Cadry
That sounds perfect! I make something similar with sun-dried tomatoes. It’s so good, especially when zucchini is in season in the summer.
Pixie
Your cat is adorable! 🙂 After reading the other comments, I had to go back and find her in both pictures, since I only saw her in one. The pizza totally caught my eye in the 1st one.
When I’m pinched for time and energy, something with beans and/or quinoa is a go-to for me. They are both quick and easy. Add a little salsa, maybe some vegan cheese or avocado, and some kind of veggie and I’m all set. I have hungry teen boys so not cooking isn’t an option!
Cadry
Thank you! She certainly knows how to use her adorable fuzzy face to her own benefit. After all, who can refuse a fluffy kitty begging for mushrooms? Not me!
Those are some healthy and satisfying meal ideas! It’s great to have several varieties of beans on hand for just such a night!
burbankvegan
Great post. It pays to have some staples on hand, because yes, it is so expensive to go to a restaurant and hope the vegan food is decent. Love Jezebel kitty in the pics!!!
Once I was really tired, so I heated a can of black beans and a lot of salsa in a pan, and used it as quickie burrito filling. 🙂
cadryskitchen
Isn’t she cute? She’s become quite the vegetable-eater and begs for asparagus, sweet potatoes, squash, mushrooms, seitan…
I know your quickie burrito pain. I’ve definitely been in similar predicaments!
Stephanie Brown
Breakfast for dinner! One of my favorites. Is there ever a bad time for tofu scramble?
RYC: Wow, synchronicity. I just had Vegan Table in my hands last night at the library and thought, “No, I’ve already got so much to cook from other books, I’ll wait.” Thanks for letting me know about that. Both my omnis are so open to eating whatever I make, so I bet that would go over well. At least it’s not a fight, you know?
tera @ eco elginhouse
one of my favorite quick meals is the cream of broccoli soup from the conscious cook. yum!
love the pics of your sweet, patient kitty. 🙂
rosanne97@hotmail.com
I think your cat friend definitely wants some of that pizza, both pizzas actually! I love the look on her face! I wish my kitties enjoyed pizza.
Great ideas! Especially sauerkraut as a pizza topping; that’s something I always have in the fridge. And, I wish I could take a bite of that veggie stir fry right now.
Sarah S.
What a fun post! I love your lil’ kitty sneaking in on the photos, too!
Quicky meals at my house usually involve things I have made and frozen. My go-to lately has been a bacon avocado wrap with steamed veggies. Ready in 15 minutes or less! The bacon is homemade and fabulous, and I always keep some in the freezer. If I could recommend only 1 recipe on blog it would be that one ;). I also often eat steamed veggies with a baked sweet potato (baked in the microwave to keep things quick) topped with coconut oil and cinnamon.
cadryskitchen
Yes, my kitty loves treats. She makes it a point to be around when food is present.
I checked out your soy-free and gluten-free bean and buckwheat bacon, and I’m intrigued! That’s so great that you can just keep it in the freezer and use it as you need it – no thawing necessary. I’ll have to pick up some adzuki beans!
movesnmunchies
GREAT quick meals!! i usually go for a big bowl of roasted veggies topped wiht hummus and a sandwich thin with pb on the side!
cadryskitchen
Roasted vegetables are a good idea too! When they’re hot and deliciously caramelized like that, it makes them feel more like a meal, especially with a nice dollop of humus!
Maricar
That’s my go-to as well!
Christina
LOVE the cat in the background of the photos! Your 20-minute meals look WAY tastier than my 20 minute (lazy) meals: It’s either noochy popcorn or a grilled cheese (Daiya) sandwich with sliced red onion and sliced tomatoes. Yawn.