What do you usually eat for dinner?

I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s very difficult to cook dinner every night. By the time I get home from work, I’m usually starving, and the last thing I want to do is cook dinner from scratch.

I’m very tempted to order some takeout and call it a night, but when I think about how much money I’m going to spend and how full of sodium and artificial flavors those foods are, I convince myself that it might be better to start cooking.

Given the fact that I want something healthy, affordable, and easy to make, I started to experiment with all sorts of recipes and actually discovered that I don’t need to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If you’re like me and you want to prepare dinner in just a few minutes, I have some tips for you!

Speaking from experience, here are the best 4 dinner recipes you should try! They’re delicious, good for your body, quick and easy to make, and also budget-friendly! Are you intrigued yet? Here they are:

1. Smoked Salmon Pasta

I know that smoked salmon pasta might sound like a fancy dish that is going to take hours and hours to make, but it is actually one of the easiest and most delicious meals you can cook! It will take you less than 30 minutes to make, and you can save the leftovers for the next day’s lunch.

And if you have guests over and you want to impress them with a tasty and flavorful meal, this one will easily become your go-to! It’s creamy, full of high-quality protein, and it’s also very filling, which means that you’ll be full and satisfied for hours!

How to:

1. Add the pasta to a large pot of salted boiling water. You can also add a bit of olive oil to the water so that the pasta won’t stick together. Cook the pasta following the instructions on the package until al dente. Drain it, but save 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the next step.
2. Grab a large skillet and put it over medium heat with a tiny bit of cooking oil. Add your onion and cook it until it turns golden, then add garlic and cook it until it releases its flavors. When these 2 aromas are combined, add the white wine and cook it for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is almost reduced. Add the lemon juice and the heavy cream and cook everything until you obtain a thick sauce—this means roughly 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the capers, dill, and smoked salmon to the pan and cook everything until the fish is warm, then combine it with the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, you can add that cup of water you saved during the first step. If you have extra dill, use it for garnish and enjoy your delicious meal!

2. Chicken Fried Rice

This one is a classic, but it’s so good that I had to say something about it! This meal is the perfect combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, which means that you’ll have a balanced dish and you’ll also feel full and satisfied for a longer period of time.

If you don’t like chicken, you can swap it for shrimp, or you can add a mix of vegetables instead of meat. This meal is very popular in Chinese cuisine, but its delicious taste also made it highly appreciated in other countries as well. Let’s get cooking!

How to:

1. Grab a medium pan and heat some olive oil. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides (you can also add other condiments if you want, such as curry and oregano), then add them to the pan. You should cook it for roughly 8–10 minutes, or until it turns golden and crisp on the outside. Cut them into bite-sized pieces after you remove them from the skillet and allow them to rest for a couple of minutes.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the same skillet and heat it up. Then add the carrots and onion and cook them for 5 minutes. Don’t forget to stir occasionally, so that the vegetables won’t get burned. Add the ginger and garlic and cook them for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and peas and cook everything for roughly 2-3 minutes, so everything is warm and well mixed together.
3. Add the final tablespoon of sesame oil to one side of the pan and push the rice to the other side. Once your dish is almost ready, add the eggs and toss. Finally, mix the eggs into the rice. Stir together the soy sauce and green onions and add the chicken back to the pan. Dinner is served!

3. Tuscan Butter Gnocchi

…If you love Italian cuisine, you’ll absolutely adore this delicious dinner recipe!

Italian dishes are my top favorites! They’re delicious, easy to make, and contain plenty of fresh and flavorful ingredients! They’re really good, especially when I crave something creamy, savory, and ready in less than an hour! So if you’re looking for the perfect Italian dinner, here is what you should make next:

How to:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grab a large pan and put it over medium heat, and melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook it for about 1 minute. Then, add the cherry tomatoes and season the mixture with a pinch of red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper. This is the recipe for Tuscan butter. It’s delicious! Cook everything until you notice that the tomatoes have started to burst, and then add the spinach. Cook all of these until they begin to melt.
2. Add the heavy cream, broth, Parmesan cheese, and herbs, and bring everything to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for roughly 3 minutes, or until your sauce is slightly diminished.
3. Add the gnocchis and toss everything. Put them on a baking pan and add mozzarella on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the gnocchis are cooked. The cheese should melt on the interior, but have a golden-brown crust on the surface. Before you serve dinner, top it with some lemon juice and use more herbs to garnish!

…Tip: Tuscan butter is tasty in a lot of Italian recipes, including those that contain salmon, pasta, chicken, and even shrimps!

4. Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

If you’re looking for something delicious that you can also meal prep and enjoy for several days in a row, these sheet-pan chicken fajitas are the best! All you have to do is put your vegetables and chicken on a tray and cook them in a marinade of avocado oil and some flavorful spices, such as chili powder and cumin. When you’re done with that, you can put them in the oven and dinner will be ready in no time.

For topping:

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved;
• 1 avocado, diced.

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F and lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet. Get a bowl and whisk the spices together to combine their flavors.
2. Grab a large bowl and combine your bell peppers, avocado oil, chicken, onions, and lime juice. Then, add the spice mix and give it a good shake. Get that baking sheet from the previous step and evenly spread the fajita mixture on it.
3. Bake everything until the chicken has a golden-brown crust and the vegetables are moist and tender. That should take you roughly 20 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven.
4. When your dish is no longer hot, you can divide it into several containers so you can have food ready for the next few days.
5. Serve everything with some avocado and tomatoes, and if you want to take it up a notch, you can also indulge in a garlic dip. Dinner is ready, so enjoy!

…We love eating foods that are delicious, healthy, and that also nourish our bodies with the right nutrients! So if you want to step up your cooking game with the best recipes out there, make sure to check this article: Do You Have High Cholesterol? Here Are 4 Dinner Recipes You Should Try!