To get through the Thanksgiving to Christmas challenge, it’s essential to find quick ways to maintain at least the basics of your health and fitness routine. When busy days make dinner a last-minute, unplanned task, a few “go-to” menus stocked in your fridge and pantry will allow you to serve something reasonably healthy. It might not be ultimate perfection, but it’s going to beat just about any purchased meal and it’s not going to slow you down too much.
romaine salad with pomegranate
Here’s what we had last night: For the Romaine Salad with Pomegranate: Bagged lettuce Olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt and pepper (I added pomegranate that I had on hand. You may have some kind of vegetable such as carrot or tomato that you can chop and add)
For the Pasta with Puttanesca/Fagioli Sauce:
- 1# package gluten-free or whole grain pasta (Trader Joe’s brown rice pasta in this case)
- 1 jar tomato sauce
- 1 can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
- Handful each:
- raisins
- walnuts
- capers
- canned artichoke hearts
- Bring water to boil in large pot for pasta, add pasta follow cook time directions for the type of pasta you chose.
- In another saucepan, heat tomato sauce. Add handful each raisins, walnuts, capers, and canned artichoke hearts. Add one can of cannellini beans. Serve sauce over pasta.
This could be pared down to real basics by including only the whole grain pasta and unadorned tomato sauce. Protein could come from a glass of soy or low-fat dairy milk instead of from the beans I added to the sauce. I’ll post more quick on-hand dinners from time to time.
Related Posts:
Pasta Puttanesca A vegan version of this quick entree that you can make from the cupboard.
Vegan Red Kidney Bean Chili Vegetarian red kidney bean chili, tomato-rich and full of hearty spices. Make the moderately spicy version or add a few jalapeno peppers and a pinch of cayenne to fire up the true heat-lovers.
Picking up the Pieces Picking up the pieces of my health and life after a family emergency.
Smoked Salmon Pasta Carbonara A lighter, non-dairy pasta carbonara with smoked salmon instead of bacon.
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