Let’s talk about my day once I get off of work for a moment here.
If you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to do when you get home from work is stand in your kitchen cooking for hours (okay, or like 45 minutes). When you get home, you’re tired, hungry, probably a little bit crabby, and you can’t wait to sit on the couch eating frozen dark chocolate and cookies. Puh-lease don’t even try to convince me that just happens to me.
Even though the kiddos leave the building at 3:00, rarely do I actually leave school at that time. I leave anywhere from 3:30-4:00 depending on what work I got done during the day and what the next day is going to bring. Thankfully I work with an incredible team — we plan together, make decisions together, and that in turn, makes our jobs and lives a heck of a lot easier. If it weren’t for the two women I teach with, I would be at school until 6:00 EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.
Okay, so it takes me a half hour to get home from work, which puts me at getting home anywhere from 4:00-4:30 — not too shabby huh? I would have to agree — until I remember that there’s this thing called life outside of work. I would have to say out of the five days in the week, I rarely go straight home. I have chiropractor appointments, acupuncture appointments, errands to run, things to do. Typically when that goes down, I’m walking through the door at 5:30 if I’m lucky. On days that I do go home right after work, I have things to do — important things like watch episodes of Friends and not fold laundry. Nah, I’m just joking (except for the not folding laundry part). When I get home, I typically walk Charlie anywhere from 30-45 minutes. I finally respond to blog emails and comments. I edit pictures. I don’t do laundry. I wash the piles of dishes in my sink. I get excited when I have time to vacuum the floor (read: yesterday). Even when I do get home on time, I am a busy lady (as I assume YOU are too! Unless you’re a guy. In that case, you’re a busy guy.).
Long story short, I’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy! Who wants to spend their free time cooking? Not me!
Uh, welcome to my food blog where I talk about how I don’t like to cook (???).
One of my strategies is to plan ahead — meal plan, make note of what days I won’t be home until later, make food that will be easy to prepare throughout the week. This dish uses some leftover veggies that I cooked on Monday night when I was grilling. All I had to do was use more than what we actually needed to eat that night — easy leftovers to turn into another dish!
Okay, I am so done rambling — I need to stop talking and shove leftover pasta into my trap.
Roasted Vegetable and Kale Pasta (serves 3-4)
- 1-16 oz. package of brown rice penne pasta
- leftover roasted vegetables (I used cauliflower and bell peppers)
- 3 cups kale, stems removed
- 1 cup white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 2-3 tsp. garlic powder (depending on your own personal preference)
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring a medium sized sauce pan full of water to a rapid boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a deep skillet (this is my favorite one!) heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and add kale and roasted vegetables. Cover and lower heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching — cook for approximately 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted and vegetables are heated through. In the last few minutes, add the white beans and stir.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and add to the deep skillet with the beans and vegetables. While adding the pasta, also add the remaining 3 tbsp. olive oil, nutritional yeast, and spices. Stir to coat the pasta and vegetables.
- Serve and enjoy!
I would be excited that I have leftovers, but I’m getting sushi for dinner. Sushi trumps pasta — always. BUT! This pasta is good so if sushi isn’t an option, this is the runner up.
Question: How long do you take to make your dinners each night?
{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }
I know I’m weird, but one of my favorite things about my day is coming home after a long day from work and cooking in my kitchen. Now cleaning up, that’s a whole different story.
I hate cleaning up too - mainly putting away the dishes since we don’t have a dishwasher!
Beans and pasta…add kale and you have a winner. I love adding nutritional yeast to my meals, great simple week night meal Chelsey!
I love eating good food, I love to cook..but I don’t like to spend time cooking if that makes sense! My dinners max take 30 minutes (from start to finish), and that too rarely is it that long! I’m kinda excited that tonight involves homemade chickpea burgers…which just have to be reheated!
If I didn’t have all those other chores to do, I would LOVE to spend time cooking!
Mmm!! I definitely want to try adding beans to pasta!! I’m like you… not always in the mood to cook after school. My slow cooker is my best friend.
Or I find dinners with limited prep time and stick it in the oven for an hour or whatever. I try and NOT stay in the kitchen all night!
I would be in the mood to cook if I didn’t have like 25 thousand other things to do!!!
Great recipe! I actually LOVE to cook after work- it’s my “unwinding time” - I find that I’m much more crabby on the days it doesn’t happen- but after that, I’m thankful hubby always does the dishes because the only thing I can do is sit on the couch and get up when I need to find something sweet to nibble on
I wouldn’t mind cooking if I didn’t have other things to do!
Leftovers are my favorite! ….They cut down on how much time is in the kitchen. I also make pizza dough batch doubled so I can make homemade pizza a few nights later again. Baking off 5 sweet potatoes at a time minimum is another fave of mine!
I bet they feel the same way about you!
Your pasta looks like it is worth some time in the kitchen though- DELICIOUS!
You’re so blessed to have such great ladies to work with!
I’m all about those baked sweet potatoes!!!
i love having white beans in pasta! It reminds me of those restaurant dishes with the greens and beans….so yummy! This dish looks delicious as well! Roasted veggies pair well with anything!!
HA! You crack me up!
Lately I have been spending max 10 minutes making dinner. It’s been fried eggs and toast up the wazoo here at my place!
That’s going to be my lunch! I’ve been planning it since breakfast!
I love this! This is definitely a recipe I’d like to try. But help me out here … what the heck is nutritional yeast? I see it on blogs all the time, and I’m still clueless. And what does it taste like??
Thanks, Chelsey!
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is extracted from the molasses plant. It’s a great vegan alternative to cheese as it gives things a “cheesy” flavor - It’s chock full of vitamins, protein, and fiber as well!
I’m with Lauren… I don’t mind the cooking, it’s the cleaning up that kills me! When my husband was off from work, I could always coerce him into doing the dishes, but now that he’s working again, we usually switch off. Those nights when I have to cook & clean up are rough!
I don’t like cleaning either - especially washing and putting away ALL the dishes since we don’t have a dishwasher!
That pasta looks delicious! I am going to have to try that.
I think I am probably one of the only mother’s who doesn’t cook. I work from 2-10 p.m., so the husband is in charge of dinner. I don’t like to cook-I can (and am not too bad at it) but I prefer to bake. So getting out of dinner duty isn’t so bad;-)
Lucky lady! I’d be scared if my husband was in charge of cooking though.
It really just depends on the night. Sometimes it’s 20 minutes and sometimes it’s an hour and 20 minutes. I love to cook and spend Tim on dinners but most days I don’t have much time. And dinners like this are perfect for that!
Open cabinet, select cereal, open fridge, grab milk, pour cereal, pour milk, eat with baby spoon.
so at least 45 minutes.
Love everything about this recipe…. Roasted veggies and kale… AND it is quick to make??? Win!
Agreed! Just make sure you use some leftover roasted veggies! Otherwise, it will take way longer!
wow that looks so good. I need to start using kale in more recipes.
Yum, looks good! I love reusing and repurposing leftovers - gives them a whole new life, and makes things easier!!
Most days during the week my max is 20-25 mins since by the time we are home from work and the gym its almost 7pm. On weekends I enjoy spending more time on suppers and they can take up to an hour.
I agree - weekends are a great time to cook and prep food for the week!
My cooking time has gone from about 30-45 minutes per dinner…to, um, feeling proud if I take 15 minutes to make a stir fry!! I can only imagine what I’ll be making after the baby comes
ha! You’ll be just fine!
this looks delicious!! i actually prefer dinners that take under 10 minutes
spring and summer are my favorite times to actually make dinner because i just throw everything on the grill and call it a meal!
I looooove grilling! We’re one in the same!
Yum, looks good to me. The hubs and I both leave the house before 6 a.m. and get home at 6 p.m. That doesn’t leave much time for cooking, so I usually stick to 30-minute meals. However, if I’m baking potatoes or roasting veggies, dinner can take an hour. I’m still cool with that from time to time though since during that hour I can prep the other ingredients and pack my lunch for the next day. I’m right there with you when it comes to packing and prepping!
I love one step meals that you can just throw in the oven as well!
i like your strategy.
i don’t like taking more than a half hour to make dinner - if that. on the weekends if i have some free time, i plan meals that take a little longer because i DO enjoy cooking when i don’t have a bazillion other things to do or think about.
I need to work on planning meals, I’m so exhausted by dinner time I usually end up eating a bunch of random snacks rather than a real dinner!
ha! I’m guilty of that sometimes as well!
Ugh, it is so sad that life is so busy outside of work…but unfortunately that mess just has to get taken care of! It always helps when dinner is short and sweet.
I agree!
Right there with ya! Sometimes it’s after 6 when I get home and I still have to work out! I agree with the planning thing. that’s the key. Especially if you get home later in the afternoon. Last night? It didn’t work….My dinner ended up being a bowl of chocolate cheerios.
No shame in that!
I feel that way most nights and I work from home! I also had sushi last night for dinner b/c it totally beat the frozen chicken thighs and can of red beans I had in my hand when the husband walked in the door. He took one look at my face and said, put some jeans on (I was in spandex…obviously) let’s go out. ha.
haha - if I worked from home, I’d always be in spandex.
Ooh sushi DOES trump pasta but this looks awesome too. Mainly I’m glad to have a recipe with cooked kale in it because I’m still working on liking the raw stuff. I also often use brown rice pasta but was wondering if you have ever tried quinoa pasta? I had it just the other day and was really impressed!
I have tried quinoa pasta - but most of it is made with corn flour as well!
That looks so good! I love roasted veggies…dinners range from a 5 min to 1 hour ordeal depending on planning and time I have that day.
If my boyfriends not home - he works away during the week - then I don’t even bother to cook anything. I favor the “put together” method of cooking - I put together meals like warm salads with runny eggs on top, omelets, or tasting plates. I can’t bring myself to cook for one. I hope someday to be a homemaker. I find it so hard to balance work and homelife right now…being a teacher, who doesn’t work on a team!! I get up at 4 to do school work and work after school too. It’s exhausting.
Really? I love cooking for one, mainly because I don’t have to worry about what to feed my meat loving husband. It makes my life so easy.
Ooh this looks good! But you’re right - sushi trumps pasta!
I’m going for some on Saturday and I can’t wait!
I think I spend TOO much time cooking. Some nights I’ll be in the kitchen for an hour to an hour and a half! But I like using it as a way to unwind at the end of the day.
Oh my gosh. This looks out of this world. MUST TRY!
PLEASE DO!!
This looks great! If its nothing slow cooking, it takes me about 45 minutes to get a dinner together for myself.
Thanks for posting so many meals that are actually doable for busy working guys and girls!! I make recipes from your blog all the time, and they are always healthy and delicious without taking a billion hours to make.
I’m all about making life easier!
Thanks for this recipe! I just bought a bunch of kale and some whole wheat pasta… this will be perfect! And, by the way, I agree. Sushi trumps EVERYTHING!
::whew:: Glad i’m not the only one who thinks so!
One word. Ahmaahhzing.
When I’m hungry, I’m hungry and impatient. I prefer meals that take less than 20 minutes. I do have a couple of meals that take closer to 30, but they aren’t my favorites.
Ha! How funny that you categorize your favorite meals according to how long they take to make!
I am RIGHT there with you- I don’t get home from work until somewhere between 7:30-8:30 every night so the idea of starting a long complicated dinner rarely sounds appealing. Instead I’m all about meals that take 20-30 minutes and this looks like the perfect option! I’ve never used kale in pasta before but I think I’m going to give it a try!
Oh my goodness, I would not enjoy eating dinner that late! ALthough there was a time in my life when I did because I was waitressing!
Yum, you just reminded me how much I love roasted cauliflower. I will be making this next week! I am a stay at home mom of a 3 and 2 year old so I try not to spend more than 30 -40 minutes preparing and 15 minutes on cleanup. Using fresh ingredients does take a little longer, but it’s so worth it! Thanks for all the delicious recipes!
Roasted cauliflower is in my top two roasted veggies - the only thing that trumps it are brussels sprouts!
hehe in my books sushi trumps anything!!! I love it so much. My dinners will vary, sometimes its a meal that I have frozen I like to do batch cooking so like 4 minutes. But averagly I spend probably 20 minutes, stir fries are quick and easy as are pasta time meals.
I am definitely going to try cooking this. I love spending time in the kitchen. I’m a trained chef so I kind of get lost in time when cooking lol. But I hate cleaning up. With the kids I try to limit my weeknight meals to taking between 20-30 minutes from start to finish. Unless I use my crockpot them it’s 5 minutes of work and I’m done.
oh work. its crazy, isnt it? sometimes i think im ready to retire. except i love my job. but i love free time more. and home cooked meals. dilemma.
on work days i get home anywhere from 730 to 830 depending on how stable my patients are and how long it takes to give report to the next nurse. i hate eating dinner that late. plus it leaves me with very little time to be productive at night. no wonder im up til 1 am.
this recipe looks AWWWWESOME btw.
hahaa - I’ve got sooo many years until I retire that it sounds ridiculous to me sometimes.
Can totally relate to this! And it really makes me miss my 7:00 to 3:30 work hours. Out of the office with plenty of time to gym, run errands, make dinner AND relax. Until that happens again easy meals on the menu board are key…it is not every night you can make lasagna or go gourmet. With prep meals always take around 30+ minutes!
I LOVE my work hours. Honestly, so many perks of being a teacher!
OH I completely feel you on this one sista! ha Even days when I get home in time to prepare and cook dinner, I never have the energy to do so! Weekends are really our rare time we really cook meals, not just heat up! And this is only if I’m not working on the weekends! This looks amazing though! I love when you have leftovers, one less meal to worry about! ha
Sometimes cooking is nice and relaxing for me, other times I’d rather just eat a bowl of cereal than have to cut anything or turn on the oven. It also doesn’t help right now in NYC that I have a matchbox kitchen and a roommate so lately cooking is not so nice.
It’s funny - I did not want to cook and I was begging for sushi last night, but my bf wanted to save out night out for the weekend. This looks like a great recipe to keep on hand for when I am back in school soon!
haha, if I did that I would turn into a box of cereal! I always eat cereal for an after dinner snack!
I usually prepare a big batch of roasted veggies and baked tofu to use throughout the week to make salads, sandwiches, or add to grain dishes. So I spend about an hour or so prepping on Sunday and another 10-20 minutes for each meal. I try to buy different veggies each week and prep the tofu or sauces with various spices to keep things interesting. It makes packing lunches and preparing dinner so easy!
mmm! I’m totally doing that this weekend!!!
looks great. all the colors really pop out!! love dinner like that.
dinners usually take anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes to make!
leftovers are always great too
Thanks - and PS, thanks for linking to my quinoa burger recipe!!
Yum, that looks super delish! On a separate note, regarding more personal stuff, I found this article that I thought you might be interested in given your situation that you so honestly shared. http://www.gwynetholwyn.com/blog/2011/11/11/restrictive-eating-disorder-spectrum-fertility-and-pregnancy.html
There is a wealth of info on that site that you may be interested in. I wish you all the best, you busy busy woman you
I really hope everything works out for you soon, I understand how tough things like this can be. Thanks for sharing all you do on your awesome blog!
Thanks Cali - I have read that one before actually. She also has a great article about making sure you eat 2500 calories until you get our cycle back. It is a great informative site. I’ve also used her activity calculator to figure out how many calories I should eat on a day where I’m a little more active (like if I go to yoga or take charlie for a long walk). I’ve really found it to be helpful. Thanks for the link and for thinking of me - it means so much!
I think roasted veggies have got to be one of my favorite meals! This dish looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
~Sarah
{ 2 trackbacks }