• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Meal Planner
  • Subscribe

Framed Recipes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Meal Planner
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Us
    • Recipes
    • Meal Planner
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » 5 Easy Dinners

    Published: Apr 29, 2016 · by Sree · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    5 Easy Dinners

    Being a food blogger has it's perks - I deal with food every minute of the day.

    It is fun to research about food, the nutrition aspects, interesting recipes and also the history behind the dish. Just like I provide the healthy dishes for my family, I bring the healthy dishes to you. Of course, with some occasional indulgences.

    Now, I deal with food most of my day, but  when it is dinner time, I am exasperated. I stare at my fridge and pantry with the hope that ideas will pop into my head as to what to cook.

    I was not good at planning my meals. I cooked whatever fancied me at that moment in time.

    Well, it works, but my experience says that it does not work all the time.

    There is no denying it - we all lead busy lives. But we all need to eat, and I understand that cooking will probably be the last thing on your mind when you are back from a busy, tiring day. You have to bring food to the table. If you don't think ahead and meal plan, it is not going to happen - you will end up at a restaurant.

    How do I know this? Been there, done that!

    There was a time when I did no meal planning and cooked whatever popped into my head at that particular moment in time. Sometimes it worked, but there were many a times when I did not have ingredients for the dish, which meant a trip to the grocery store - the last minute shopping with a hungry cranky kid in tow - not good!

    And when I went grocery shopping, I didn't stick to my list, I bought impulsively which lead to sky rocketing grocery bills. So, my friends, who have been doing this for years, advised me to meal plan.

    Now, here is the thing - I love to cook, but that does not mean I have to slog in the kitchen to whip up delicious, nutritious and wholesome meal for the family.

    We all need recipes to tide us over the days when we do not have so much enthusiasm to cook elaborate meals. These 5 easy dinners are intended to help you with that.

    Trust me, cooking is pretty easy. With a little bit of planning, you can avoid the drive thru's and convenience foods.

    Now, how to meal plan?

    The idea is to sit down with your family and decide what you all wanna eat in the coming week. When you involve the family, they are more likely to eat what you present at the dinner table. Consider your dietary needs, schedule and weather while planning the menu. Write it down. Along with the dishes, write down any prep work you need to do beforehand. Once you have a list of the dishes you want to create, get your recipes ready, take a look at your pantry & fridge and make a shopping list. Go grocery shopping (Note to self: stick to the list) .

    Meal planning avoids the need for several trips to the grocery store and you will always know what you need to cook for dinner that evening.

    I plan 5 main meals and the 6th night is a leftovers night which ensures that my fridge is clean and ready to stock up for the next week's meals. And I give myself a break from cooking once a week, to try out different restaurants in town.

    My meal planning went like this - I picked 5 easy dinner recipes that come together pretty quickly. These dishes get ready in 30 minutes to aa max of 60 minutes.

    I decided to have a

    1. Meatless Monday Night
    2. Chicken Night
    3. Fish Night
    4. Breakfast-for-Dinner Night
    5. International Night
    6. Leftovers Night
    7. Eat Out

    Meal_Planning_Week_1

    We grew up eating rice and hence it is a staple for us. This week's menu has rice, but I often mix and match dishes to include other grains in our diet.

    Going by the popular Meatless Monday theme, you can skip non-vegetarian food for a day.

    Chicken and Fish Night: Pick your favorite chicken dish and a fish recipe and make your sides revolve around that. Do not forget to include vegetables.

    Breakfast-for-dinner:  Whoa!! How can you not love this?

    International Night: Do you have an Italian recipe that you always wanted to try? Today is the day to try it out.

    Leftovers: Finish all your leftovers - provide a menu (leftover menu) to your family and ask them to pick! Trust me, kids will love this!

    Eat-Out: You pick a day that works well for you. Eating out for my family usually happens on Sunday. We do photo shoots for the blog mostly on Sundays and I am exhausted by the end of the day. So, we eat out either to celebrate the successful completion of a photo shoot or just to forget the disappointment of the photo shoot (there are some days, when the food styling I had in mind just does not translate well into a photograph).

    With me so far? Good!

    Now, lets get into the nitty-gritty of the 5 easy dinners.

    Meatless Monday - Erissery

    I am making our favorite dish from the Kerala Cuisine - Erissery. A wonderful and easy dish that has butternut squash, cow peas (you can also use black eyed peas) in an aromatic coconut gravy. This dish is typically served with rice. Adding pickle and pappadam completes the meal. This works well for next day's lunch too.

    Time Required : About 1 hour (time can be considerably reduced if you do your prep work ahead)

    Erissery_DSC6456

    Recipe Here

    Chicken Night - Chicken Fry

    Typically, I save this for nights when Sonshine has tons of activities and I don't have much time to get the dinner ready. Chicken dinners are easy and get ready quickly. And the best part is that I can make a little extra to be packed for next day's lunch.

    Time Required : about 25-30 minutes (if you do the prep work ahead)

    Chicken_Fry_1243_02

    Recipe Here

    Fish Night - Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

    This recipe was shared by my friend Pooja  and whenever I make this, I make extra so that we have leftovers 🙂 . Like chicken fry, fish curry is also super easy to prepare. This is extremely flavorful, creamy and delicious. Don't take my word for it, try it yourself.

    Time Required : about 25-30 minutes (if you do the prep work ahead)

    Fish Curry With Coconut Milk

    Recipe Here

    Breakfast-for-Dinner Night - Vegetable Uthappam

    I almost always have dosa batter ready at home . So, there are days when we have Uthappams for dinner. Loaded with vegetables, carbs and protein, this is a wholesome meal... Something Sonshine happily eats.

    Time Required : about 25-30 minutes (if you do the prep work ahead)

    DSC_6176_Uthappam_7

    Recipe Here

    International Night - Minestrone Soup

    There is still a slight chill in the air that makes me want to tuck into a warm bowl of soup. I make minestrone soup, when I am sure to be at home for about an hour or more before dinner time. Well, there is not much hands-on time, but the soup needs to simmer for about 45-50 minutes. Loaded with vegetables, and served on a bed of Quinoa, and you won't miss the rice.

    Time Required : about an hour

    Minestrone Soup

    Recipe Here

    5 Easy Dinners : Prep Work/Make-Ahead Tips.

    Prep Work

    You can make dinner time less stressful by planning ahead and doing some prep work ahead of time.

    1. Don't forget to soak pulses and beans, they cook faster. Use a pressure cooker to cook your pulses and beans. Even vegetables can be cooked in a pressure cooker.
    2. Make spice powders and mixes ahead of time and save in air tight containers.
    3. You can marinate the chicken with spices ahead of time.
    4. If using frozen fish, do not forget to thaw it. If using fresh fish, clean it ahead of time.
    5. You can chop vegetables and keep them ready to use.
    6. Make the dosa batter. You can make this for breakfast too.
    7. Do not forget to include vegetables in your meals. They are very important 🙂 .

    Make Ahead

    I have friends who cook all their meals on a single day for the entire week. I love the idea that there is always food to serve. If you are worried about the nutrition factor, it is definitely better than eating out on a regular basis.

    All the dishes (except Uthappams) I have planned for this week, can be made in advance and stored in refrigerator in air tight containers.

    Well, give yourself some wiggle room and plan for some little unexpected situations. You never know when your tween suddenly decides to finish an extra bowl of soup 🙂 .

    Just curious, do you meal plan? What does your dinner plan look like?

    If you liked this meal plan, do not forget to subscribe to our mailing list. Click on Subscribe and enter your name and & email. We will not spam you, we promise.

    We are active on social networks too. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest,Google+and/orTwitter.

    Deliciously Yours.

    « How to keep Cilantro fresh for days
    Make Chalkboard Images Using Photoshop »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anuradha says

      June 16, 2016 at 8:38 am

      Loved the post and the idea. Seriously, "what to make for dinner" is a question that bogs me no end. And most of the nights I end up eating dosa or idli.

      Reply
    2. [email protected] says

      April 29, 2016 at 11:51 am

      I never do meal plans. I mean I never put it up on the board. But I do think ahead and cook, i think of breakfast previous night and lunch in the morning, which works for me.   I must say that board and the way it's designed is very good, absolutely love how it looks <3

      Reply
      • Framed Recipes says

        May 03, 2016 at 10:13 am

        Thank you Jyothi. It is definitely good to plan ahead and have an idea in mind.Well, it is not necessary to have it in writing.

        Reply

    If you tried this recipe, please consider giving us a star rating and feedback. Reviewing, leaving feedback, and star rating a recipe, not only helps me grow as a food blogger but also helps others discover my blog. I L-O-V-E to hear from you! :) Your email address will not be published. Thank you for your support! When leaving a comment on framedrecipes, you will be asked to enter your name and email address. This is to help prevent spam comments. Your name will be displayed with the comment, but your email address will not. If you prefer not to display your real name, using a nickname or pseudonyms is perfectly OK. You will also see an option to save your information for future comments – this function uses a cookie to store the information on your browser. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Sree - the blogger

    Hi! I am Sree and welcome to my sweet little corner of the internet! Good Food = Good Mood! This blog is all about celebrating good food – from desi (Indian) to videshi (global). 

    More about me →

    New Recipes

    • Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Arugula
    • Pumpkin Coconut Bisque
    • Meal Plan Number 9
    • Apple Butter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    Got a query? Need help with a recipe? Want to request a recipe? Or just want to say Hi?

    Email Us: [email protected]

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Framed Recipes

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.Read More.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookie Settings

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    __cfduid1 monthThe cookie is used by cdn services like CloudFare to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. It does not correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
    cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    CookieDurationDescription
    __cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie is set by CloudFare. The cookie is used to support Cloudfare Bot Management.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    CookieDurationDescription
    YSCsessionThis cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
    _gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
    test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
    VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _gat_gtag_UA_49569906_11 minuteNo description
    CONSENT16 years 9 months 8 days 3 hoursNo description
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo
    x

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    We share new recipes every week. These are tried, tested, and framed recipes. From my kitchen to your inbox. Subscribe to enjoy them!