When you say "throw together dinner", I'm thinking things made w/ pantry staples that I usually have on hand. If I need to throw something together quickly, I'm not going to have time to thaw frozen things, or make a grocery run. Here are the items I usually keep on hand for this situation: eggs, flour tortillas, pasta, jarred sauce or pesto, jarred salsa, canned beans, cheese, potatoes, onions, canned fish (sardines or tuna), salty things (olives, capers, pickles), any vegetables that might be in fridge. From these I choose from the following: shakshuka (with jarred sauce and whatever add-ins I have), pasta puttanesca (add olives/capers/chili flakes to jarred sauce, sometimes throw in tuna or sardines), frittata (eggs w/ whatever onions, potato, veg and cheese is lying around), egg or bean tacos (scrambled eggs or mashed canned beans on tortillas w/ cheese and salsa), pasta fagioli (canned beans, short or broken pasta, bit of jarred sauce, rosemary/sage, topped w/ grated cheese). All of these take less than 20 minutes, and mostly 1 pot or skillet for minimal cleanup.

Microwave chopped onions and cubed peppers; fry minced meat; put all together with Rao tomato sauce.
Eat with pasta if your choice.

Couscous, jarred roasted red peppers, can of olive oil tuna

box of chicken stock, throw in some rice/orzo, carrots, celery, dill with crusty bread

Stir fry tofu with some ground pork and scallions and add chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns

Not sure if this is super healthy (cheese) but my kid found this recipe on TikTok and it's so easy and has a fresh, bright Mediterranean flavor.

Baked Feta Pasta:

2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes. Put them in a casserole type dish. Add a shallot (quartered), 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 c olive oil. Mix and season with a few red pepper flakes and salt.

Get a block of feta cheese (6-8oz),place it in center of the tomatoes. Put some fresh thyme springs on top of feta and throughout the dish. Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the feta. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the tomatoes start to burst and the feta gets a little browned. (Your house will smell amazing.)

While that's in the oven, boil some pasta. Reserve about a 1/2 cup pasta water.

When feta/tomatoes are done, smash everything together with a potato masher. Then mix the pasta into the dish. You can add some pasta water at this point if it looks too thick.

Sprinkle some freshly cut basil over top. You can also grate some lemon zest on top but I usually skip because the tomatoes are acidic enough for me.

So good and so easy.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/

Steak and salad
Kosher salt and pepper on the steak. High heat on the grilll.
Maybe also throw vegetables on the grill (Eg zucchini or eggplant) while grilling.

Tonight I had a bowl of cereal and a nectarine. Rest of the family had a variety of leftovers.

Food that is actually made: Ramen noodle bowl with sliced chicken (breast cooked in air fryer) and sauteed veggies (usually mushrooms and greens, but whatever I have, really) topped with sliced scallions if I have them. I toss the noodles with bottled teriyaki, and add chili crunch on top of the chicken. One chicken breast and a momofuku ramen and I have enough for a bowl for DH and for me.

Only enough energy to open a can: Amy's black bean chili heated on stove then put in a bowl and topped with shredded cheddar or parm, lots of diced onions, and sour cream.

Pasta with garlic and broccoli

Avacado and egg on whole grain toast.
Add salad or veggies if you want

Anonymous wrote:Everyone keeps saying frozen veggies and I would love to start doing that, but how to best cook them? Steaming and then a dressing? I know roasting doesn't work.

Most of them now you can microwave in the bag. It steams them.
If you don’t need a whole bag just put extra in fridge and heat for a few seconds for the next night.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone keeps saying frozen veggies and I would love to start doing that, but how to best cook them? Steaming and then a dressing? I know roasting doesn't work.

Get a small instant pot with a strainer basket. Throw in frozen veggies and one cup of water. Set to pressure cook on zero minutes. When it builds to pressure and beeps release the pressure and it’s ready.

Bagels, cream cheese & lox

Chicken Caesar pasta salad:
Pasta (I use bowties or rotini)
Bagged Caesar salad
Chicken (grilled at home, frozen chicken tenders, whatever you’ve got!)

Prepare bagged salad. Cook pasta, allow to cool slightly, toss with S&P and EVOO, add to salad. Top with chicken. Top entire dish with parm cheese.

Celentano frozen ravioli, Rao's jarred sauce, sautéed fresh spinach. Frozen broccoli or other frozen veg on hand can replace the spinach in a pinch.

Low carb quesadillas with a side salad. Grilled vegetables with marinated chicken. Protein bowls with a little bit of rice and beans.