There are nights when you're in the mood to grab a cookbook from the shelf or pull up a recipe on your iPad and whip out a masterpiece of a meal. And there are nights when you're just…not.
When that happens, don't resign yourself to a sad bowl of cereal or a sandwich (in fact, those choices are on this list of the 6 worst dinners you can eat). There are plenty of delicious dinners that don't call for carefully measuring ingredients or following detailed instructions. These 9 easy ideas are proof.
Veggie loaded baked potato
Split a baked potato in half. Top with leftover roast veggies, sliced olives and shredded cheese. Grill until the cheese is melted and top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
Caprese chicken quesadilla
On one half of a whole-wheat tortilla, layer part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced tomato, shredded chicken breast, thinly sliced basil and more part-skim mozzarella. Fold the tortilla over and cook in a skillet with olive oil or nonstick spray until the tortilla is golden and the cheese is melted.
Minestrone made special
Drizzle a slice of whole-grain baguette with olive oil and toast until golden. Rub the toast with a clove of sliced garlic. Place toast on top of a bowl of minestrone soup and drizzle the soup with store-bought or homemade basil pesto.
Easy salmon foil packets
Layer thinly sliced veggies (like zucchini, carrots or potatoes) in the centre of a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a salmon fillet on top of the vegetables and season with olive oil, salt and pepper, plus a few lemon slices. Roll up the foil to form a packet and bake at 200°C until salmon is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
Lentil, beetroot and farro salad
Toss cooked lentils with steamed or roasted sliced beetroot, cooked farro, crumbled goat cheese and chopped walnuts, then toss with olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Serve over a bed of baby spinach or rocket.
Mushroom ragout over polenta
Sauté sliced mushrooms, garlic and diced onion in olive oil, and simmer in marinara sauce until warmed through. Serve over polenta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Breakfast tacos for dinner
Scramble eggs with canned black beans (drained and rinsed) and chopped scallions. Stuff eggs into warm corn tortillas and top with sliced avocado and your favorite salsa.
Garlic prawns and beans with quinoa
Sauté peeled, deveined prawns with garlic, shallots and olive oil until opaque. Add canned white beans (drained and rinsed) and cook until beans are warmed through. Serve prawns and beans over quinoa or another whole grain. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a squirt of fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley.
Quick chicken and veggie stir-fry
Sauté thinly sliced red capsicum, thinly sliced carrots, baby spinach and grated ginger and garlic in canola oil until crisp-tender. Add leftover shredded rotisserie chicken breast and cook until warmed through. Drizzle with low-sodium soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Serve over brown rice and top with chopped cashews.
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