I’m going to let you in on a little secret.
I’m totally lazy.
No, really- I am. I guess it may not seem like it here. You read about my paddleboarding adventures, mountain hikes with Cholula, big parties with monster menus. You see my photos from elaborate meals or trips in Betty. But why do you think I write about that stuff? Because it’s the good stuff! But it’s not the norm. LAZY is my default setting.
I am not really sure where it comes from. I come from a hardworking family. I grew up in a house with chores and responsibility. I had two jobs in high school. If my car needed washing, I didn’t drive through the carwash. I got the bucket out and scrubbed away in the driveway. And I do have my moments of massive productivity. I make lists and get stuff done when I need to. But unless it’s really vital, I’d much rather sit around with a stack of magazines or watch the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw…again. (Seriously, how many times can I watch that show?)
The worst is when it comes to exercise. This is where my laziness shines the brightest. My skinny genes are a blessing in many ways (psst- s’mores ice cream), but I’m woefully out of shape. I always feel incredible after a hike or a pilates class or the Honeymoon Hundred. But the motivation to get started is pretty easily trumped by a glass of wine, a cooking show, a catalog for things I’d never wear… just about anything seems to come first.
These are things I’d like to change.
But sometimes, you need a no-effort meal. You know those days where you really don’t want to cook, but don’t feel like going out (you’d have to shower!) and a frozen pizza sounds gross? The LAZY days?
I’ve got you covered. Lazy Bliss Baked Shells.
Last night, John was planning on making one of his specialties: grilled salmon with a delicious cucumber-dill tzatziki sauce. But he wasn’t pleased with the salmon (he prefers his on the rare side). So I threw together an off-the-cuff pasta dish that took very little effort… and tasted great!
I needed very few ingredients: pasta, tomatoes, garlic, basil, spinach, ricotta cheese. I happened to have basil-garlic shells from the farmers market in the pantry, and an awesome garlic-and-herb olive oil from a shop in Bozeman. Oh, I also cubed some fresh mozzarella, taste-testing a few pieces. While the pasta boiled, I chopped away. The hardest part was stopping to sip wine.
How long does pasta take to cook…10 minutes? Ya, that’s all the time I needed to prep the rest of the ingredients. I drained the pasta and then sauteed the garlic in some of the infused oil, right back in the pasta pot. (Another pan would have meant more dishes later… and I’m lazy, remember?) The pasta went back into the pot, too, along with the chopped tomatoes, basil, spinach, a scoop or two of ricotta cheese, some pre-shredded mozzarella, and the mozzarella cubes. Some crushed red pepper, some garlic salt, a few shakes of dried oregano and a quick stir: so easy.
The mixture went into a glass pan, and I sprinkled the top with fresh parmesan cheese. I also added some Italian breadcrumbs, just because I had some. Into the oven at 350 degrees, and then I had 25 minutes or so to sit around and drink more wine. Hooray!
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, since I totally winged it on this one. But the ingredients were fresh and yummy, and it sure smelled good. My kitchen assistant had high hopes of a rogue noodle taste. (Some cheese may or may not have hit the floor.)
Um, YUM! The breadcrumbs were a good idea, because it gave a little crunch to an otherwise creamy dish. I think next time, I’ll add other veggies like zucchini and mushroom for more variation. Any small pasta would work, too. Lazy Bliss Baked Shells were a total success, and took hardly any effort. John had seconds.
After dinner, I stacked the dishes in the sink for later. Or maybe tomorrow. Because even though I made dinner, I was still feeling lazy. It’s so much more fun to curl up with wine and watch reruns of Portlandia.
The dishes could wait.
What’s your favorite “lazy day” meal?
the usual bliss 
My favorite lazy day meal would be if you could bring over your pasta, and your wine, some bread and your dog and we could pretend to watch TV while we ate, drank, and laughed.
I’m ready!
You are brilliant!!
well I gotta say that reading those first lines were like deja vu, it’s like you read my mind hahaha. I did a lazy meal yesterday [one of many], a soup of sorts for mr.sue ’cause he had a bad stomach ache. It was basically shredded chicken with chicken broth, garlic, chopped tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, limes and advocado [it seems weird] you pretty much simmer all the “wet” ingredients for 20 min and ladle the mix over chopped advocado and the chicken. I added a little mozzarella just to add somethin’ to it. needless to say the mr. loved it. 🙂
That sounds delish! My Mr. is actually sick today…Hmmm!
well there you go, a nice lazy soup for dinner
Thanks for sharing this lazy recipe – I love cooking instructions that include breaks for drinking wine! And such a cute photo of your dog – what a beauty! 🙂
All of my recipes, easy or involved, involve wine breaks! Ha!
Cholula’s ears only stand up like that when she begs. So cute.
That looks delish! My laziest of lazy meals (if you can even call it that) is an egg cooked in the microwave, wrapped in a tortilla with cheese and salsa on top! That so white trash of me, i know 🙂 Btw, love me some Sex and the City reruns!!!
I just did a cheater’s quesadilla the other morning, with pre-shredded cheese microwaved on a tortilla with Cholula. EEK.
It seems like the show is ALWAYS on!
Because it’s awesome!!
That looks fabulous, absolutely! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this dish, Amber. It looks DELISH. I’m going to pin it to my recipes board on Pinterest 🙂
Pinterest! I’ve made quite a few recipes from Pinterest actually and I’ve loved them! It was really an easy pasta dish… veggies would make it even better, I think.
Your pup is like where is my dinner – ha!
She really was. Every night, she hopes she gets a plate of whatever Mama eats. She gets nibbles… and we’ll leave it at that…:)
I am also lazy. I didn’t just decide on that username because it rhymes! This is a useful post for lazy days.
I made a “lazy day” recipe last night. Saute and onion and a few cloves of garlic for 5 min in a dutch oven. Deglaze with about 1/3 cup of vodka. Add a 32oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cover and toss in a 350 degree oven for 1hr to reduce. This is when you enjoy that glass of wine. Puree reduced tomatoes with an immersion blender (one of my favorite kitchen tools). Add 1 cup of heavy cream and toss with your favorite pasta and lots of grated parmesan. I usually add baby peas, but just about any veggie works with this pasta.
Oooo- that is a keeper! Yum!!
My lazy day meal? Salad. Whatever’s in the fridge, tossed into a bowl, topped with Feta and balsamic vinegar, eaten with my fingers on the back porch swing. I wash the bowl and put it back in the cupboard afterward. Now THAT’S lazy. 🙂
Love the ‘clean out the fridge’ meals/salads!