I am convinced if you front-load the work on the weekend you can prepare something quickly on weekdays. I mean restaurants do it, even gourmet places. I've watched them cook. They have the sauces made, the meats thawed, the veggies chopped, and it's all organized and labeled in the fridge. They just take the stuff out and cook it and it takes about 20 minutes. I don't know how to do something like this for a small amount of food, but I'm convinced it has to be possible.
The trick seems to be finding yourself a loose weekly meal plan (5 meals you would be happy eating every weekday for a season) and freeze portioned sauces - my mother in law uses zip lock bags as they freeze flat and are quick to thaw in warm water, skipping the need to thaw in the fridge.
So basically you pick your meat for the evening and have that thawed, then you might have a choice of 3 sauces or seasonings that you can quickly thaw and mix in.
My biggest problem with prepared food is not feeling like it at the end of the day, it just makes you miserable and prone to getting take out.
