I am not a bad cook, though I don't think I will ever qualify as a chef. I am definitely a lazy cook, however. There are days when the idea of making a well-prepared meal is very appealing, but those days are few and far between. I like meals that are simple, healthy, and don't require too much of me. I'm happy to do all sorts of chopping and slicing on the weekends, but when I get home from work, I just want to cook something and be done.
And then there are days when I don't even want to cook. I refuse to let myself "just pick something up" on the way home from work. I pass way too many restaurants that have carry-out, and that's not a trend I want to start, and even though I walk right past the doors of the grocery store, I know that I shouldn't shop while hungry and I really don't want to be in the grocery store at that time of night anyway. I do my best to have quick meals ready, either in the form of leftovers in the fridge or hearty soups in the cupboard.
But when all else fails, I have my quick and easy meal, which my friend calls "Lazy Dinner." It's basically just beans and rice and whatever else you throw into it. Vegetables, cheese, meat, anything you happen to have in the fridge that sounds good. Sprinkle on some spices and there you have it. A meal. I've found this is a great way to use up leftovers, and the basics of the meal are easy to keep in the pantry or cupboard - rice and canned beans. I almost always also throw in a can of crushed tomatoes (drained) and sprinkle on some cheese, but all other ingredients vary. Load it up and heat either in the oven or in the microwave.
Depending on your quantities and chosen ingredients, this can either be a fairly healthy meal or a fairly unhealthy meal. But either way, it's an easy hot meal when you don't feel like cooking and really don't want to eat cereal for dinner for the third day in a row.