5 Easy Weeknight Recipes
I used to love cooking, but for some reason I became less passionate about it in the last year or so. It became a chore rather than something exciting. Recently though, I have been trying to simplify my meals so that I’m not wasting hours cooking. And that has changed everything for me. I’m more excited to make new meals and have somehow gotten better at picking out recipes I know I will enjoy. That’s not to say there haven’t been many recipes that have NOT turned out. But lately, there have been more yummy ones than “meh” ones.
I know how hard it can be to find delicious and healthy meals, so I am going to start doing posts on which recipes I have tried and recommend. I’ve sifted through many Pinterest boards, cookbooks and recipe blogs. So I’m only going to share the ones I love to save you the work of endlessly searching for a good recipe.
Just so you know - I currently am dairy-free and trying to be gluten-free as much as possible. I’m slowly working on being more plant-based, but I do have some meat here and there. So a lot of these meals will fall under the categories of dairy-free and sometimes vegan and gluten-free. My must-haves are flavour and EASY to cook. If this sounds like you too, then join along. Also check out my Pinterest board called “Tried and True Recipes” for more! And send me recipes you like too - I would love to try them out.
RECIPES
Roasted Teriyaki Mushrooms and Broccoli Soba noodles
This one was such a surprise. I mean it sounded good. It looked good. But I did not expect it to be THAT good. It was that good. The way the mushrooms are baked with honey just adds such a nice flavour to this dish. The soba noodles are perfect and it was such a nice, warming evening dish.
My alterations:
I used broccoli instead of broccolini because I find broccolini doesn’t cook super well and doesn’t get to the texture I like. I also steamed the broccoli a bit first before adding to the pan to make it a bit quicker
I used spinach instead of kale (personal preference)
I didn’t top with hot peppers because I found it perfect heat as is with the sriracha
There is a lot of honey in this recipe. I cut mine down a bit in the mushrooms and in the sauce
This recipe probably has the most prep out of all the ones in this post, so if you have time to prep the mushrooms and sauce beforehand, it will help
Photo Cred: Sobremesa blog
Martha Stewart One-Pot Pasta
Who doesn’t love a big bowl of pasta? What’s even better is a one-pot pasta. That dish requires minimal effort but still creates a flavourful and hearty bowl for a weeknight dinner.
my alterations
The only thing I changed for this dish is the noodles. I prefer to use gluten-free noodles due to a sensitivity. The one I love is GoGo Quinoa’s spaghetti. With gluten-free noodles you have to be careful because they soak up a lot more water and you have a short window between al dente and mushy.
I’ve used dried basil instead of fresh in the past and it works fine. The fresh obviously has a stronger flavour, but both work
You can find most gluten free pastas in health foods stores, but Superstore and save-on both carry a selection of gluten-free pastas as well.
Photo credit: marthastewart.com
toasted avocado and tofu Sandwiches
I stumbled on this recipe randomly one day and I am so glad I did. It’s a delicious and is actually quite filling to have as a main. It can also serve as a side to a soup or salad (could pair with the vegan cream of mushroom soup below!). I wasn’t sure how the tofu would taste in the sandwich, but with the spices and the mustard it is actually perfect.I also really love The Simple Veganista. She has some great recipes.
alterations
I used gluten-free bread instead of regular bread. The one I love using is Little Northern House.
Photo cred: The simple veganista
Grilled Chicken shawarma salad with tahini dressing
I found this recipe when I was craving a shawarma, but didn’t want to go buy one and wanted one that didn’t have dairy in the sauce. It took me awhile to find a good one that wasn’t super complicated. This one was a winner. It’s delicious and the sauce truly tastes like shawarma sauce. I think you could likely make this one vegan maybe with some tempeh or plant-based meat.
my alterations
I added a bit of brown rice to this recipe as a base and then put the salad and chicken on top
I used chicken breast instead of chicken thigh, but I’m sure either would be fine
Photo cred: Kari- Get Inspired Everyday
vegan cream of mushroom soup
I found this one on Instagram (@thekindestplate) and I love it because it’s very easy and quick. It’s the perfect rainy day meal. I haven’t really been able to enjoy creamy soups because of the dairy, so this one is excellent because the base is cashews.
my alterations
Next time I make this I would add more broth and/or water because it came out a bit thicker than I wanted
Photo Cred: Eleni - The Kindest Plate
So there you have it! That’s my meal roundup. I would love to do more posts like these, so let me know if it’s helpful or not below or if you have any meal ideas!
Lots of love.