Law school can zap away your time in a way unlike most other things. Below, I’ve included 5 of my favorite simple recipes that I can throw together with just a little bit of preparation and that make for a great dinner or a delicious leftover lunch — and [in my unexpert opinion] are nutritionally sound enough to fuel you for the long class days and intense readings.

Read on…

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1. Chicken Fajitas (Reilly’s Version)

Shoutout to Taylor MacDonald for adding this to my repertoire, it really is as simple as it gets.

• 1-1.5 lbs chicken, I like the tenders for this
• 2-3 bell peppers (any colors but use one green one, I promise)
• 1 white onion
• 1 ounce of taco seasoning
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

1. Prep your ingredients by thinly slicing the onion and peppers, longways. Thinly slice the chicken on a separate cutting board.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan on medium high heat until shimmering, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the peppers, onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onion is transluscent, 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove the onion and peppers from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and taco seasoning to a pan. Let it cook on Medium High heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes
6. Add the sliced chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the chicken around in the spices, and avoid crowding to ensure browning. Cook the chicken until fully cooked at 165 Degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Mix the onion and peppers back into the pot. If necessary, keep the heat on low until reheated.

The rest is optional, choose your own adventure:

• Cooked rice
• Shredded cheese
• Tortillas
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips
• Guacamole

Easy Guacamole Recipe

• 3 avocados
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup Diced Red Onion (optional, but it’s worth it)

1. Mash the avocados.
2. Chop about 1/4 cup of cilantro (to taste).
3. Add the red onion, if using.
4. Add the lime juice.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix it all together.

Throw your chicken fajitas and sides together and enjoy!

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2. New York Times Cooking’s Chicken Shawarma

This is my crown jewel of cooking for others. As a disclaimer, the marinade takes a little bit of elbow grease and planning because of the garlic and marinating time, but once that’s done the rest is a piece of cake. It’s 100% worth getting all the spices, I promise this will become a staple.

The Chicken:

• 2 lemons, juiced
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• A pinch ground cinnamon
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional, but it is nice)

1. Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and crushed red pepper in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. I usually throw it all in a gallon bag. Reilly Tip: I also add a few shakes of Whole Foods’s Muchi Curry to the spice mix.
2. When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
3. Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.)
4. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.

The Sides: Salad – Make it while the chicken is in the oven or prepare it in advance.

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, about a pint
• 1 cup quartered Persian/Mini cucumbers (slice in half, slice in thirds long-ways on each half)
• 1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta (to taste)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Garlic Expressions Dressing (to taste) — alternatively you can use Extra Virgin Olive Oil and use an optional splash of Vinegar(note: it will pickle the vegetables if left in vinegar)

1. Chop the vegetables and put them in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add feta.
4. Add dressing (or olive oil + optional splash of vinegar).
5. Mix it up and enjoy!

The Sides: Grain

I like to serve everything together over rice with spicy labneh, or you can also serve with Naan or Pita. Tzatziki, Spicy Labneh, or Hummus are all great with this too!

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3. Sausage and Gnocchi

Photo credit to Blue Apron and their similar recipe

• 1 lb Italian sausage links (mild or spicy, pre-cooked)
• 1 lb gnocchi (GF, frozen, fresh– up to you) cooked according to package instructions
• 1 white or sweet onion, diced or sliced long-ways, like fajitas
• 1-2 bell peppers , diced or slide long-ways, like fajitas (choose your favorite color(s), 2 if they’re small)
• 8 ounces spinach
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• Calabrian peppers (optional, to taste, approximately 1 tablespoon)
• Parmesan (optional, to taste)

Instructions:

1. Slice the Italian sausage into disks, about 2cm thick.
2. Add the tablespoon of oil to a large skillet.
3. Cook the bell peppers and onions on medium heat until the onions become slightly transluscent, about 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the sliced sausage, cook/heat according to package instructions. Turn heat to low.
5. Add the cooked gnocchi and calabrian peppers, if using.
6. Add the full package of spinach (salt and pepper to taste).
7. Top with parmesan, if using.

Tips: I enjoy keeping the peppers and onions on the crisper side, so the sequence of events may end up being very quick. You can also forgo the parmesan and use cheesy gnocchi, Whole Foods’s Quattro Fromaggi is delicious.

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4. New York Times Cooking’s Turmeric Black Pepper Chicken with Asparagus

• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon coconut or canola oil
• 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or soy sauce (I’ve only used soy [tamari] and it’s great).
• 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together ¼ cup water with the honey, pepper and ½ teaspoon salt; set honey mixture aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss until coated.
3. In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until the turmeric is fragrant and the chicken is golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the asparagus, season with salt, stir to combine and cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes
4. Add the honey mixture and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lime squeezed over top, if you like.
6. I like to serve it over white rice.

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5. The Best Lunch Taco Salad

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon/cube chicken boullion (can substitute with vegetable stock or jalapeno juice)
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can of black beans
• 1 10-ounce can of Rotel Original (or alternative diced tomatoes and green chiles)
• 1 ounce packet of taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1/3 cup pickled jalapenos (optional)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 bunch of lettuce, shredded. I like green leaf because it’s cheap and more flavorful
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• Shredded cheese (optional, to taste)
• Salsa (optional, to taste)

1. Add oil, taco seasoning, diced onion, and chopped garlic to the pan and heat on medium heat until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add Rotel to the pan.
3. Drain black beans and rinse with cold water, add to pan.
4. Rinse the black beans can, then refill with water, add water to the pan.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of chicken boullion along with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add pickled jalapenos, if using.
7. Add rice and stir.
8. Put the lid on and cook on low-medium heat for about 15 minutes.
9. Add the frozen corn.
10. Cook until rice is fully cooked, about 5 more minutes.
11. Add rice and beans to the shredded lettuce and cherry tomatoes.
12. Top with shredded cheese and salsa, if using.

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Reilly Doak is a third-year student at BC Law. Contact her at doaka@bc.edu.