13 easy recipes to cook at home instead of buying
August 3, 2023
“What’s for lunch this week?” It’s a classic question we’re all very familiar with! Regarding dinners, we’re primarily looking for simple recipe ideas and quick meals for weeknights. To make life even simpler, we could, of course, opt for ready-to-eat grocery products, which are even trendier than ever (in French). You’d think you’d save time and headaches in the kitchen! But there’s nothing like home cooking to fill your belly! Here’s an overview of ready-to-eat foods, the benefits of home cooking and 13 quick and easy recipes to cook at home!
Ready-to-eat is not always a healthy choice
Nothing is more straightforward than a prepared meal bought at the grocery store:
- Put it in the freezer or refrigerator when you get home.
- We take it out when it’s time to eat.
- Heat for a few minutes in the microwave or oven.
And, as if by magic, we have a “complete meal” in front of us. But is it so?
As the cousin of fast-food chains, ready-to-eat food fulfils the same role: allowing you to eat on the go and have a meal ready quickly. You might think the ready-to-eat option is better than fast food, but that’s not entirely true. Grocery store’s prepared meals and frozen dinners are too often filled with additives, added sugars, salt and trans fats. Not so with homemade recipes.
The advantages of home cooking
Homemade recipes offer many benefits compared to their ready-made grocery store equivalents. They are:
- Healthier
- More nutritious
- Less calories
- Cheaper (do the test: buy the same quantity of spag sauce as the recipe you’re preparing... store-bought sauce will make your grocery bill skyrocket!)
Simple, home-cooked recipes let you control the ingredients on your plate and your stomach. No unpleasant surprises! What’s more, you’ll enjoy cooking your meals. And it’s so much more satisfying and tastier when you’re the chef! To help you resist the temptation of ready-to-eat meals, we’ve compiled a list of 13 quick and easy home-cooking recipes.
Quick and easy recipes: homemade salads
Are you entertaining friends or family and would like to serve a salad with your meal? Rather than turning to salads in the ready-to-eat section of the grocery store, here are 5 healthy homemade salad recipes ready in under 30 minutes!
Pasta salad with leeks, spinach, strawberries, sliced almonds and feta cheese
A simple, quick and superb salad recipe with Quebec strawberries that add a gorgeous punch of colour alongside baby spinach, leeks and feta cheese! This salad is the perfect replacement for any commercial pasta salad in the grocery store!
Greek salad with tofu (in French)
The traditional Greek salad is often found at the prepared-food counter of grocery stores. But the version these grocery stores offer is often too salty and costs much more than the homemade option. This recipe takes just 25 minutes to prepare. And with the addition of tofu and legumes, you get a protein-packed meal that’s great for your health!
Mediterranean chicken salad
Five words aptly describe this homemade salad recipe: speed, freshness, colour, flavour and protein. It’s ready in 15 minutes or less; the feta cheese, red onion or leeks with cherry tomatoes add freshness, colour and great flavour, while the chicken and white beans provide the protein you need!
Healthy vegetable and quinoa salad (in French)
Quinoa, spinach, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and homemade citrus vinaigrette are all good things for your health and palate! A small container of this kind of salad can cost around $6 at the grocery store. With this homemade version, you can make several servings and keep some for lunches or to accompany your other meals during the week. What more could you ask for?
Family dinner ideas: the best main meals
We invite you into a world of homemade recipe possibilities for evening meal ideas! Whichever one you choose from our selection of easy recipes, you’ll be sure to find something for the whole family!
Mushroom and leek risotto
It’s true; there’s nothing easier than buying cane rice, putting it in a pot and cooking it for 5 minutes. But most packaged rice (at least seasoned) isn’t very healthy. You’ve probably already heard your mother say in a trenchant tone: “The yellower it is, the more chemical it is.” Well, she’s not wrong. Canned rice is often much (much!) too salty.
So we’ve come up with a risotto recipe that, while a change from traditional rice, is excellent for your health! And if you’ve got any risotto left over after your family dinner, you can reuse it to make our recipe for sausage and leek arancini 😊.
Slow-cooked braised beef with beer and leeks
Granted, just because home cooking is healthier doesn’t mean we have the time to indulge. That’s where the famous slow cooker comes in! You pour the ingredients for your recipe into the slow cooker in the morning and enjoy it that evening.
This recipe for beer-braised beef is easy to make at home and is delicious, comforting and healthy. Pair it with arugula pappardelle, and your taste buds will be delighted!
Ham, brie and leek pizza
In the frozen food aisle at the grocery store, it’s hard to resist the pizza boxes because there’s so much choice! But these pizzas can sometimes be disappointing. They often don’t look like the photoshopped image on the box (which proves that not only celebrities are entitled to touch-ups), and they’re not as healthy as homemade pizzas. They’re too fatty, too salty, too “everything”... In short, there’s nothing better than making your pizza!
We’re offering a recipe that’s quick, easy to make, and ready in just 23 minutes! Admit it, that’s not much longer than baking a store-bought pizza 😉.
Chicken pie
What’s most noticeable about ready-to-eat meals is that salt is always in large quantities. This is also the case with chicken pies. Once again, there’s nothing like home cooking to control and to know what you’re eating! In this recipe for homemade chicken pot pie, you only need 20 minutes of preparation time to concoct this simple supper. And during the hour it takes to cook, you can chat, have a drink with family and friends, or even prepare one of our simple homemade salad recipes!
Easy healthy recipes: snacks and desserts
The scene is a classic: caught by a sudden craving, we open the pantry to turn to the bag of BBQ chips glaring at us from the top shelf. Eating them occasionally is okay, even if they’re unhealthy, and deprivation isn’t the best solution. But we guarantee that the following 2 recipes for snacks and desserts are very simple, quick to make, and downright delicious!
Energy balls with almonds and flaxseed (in French)
Flaxseed, almonds, blueberries and creamy almond butter: these 4 ingredients will give you a fabulous energy boost! Enjoy these balls in the afternoon to cut hunger and give you the energy you need to finish the day, or when doing outdoor activities to let you push yourself 💪. With just 5 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of freezing, we can say that this is a quick and easy homemade snack recipe to make!
Quick and energizing fruit and matcha smoothie (in French)
Smoothies are all the rage. So is matcha. There’s no denying it: this snack is bound to be a hit! The best part is that it takes just 5 minutes to prepare 😮. 5 minutes isn’t long for a healthy, nutritious and delicious snack!
Mini-pops with frozen yogurt, lemon and blueberries
Kids (and even older ones 😉 ) love to enjoy a good popsicle when the weather's hot. These popsicles often contain just water, colouring and lots of sugar. For a healthier version, we now offer a fabulous, simple summer recipe with beautiful Quebec blueberries 🫐: frozen yogurt, lemon and blueberry mini pops! It's a refreshing delight that’s quick and easy to prepare. Count on about 20 minutes of preparation and 2 hours of freezing before enjoying this frozen treat. Well worth the wait!
Raspberry sorbet with lychee liqueur
Simple but effective, this easy homemade recipe is ready in just 5 minutes! And don’t say it too loudly, but it steals the show from the slush sold at the corner convenience store 🤫. This quick and easy recipe is even better with raspberries from Les Cultures de chez nous 😉. U-pick in the fields or buy raspberries (and more!) at the fruit and vegetable stand in Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover; it’s easy to stock up on raspberries or other berries to make this minute sorbet. Try it with strawberries or blueberries. Thirst-quenching and light, this dessert is more than welcome after a hearty meal!
Crème brûlée with berries (in French)
If, on the other hand, you want to end the meal with a more decadent dessert, opt for this berry crème brûlée. Just as good as the traditional version, the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries add a touch of whimsy your guests will love! It’s an easy-to-make dessert and a great summer recipe with our fabulous Quebec berries!
Home cooking: tons of easy recipe ideas to discover
With this array of easy-to-make-at-home recipes, you should now have a head full of healthy, easy-to-prepare recipe ideas 😊. No more throwing your lot in with the ready-to-eat at the grocery store 😉. Are you looking for more quick meal ideas, simple supper ideas or recipe ideas? We’ve got plenty of recipes for every taste on our website! And who knows, maybe you’ll even rediscover the pleasure of cooking. If so, take a look at our blog posts for even more culinary inspiration:
- 5 entries to share with friends or family
- 5 easy slow-cooker recipes
- 5 quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes
- 12 quick and easy lunch recipes for the week
- 5 weekday lunches you never thought of
- 5 recipes to make with what’s lying around in the pantry
- 5 weekday dinners ready in 25 minutes or less (in French)
Pleasure and good food on the menu are guaranteed!
