Fast food ideas: quick and easy

Easy and quick fasting meals for every day

Lenten foods don't have to mean another complicated recipe or hours in the kitchen every day.

From November 15th, when many begin to organize their daily table differently, but also during any other fasting period, the most practical solution is to have some solid bases in the cupboard.

Legumes, rice, pasta, barley, bulgur, quinoa, tahini, tomatoes, vine leaves, roasted peppers and spices can provide many different meals without meat, dairy or eggs.

The important thing is not to think of fasting as a list of things that are missing.

In practice, what frees you up is knowing how to properly combine five or six basic ingredients.

What to keep in your cupboard so you don't have to struggle

A package of lentils, beans, chickpeas and fava beans covers many different days.

Alongside them, you need rice, a pasta dish, barley or bulgur, and a good tomato sauce.

Tahini works both for breakfast and in spreads or sauces.

Roasted peppers, vine leaves, and a few spices are among those ingredients that completely change a simple dish without having to start from scratch.

On a night when you get home late, the difference between "I have nothing to cook" and a proper meal can be just a jar of tomato sauce, some barley, and a bag of beans that you've already boiled.

In our store you will find lentils, fava beans, beans and all our other legumes.

Easy Lenten recipes for beginners

If you are now starting to cook more systematically during Lent, start with dishes that easily forgive small mistakes.

Lentils, fava beans, pasta with tomatoes, and bulgur with vegetables do not require difficult techniques.

For four servings, a simple lentil casserole can start with about 250 g of dry lentils, which do not require soaking.

Rinse them, put them in a pot with about 1.2 liters of water, 1 chopped onion, 1 carrot, 1 bay leaf and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let them simmer for about 30–40 minutes.

At the end you can add a little vinegar or lemon, depending on how you like them.

For an even quicker dish, boil 320–350 g of pasta, drain it and mix it with about 2 cups of tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a little oregano.

In about 20 minutes you have a normal meal without having to improvise much.

Three combinations that save an everyday meal

The first combination is legumes, rice and an aromatic.

For four people, about 200 g of dry lentils with 200 g of rice, onion and a little cumin can be made into a simple casserole dish.

The second is pasta, tomato and vegetables.

With 320 g of pasta, 2 cups of tomato sauce and 2 roasted peppers cut into strips, you have a meal that is easy to make even on a daily basis.

The third is bulgur, grilled or sautéed vegetables, and tahini.

For four servings, boil or soak about 250 g of bulgur according to its instructions, add 2 cups of roasted vegetables and dilute 3 tablespoons of tahini with a little lemon and water for the sauce.

For this recipe we recommend medium bulgur.

Lenten dishes with legumes for everyday food

Legumes are one of the most practical bases when you want a casserole dish that can be cooked in advance.

The secret is to not use the same recipe every time.

The same lentils can be made into soup, served with rice, or ended up in a salad.

The beans can go in the tomato casserole or in the oven.

Fava beans can be the main meal with a few side dishes or placed in the middle of a larger table.

Lentils with rice or bulgur

For four servings, use about 220 g of dry lentils, which do not require soaking, and 180–200 g of rice or bulgur.

Rinse the lentils and boil them in about 800 ml of water for 20–25 minutes, until they are almost soft.

In another pot, sauté 1 large onion with 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 5 minutes.

Add the rice or bulgur and a little cumin or paprika.

Pour in the lentils along with some of their water and continue cooking for about 15–20 minutes, until the cereal is ready.

Leave the food covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Fava beans with onion, capers or roasted peppers

For four servings, use about 300 g of fava beans, which do not need soaking.

Rinse it and put it in a pot with about 1 liter of water and 1 onion cut into quarters.

Simmer for about 40–50 minutes, stirring towards the end, until creamy.

Mash it if you want a smoother texture and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a little lemon.

Serve with chopped onion, capers or 2 roasted peppers cut into strips.

If you are preparing a table, you can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature.

For this recipe we recommend Serres fava beans.

Beans with tomato and herbs

For four servings, start with about 300 g of dried beans.

Soak them for 8–12 hours, drain them and boil them in clean water for about 60–90 minutes, until soft.

In a saucepan, sauté 1 large onion with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add 2 cups of tomato sauce and a little celery or parsley and let the base cook for 10 minutes.

Add the boiled beans and about 1 cup of their water and continue to cook for 20–25 minutes over low heat.

If you want to finish the food in the oven, transfer it to a baking sheet and bake at 190°C for about 25 minutes.

An idea with chickpeas

For four servings, about 250 g of dried chickpeas that have been soaked for 8–12 hours and boiled can be added to a salad with roasted peppers, onion, lemon and olive oil.

For hummus, oven and more ideas, read our article with chickpea recipes.

Lenten pasta and barley

Pasta is perhaps the easiest solution when you want food quickly, but it doesn't have to end up with the same pasta every time.

Tomato sauce, peppers, mushrooms, and spices give it several different directions without a lot of extra ingredients.

Lenten pasta in the oven

For four servings, boil about 350 g of pasta for 2–3 minutes less than the package says.

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups of tomato sauce with 1 chopped onion, 2 roasted peppers in strips, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a little oregano or paprika for about 10 minutes.

Mix the pasta with the sauce and transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Add about half a cup of water or thin sauce so they don't dry out.

Bake at 190°C for about 20–25 minutes.

The goal is not to dry them out and become crispy everywhere, but to bind them with the sauce.

For this recipe we recommend roasted red peppers.

Barley with tomato, peppers and spices

For four servings, use approximately 300 g of barley.

Sauté 1 onion and 1 large pepper with 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 5–6 minutes.

Add 2 cups of tomato sauce, about 2½ cups of hot water and a little paprika.

Once it boils, add the barley and lower the heat.

Cook for about 12–15 minutes, stirring frequently and adding a little hot water if necessary.

Leave it off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.

For this recipe we recommend orzo.

Lenten baked goods with vegetables

The oven is useful when you want to prepare the ingredients, put a baking sheet in, and get busy with something else.

However, vegetables need the right amount of moisture and not just a lot of cooking time.

Lenten mushrooms in the oven

For four servings, use about 800 g mushrooms, 2 peppers, 1 large onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic and a little thyme or paprika.

Cut the mushrooms in half or quarters and spread them in a large baking dish along with the rest of the vegetables.

Add the olive oil and spices and bake at 200°C for about 30–35 minutes.

Stir once halfway through.

Do not overcrowd the mushrooms in a small container, because they will release water and boil instead of cooking.

Lenten burgers in the oven

For about 8 burgers, enough for four servings, use about 250 g of dry lentils that do not require soaking.

Boil them for about 25–30 minutes, drain them very well and let them cool slightly.

Mix them with 1 chopped onion, 1 grated carrot, about ¾ cup of oats or breadcrumbs without dairy or eggs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika and cumin.

Mash some of the lentils with a fork so that the mixture thickens and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Shape 8 burgers, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush them lightly with olive oil.

Bake at 200°C for about 25–30 minutes, turning once.

Peppers and vegetables with rice or bulgur

For four servings use 4 large peppers, about 220 g rice or bulgur, 1 onion, 1½ cups tomato sauce and 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Sauté the onion for 5 minutes, add the rice or bulgur and about half of the sauce.

Fill the peppers two-thirds full, place them in a baking dish and pour the remaining sauce and about 1½ cups of water around them.

Bake at 190°C for about 50–60 minutes.

If you see that they are drying out quickly, add a little hot water to the pan.

Lenten foods for the table

A Lenten table doesn't need eight different pots.

In practice, it works best when you have a main dish, a legume or spread, a cereal, and two simple side dishes.

Vine leaves, fava beans and spreads for the waist

For four to six people as part of a table, you can prepare about 25–30 grape leaves.

For the filling, use about 200 g of rice, 1 large onion, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, dill or parsley and a little lemon.

Blanch the grape leaves if necessary, lightly sauté the onion, mix it with the rice and herbs and put about 1 teaspoon of filling in each leaf.

Wrap them, place them tightly in a saucepan and add about 2 cups of hot water.

Simmer for about 40–45 minutes.

Next to it you can have the fava beans from the previous section and a small bowl of tahini diluted with lemon and water.

For the stuffed peppers we recommend tender vine leaves.

Rice, bulgur and quinoa as accompaniments

For a simple side dish for four people, about 250 g of rice, bulgur or quinoa is enough.

For rice, use about twice the amount of water and cook for 15–20 minutes, depending on the type.

For bulgur, about 250 g with about 3 cups of hot water usually takes about 15 minutes and a little rest off the heat.

For quinoa, rinse about 220–250 g and boil it in about twice the amount of water for 15–20 minutes.

Mix any of the three bases with roasted peppers, parsley, lemon or a little cumin.

How to set a simple Lenten table without ten different recipes

Start with a main dish, for example beans with tomato or stuffed peppers with rice.

Add a bowl of fava beans or tahini, a plate of grape leaves and a salad.

If more food is needed, add a simple bulgur or rice as a side dish.

The advantage of this method is that most of it can be prepared in advance.

When it's time to eat, you don't cook five things at once.

Fasting foods for breakfast without bread

Breakfast without bread doesn't have to be limited to one fruit.

Tahini, grains, oats, bulgur or quinoa can be used in simple sweet or savory bases without meat, dairy or eggs.

Tahini with fruit or cereal

For four small breakfasts, divide about 8 tablespoons of tahini into four bowls.

Add 1 small piece of fruit cut into each serving and about half a cup of cereal or oats.

If the tahini is too thick, thin it with a little water until it becomes easier to mix.

You can also add some raisins or chopped nuts.

Bulgur, quinoa or oats in sweet or savory versions

For four servings, boil about 200 g of bulgur or quinoa or use about 2 cups of oats.

For a sweet version, add fruit, raisins, a little tahini and cinnamon.

For a savory version, use roasted peppers, tomatoes, herbs and a little olive oil.

If you use oats, boil them with about 4 cups of water for 5–7 minutes until they thicken.

Fasting for the evening

Dinner is usually the point where preparation helps the most.

If you already have boiled legumes or some food from lunch, you don't need to start a new pot.

A salad with 2½ cups of cooked legumes, 2 roasted peppers, 1 small onion, lemon, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil is enough for about four light servings.

Alternatively, a leftover fava bean can be served with vegetables and some bulgur.

What to make when you only have half an hour

Boil 320 g of pasta and until done, heat 2 cups of tomato sauce with roasted peppers and paprika.

Or cook 250 g of bulgur for about 15 minutes and mix it with ready-cooked beans and vegetables.

If you have leftover hummus from the day before, serve it with roasted peppers, tomato, and a small plate of rice or bulgur.

These are the days where having cooked legumes once for two meals really shows in practice.

Lenten meals for children without a separate pot

You don't need to cook more food just because there are children at the table.

The simplest flavors are usually easy to adapt.

For four servings, 320 g of pasta with about 2 cups of simple tomato sauce is a base on which you can save the most intense spices for the end.

The same goes for 250 g of rice with roasted peppers or lentil burgers baked in the oven.

Keep spices mild and ingredients recognizable

If you're preparing barley, rice, or pasta for the whole family, keep the main pot low.

Add more cumin, curry, or hot paprika to adult portions later.

This way you cook once and don't need a second meal.

Recognizable pieces of pepper, pasta, or rice are also easier to adapt than a dish where they've all been mashed together.

Lenten dishes with legumes and tahini

If you're looking for protein-rich fasting foods, legumes and tahini are among the basic categories of ingredients you can use without having to hunt for special products.

But you don't need to convert every meal into a gram or nutrient calculation.

It is more useful to build a regular dish around a basic material.

How to build a meal around legumes

For four people, start with about 250–300 g of dry legumes.

Lentils do not require soaking and usually cook in 30–40 minutes.

Beans and chickpeas usually need to be soaked for 8–12 hours and then boiled until tender.

Next to it, put about 200–250 g of rice, bulgur or other cereal and one or two vegetables.

It doesn't have to be all in one pot.

You can have lentils, some rice, and roasted peppers on the same plate and have a complete everyday meal without a complicated recipe.

Where does tahini fit in?

Tahini can be made into hummus, a spread, or a sauce.

For a simple sauce for four servings, mix 4 tablespoons of tahini with the juice of half to one lemon and 4–6 tablespoons of water until it becomes liquid.

Add it over grilled vegetables, bulgur, or a legume salad.

At breakfast you can use it with fruit, raisins or cereal.

This way the same jar doesn't stay tied to a single use.

For sauces, hummus and breakfast we recommend whole grain tahini from Lemnos.

Fasting sweets, easy and quick

This section is intentionally kept short, because Lenten sweets deserve a separate guide.

For four small servings, you can mix 6 tablespoons of tahini with 2 tablespoons of cocoa and a little water until it becomes creamy and serve it with fruit.

A second solution is to mix about 1 cup of chopped nuts with half a cup of raisins, 3–4 tablespoons of coconut, and a little tahini to bind the mixture.

Form small bites and leave them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

You can also bake 4 apples cut in half with some raisins, nuts and cinnamon at 180°C for about 25–30 minutes.

The common element is that they do not need eggs or dairy and do not require any special technique.