This is a quick rice bowl that stretches a few spoonfuls of curry sauce into a full dinner. The sauce coats leftover rice and brings together eggs and greens in one pan, the kind of supper you make when the cupboard is nearly bare.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 500 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 81 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Dice 1 small onion and cook it, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes; you are building a base for the sauce.5 min
2. Stir in 3 tablespoons curry sauce and 1 cup cooked rice, breaking up clumps with the back of your spoon. Once the rice is warm and coated, about 2 minutes, push it to the sides of the pan and crack 2 eggs into the center, letting them sit until the whites begin to set.3 min
3. Stir the eggs as they cook, folding them into the rice. When the eggs are barely set, add 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, stirring it in as it wilts, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and eat straight away.2 min

Note Swap the spinach for any leafy green or left-over cooked vegetables. Keeps covered in the cold box for one day. Serve with a squeeze of lime if you have it, or eat as is for a light dinner that needs nothing alongside.

Half a container of curry sauce becomes tonight's dinner when you stir it with chicken and serve it over rice. This is the fastest way to transform shelf stock into a meal for two without thinking.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 690 calories a serving, 58 g protein, 79 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Start 1 cup rice in 2 cups water on high heat; bring to a boil, then lower heat to low, cover, and set a timer for 15 minutes.15 min
2. While the rice cooks, cut 1 pound chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and slice 1 medium onion. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pan over high heat until a piece of onion sizzles immediately.
3. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until it begins to soften and the edges turn golden. You will smell the onion cooking.3 min
4. Add the chicken and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the outside is opaque and the chicken no longer sticks to the pan.4 min
5. Pour in the half container of curry sauce and stir well to coat the chicken. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes, then taste and add salt if needed.2 min

Note Swap the chicken for thawed shrimp or diced tofu if you have them. Leftovers keep three days refrigerated; reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water. Serve over the rice with a spoon of yogurt or a squeeze of lime on the side if you have either.

One more bowl of curry sauce becomes tonight's supper over rice with a fried egg on top. This is what pantry cooking looks like on a weeknight: tender, warm, and done in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 600 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 78 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in 1 cup of rice with a pinch of salt. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.15 min
2. While the rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and pour in the bowl of curry sauce. Stir often, letting it warm through without boiling, until it reaches the table in about 8 minutes.8 min
3. In the last few minutes of rice cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 2 eggs into the pan and cook until the whites are set but the yolks still jiggle, about 3 to 4 minutes.4 min
4. Divide the rice between two bowls and spoon the curry sauce over each. Top each bowl with a fried egg and serve at once.

Note Swap the eggs for a dollop of sour cream or yogurt if you prefer. Leftover curry keeps in the refrigerator for three days; reheat gently in a saucepan. Serve with a side of sliced onion or cucumber, or a simple green salad to cool the spice.