The first rule of drinking is to eat something first. It's straightforward. It makes all the sense. We all know it. That said, we’ve all been guilty of diving head first into a questionable neon fishbowl without so much as an oven chip in our stomachs to keep us going (standing). This is not good. Please, let’s not do that.
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Our guess is that the number one excuse for not having dinner before a night out is a combination of it either taking too long and not being asked to slave over a stove for an hour only to sweat away the winged eyeliner that took you the best part of an hour to perfect. We get it. So, we’ve rounded up some really quick, minimum effort meals from good old Pinterest to knock up before a big night. Bon appetite. Your hangover will thank us tomorrow.
1. Sheet pan steak fajitas
Nothing quite says crowd pleaser like fajitas. This recipe from No. 2 Pencilrequires little to no effort and the steak is a more exciting addition than your usual chicken breasts, especially if you’ve somehow ended up cooking for your mates who have come over for pre-drinks. You probably have just enough time to grab a quick shower while it’s all in the oven.
Total cooking time: 25 mins
2. Veggie sausage & sundried tomato pasta
Most big nights start with a big bowl of pasta. And while all the carby goodness is more than delightful, including a few veggie sausages and some veg earn you extra brownie points for taste and some sort of actual nutrition. This recipe from The Veg Space has you covered.
Total cooking time: 20 mins
3. Easy Teriyaki salmon
Fancy a takeaway before a night out but either can’t afford it or don’t have the time to wait for a delivery on a Saturday night? Whip up your own craving curbing Teriyaki salmon like the one of Chef Savvy. If you can be bothered with marinating then you’ll need to smother your salmon ahead of time, but between you and I, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t.
Total cooking time: 20 mins
4. A black bean chilli for all occasions
Versatility is the name and speed is the game, my friends. When pre-drinks are being had and all the people are around, you want something really straightforward and really, really yummy to keep ya going. Meet the vegetarian chilli of dreams over on The Veg Space. Eat it on its own, with rice, in wraps – there are almost too many options.
Total cooking time: 20 mins
5. Coconut chicken curry
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a little intimidated by the idea of cooking a curry from scratch, but according to the Crème De LaCrumb recipe, it’s actually pretty straight forward. Who’d have thunk it?
Total cooking time: 20 mins
6. Margherita pizza flatbread
Some days we don’t want to be all high and mighty about food. Some days we just want something super easy and really fucking satisfying. Some days we want pizza but can’t afford Dominos. So, some days, we make the Let The Baking Begin margarita flatbreads.
Total cooking time: 15 mins
7. Spicy chorizo shakshuka
Breakfast for dinner doesn’t have to mean stale cereal, my friends. It can mean a delish serving of Shakshuka, as told by the Always Order Dessert blog. Also, a great way to use up all that veg in the fridge that looks like it’s almost on the turn.
Total cooking time: 30 mins
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.