Easy Things To Make To Eat: Fast Recipes For When You Have to Feed Yourself Only

And A List of All the Recipes I’ve Posted So Far

Hi, I’m Helen, thanks for reading! 

This one is for all the moms out there who experience a frisson of delight on those rare occasions they don’t have to keep anyone alive with a “well-rounded” meal, allowing them to eat whatever the hell they want. Toast and a banana for lunch. Popcorn and an ice cream sandwich for dinner. Handfuls of Cheetos over the sink. No judgment. You know the drill. 

If you’re alone and in the mood to turn on the stove instead of swinging by the Golden Arches of Rotten Ronnie’s drive-thru, here are some quick ideas for making yourself a fast meal in less than 10 minutes.

Bean and Cheese Semi-Quesadilla

My friend Yuki suggested this as a breakfast idea and I’ve never looked back. It’s perfect for any lazy meal, really. Heat up a pan on medium heat. Smear half of a tortilla (flour or corn, you do you) with about two tablespoons of canned refried beans (FYI you can freeze the rest, I flatten it in a ziploc bag and break off chunks as I need them). Put the tortilla on the pan, bean side up. Sprinkle “Tex Mex” or “Nacho” shredded cheese on the other side, about two or three tablespoons (or however much you like). If you’re having trouble envisioning this, think of it like a pizza that has a bean topping on one half and cheese on the other half. Fold the bean side on top of the cheese side, sort of like how you’d fold an omelette. Toast it in the pan pressing on it gently with a spatula, and flip until both sides are lightly golden. Shaped like a half moon– and unlike a quesadilla–you don’t even have to cut it. 

Feta Egg

Warm up a small nonstick pan on low, crumble in a small handful of feta (to taste, I like a little under ¼ cup) into the pan. Beat one egg in a bowl. When the feta starts to melt, add the egg and on low heat, stir until cooked. It will have a scrambled egg consistency. Eat on its own if you’re a keto weirdo, or with toast or pita. Do NOT add salt or you will be sorry. Good feta is quite salty.

Sapporo Ichiban Ramen with Veggies

Sapporo Ichiban is the best instant ramen brand, in my humble opinion, and this Japanese brand is widely available at the grocery store. I like the umami punch of the beef flavor in particular. Add pretty much any veggies you want to the water as you put it on to boil so they’ll be tender-crisp, add the noodles, and you can even crack an egg in and simmer it at the end if you need to up your protein.

Grilled Cheese Your Kids Would Hate

My version has tomatoes and mustard in it. Your kids would hate it but guess what, we’re not worried about them right now! My mom always thin-slices tomato and inserts it in her grilled cheese sandwiches, and she toasts them on a frying pan low and slow. Delicious! I always accidentally blacken mine because I’m an impatient heifer. However, a tasty twist I did come up with is to add a thin coating on the cheese of Keen’s mustard (it’s a “hot” English mustard) to kick things up a notch. Some people (Anthony Bourdain) say to use mayo on the outside instead of butter. I tried that, it’s not that good. Butter all the way.

Yogurt, Granola, Berries, Maple Syrup

You need a thick, creamy plain yogurt for this, none of those no-fat abominations. I’m talking Fage Greek plain full-fat yogurt (or plain Astro Balkan Style for my Canadians). Sprinkle on top of it any kind of granola you like, berries of any kind, then a generous tablespoon or two of real Vermont or Quebec maple syrup. If you add a small handful of unsalted nuts like walnuts or sliced almonds, you won’t be hungry for hours.

Are you in the mood to really cook? Below the line is a round up of all the recipes I’ve posted all in one spot, an exclusive for my paid subscribers!

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