I’ve been trying to build up my collection of easy, weeknight recipes. It seems most of my recipes take an hour when you count prep + cooking time. I usually don’t have that type of motivation or time on weeknights thus I’ve been trying to figure out what I can make in 15 min to 30 min. I’m also on the lookout for make ahead recipes that I can make Sunday & eat through the week. Send any ideas my way! This is an easy recipe for pasta that can be adapted to whatever cheeses & vegetables you have on hand. You could even replace the smoked salmon with canned salmon or tuna. Lemon is key, however, so don’t leave that out!
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 2
- 1 chunk smoked salmon
- 2 handfuls of spaghetti
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 2 cups spinach leaves, washed
- 1/2 lemon
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Cook pasta according to directions on package, adding spinach during the last minute of cooking time. Drain pasta & spinach and place in a large bowl. Add smoked salmon, separating it into pieces with your hand. Add zest and juice from the 1/2 lemon. Add olive oil. Crumble goat cheese on top. Mix everything together with tongs & serve.
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Fried rice is a great dish for weeknights because it uses up leftovers and comes together in about 15 minutes. It is incredibly versatile and can be made with any number of vegetables or proteins. Use this recipe as a guide for the technique and the sauce ingredients then make your own “house special” fried rice. Other vegetables to use include frozen peas, broccoli florets, green beans, sugar snap peas, or asparagus. For protein you can use anything from beans to steak.
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
- 3 Tablespoons light olive oil or peanut oil or canola oil
- 10 frozen pearl onions or 1/2 diced yellow onion
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 cups spinach or other greens
- 8 oz tempeh, crumbled
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 T minced ginger
- 3 cups cooked rice, cold
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup white wine
- Put 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add pearl onions & sauté until browned on all sides. Add carrot and 1/8 cup water. Cover for 1 min or until water has evaporated. Add red pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes until carrots are beginning to brown. Add spinach. Saute 1-2 minutes more just until spinach is wilted. Remove vegetables to a serving bowl.
- Add tempeh to skillet along with 1/4 cup water. Cook until all water has evaporated. Remove temeph to serving bowl.
- Add remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Add garlic & ginger. Sauté 15 sec or until fragrant. Add cold rice breaking any clumps up with your fingers. Toss with oil. Make a hole in the center of the rice & add eggs. Scramble eggs with rice and stir until cooked. Add vegetables & tempeh back to the skillet. Add soy sauce, sesame oil & wine. Stir until everything is coated with the sauce. Transfer everything back to the serving bowl.
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This is my current go-to method for cooking fish. It is quick, easy, and doesn’t heat up the house too much. I find grilling fish to be tricky as the fish tends to stick to the grates & can be difficult to turn. This method gives you similar results to grilling, however, there is no worry about the fish accidentally dropping through the grill! It works well for any fish steaks or fillets that are around 1″ thick.
- Heat the broiler to Low. Sprinkle both sides of fish with olive oil and any spices you’d like in addition to salt & pepper. Good spices to use include: garam masala, cumin & smoked paprika, and lemon pepper. Marinades work well with this technique, too. Try a teriyaki style marinade or a simple mustard & lemon vinaigrette.
- Place the fish on an oiled piece of foil. Once the broiler is preheated, put the fish on a pan on top of the rack closest to the broiler. Cook the fish 5 minutes, then flip. Cook the fish an additional 3-5 minutes. Your fish will be cooked through perfectly. Remove from the broiler & serve.
When I want to make cookies, this is the book I reach for. It has a tremendous selection of cookies; well organized by type (drop cookies, bar cookies, icebox cookies, rolled cookies, hand-formed cookies and et cetera) so you can easily find just the cookie you’re looking for. All directions given are very explicit so it’s nearly impossible to get bad results. All the recipes I’ve tried have turned out excellent and I don’t bother looking for cookie recipes elsewhere.
Tofu salad is a versatile option for lunch. You can serve it with crackers, on top of a green salad, or as a sandwich filling. This Asian-inspired version is particularly zippy. It also makes a great appetizer. I like this recipe because it takes only 5 minutes to make.
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 4
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger OR 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup kimchi, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons minced parsley
- 2 Tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 cake firm tofu
- Combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, kimchi, parsley and cilantro in a medium bowl.
- Crumble tofu into bowl. Mix until tofu is thoroughly coated with dressing and kimchi is evenly distributed.
- Serve with crackers, on top of a green salad, or as the filling for a sandwich.
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