In a dream world, we would all eat our daily servings of fruits & vegetables. Meals would be prepped and ready every time. And we would never have any reason to order pizza. But unless you’re hiring a chef in this life, this dream isn’t always realistic. When it comes to making healthy choices, I’ve always believed that it’s easier to do when you’re prepared. And from the conversations I’ve had with friends who find themselves ordering pizza way more than they’d like, some times we all need a little helping with the prep. So if you find yourself looking for some inspiration or just want to be a little extra prepared for your next lazy night, today’s post is for you. Let’s chat about my go-to recipes for lazy dinners.
Kimchi Quinoa Fried Rice
This will be my forever choice of lazy dinner. Mostly because it just involves chucking things into a pan. You can either use pre-package quinoa/brown rice. Or if you’re looking for less grains, I’d suggest keeping some riced cauliflower in the freezer. I find myself making this meal every few weeks just as a use up before I grocery shop. If you’re a recipe follower, I’ve included one here. But you can also adapt as you go with what you have on hand. The biggest thing here is getting your veggies cooked enough before adding in the rice/quinoa. And it’s great re-heated for lunch the next day.
Coconut Cauliflower Rice w/ Sweet Coconut Chicken (or other protein) & Broccoli
I’ve come to know this recipe as my shopping day dinner. It’s easy to prep and other than the rotisserie chicken, I normally stock the other bits in the freezer. Frozen broccoli gets used regularly when I need an added veggie but I’m feeling lazy. You could easily use chickpeas in place of the rotisserie chicken in this dinner. But it’s one of my favorite under 15 minute meals that packs loads of vitamins without taking all the time. Plus it requires only 9 ingredients. Trust me. This will become one of your lazy dinners in no time.
Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
When I’m feeling extra lazy, I swap out chucking everything in the pan for chucking everything in the oven. These are the nights that I just can’t be bothered to watch something cook. I’ve been making this soup for the last couple of years and it’s always a hit. It’s one of those recipes everyone can make. You just roasted the veggies, throw them in the blender and bam, you have soup! The only downside here is that you’re going to need quite a few fresh veggies on hand. So it’s not a last minute freezer dinner. But it’s loaded with tons of vitamins and doesn’t require a lot of attention. If you need to build in an extra 30 minutes of time to clean or shower while you’re cooking, this will be your winner. And it tastes amazing!
Lazy Girl’s Salad
Without fail, we almost always have a giant container of spinach in our fridge. I like to throw a bit of spinach in everything. So it’s also the base of my go-to lazy salad. This one will depend on the person but building a salad that you like at home will help on nights where you just can’t cook. I like to add spinach, artichoke hearts, beet mix, tuna & pistachios to mine. I also use a tahini, smoked paprika, salt, pepper & apple cider vinegar mix as my dressing. My salad mix changes depending on the season but a go to salad can help keep you on track with your healthy eating. And if you know you already like it, you’re more likely to stick with the healthy option rather than pizza.
Acai (Smoothie) Bowl
For me, there is no wrong time to eat a smoothie bowl. It’s almost like having breakfast for dinner. Again it’s a meal that requires minimal steps. You simple put everything in your blender and then into a bowl. I’m still on an acai kick so that’s my regular choice. But you could do a green smoothie or even add a bit of chocolate. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure you’re adding some protein and veggies in there, green powder counts, so you’re still getting a balanced meal in.
Lazy dinners are really about saving time, energy and money. They don’t have to be complicated. And they should make your life easier. I hope you’ll find some inspiration from my go-to lazy dinner recipes the next time you’re hunting for a last minute dinner option.
