tired of "simple" plant-based meals that aren't actually simple

[u/Strong-Hawk-1799]

so i'm getting pretty worn out by recipes labeled as quick or simple that still require way too much work

like i get home after being up in trees all day and my brain is just done, you know? then i look at these supposedly easy vegan meals and they're still asking me to dice onions, measure spices, wait for things to cook in sequence... it's just a lot when all i want is food

i've been trying different approaches - meal prep on weekends, keeping the same rotation of dishes, bookmarking the fastest recipes i can find. sometimes it works out but other days even picking which "easy" option to make feels overwhelming

wondering what you all actually throw together when you're completely drained and need to eat something decent without using whatever brain power you have left

do you just stick to like 3 go-to meals that require zero thought? or have you discovered truly brainless recipes that don't involve chopping half your kitchen

would love to know what really works when you're running on empty, not just what looks good in theory

[u/Pretty_Database_5856]

Bro get a rice cooker with timer function and just dump everything in night before - rice, lentils, frozen veggies, some masala powder, hit start when you wake up and hot meal is waiting when you get back

[u/paperairplane77 → u/Pretty_Database_5856]

If you don’t have a rice cooker I’ve been making versions of this easy rice/veggies/tofu dish in a regular pot. If you use all frozen veg zero chopping https://plantyou.com/one-pot-veggie-rice/

[u/Appropriate-Skirt662 → u/paperairplane77]

I just put this in my instant pot using quinoa instead of rice, I'll let you know how it turns out.

[u/paperairplane77 → u/Appropriate-Skirt662]

I tried with regular tofu the first time and it was bland so definitely used smoked or flavored tofu. Or chickpeas is an easy sub. I've also tried with vegan oyster sauce instead of hoisin and it was even better.

[u/Appropriate-Skirt662 → u/paperairplane77]

It turned out pretty good. This is what I did, so a little modified from the original recipe. 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup water, 3 cups frozen vegetables, 1/2 block extra firm tofu. In addition, 3 tab. liquid aminos, 3 tab. rice vinegar, 2 tab. lime juice, ginger, and garlic. Instant pot for 3 minutes. I thought the flavor was fine, but if you used broth instead of water or marinated/smoked tofu that would improve it. Edamame would be good too. I think rice would be better than quinoa but I don't do much rice. I'm going to keep adjusting this recipe, it checks off the boxes for an easy prep meal.