Dinnertime on weekdays can feel like a marathon where you need to get food to the table and get it fast. Between planning, shopping, prepping and cooking dinner, the number of decisions that must be made can feel quite overwhelming. Often times, eating takeout at dinner can be heavy on the pocket as well as not provide the nourishment or satisfaction that a meal at the end of the day should feel like. Having a handful of pantry staples and ingredients that provide maximum flavour in a small amount of time, really is the key to nailing weekday dinners. Here are four ideas that are easy to make, delicious to eat without burning a hole in your pocket.
Black Bean Soup
This spicy soup can be made with canned beans, store-bought stock or stock cubes and takes all of 20 minutes to make. It is simple, comforting and versatile because you can add or switch up a number of ingredients; add pasta for a carb-loaded, one-pot meal or pieces of salty hammock to add bulk and a salty, meaty flavour. Once your pot of soup is ready, simple accoutrements like Greek yoghurt, sliced avocado, picked onions and fresh cilantro boost the overall flavour as well as add texture to the soup, like no other. Adding a can of chopped tomatoes to amplify the tangy flavours in the soup.
Creamy Baked Pasta
If you’re not a macaroni and cheese person, the ‘creaminess’ foor your pasta sauce need not be the cheese. You could use any pureed vegetable of your choice (think cauliflower, squash) and it would still taste pretty amazing. Get creative with your pasta and make a sauce with beetroot, if you’re in the mood for a splash of colour.
Shakshouka
Eggs are not just an easy option that cook super quick, but also versatile enough to be modified to make a full meal out of. Although shakshouka is a popular breakfast dish, throwing together a tangy, spicy, sauce that nestles eggs that have barely been cooked, is a treat on days when you cannot think about what to make for dinner. You could add veggies of your choice into the sauce to add more bulk or crumble in some spicy chorizo sausage for some extra protein.
Sandwiches
Whether you throw together a Caprese salad sandwich or a mashed-up chickpeas sandwich, pretty much anything that is added between two slices of bread tastes awesome. A sandwich is free reign territory – which means that you could put anything you want in between bread of your choice and make a meal out of practically thin air. Want to skip the bread? Make a protein-style one wrapped up in lettuce instead. Add condiments of your choice, make it your own by playing around to see what flavours work well together.