Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

It has been FOREVER since I did an Easy Meals post. The last one I shared was in September, then we moved in November, then Jackson had his insane health scare, and I started working on a ton of fitness programs. So the last thing on my mind has been taking photos of the food I make for dinner. Also because dinner is often an afterthought at this point. Even tonight I’ll be ordering takeout because I’ll be on my computer for most of the evening and I love any excuse to support a local restaurant. My MIL has been hounding me about having kids lately, saying that there is nothing better to do while in quarantine since it’s such a boring time, but I haven’t been bored whatsoever the last 2 months. I’ve been busy, busy, and more busy.

And if you’ve felt the same, but you don’t want to turn to takeout every night of the week, I’m here to help! I’ve shared 7 Easy Meals posts that will definitely help spark some ideas with what you may already have in the fridge and freezer. And I also launched my Power30 Recipe Ebook! This ebook has 30 never-before-seen recipes that will a meal on your table in under 30 minutes! Some recipes only take 6 minutes! Since you guys have loved these posts in the past, I created this recipe ebook all based on that easy-cooking mentality!

Now before we dive into how I make all these meals in no time flat, I want to share what I’ve shared in all my previous posts in case this is your first Easy Meals post you’ve ever read. Here’s the rundown of these meal –

• These are meals I make for me and my husband at home.
• I cook for the blog most of the time so I don’t make elaborate meals for just the two of us very often.
• I try to get as many veggies in as possible.
• And I try to cook everything as quick as possible.

Now let’s talk about how I make meals quick and easy! Whenever I’m making easy meals in under 30 minutes, 3 things help me stay on track when it comes to time –

1. Utilizing brands that help cut down cooking time, as well as leftovers to make creating a full meal even easier
   • I love cutting down cooking time with sauce and condiment brands and making sure I use ALL my leftovers in the fridge
2. Keeping it simple with the produce that is in season
   • If you’re using produce that is in season, it won’t need a ton of seasoning or a longer cook time because it’s so fresh and flavorful. Plus it’s cheaper if it’s in season, so you’re saving money along the way!
3. Learn to multitask 
   • Multitasking means while you’re cooking one thing, you’re chopping something else. And that may mean using multiple pans to cut down on cook time, as well!

And below are some of the brands and companies that I use almost every single day!

ButcherBox – Every month I get my monthly supply of grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic and hormone-free, pasture-raised beef, chicken and pork. This way I always have meat on hand that I can pull out of the freezer the day beforehand to make for meals the next day. And since it’s delivered to my doorstep, I don’t have to think about it, which is the best part. In every box, I always get burgers and breakfast sausage, then whatever other meat is available that month!

Thrive Market – I try to get a Thrive Market box delivered to my doorstep every month or so. I love stocking up on coconut wraps, coconut aminos, Siete Foods sea salt grain free tortilla chips, and organic extra virgin olive oil. Be sure to follow me on instagram and my instagram stories/highlights because every time I get an order, I share those finds and goodies on my social media! Thrive also offer seafood now and it’s delicious so I will sometimes grab that from them.

Whole Foods or Natural Grocers or Trader Joe’s –

• Freezer section – I always like to purchase cauliflower rice, sliced bell peppers, asparagus, cauliflower and kale so if I’m in a pinch and have no fresh produce around, I can quickly defrost any of these vegetable and whip up a meal quickly. I also recently picked up Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi and love having that on hand.
• Produce section – I almost always purchase arugula, kale, carrots, cherry tomatoes, ripe plantains, yukon gold potatoes, sweet baby peppers, butter lettuce, honey crisp apples, cilantro, green onions and whatever other vegetable looks good.
• Pre-cut veggies – At Whole Foods (and many other grocery stores nowadays), they have pre-cut vegetables that have made a huge difference when it comes to how long it takes to make a meal. It costs a little more, but to me it’s worth it because it keeps me eating healthy. I’ll always buy pre-cut butternut squash fries, brussels sprouts, kale, beets (I buy the Love Beets brand), zucchini noodles, beet noodles, and carrot fries.
• Butcher section – Since I get all my meat from ButcherBox, I usually only purchase wild-caught fish and seafood at Whole Foods. We try to eat salmon, scallops, sea bass and whatever other fish looks good. And we’ve been eating more fish and seafood recently because my husband is on a strict diet where he can’t have chicken or pork, which is why most of my dinners are beef or fish/seafood. I love getting fish/seafood for the nights that we have limited time since it cooks up so quickly.

Pantry Products – I keep these items on hand because they make prep incredibly easy and quick whenever I’m in a pinch!

• Primal Palate Spices
• Primal Kitchen Ranch, Ketchup and Mayo
• Mike’s Organic Curry Paste
• Rao’s Marinara Sauce
• Maya Kaimal Indian Sauce
• Tolerant Foods Gluten Free Pasta
• Mediterranean Organic Olives & Capers
• Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
• Yai’s Thai Curry Sauce
• Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles

Latest Fridge & Freezer Favorites –

• Cece’s Cauliflower Rice and Zucchini Noodles
• Birch Benders Paleo Freezer Waffles
• Brazi Bites
• Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
• Bonafide Bone Broth Soup
• Falafel King Tzaziki
• Majestic Garlic Dip
• Siete Foods Bean Dip & Queso

Utilizing leftovers a lot

• Carrot Fritters
• Cauliflower Tabbouleh
• Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
• Air Fryer Gnocchi
• Air Fryer Potatoes
• Air Fryer Cauliflower
• Crispy Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
• Moroccan Carrot Salad
• Air Fryer Plantains

Now let’s get into some tasty meals! Remember – these aren’t recipes whatsoever! I never measure anything when I cook these meals, I just taste as I go! And I recommend you do the same to get you more comfortable with cooking on your own! I hope these quick meals give you a little extra inspiration in your own kitchen!

This steak and potatoes breakfast was made with leftover steak we had the night before! I first cooked the potatoes in ghee, added water and a lid to help steam and cook them quicker, then I added peppers, and once the peppers were cooked, I added steak that had been cut up into small pieces. I topped it all off with taco seasonings then served it with leftover guac, garlic sauce, and cilantro on top!

Next up is a meal you’ll see repeatedly in this posts and on my social media. I just want all meals to have a mediterranean style to them – I want lots of capers, olives, and fresh herbs. For this meal I made my crispy air fryer cauliflower first, then while that cooked, I cooked ground beef in a pan with onions and bell peppers. Once almost cooked through, I added gyro seasonings. Then I quickly cut up persian cucumbers with bell peppers and tossed them in olive oil and lemon juice with some s&p. Lastly I served it all up with Divina dolmas, garlic sauce, kalamata olives, capes, and fresh dill.

I always forget about how damn good filet mignon is, especially grass-fed. This meal was SO GOOD and satisfying. First I made my air fryer potatoes. Once those started cooking, I heated up a cast iron skillet, topped my filet mignon with steak seasonings, then cooked my steaks to medium rare and set aside to rest once they were cooked through. Don’t you dare overcook those filet mignons! Then while the filets rested, I heated up a large pan with ghee then added sliced carrots with diced onions with salt and garlic powder. To cook them quicker, I added a little water to the pan and covered it to cook for about 8 minutes. Easy peasy!

Another mediterranean style dish! First I made rice in the instant pot – I added rice to the pot with bone broth (I used the rice to liquid ratio recommendation on the packaging) with garlic salt and then simply pressed the rice button and let it do its thing. It usually cooks for 12 minutes, about 20 minutes after coming to pressure. Then once the rice started cooking, I heated up a large pan with ghee then added sliced carrots with diced onions with salt and garlic powder. To cook them quicker, I added a little water to the pan and covered it to cook for about 8 minutes. Then when the rice had 10 minutes left to cook, I cooked up falafels in the air fryer for 10 minutes. Then I quickly cut up persian cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes, and tossed them in olive oil and lemon juice with some s&p. Lastly I topped it all off with garlic sauce, spicy hummus, kalamata olives and capers!

Yes, I know this dish is horrifying looking. But fuuuuuuck it’s good. I started by boiling water first. While the water boiled, I started cooking thinly sliced parsnips and salt with ghee in a pan. Once the parsnips became brown and soft, I cooked up lentil pasta (it has cauliflower and parsnip in it!) in the boiling water. Lastly I added pork mild italian sausage and cooked up until no pink remained, then I added artichoke & garlic sauce (Seggiano’s brand) with some olive oil, and salt and pepper! That simple, that damn delicious!

First I preheated the oven to 425 degrees, tossed the broccoli florets in avocado oil and salt and garlic powder, then placed in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until slightly crispy. Once the broccoli was in the oven, I added rice to the pot with bone broth (I used the rice to liquid ratio recommendation on the packaging) with garlic salt and a bit of turmeric, and then simply pressed the rice button and let it do its thing. It usually cooks for 12 minutes, about 20 minutes after coming to pressure. Then I cooked pork sausage in a pan over broken down into small pieces. Then I added madras curry to the pork sausage and heated it through. Lastly I chopped up persian cucumbers and bell peppers, and tossed them in olive oil and lemon juice with some s&p. Then I simply topped everything off with mint and dill!

First I added rice to the pot with bone broth (I used the rice to liquid ratio recommendation on the packaging) with garlic salt and a bit of turmeric, and then simply pressed the rice button and let it do its thing. It usually cooks for 12 minutes, about 20 minutes after coming to pressure. Then once the rice started cooking, I added carrots and red peppers to a pan with ghee and salt. Once the carrots became soft, I added eggplant and mushrooms and cooked until soft. Once all the veggies were soft, I added green curry paste and heated it through to release the fragrance. Then I added coconut milk, mixed to combined it all, then brought it to a low boil to thicken. Then I topped it all off with cilantro, mint, and flake salt. HUGE flake salt.

Last but not least, I cooked up carrots, onions, and bell peppers in a pan with ghee, salt and garlic powder. Once soft, I added ground beef and cooked through. Then I added tikka masala and heated through. Then in another pan, I heated up ghee then added cauliflower rice with salt and garlic powder and cooked until soft and tender. Finished it all off with chopped cilantro!

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