So… You Forgot To Plan Dinner
So it’s Thursday (the worst day of the week, in my opinion) the kids are melting down, you’re melting down, and you glance at the clock. Holy hell! It’s 5:30! No wonder everyone’s a hot mess, you’re all hangry! This is when you start frantically opening kitchen cabinets, pulling God-knows-what out of your pantry, and simultaneously realizing you need to go grocery shopping. What are you going to have?! Why do these people want food EVERY. SINGLE. FREAKING. DAY?! Didn’t you just clean up from lunch?

Yeah, this happens to me more often than I’d like to admit, and wayyyyyy more frequently these days, being 40 plus weeks pregnant and all. When it does, these are the meals I’m able to whip up no matter how fried my brain is.

Breakfast

Isa’s Puffy Pillow Pancakes, of course! If you have a block of tofu, make a scramble. Cut up some fruit and you’re good to go. Sometimes if i’m feeling extra ambitious, I take that fruit and cook it down with some citrus or agave to make a home made fruity syrup.

Smoothies & popcorn

This is actually a frequent meal in my house, especially for lunch. It’s a toddler fav! I make stove top popcorn, sprinkle some “cheese” aka nutritional yeast on there, blend some frozen fruit, greens, and almond milk. BAM! A pretty nutritious 5 minute meal. It literally takes 5 minutes.

Pasta 

We all have pasta in the pantry, most days. Even if you don’t have canned or fresh tomatoes you can still whip up a simple vegan sauce. I’ll sauté some garlic, add some almond milk, a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch or two of nutritional yeast, fresh herbs if I have them, plus salt and pepper. Creamy, garlicky pasta! Hell yeah! And if that is too much work, because on Thursdays it always is, quit after you sauté the garlic. One of my favourite meals growing up was plain pasta tossed in garlic and olive oil.

Soup

You can make soup out of pretty much anything! It’s a great rainy or cold day option.

Buddha bowls/burrito bowls/abundance bowls 

Have some left over rice? Have some left over beans? Mix the beans and the rice, throw in some raw or roasted veg, make a simple dressing, and there you have it. The possibilities are seriously endless. The idea is to get a protein, and grain, a healthy fat (like mashed avocado), and some vegetables/greens all in one bowl. It’s pretty much my favourite way to use up leftovers.

Sandwiches

What are you too good for a PB and J these days? Get over yourself!

A big nosh plate 

I’ll make some sort of dip (hummus, black bean, ranch, etc) and cut up whatever raw vegetables I have on hand. If I have nuts I’ll throw those on the plate. Olives! Pickles! Slice up some fruit, add some crackers or sliced bread. I mean, I’ve even cut up granola bars. No need to set the table. Everyone just munches from this one big plate of randomness. All the textures, colours, and the fact that it’s all finger food make it a super fun family meal.

Stir fry

I always have some frozen mixed vegetables in my freezer. A stir fry sauce is insanely easy, usually consisting of soy sauce, a sweetener (agave, brown sugar, etc), a splash of lime or rice wine vinegar, vegetable broth, and some spices (garlic, ginger, etc). Serve over noodles or rice.

Casserole

If I have leftover pasta, rice, beans, vegetables, that sort of stuff sitting in the fridge, I’ll freshen it up some vegetable broth, cashew cheese, diced tomatoes, and spices. Then I just pour everything into a casserole dish and bake. Dinner is ready in half an hour, tops!

Take out

When all else fails, just make someone else make your food. We all need a break sometimes. Bonus: Zero dishes!