3 easy organic & vegetarian dinner recipes to cook in 20 minutes or less

Sometimes, cooking can be a challenge especially if you are trying to make children eat their vegetables during Meatless Fridays or when you are a vegetarian and you're suddenly attacked by the laziness syndrome at the end of the week.

Of course, getting Chinese take-out or food delivered to your doorstep can be the easiest way out but, are you really that willing to let laziness defeat your weight management goals?

Seriously though, there are many ways to make easy vegetarian-friendly dinners and you don't need hours to prepare it. This list can give you the best recipes that will only need 20 minutes (or less!) to prepare, cook and serve.

Pad Thai Soup

Babble shares this soul-warming recipe that can boost the essential nutrients in your body while stopping and preventing caffeine intake.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz extra firm tofu, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 oz rice or pad thai noodles
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sriracha
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
1/4 cup green onions
1 tsp crushed red peppers

Procedure:
1. In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic and stir. Add the tofu then cook until lightly fried for about 3 minutes.
2. Add the broth, then add the noodles, soy sauce, sriracha, and peanuts. Cook until noodles have softened for about 5 minutes.
3. Serve topped with peanuts, green onions and red chili flakes.

Weeknight Tikki Marsala

Amuse Your Bouche recommends getting Quorn Chicken fillets, a product using mycoprotein, as an alternative to meat. It has all the essential amino acids found in beef or chicken, plus it is low in saturated fat.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, sliced or diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
200g Quorn chicken fillet
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
400g carton of chopped tomatoes
100ml single cream
Salt & pepper

Procedure:
1. Heat the oil in a wok then add the onion, garlic and Quorn pieces. Cook over a medium heat stirring constantly for around 5 minutes, until the onions are soft.
2. Add the spices and cook for a about one to two minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes then bring to a simmer. Cook for about five to ten more minutes, until Quorn is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
4. Remove from heat. Add cream and seasonings then mix well.
5. Serve with boiled rice and plenty of fresh coriander.

Vegan Mac & Cheese

Babble shares another innovative recipe using nutritional deactivated yeast that can be bough in organic stores like Whole Foods. This is a good source of vitamin B12, which is lacking in most vegans because it is mostly found in meat. Apparently, this ingredient tastes like cheddar.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Earth Balance
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (ground sesame seed butter)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp Braggs aminos (all-purpose seasoning sauce)
1 1/3 cup unflavored Soy Milk
2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (ultra-ground whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 cup sliced carrots
1/2 orange bell pepper
fresh ground pepper
1 package macaroni, cooked according to package directions then drained

Procedure:
1. While your macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Toss the garlic into the hot butter, cook for about a minute then whisk in the tamari, dijon mustard, and Braggs.
2. In a small bowl, whisk soy milk and flour together, then slowly put milk in the saucepan, constantly whisking until mixture thickens. Add in the nutritional yeast flakes.
3. Pour this mixture into a food processor. Add the carrots and bell pepper. Puree then top on cooked macaroni noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste.