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Staples [And I Don’t Mean Office Supplies]

I really love days like today when I have a mile long list but a list that is doable! 2-3 big things and 10 small things. The small things give me so much satisfaction of accomplishment that I am motivated to do the big things! I finishing an article for Breathe (I have two in the Nov-Dec issue!) and my recipe for Jefferson Vineyards. Plus tons of small things related to the bakery, the blog and our move. Less than 2 weeks to go and I haven’t packed a single thing!

I wrapped up work just before dinnertime. Love that!

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Matt had a great day at the bakery and came home just when I was putting the finishing touches on dinner.

I have a mental list of quick dinners that I turn to when I have no plan. Pretty much every meal we make at home is a wing-in meal! Although I usually have a small plan that starts cranking in my head after breakfast, but sometimes that changes at the last minute.

Here are things that are easy to keep on hand for quick dinners in order of importance

Vegetables = limitless, obviously. Try to have something green for every night of the week. Frozen veggies work well!

Proteins = beans, legumes, frozen fish (requires a day of advance planning), tinned fish, bacon, eggs, tofu <—many of these are easy to keep on hand verses buying “fresh” meat/fish

Grains = easy to keep in dry storage, and of course, bread!

Garnishes = cheese, nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, eggs, capers, pesto, sauces, and more. They give the meal flava!

Quick Dinner Staples
  • Bean burgers made from canned beans, veg on side
  • Salads with protein on top like eggs or fish, bread on side
  • Omelets or frittatas
  • Warm lentil salad
  • Pizza (dough needs some prep in advance)
  • Mexican bowl with beans + grain or chips, cheese yogurt
  • Savory pancakes
  • Anything sardines/tuna from a can
  • Soups with leftovers/beans/grains/veggies mixed in
  • PASTA

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So tonight we had pasta with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto and feta cheese. Matt gave it rave reviews and dinner was ready in about 15 minutes!

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It was quite delicious if I do say so myself! Thanks to the delicious Whole Foods herbs de province sun-dried tomatoes and that feta cheese!

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We ate inside – mosquitoes are still a problem…evidently bees too. Pee-pie!

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Cheddar garlic toast Matt prepared on the side. And you see that beer ^^ I had a few sips of that too. Pasta and water just don’t taste good together!! 99% of the time the reason I want alcohol with dinner isn’t the buzz, it’s the wonderful way it goes with food. I need to come up with better things to drink during dinner!

Tomorrow’s my long day at the bakery, but at least I know I’m starting the day with an awesome bowl of overnight oats!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Lauren @ Lawfully Wedded Wife says

    That’s such a great and handy list of staples! Keeping things on hand for an easy dinner is definitely something I need to work on. I know what you mean about drinking with food, I like to have either diluted juice on ice or iced tea with my dinner! And every once in a while some wine of course. 🙂

    Reply

  8. Holly @ The Runny Egg says

    Mosquitos are no fun and neither are bees — is there a nest in your mailbox?

    Love the easy pasta dish — and you are so right about booze + food 🙂 Although I prefer wine over beer when it comes to pasta.

    Reply

  10. Cait's Plate says

    Oooh, you may have just convinced me to throw together some overnight oats for tomorrow! Good call on that 🙂

    Our “quick” dinners are very similar! I too have that same mental list – a lot of veggie burgers, beans, pre-cooked sausages, always veggies and pizzas!

    Reply

    • Baking N Books says

      What a great list!

      I get stuck in ruts though. Typically loads of veggies, some type of meat/fish and then quinoa/rice or beans or squash. Covered in marinara sauce – and cheese.

      I wish I’d take the time to do more creative things, but always get tired at the end of the day.

      Kath – when you do your articles – do you allot the time you spend on them according to pay in return? i.e = if your not being paid much, do you still spend a lot of time on them? Even if it only worked out to a few bucks/”hour”??! Curious as to my own situations at times…thanks.

      Reply

      • Katya says

        I woud say always give your best and put substantial time and energy into EVERYTHING that you are paid to write, regardless of how much the payday is! Thta’s how you build integrity and credibility as a professional writer!

        Reply

  12. Rhodey says

    What about drinking seltzer with a squeeze of lemon and a mint leaf? It’s very refreshing. I also like seltzer with a maraschino cherry. It tastes decadent without adding too much sugar or calories.

    Reply

  19. Nikki @ The Legalista says

    That dinner combo sounds delish!! And it looks just amazing. I wish I had a Whole Foods close by 🙁

    Thanks for posting that list of quick dinners! I’m so bookmarking this post –> law student with no time, so I cherish quick and nutritious meals!

    Reply

  23. Shaya (Eye Girl Eats) says

    YUM! Dinner looks delish!! Have you tried iced tea perhaps? Or less healthy and more delicious- 1 part Fanta orange soda and 1 part red wine, over ice– like the Spanish do!

    PS, what does ‘Pee-pie’ mean? Is it a southern thing? haha or is it something really obvious and I’m just obtuse for not getting it….

    Reply

  24. Lorin says

    Thanks for showing how you think with regards to meals. I’m pretty much the same way as you! Veggie? Check. Grain? Depends what I had earlier. Protein? Check!

    Reply

  26. Danielle says

    Thank you for this! I was so frustrated in the grocery store tonight because I feel like I am constantly needing to cook new things every week. I blame it on the fact I have a slight cook book obsession and have about 100 of them. This reminded me that I need to re-visit some of the staple meals we used to enjoy on a weekly basis! xo

    Reply

  28. Deva (Voracious Vorilee) says

    I love quick-to-table dinners. Most nights I am not home until well past the “normal” dinner hour, so having dinner from stove to table in 20 minutes or less is high on my list of priorities! Your list of staples is excellent – I love mix and match lists like that one, and it will be very helpful.

    Reply

  39. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says

    Love that you have a rough mental list but that you’re willing to improvise and wing-it, as needed, with meals.

    I was just commenting on another blog that most days are versions on a theme for us here but that I always!! have a well-stocked supply of fresh produce b/c without that, I am nothing. Cannot get anything going it seems!

    Then I just start adding beans, tofu, edamame, dressings, sauces, and pretty soon, something materializes 🙂

    Reply

  41. Sara says

    I do the same thing – I always have a bunch of tinned beans on hand for a quick veggie burger, as well as salad fixin’s, eggs and milk. And tons and tons of pastas and grains 🙂

    Reply

  43. Alex says

    I recently discovered sweet potatoes as my go to quick dinner. I just pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes on each side and serve with whatever veggie leftovers I can find in the fridge. Sprinkled with some feta and I have some yummy eats in less than 15 minutes 🙂

    Reply

  44. cathy says

    congrats on getting through your to do list, kath! i can relate: my dad and i are masters of creating outlines of tasks to accomplish all in one day – the list gets so long, it’s seemingly impossible to get everything done. our family even calls that “pulling an erv day” (my dad’s name). it’s so satisfying at the end of the day to see all you’ve done!

    Reply

  46. Lauren says

    I have such similar go-to dinners I keep on hand. I also think Egg Sammies fit well into that category. In fact, that is exactly what I have on the menu for tonight.

    Reply

  47. Cait @ Beyond Bananas says

    Totally agree with all of your staples. We definitely use pizza as a staple as well as stir fry and tacos. I’ve just started using Spaghetti Squash – and have used it in a meal two times in aless then a week. I see it being a part of the regular rotation.

    Reply

  48. Diana @ frontyardfoodie says

    We’ve been eating outside a lot lately and have been struggling to deal with the mosquitoes too. Also flies haven’t been scarce which is gross. Not bad enough that we don’t still try on a daily basis but bad enough that sometimes we hurry a little. hehe

    Reply

  50. [email protected] and spice says

    I’m getting better at the whole “throw things in a pan for dinner” now that summer is coming to an end and we’re back in the swing of things! Meal prep doesn’t have to be time consuming every night.. thanks for the great inspiration!

    Reply

  52. John Gorss says

    Dinner looks great! Paired with the Basil IPA…?…because it was super tasty! Looking forward to reading your atricles.
    Hope all is well!

    Reply

  54. Kelly says

    I’m so that way with alcohol too, I’m a “matcher” and somethings just go together (like wine w/pasta). Excellent comment about the sun tea. I had some sun tea this summer, it wasn’t brewed at full strength so it was very light tea and it hit the spot! Also, I’m going to revisit sun-dried tomato’s. You guys have had them lately, I just used to not like them at all, though I like tomato’s? So I’ll give it a shot if it is going to add some nice flavor to simple meals. Thanks!

    Reply

  56. Shana says

    I take the same approach to cooking dinner. I keep plenty of fresh produce and staples in the house and find its just as easy to throw those things together as it would be to pull out a frozen meal or go through the drive thru. We end up with a lot of mexican dishes because there is nothing easier than bean and rice bowls!

    Reply

  58. Ashley says

    I envy your skillz at coming up with meals on the fly. I usually just stick to recipes cause I get nervous about combining different ingredients. Thanks for the tips. 🙂

    Reply

  59. Dina says

    Tons of great tip! It’s ironic that I am reading this on my lunch break and eating the whole grain couscous with sardines and greens I dumped together because it was on hand and I was running late.
    Having the right ingredients can even keep you from being late to work.

    Reply

  61. Emily says

    You can easily defrost frozen fish (or any meat, but fish is extra quick) under running cold water for about 15 minutes. I just set it to a trickle and place the fish in a bowl. Then use the water to water plants or something. Just thought I would share in case people didn’t know this trick.

    Reply

      • Hillary says

        I do the same thing! It works well for most fish fillets, and it’s ready in just a few minutes!

        Loved this post, Kath. I’ve never thought of making savory pancakes! YUM.

        Reply

  64. Alan Finkelstein says

    Hi Kath, what an amazing blog you write. Great article. I have been eating well and exercising for 6 mos now and have lost 50 lbs. Trying to not eat processed food as much as possible. That pasta looks way good. Question: Pasta from WF-Check, Sun-dried tomatoes from WF-Check. How about the pesto? Did you create that or buy that?…from WF, too? And, is this pasta hot or cold…I bet I could figure it all out. Only, this is how I eat these days and that looks amazing. I’m gonna have try it. Keep up the good work. It looks like you have a whole base of fans and me who appreciate all your efforts.-al

    Reply

    • KathEats says

      Thanks Alan! Congrats on your weight loss!!

      The pesto was Karen’s homemade recipe. It’s sun-dried tomatoes, parm cheese, garlic and some oil whirred in a food processor (she doesn’t have an official recipe). It’s great!

      We served the pasta warm, but cold would work too!

      Reply

  65. Alan Finkelstein says

    Aren’t you so nice for writing back. I made those strawberry n banana overnight oats…pretty good! I mean very good! I found your blog thru Carrots & Cake I love reading food blogs and learning something new everyday. My food blog into was through Kalyn’s Kitchen. I wanted a south beach diet blog and she was it. I have something like 900+ Facebook friends. I’ll do my best to promote your site by reposting some of your posts…giving you credit, of course. I really like what you do here. Healthy food blows away all the bad food any day of the week…It’s very good work you do here…I am inspired…ok ok, I’ll settle down.-al

    Reply

  66. Shayla @ The Good Life says

    Great dinner suggestions, thanks! And that pasta looks delish!

    I too always have trouble finding a good drink besides a tasty beer or wine to have with dinner…if you come up with one let us know, in the meantime I’ll keep stealing sips from my hubby’s wine/beer too 😉

    Reply

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