What quick/easy/healthy meals do you keep on hand? (white wine, bbq)

[Garfunkle524]

More and more people are pulling longer and longer days at work. If I only work 9 or 10 hours there's plenty of time to get home and cook up something healthy/delicious. I run into trouble when I have unplanned super long days where I need to stay late at the office. On those long days, taking the time to cook something (even something that only takes 20-30 minutes) could mean I'm not eating until 9 or 10pm. By the time dishes are done it's already past my bed time.

Oftentimes on these nights it's easiest to grab something quick on the way home or make something at home that requires very little effort/clean up so I can be doing other things while it cooks. Unfortunately these long days lead to less healthy eating at dinner and ding my budget a little.

So here's the purpose of this thread: What quick/easy healthy meals do you keep on hand at home for these long days? I'm not talking about Cooking something big on Sunday and warming up leftovers all week. I'm talking about things you keep on hand that you can throw together with minimum effort, minimum time, minimum cleanup, and minimum planning.

[mrs.cool]

This rarely happens to me, I don't get stuck at the office anymore. BUT, how about some chicken breast, even already cubed if you can afford it, and some of those 90 minute rice combos? If you have frozen veggies in the freezer you can nuke too, you're all set.
Not that healthy, but my husband will make a tortilla/pizza for himself in the toaster oven if he can't find anything else for lunch. Smear one or two, depending on their size, tortillas with spaghetti sauce, put pepperoni and cheese on top, put them in the oven for 7 minutes. Again, add some veggies, you're good to go.

[jasper12]

I just don't even feel like cooking anything at all. I will usually heat up a bowl of soup in the microwave, or a bag of soybeans. Omelettes are my favorite, I will make one with some veggies, cheese.

[Bmateo]

Rice
Any veggie (micro or stovetop)
Fish baked in the toaster oven.

Get it all started, then change clothes, or do whatever while it cooks. I prefer brown basmati rice, which takes longer to cook, but still fits this just fine.

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One pan stir fry dishes, or pasta dishes. If you have your stuff prepared, it goes very fast. My favorite would be something like shrimp and anduille, sauted with peppers and onions, a diced fresh tomato and about a half bag of baby spinach leaves. Deglaze with some white wine, toss in some whole-wheat pasta and plate it up. Takes about 10 minutes to cook, you can prep the meat and veggies while the water boils for pasta, if you're fast with a knive, and then the saute cooks about the same amount of time as the pasta does...

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Fish tacos. Cook fish in the toaster oven. Warm up some tortillas in the micro. Slice some condiments (lettuce or cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes or whatever. Squeeze some lime over it and throw on some hot sauce. Fast and healthy.

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Rotisserie chicken one night, and then any number of possibilities the next night:
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken BBQ Pizza
Etc.

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Tuna wrap on a whole wheat tortilla, with cilantro, avacodo, salsa and creme fresche (sour cream)

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Baked Salmon (OK, I already said fish, but it's worth repeating...)


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Breakfast for dinner is always a fun option


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If you're really toasted from work, then keep a few "light and healthy" frozen dinners on hand. I read that in "the Wall Street Diet". Chances are, if you are that beat, then a small meal like this will be enough anyway, and it keeps you from "grazing". I always keep one on hand, but I use it as an absolute LAST resort...

[jtur88]

I can make polenta in two minutes from a bag of cornmeal. Like everything else I eat, that is cooked from scratch, but at least it's quicker than scratch baking powder biscuits.

[nmnita]

we don't get stuck at the office (we are semi retired and work from home) but our kids still work, none of us have ever depended a lot of "keep on hand" anything. I do have a couple of things we grab in a hurry, after a long day of doctors appointment, bridge or shopping: Sams has s great frozen Talapia. I can always pull out frozen soup I have made or in the summer make a seafood salad with canned tuna, salmon or whatever. In the winter try a package of frozen corn, add a couple of fresh or canned jalapenos, a can of chicken stock and a little milk plus chicken if you have some left over: it makes a great corn chowder.

NIta

[Garfunkle524]

Breakfast for dinner has been a good one that I've relied on a couple times recently. A couple eggs, toast, and a piece of fruit or two makes for a quick, easy, satisfying dinner with minimum cleanup.

[Dogmama50]

Polenta with a couple poached eggs and toast.

Omelette with Spinach and Cheese.

Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta (cooks in 4-5 minutes).
While it cooking chop up a tomato, some garlic and basil, put it in a bowl with some olive oil and S&P, microwave for a minute or two, drain the pasta, toss it all together.
OR
While the pasta is cooking whisk together an egg yolk, the zest and juice of a lemon, olive oil, S&P, then add some chopped arugula, drain the pasta and toss together.