When you have a quarter bottle of hot sauce staring you down, this is the dinner to finally finish it. Spiced eggs and rice come together in minutes with the sauce as your only seasoning, a straightforward weeknight meal that tastes bigger than its parts.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 730 calories a serving, 21 g protein, 104 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot with a pinch of salt. Stir in 1 cup of rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 18 minutes.18 min
2. While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dice 1 small onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic, then cook both in the oil until softened, about 4 minutes.4 min
3. Pour 1 cup of hot sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Crack 4 eggs directly into the sauce, spacing them apart, and cover the pan. Cook until the egg whites are set but yolks still give when pressed, about 5 minutes.5 min
4. Season the eggs and sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the rice between two bowls and spoon the hot sauce eggs over the top.

Note Swap the eggs for shredded chicken or beans if you prefer. Leftovers keep for two days refrigerated; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with lime wedges and a simple green salad to cool the heat.

A weeknight supper built on the heat and tang of hot sauce, stretched with rice and eggs to feed two. This is how you finish a half-empty bottle and put dinner on the table in thirty minutes.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 1040 calories a serving, 76 g protein, 103 g carbohydrate, 33 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Pour 2 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup of rice, lower to a bare simmer, cover, and set a timer for 18 minutes.18 min
2. While the rice cooks, cut 2 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken, and let it sear for 2 minutes without moving it.
3. Stir the chicken, add 1 medium diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves, and cook for another 3 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside.3 min
4. Pour 1 cup of hot sauce into the skillet, stir to coat, and simmer for 2 minutes while the rice finishes.2 min
5. Push the chicken and sauce to the side of the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the empty space, crack 2 eggs into it, and let them cook for 2 minutes while you transfer the rice to plates.2 min
6. Divide the hot sauce chicken between two plates, spoon the rice alongside, top each plate with a fried egg, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note Swap canned chickpeas for the chicken if you want it vegetarian; they'll need only 5 minutes to warm through. Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with lime wedges and soft bread or tortillas to cool the heat.

Scrambled eggs with hot sauce are breakfast for dinner, and tonight the hot sauce stars. Use just enough to coat the eggs in a skillet you can finish in minutes with what's on hand and at the staples shelf.

Serves 2. 12 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 260 calories a serving, 14 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat. From USDA figures for 75% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Toast 2 slices of bread while you cook. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until foaming.
2. Crack 4 eggs into a bowl, pour the hot sauce over them in a thin coating, and whisk together with a pinch of salt and pepper until the sauce is mixed through.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and stir gently with a spatula, pushing the cooked edges toward the center and letting the wet eggs run to the sides, until no liquid remains, about 2 to 3 minutes.3 min
4. Divide the eggs between two plates and serve with the warm toast.

Note Swap hot sauce for sriracha or any bottled heat you have. Eggs keep in the fridge for a day but are best fresh; toast leftovers plain or crumbled into salads. Serve with a simple green salad or fresh fruit to round out the plate.