3 RECIPES FOR THE LAZY NIGHT IN
We all have those lazy nights where sitting on the couch sounds a lot better than prepping your food for - what seems like - an eternity, only to have to stand by the stove for an hour more. There was times where the thought of making a whole meal at the end of my day seemed so exhausting that I’d end up back on my couch with a cereal bowl in one hand and a glass of wine in the other - I call that balance. Eventually I found - and perfected - the perfect recipes for this exact type of night. Here are my 3 go to recipes for the night where I embrace my lazy self.
Gourmet Campfire Salmon Dinner
This is my go to recipe when I’m in the someone-bring-me-a-nice-dinner-while-i-sit-on-my-couch-with-my-wine type of mood. It’s a 10 minute prep and then the oven takes care of the rest! The best part is the cleanup is even easier because I use tinfoil - just toss it in your recycle bin and voila! And yes, tin foil is recyclable - just make sure you rinse it off first!
I take my salmon and rinse it off before I put it on a tin foil sheet. Then, I’ll drizzle some olive oil and rub it into both sides of the fish. After this, I sprinkle about a tbsp of my favorite seasonings - right now its this one - and then fold it up like a little campfire snack and we’re done with that.
I do it all over again for the asparagus. You can really substitute most vegetables for this - I’ve done broccoli, cauliflower, carrot - but I love asparagus the best! I rinse the asparagus stocks off, put them on a new tinfoil sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I mince - or dice - garlic and throw it onto the top and fold this one up, too! You can also use the garlic powder that’s in your spice rack instead of fresh garlic.
Next, I focus on the potatoes. I use mini potatoes but regular size would be fine, too! I wash these off and cut them up into about fourth sized pieces. I put them onto a tin foil sheet and - you guessed it - drizzle them with some olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, and throw some garlic on there. Fold this one up and now it’s time for the oven.
Take all 3 packages to your oven and place them in there at 420 degrees Fahrenheit. Set your timer for 25 minutes and get your ass back to that couch with your wine in hand asap. You’re done!
Everything-But-The-Lettuce Salad
This is a perfect salad to keep ready to go in your fridge - just make sure to add the avocado in right before you eat it so that it doesn’t get mushy! Not only is this recipes easy to make but it fills me up immediately. I’m not much of a salad girl but this salad has ended up on my weekly grocery store haul for a solid 10 weeks straight.
All you have to do is cut up all of the ingredients mentioned above to your desired size - I like mine in small bite sizes. Add it all into a bowl and drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top! I sprinkle with salt and pepper generously, squeeze my lime and voila! It’s that easy. If you want to add shredded chicken to the bowl you can, too! I reach for chicken when I’m looking for a heartier meal. This salad is very versatile which is what I love most about it! Have it for lunch, add chicken for dinner, eat it for breakfast - no judging here!
Pesto Shrimp Pasta
This is my favorite pasta dish when I’m looking for a something that isn’t too heavy. It’s easy to make, a crowd pleaser, and pairs great with a slice of garlic bread - yum!
I rinse and take the tails off of each shrimp - here is a good tutorial describing how to do this! I place the shrimp into a stovetop pan and cook them in olive oil and minced garlic until they’re white - aka not see through anymore.
While the shrimp are cooking I focus on the noodles! I like to spiral my own noodles but if needed, you can also buy prepackaged zucchini noodles from most local grocery stores. These noodles usually require a few minutes to warm up. I try to coordinate cooking times with my shrimp - although they don’t always line up - by starting my ‘zoodles’ - zucchini noodles! - about 5 minutes before my shrimp will be done. Once the zoodles are warmed up I toss in my pesto sauce and drop in my shrimp. Just like that you’ve created a shrimp-pesto-zoodle-5-star-masterpiece!
These are my go-to fast and simple recipes that I live by every week. Each one of these dishes have saved me on nights when I just don’t feel like exerting any more energy on cultivating a full blown meal. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think!
What are your goto recipes for those lazy nights?
