I’m American, which means I am obsessed with ease and speed.

I’m also vegan-ish, which means I’m obsessed with vegetables.

Here are three recipes I routinely whip up, each one invented on the spot with whatever stuff was lying around, and then committed to memory because it was so damn good. All are in my standard weeknight rotation, and can be made even more quickly if you buy pre-prepped veggies, or buy whole veggies and then pre-prep a bunch all at once for the week like I do.

1. Squash Ribbons with Chick Peas and Olives

Per person you will need;

One large or two small yellow squashes, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler.

1/2 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup olives, pitted any kind you like (I usually go with kalamata)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/3 cup canned chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 garlic clove, minced

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

fresh basil if desired

Heat oil. Sauté garlic 2 minutes. Add squash, tomatoes, salt pepper and oregano. Sauté five minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Add chick peas and olives, heat through. Serve with fresh basil if desired.

2. Mushrooms with Tofu and Thyme

Per person you will need;

3/4 lb any kind of mushrooms, sliced

1 t/l fresh thyme leaves

1/4 block extra firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces

1/3 cup frozen peas

1 t/l soy sauce

2 t/l white wine

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat oil. Saute garlic, two minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, soy sauce, wine and thyme, sauté until mushrooms begin to release juices, five minutes. Add tofu and peas and gently stir until heated through. Serve with a big piece of crusty bread if desired.

3. Quick Chili

Per person you will need;

1 cup canned, chopped tomatoes

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 onion, chopped

1/3 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 zuchini, sliced or cubed

1/2 yellow squash, sliced or cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp olive oil

dash of red pepper flakes

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

fresh cilantro

1/4 fresh avocado, cubed

Heat oil. Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic until soft, 5 minutes. Add spices, sauté one more minute. Add all squash and zucchini, bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes. Add kidney beans, heat through. Top with fresh cilantro and avocado and serve with tortilla chips if desired.

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Editor: Travis May

Photo: Wiki Commons