because I'm tired of spending all my time cooking

[tim]

Dear interwebs:

I'd like to know your favorite vegetarian recipe that takes less than 30 minutes (even better if it's less than 20 minutes) to prepare. Go!

edited to clarify: Must be 30 minutes from zero to ready to eat (that is, I'm not distinguishing between active prep time and passive waiting time).

Comments

[imfallingup]

Josh and I have gotten rather addicted to two items that really should get categorized as cheap college food but man are they tasty and awesome when we've both just gotten home from work and are tired and hungry.

Mac n cheese the Zeo way:
* Make a pot of several handfuls of macaroni noodles (I like wheat) and frozen veggies (peas, corn, broccoli)
* Take a big spoonful of mayonaise (or yogurt if you can, you know, eat dairy) and mix with about as much water; then add in that mac n cheese powder from Winco's bulk section (may possibly contain animal actually, but I don't think so) until you have a texture like pancake batter. Also mix in spices: paprika, cayenne, bacon salt (that mysteriously vegan kosher product). Keep adding cheese powder and spices till it tastes right.
* Take one of those veggie loafs from Fubonn and cut it into small blocks, 1/2-1" ish. Fry with some of the adobo paste from cans of chipotle peppers (about half a teaspoon?) till it's warm and browned and oh so tasty.
* When the noodles and veggies are done drain them and mix with the cheesey sauce stuff and the veggie loaf chunks. Add more cheese powder if necessary.
* Park butt in front of cartoons and nom.
(Proportions are for one serving, increase as needed)

And the more recent addiction and first time in a while that Josh and I have both been intentionally buying ramen, Sweet Peanut Butter Ramen:
* Fill a medium fry pan with about a third of an inch of water and turn the burner on high. Break up a block of ramen into that and start it cooking.
* Take a big big spoonful of peanut butter (okay, I use a spoon but I really shouldn't call this a spoonful. Say, a quarter cup) and mix it with a bunch of sweet chili sauce (I recommend the Mae Ploy stuff for this, and okay it has sugar but neither of these recipes should be considered all that healthy anyway) until it has the right taste. When the ramen is decently cooked and the water is mostly cooked off, scoop/pour out the sauce and stir it all together; the remaining water helps it mix around with the ramen so just push it around with a spatula and keep it from burning on the bottom (probably turn the heat down) until the water's cooked off and it looks like brains.
* Scoop into a bowl, park yourself in front of some cartoons and nom.

Or you know how to make curry and that can be done plenty quickly, or stir fry too. It takes a bit more than half an hour but I've gotten good at making sushi in about 45 minutes from starting the rice to sitting down with a plateful, which I'm pretty proud of.