 (Photos by Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Nichole Bryant for The Washington Post) | Week 1: Dinner in 20 (Really!)"I struggle to put something healthy-ish on the table at lightning speed every night. I know healthy doesn't have to mean hours in the kitchen, but chopping and prep sometimes take longer than I have time for. Help!" Sound familiar? This is a real email that popped in our inbox a few months ago. And it sings the same tune of home cooks everywhere. Life is packed. Weeknights are hurried. You're trying to eat more vegetables and less meat, but dinner doesn't just make itself, right? We hear you. And we're here to help. With a little planning and know-how, you can get nourishing, plant-filled dinners on the table fast. And they'll actually taste good, too. We're Sonja and Alex, wife and husband cookbook authors and bloggers at A Couple Cooks who've made it our mission to solve this problem. We're unabashedly obsessed with transforming good-for-you ingredients into irresistible dishes that are pretty simple to put together. And we're thrilled to partner with Voraciously to give you the skills and confidence to cook alongside us. Over the next 12 weeks, we'll take you on a journey through our favorite creative and cookable plant-forward meals. Each week has ideas for natural ways to add meat and seafood, so the menus suit a variety of diets and tastes. For Week 1, we're focusing on the need for speed. Ready to get started?  | This week's recipes | Chili Lime Black Bean Tacos
Your best spent 20 minutes of the week: whipping up savory black beans and tart pickled onions into magnificent tacos. Chickpea Salad Toasts With Poached Egg
Salad on toast? That's right, it's fancy toast with chickpeas – a plant-based play on chicken salad. Top it with a poached egg and call it dinner.  | Your shopping list | Click this link for an easy-to-save shopping list that includes ingredients for both recipes.  | Plant-based pantry must-haves | How do we respond to that refrain of "Help! I need fast and easy recipes"? It starts with packing your shelves and refrigerator with a few staples that are low on effort and big on flavor. This week, we've got two dinner recipes that take just 20 minutes to put together. Each recipe demonstrates the power of the plant-based pantry in action. Before you get cooking, here are a few key ingredients we recommend stocking for impromptu plant-based dinners in a flash: Canned beans and chickpeas: These proteins are perfect for whipping up quick weeknight meals (we stock black, white, red and garbanzo beans). They can be used for taco filling, thrown on salads, in soups and mashed up on fancy toast. Eggs: We've been getting mixed messages about eggs for years. They're good! They're bad! They're good again! Let's cut through the confusion: Eggs in moderation are part of a nutritious diet. And while they're not plant-based, they've got loads of protein and a small amount of calories — a great combination to bolster meat-free recipes. They're also inexpensive and make a plethora of quick dishes: frittatas, sandwiches, salads, tacos and scrambles. Or, just put an egg on it! Adding an egg can turn almost any pile of veggies and grains into a meal. Flavor boosters: You need a few tricks up your sleeve to be able to pull together a delicious meal in minutes. Here are our favorite flavor boosters that last weeks or months in the refrigerator or pantry. You'll notice them in upcoming recipes in this series, so stock up now! -
Dijon mustard adds savory body. In this week's menu, it's swirled into a black bean taco filling to punch up the flavor. -
Vinegar, lemons and limes bring an acidic tang to round out flavors. We recommend stocking white wine, apple cider and balsamic vinegars. Add a splash of vinegar to flavor a soup or tomato sauce, or brighten a pasta with a spritz of lemon. -
Capers add a burst of umami and salt. Blend them into sauces and throw a handful into a pasta or main dish salad. -
Spices are a must: Smoked paprika in particular adds a meaty flair. Use it to liven up roasted veggies and stir it into grains for a little added depth and color. -
Garlic and onions feature prominently in plant-based dishes (as they do in so many others) to add complexity. A little sauteed garlic takes any sauce or soup to the next level. Want to taste this in action? Let's go.  | Recipes | Chili Lime Black Bean TacosThis recipe is a lesson in minimalism: You'll be surprised at the amount of flavor achieved from a few humble ingredients in just 20 minutes. Our favorite trick for cooking black beans is with a little can liquid, spices and a hint of Dijon mustard for complexity. What takes them over the top is a crunchy, tart two-onion quick pickle. And if you like a little kick, put that hot sauce to use. Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón) brings a noticeable flair to plant-based dishes and is used in several of our recipes, so it's worth the investment! You can find it in the spice aisle in the grocery store. It is not interchangeable with sweet paprika or Hungarian paprika. Want to add extra protein? Pan-fried shrimp would be perfect here. Note: Refrigerate leftover black bean filling and pickled onion for up to 2 days; reheat the black beans on the stove top. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe on our website. Ingredients2 servings (makes 6 tacos)
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise (white and green parts)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)
Pinch kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added black beans, with the liquid
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton; see headnote)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Six 6-inch corn tortillas
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce heart (from 1 heart of romaine)
Hot sauce, such as Cholula (optional) StepsFirst, let's make the two-onion quick pickles: Combine the scallions and half the red onion slices in a medium bowl. Here's a trick to give you less onion breath (you'll thank us later!): Cover the onions and scallions with hot tap water and squeeze them a few times with your hands. Let them stand for about 2 minutes to extract their raw flavor, then drain. Combine the lime juice, the rinsed red onions and scallions and the pinch of kosher salt in a small jar or liquid measuring cup. Let stand while you make the remainder of the recipe, or at least for 10 minutes. On to the black beans: Heat the oil until shimmering in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining red onion and cook without stirring for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the black beans with their liquid, the chili powder, cumin, Spanish smoked paprika, Dijon mustard and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt; stir to incorporate. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce and your kitchen smells heavenly. We like to add a bit of flavor and lovely char marks while warming our tortillas (not required, but highly recommended). Place a tortilla right on the grate above the flame of a gas burner, then cook on medium heat for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until lightly blackened on the edges. Repeat for all tortillas. If you don't have a gas range, arrange the tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil for about 1 minute per side. To assemble the tacos: Place some chopped romaine at the center of each tortilla, then add a large spoonful of the black bean mixture. Top with the pickled red onion and hot sauce, if using. If desired, you can pour a small splash of the lime juice from the onion pickle onto each taco (but be conservative, or you'll have a watery taco). Nutritional facts (per serving, without pickled onion): Calories: 500; Protein: 17 g; Carbohydrates: 71 g; Fat: 18 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 430 mg; Fiber: 16 g; Sugar: 1 g. Chickpea Salad Toasts With Poached EggMashed chickpeas with a little mayo, celery and scallions make a creamy and satisfying topping for this fancy toast (a tartine in French, if you want to sound even fancier). Here, we add a poached egg to make a quick and filling dinner. Make the chickpea salad in advance or refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Note: Leftover bread can be frozen and used to make homemade croutons in Week 5. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe on our website. Ingredients2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 5 minutes. For the toasts
One 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard|2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón), plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 slices artisan-style bread, toasted For the eggs
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
4 large eggs StepsLet's start with that chickpea salad. (And feel free to sneak tastes along the way.) Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and smash them with a potato masher or fork until most of them are broken down (a potato masher is quickest, if you have one). Add the celery, scallions, capers, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, Spanish smoked paprika and salt, stirring gently to incorporate. It's time to poach. Pour at least 2 inches of water into a large skillet. Stir in the white wine vinegar and heat over medium-high heat until the water is at a low simmer, just before bubbles start to rise off the bottom of the pan. If you're getting bubbles, reduce the heat just enough to slow the bubbles before adding the eggs. Crack one egg into a small bowl and use the bowl to gently slide the egg into the water. Repeat for the remaining eggs. Don't worry if the egg whites spread out a bit as you add them. Cook without stirring for 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm. To serve, spread equal amounts of the chickpea salad on the toasted bread slices, then top with poached eggs. Sprinkle a little smoked paprika on each egg. Eat with a knife and fork, letting that warm yolk flow. Nutritional facts (per serving): Calories: 600; Protein: 32 g; Carbohydrates: 81 g; Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 435 mg; Sodium: 1300 mg; Fiber: 11 g; Sugar: 4 g. Did you make the recipes?We want to see how they turned out! Share your Voraciously Plant Powered newsletter dishes with us on Instagram with #eatvoraciously. Next week: A better way to satisfy your craving for delivery pizza. Have a question? Email us at voraciously@washpost.com. Message @eatvoraciously on Instagram. Sonja and Alex Overhiser are authors of the cookbook "Pretty Simple Cooking" and bloggers at the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Find them at @acouplecooks on Instagram and Twitter. | 
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