Wassup wassup wassup!!! Back with another set of recipes for you, baby! And this one’s for all of you out there who like to blame time for the fact that you’re not making the most supportive food choices for your hormones, and your overall wellbeing.
Yup. I’m calling you out. 😂
If you’re always “in a hurry,” opting for the drive-thru, ordering Uber Eats, or settling for a granola bar as your lunch (and you haven’t quite figured out the whole meal planning thing)…I got you.
If you do meal plan and meal prep, but still have moments throughout the week where you need to improvise and throw something together quickly, because, well, life happens…I got you, too.
It happens to me all the time…
I meal plan at the beginning of the week, batch-cook ingredients, plan for leftovers and still run into moments where the “plan” can’t be executed. Sometimes, I just need to throw something together last minute (especially on the weekends when the schedule is looser or when it’s about time to make another trip to the grocery store).
So, today I’m sharing some of my go-to VERY QUICK (still nourishing) LAST-MINUTE meals.
Let’s do it!
Cait’s Quesadillas
I probably throw quesadillas together at least once a week because they require almost zero prep and maybe 15 minutes to put together? Plus, my daughter, Alex loves them (she’s 16 months old).
There are so many variations of this you could make, and I change it up often depending on what I have on hand, but the recipe I’m sharing below is the one I probably use most often.
Now, you’re probably thinking…
Is a quesadilla reallyyyy THAT nourishing? And it can be.
The quality of your quesadillas will depend on:
The quality of the ingredients you use
How well you “beef it up.” I talk about this inside my program, Wellfed Mama; but essentially what I mean by “beefing it up” is packing it with a variety of nutrient-rich ingredients. We’re not just having cheese and tortillas mmmkay?! 🤣
Ingredients:
Siete Foods Tortillas
Grass-fed butter or coconut oil
High-quality cheese (organic and grass-fed). For anyone sensitive to cow’s dairy, you could always give goat cheese or sheep cheese a shot (they tend to be easier on digestion).
Shredded Chicken (organic and pasture-raised). I don’t always add chicken, but if I already have some prepared, I’ll add it in. I like to shred it in the food processor! (you could always buy an organic rotisserie chicken to use for this too).
Spinach
Toppings:
Cilantro
Avocado
Pickled Onions
Instructions:
Heat your pan on low/medium heat (I personally use a cast iron for this).
Meanwhile, pull out a tortilla and spread the beans onto it.
Melt about a tablespoon of butter in the pan.
Add the tortilla onto the pan with the beans face up.
Add the chicken (if you’re adding some) to one side (half the tortilla).
Add the shredded cheese to the same side (if using a block, you can shred the cheese directly over the beans).
Chop up your spinach and add that over the same side. By now, the cheese should have melted.
Fold over your tortilla and press it down (so you now have a semi-circle). You can continue to toast it for as long as you like.
Once it’s to your liking, pull it off and allow it to cool before cutting and adding your toppings.
You can start a new one after folding the other if there’s enough space in the pan to speed things up (I’ll usually have at least 2 of these).
Enjoy!
Cait’s Nachos
Okay, so this one is very similar to the quesadillas, but I can’t just leave it out because it’s “similar” when it’s definitely another easy go-to. Again, lots of variation is possible with this dish – another reason I love it so much. 😉
Ingredients:
Siete Tortilla Chips (I think the “dip” chip is the best for this)
High-quality animal protein (chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, etc.). I’m always changing this up depending on what’s easiest for me to use. Usually, I’ll have something already prepped. You could also use a store-bought organic rotisserie chicken if you want.
Organic Beans (black beans, pinto beans, lentils, etc.). I change this up often as well depending on what I’ve got. Sometimes, I’ll prepare a big batch of lentils in my pressure cooker and use those; other times, I’ll use these canned Charro Beans by Siete Foods that are f*cking delicious!
High-quality Cheese (organic and grass-fed)
Avocado
Other Toppings:
Cilantro
Pickled Onions
Microgreens
Green Onions
Sauce: Siete Jalapeno Botana Sauce
Instructions:
In a pan on low/medium heat, add your animal protein. Since this is usually already cooked, I’m simply heating it in a pan and adding some taco seasoning. If you’re using some store-bought rotisserie chicken, adding grass-fed butter and a tablespoon or so of filtered water with it will help keep it moist.
In a small saucepan on low heat, add your beans. If they aren’t seasoned with anything, go ahead and season them with some taco seasoning and sea salt, or whatever else you want to season them with (the canned charro beans are already seasoned well, so I usually just heat them up).
Preheat your oven to 350.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and add your chips. Toast them in the oven for maybe 5 minutes (tops) or until you see them getting a little color. You have to be VERY CAREFUL not to burn your chips! A minute can make a difference with this step, so keep an eye out for them (especially the first time).
Once the chips are done, pull them out of the oven and top with your animal protein, beans, and shredded cheese.
Then add all your additional toppings.
Boom! Done and tasty!
Cait’s Tuna (or Chickpea) Salad Sandwich (or Wrap)
This recipe requires about 10 minutes of prep time? Maybe a little more if you get fancy with it? Either way, it’s very quick and the perfect thing to throw together for a picnic or beach day. Yay, summertime! 🌞
I’m sharing a VERY simple version of this recipe that you can easily modify if you’re in the mood for a different flavor profile. Sometimes, I’ll keep it simple, other times, I’ll go IN on the add-ins. It all depends on how much time I have and my mood that day.
Ingredients:
1-2 cans of wild-caught tuna
Organic yogurt (grass-fed plain Greek or coconut yogurt)
Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Dijon Mustard
Sea salt & Pepper
Optional Add-ins: shredded carrots (I’ll usually throw them in the food processor before adding them in), fresh herbs like dill, red onions, chopped fruit like apples or pears, chopped nuts like walnuts, etc.
Bread (Sourdough or Simple Kneads Gluten-free Sourdough for me) OR Siete Tortillas (for wraps).
Sandwich/Wrap Add-ins: spinach or microgreens, olive oil, & vinegar
Instructions:
In a small bowl (or large one depending on how much you’re making) add the tuna from the can and mash it up with a fork.
Add in the yogurt (I’ll usually just eyeball this by adding a spoonful or so at a time and mixing around until I get the consistency I like).
Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice (usually ½ a lemon, but feel free to adjust this to your liking).
Add in some dijon (or stone-ground) mustard and mix (I think I add a generous spoonful of the stone-ground mustard, but this all depends on the type of mustard you’re using and how strong it is in flavor).
Season with sea salt & pepper.
If you’re adding anything additional to your tuna salad, go ahead and mix that in as well! Some of my faves:
The base above + shredded carrots
The base above + dill, red onions, and chopped apples or pears
Once your tuna salad is done, you can prep your wrap or sandwich (I usually toast my bread in a skillet with some butter).
Add on any additional toppings to your sandwich (or in your wrap). Spinach or microgreens pair great with this!
P.S. You can always swap out the tuna for chickpeas if you prefer!
Cait’s Bone Broth Ramen Noodles
Here’s the final one for today! 🤩 If you’re ever in the mood for something hot like soup, but you don’t have time to MAKE soup, this one’s it! I don’t have exact amounts listed below because I usually just eyeball this, plus it’ll depend on how much you’re making.
Ingredients:
2 boiled eggs (I like them soft-boiled)
Bone broth (I’ve been ordering my beef broth from Southwest Ranches Farmers Market and it’s SO gelatinous! If I’m not using that, I’m using some chicken bone broth I have prepped from a leftover chicken carcass).
Coconut Aminos (or Tamari or Soy Sauce)
Sesame oil
Organic miso
Sea salt
Cayenne powder (optional)
Green cabbage (Shredded or chopped)
Green onions
Sesame seeds
Cilantro
Instructions:
If you don’t already have some boiled eggs on hand (which I highly recommend), then go ahead and prepare some. I use the recipe in this post below for mine!
Boil water in a large pot to cook your ramen noodles.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, grab a different pot or saucepan and heat your bone broth on low heat.
Once the water is ready for the noodles, add the noodles and cook according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Add 1-2 tbsp of miso into the pot of bone broth and mix until it’s dissolved.
Add 2-3 tbsp of coconut aminos.
Add a little sesame oil (I recently bought a very strong sesame oil so 1 tsp goes a long way. I recommend adding a little and taste-testing before adding more).
Add in some sea salt and cayenne powder (if you want a little spice).
Add in the shredded green cabbage.
Add the cooked ramen noodles to the broth. I’d do another taste test at this point and add anything else I feel it needs more of).
In a small bowl, add some of the ramen noodles in broth. Top with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, cilantro, and boiled eggs.
Enjoy!
There you have it!
Four of my go-to VERY QUICK (still nourishing) LAST-MINUTE meals.
Now, whenever you feel like you have no time to put something together or can’t think of a nourishing meal you can execute in less than 20 minutes, you’ve got this post to refer back to! No need to order on Uber Eats, go through the drive-thru or opt for a protein bar or bowl of cereal as your meal.😬
No excuses, baby! Your health doesn’t have to suffer because you’re “busy.”
