Healthy comforting convenience meals.

[catfunk]

I like to think I'm a good cook. Make most things from scratch and on a Sunday I prep healthy work lunches for during the week and a good meal for Monday and Tuesday such as veggie curry or pasta dish.

However due to various stresses (no dc) I'm EXHAUSTED after work by a Thursday evening, sometimes Wednesday. So last night we ordered (nice) pizza & tonight was eggs beans and potato waffles from the freezer 🥴 And when I'm feeling shattered and emotional, I'm not craving an easy to throw together salad but I can't keep eating like this!

What's a nice middle ground ? Something ready -ish made, convenience but comforting and not total junk. Requiring no prep or cooking. Ready to serve or Chuck in the oven. Needs to be veggie. I'd love some recommendations - thanks in advance !

Sorry that should be only 2 green onions not 4 onions in total !

Minced meat isn't vegetarian.

Yes to the Higgidy cauliflower cheese quiche.

We sometimes have a sort of ploughman's with nice bread, cheese, Higgidy fake pork pies, grapes etc.

We tried the Charlie Bighams meals when we renovated our kitchen. They're more expensive than other ready meals, but they're SO much nicer! I really recommend them

[quote catfunk]@Repetitivebeats jacket potato is a good idea. Not sure why I've never thought of that. [/quote]
If you have an air fryer you can do a really nice jacket potato quite quickly. I prick it, microwave for about 5-8 minutes then spray with a little spray oil and cook in air fryer for about 20 minutes.

You don’t need a microwave for batch cooking. A veggie curry or chilli can be reheated in a saucepan really quickly if it’s given enough time to defrost in the fridge. A rice cooker is also useful for when you don’t want to spend a lot of time or effort cooking as you can just turn it on and leave it.

We work long hours - at work for 14 hours, on our feet in high stress situations like cardiac arrests - and we do:

• pan fry Haloumi with steamed veg (we have a vegetable steamer it’s really convenient)
• stir fry takes twenty minutes
• enchiladas using a kit, just need to fry onion/garlic/chilli and add beans to sauce
• fresh pasta with sauce eg ricotta ravioli
• steak for husband and vego sausages for me with jacket potato and salad
• we freeze individual portions of stuff like lasagne, cannelloni and shepherds pie (meat for hkm, vegetarian for me) so can just pop in the oven

We make a big salad every few days so can serve it a few days later out of an airtight container in the fridge and just add dressing. This is also what we take for lunch.

@LaBellina

Hearty bean dish

A big jar of brown beans
2 onions
Garlic
400 gr haricots
400 gr minced meat (I use beef)
2 green onions
A big can of yellow peaches in syrup
Sambal oelek (optional if you like spicy)

Cook the haricots and peel and cut the onions. Fry the onions in oil with the garlic and the minced meat. Then add the brown beans. Let it stew for a bit and then add the haricots. Cut the yellow peaches in small pieces and add them at the last minute. Add some sambal if you like.

Serve with rice, potatoes, bread, taco shells or tortillas.

The OP is veggie

Another MN classic is OP requesting "convenience meals" and the replies consisting of 5-10 ingredient recipes that require chopping, frying/simmering, plus chopping boards, pots and utensils to wash.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Lidls beef dripping triple cooked chips are very good

TikTok pasta…..block of feta or Boursin, garlic, tomatoes or whatever veg you fancy ( I chuck tomatoes and spinach in) cover in olive oil, salt and pepper, in oven for 20 mins, quick cook pasta on hob at same time, then mix all together chefs kiss

Honestly, my quick dinner nights are actually my favourite!

Eggs, toast and some cherry tomatoes - omelette, scrambled or poached on rotation in our house.

Soup and one of those part baked baguettes

Baked potato. I like mine with tuna, sweetcorn and mayo. But you could do cheese and beans for veggie option.

Salad with cold pre cooked chicken and coleslaw or potato salad.

I gave up ready meals a couple of years ago and I feel so much better for it. I've lost weight too now I'm not living on pizza and microwave curry half the week.

Sorry I missed that the op is veggie perhaps it’s nice with soy minced meat too? Never tried. Or maybe someone who does eat meat can use this

The slimming world ready meals at Iceland can be really nice and not full of salt and fat. I like to have a couple of them in the freezer so if DH and DC are having pizzas or burgers (which I hate) I can throw one of those in the oven or microwave.

And yes I know I'm weird to dislike burgers and pizza.

I wish I disliked pizzas and burgers. I would be much slimmer.

Have you tried allplants OP? They aren't cheap but they are tasty and healthy. I keep a stash of their meals in the freezer for when I really can't be bothered. Think I'm going to have the nacho bean chili for lunch actually...

@PaperTulip

Another MN classic is OP requesting "convenience meals" and the replies consisting of 5-10 ingredient recipes that require chopping, frying/simmering, plus chopping boards, pots and utensils to wash.

Along with the OP requesting veggie ideas and getting suggestions of minced meat and beef dripping chips Always happens ha

Have you a slow cooker, try here www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-root-vegetable-stew/. I make dump bags and just drop them in before I go to work.

I really feel your pain OP! Things that work for us are:-

Richmonds veggie sausages with ready made mash (I buy the frozen one from Tesco) plus a couple of those bags of fresh veg that you can stick in the microwave. I then cover it in a load of bisto gravy (it’s veggie)

Fresh filled pasta with a ready made sauce and a bag of salad

Mushroom omelette made with ready sliced mushrooms and a bag of salad

I make a super easy bean chilli with a couple of tins of mixed beans, a tin of tomatoes and a sachet of Old El Paso fajita seasoning. Great with microwave rice, potato wedges or a bag of salad

Southern coated quorn nuggets sliced and shoved in a wrap with salad and cheese are lush

I’ll have a think of some more of my easy ones

Pre prepared Mediterranean vegetables for roasting, either fresh or Sainsburys do a decent frozen grilled Mediterranean veg. lovely with a couple of fried eggs, or toasted pine nuts, you can buy them already toasted.

Microwaveable rice or pulses or couscous or whatever plus whatever you have in the kitchen.
Fried or boiled egg.
Random stir fried or quick pickled veg.
Nuts and seeds.
Dried fruit.
Leftover chicken or ham or whatever.
Quick dressing of soy/chilli flakes/rice wine vinegar/chilli sauce/whatever.

We often make Korean Bibimbap on evenings like this.
Microwave sushi rice.
Quick picked carrot.
Courgette and mushroom stir fried and dressed with sesame oil.
Fried egg on top. Sesame seeds. Chilli sauce.
Kimchi on the side if a jar knocking about in the fridge.

Otherwise steak and veg. Takes 10 minutes.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie, I'll try:

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1135974&langId=44&istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=irliarwmi&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=15424330555&utm_content=shopping&utm_term=%7bsku%7d&utm_custom1=129852755749&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=Cj0KCQiApL2QBhC8ARIsAGMm-KE9JP8RdSiB8XDhast23gwwB3Bs-_9KMjH2HNp9BxVpnq48s4yKTesaAvKOEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Sorry I can't do proper links, but I hope that works!

If I make chilli I do it in the slow cooker and cook extra. Freeze in portions then keep some sachets of rice in or have it with Jacket potato.

Our week night teas are stir fry veg made into either stir fry with noodles, thai curry with jar paste and tin coconut milk served with micro rice or pad Thai.
Filled pasta and a tub of fresh sauce
Fish, jacket and veg but fish could be subbed for something veggie- halloumi? Quorn fillet
When we do slow cooker type meals we always make double and freeze half. Combine with easy carb like couscous.

Onion bhajias, vegetable samosas or pakoras, if eaten in sufficient quantities, could constitute a meal - perhaps with some coleslaw or salad. Baked sweet potatoes are another option.