28. Mole with red quinoa

I usually like a variety of colors, but I found myself making mole sauce with pork, with red quinoa on the side. It worked fine. I had a salad too, for some greenery.

27. Balanced Meal

The balanced meal will have

1 protein source / main course.
1 starchy thing
1 vegetable
1 other flavor element, sauce, or side dish

Those elements will be present, but they will also balance each other in flavors, colors, textures.

So to multi-task for quick result:

corn tortillas can be warmed instantly in just a little bit of oil in a pan
smaller potatoes can bake with no effort, more quickly than large Idaho ones
thin sliced vegetables will cook very fast / salad can be eaten raw /spinach cooks very quickly in sauté pan
carrots can be roasted, do not need elaborate peeling for that
an egg is fast as protein, or leftover meats can be used, fish and shrimp cook fast
an onion can be a flavor element; it can bake in oven too, or be sautéed rapidly
olives or cheese can be extra flavor element or course, before or after dinner

I can make these 4-part meals in 15-30 minutes, usually. Less for a breakfast.

An example, yesterday: breakfast was leftover pork loin chopped and sautéed with onions and red peppers, cayenne and cumin, served with corn tortillas, one fried egg, salsa from the fridge. If had had some fruit it would have been perfect.

26. Minimal Salad

A minimal salad will have:

greens
dressing
one other vegetable, like artichoke hearts
one other savory item, like olives or cheese

Minimal dressing will have

oil
one acidic element, citrus or vinegar
one other flavor, mustard or herb

Of course, a truly minimal salad could be greens, olive oil, and vinegar! Nothing more.