Super-quick main meals
Wasabi beef and pak choi
Two complementary ingredients that serve up a mouthwatering dish, this recipe is very simple to make and takes just 20 minutes to cook from scratch. See recipe...Recipe from Mix & Match Menus, DK, £14.99, available from dk.com.
Chicken fajitas with tomato and avocado salsa
Skip the Mexican takeaway and whip up this fresh dish in no time. Just polish up your knife skills to top classic chicken fajitas with a flavourful salsa made of avocados and tomatoes.
Meat Sauce Maximus
Deep savory flavours make this rib-sticking sauce a satisfying meal when paired with a hearty pasta. If you want to give it a kick, crumble in hot sausage when sautéing the beef.
Seared tuna with cucumber and fennel
Really simple to make in under 25 mins, utterly delicious and healthy. This tuna is served very rare, so it is essential that it is bought as fresh as possible. See recipe...Recipe from Fish Cookbook, CJ Jackson, DK, £20, available from dk.com.
Parmesan and sage crusted pork chops
High-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh sage add robust flavors to lean pork chops. Serve with sauteed Swiss chard and creamy polenta.
My drunken noodles
There are various stories about the origin of this popular Thai dish’s name. Some think that eating these noodles can ameliorate a hangover, others that the spiciness of the dish causes one to drink too much.
Pasta with crab and lemon
A light, fragrant, and elegant dish for a summer’s evening that takes just 15 to create from scratch.Go to recipe for Pasta with crab and lemon
Recipe from Fish Cookbook, CJ Jackson, DK, £20, available from dk.com.
BLT linguine
Spring onions stand in for the usual BLT greens in this pasta dish. If you’re looking to trim fat, substitute low- or no‑fat plain Greek-style yogurt for the cream cheese and about six pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto for the bacon.
Get the recipe for blt linguine
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Spicy black bean, sausage and rice burrito
One part burrito, one part jambalaya, all good. If you want to crank the heat, splash some hot sauce onto the rice and beans, or sprinkle diced jalapeno peppers inside before rolling up the tortilla. This filling also would be good as a hearty rice dish served alongside spicy grilled chicken.
Get recipe for spicy black bean, sausage and rice burrito
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Teriyaki fish with noodles
Impress your friends with this deceptively easy meal that takes 25 minutes to cook from scratch. The aromatic flavours of teriyaki sauce are a popular and delicious combination with sweet, thick fish fillets. See recipe...
Recipe from Fish Cookbook, CJ Jackson, DK, £20, available from dk.com.
Baked eggs with tomatoes and peppers
Affordable and healthy, this dish consists of red onion, colourful bell peppers, chile peppers, tomatoes and spinach that create a bed for a soft baked egg.
Get the recipe for baked egg with tomatoes and peppers
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Skillet gnocchi with chard & white beans
In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.
Get recipe for skillet gnocchi with chard and white beans
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Pizza bianca with Parma ham, rocket, and mozzarella
For a more traditional pizza, add some diced tomato along with the rocket. Cook's notes: You might want to cut the Parma ham into pieces with a pair of scissors so that the pizza is easier to eat. See recipe...Recipe from Mix & Match Menus, DK, £14.99, available from dk.com.
30 minute chilli
This crowd-pleasing dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a lazy Sunday afternoon. Adjust the amount of the spicy adobo chiles according to your heat preference.
Veggie pad thai
Bring Thai flavours to your table with this quick and easy version of the classic. The tofu can be replaced with any protein of your choice.
Pasta carbonara with pancetta and cream
An Italian classic with a mouthwatering combination of ingredients. Variation: You could add some cooked peas to the final dish. For a vegetarian version, leave out the pancetta. See recipe...Burritos Fresca
These burritos come together in a flash, but to minimise your prep time even further, set up a bar with each of the fixings in a separate bowl and let your family members build their own burritos.
Get the burritos fresca recipe
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Asparagus & feta frittata
This is one of those all-round dishes that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or picnics.Ho Chi Minh Chicken and Shrimp
Can’t decide between chicken or prawns for dinner? Have them both with this super-fast, Asian-spiced meal.
Cod with tomato cream sauce
This silky tomato sauce with a touch of cream makes mild-flavoured cod sing. Serve with: Farro or rice and a salad of mixed greens.
Get the recipe for cod with tomato cream sauce
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Garlicky Turkey Burgers
Your kids will flip for these flavour-packed burgers. Make them even healthier by serving them on whole-wheat buns.
Fettuccine Alfredo
This pasta dish is made with just five basic ingredients so it’s important to use the best-quality products you can find.
Get the recipe for fettuccine alfredo
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Minestrone with endive & chorizo
Considering that this minestrone soup incorporates mostly frozen vegetables, it is remarkably savory and aromatic. Look for frozen soup or stew vegetables with potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in the mix to give the soup the best flavour. Although pepperoni isn’t traditionally part of minestrone soup, you’ll find it’s a great shortcut to add spicy, complex flavour.
Get the recipe for minestrone with endive and chorizo soup
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Inside out lasagne
Here is a twist on the classic dish, not only is it delicious but it takes half the time to prepare and cook.
Turkey cutlets with artichoke sauce
A twist on a traditional dish that’s usually prepared with veal, this recipe features turkey cutlets topped with a tomato and artichoke sauce.
Mussels with spicy tomato sauce
The distinctly Spanish flavour of smoked paprika is a welcome addition to this classic dish of mussels in tomato sauce.
Get the recipe for mussels with spicy tomato sauce
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Black bean & salmon tostadas
Pickled jalapenos, cilantro and avocado perk up convenient canned salmon for a quick tostada topping. Skip store-bought and make your own crispy shells in the oven.
Black bean and salmon tostadas recipe
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Chicken & spinach soup with fresh pesto
This fragrant, Italian-flavoured soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavour. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a shop bought basil pesto.
Get the recipe for chicken and spinach soup with fresh pesto.
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Salmon chowder
The flavour of this salmon chowder is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: each herb lends its own distinctively different and appealing character to the soup. Even if you dont keep instant mashed potatoes in your pantry, its worth picking some up for this soup. They give the soup a thick, chowder texture without any heavy cream or butter.
Tofu & broccoli stir-fry
Broccoli is delicious in this tofu stir-fry, but any mixture of vegetables you have on hand will work. One way to get great tofu texture without deep-frying is to toss the tofu in cornstarch before stir-frying. Let it cook for several minutes without stirring to help it develop a little crust.
Get recipe for tofu and broccoli stirfry
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Lightly spiced beetroot & coconut soup
Dramatic in colour and flavour, this soup makes a lovely lunch and is also an excellent canapé served in espresso cups. Friends who proclaim to hate beetroot have tried this and loved it. I like to serve it with hummus toasts for a contrast of flavours and textures.Recipe from The Pure Package: The Diet for Food Lovers by Jennifer Irvine, £11.40 from AmazonChicken with cider and bacon sauce
A little bacon goes a long way in jazzing up a basic chicken breast. Enjoy with a side of broccoli and a combination of white and wild rice.
Herb-baked swordfish
Rosemary perfectly complements the hearty, meaty flavour of swordfish. This is also a one-pot meal: Thinly sliced fennel and tomatoes cook along with the fish and make a great side.
Get recipe for herb baked swordfish
Tijuana torta
A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the 'wrapper' is a hollowed-out roll instead of a tortilla. Here it’s filled with mashed spiced black beans and a quick guacamole. Take this vegetarian version to another level (and add calcium) by melting Monterey Jack cheese onto the bean side of the sandwich.
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Kung pao tofu
Tofu and lots of fresh vegetables are stir-fried in just a bit of oil in this traditional Chinese dish. In the Sichuan province of China where this dish originates, the tofu wouldn’t be deep-fried like it is so often in America. Similarly, in this version of a takeout favourite ingredients are stir-fried in only a little bit of oil.
Egyptian edamame stew
A riff on the Egyptian classic ful medames, a highly seasoned fava bean mash, this version is made with easier-to-find edamame. Edamame (fresh green soybeans) have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. They can be found shelled in the freezer section of well-stocked supermarkets. This stew is great served with couscous, bulgur or warm whole-wheat pita bread to soak up the sauce.
Chilli-rubbed steaks & pan salsa
Any cut of steak will work for this recipe, but we especially like the flavour and texture of rib-eye with these seasonings; look for steak that has been thinly cut. A cold ale, sweet potato fries and vinegary coleslaw can round out the meal.
Parsley-garlic roasted salmon
Just four main ingredients give this simple, healthy salmon recipe loads of flavour. Fresh lemon juice cuts through the salmon's fattiness and lends brightness to the final dish.
Orecchiette with pancetta
Pancetta and peas make a perfect pairing in this quick, light pasta dish. A bit of crushed red pepper flakes adds a little spicy kick.
Cube steak with mushroom-sherry sauce
Cube steak is a tougher cut of meat pounded to make it tender. It cooks quickly and is inexpensive - perfect for a weeknight dinner. Look for presliced mushrooms to save even more time on prep.
Salmon rosti
Convenient frozen hash browns and flaked salmon come together for a twist on this traditional Swiss favourite. Serve with: Steamed green beans tossed with sliced spring onions, Dijon mustard and lemon juice.
Creamy fettuccine with brussels sprouts & mushrooms
Sliced Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cook quickly and cling to the pasta in this version of pasta primavera. Look for presliced mushrooms to cut prep time. Serve with a tossed salad.
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Beef & bean chilli verde
Chile Verde, usually a slow-cooked stew of pork, jalapenos and tomatillos, becomes an easy weeknight meal with quick-cooking ground beef and store-bought green salsa. Make it a Meal: Serve with fresh cilantro, red onion and Monterey Jack. Add cornbread on the side and your favourite hot sauce.
Florentine ravioli
The flavours of Italy are best expressed in simplicity: a dash of spices, a little oil and dinner's on the table in minutes - especially if you use frozen spinach and frozen ravioli or tortellini.
Maple-chilli glazed pork medallions
Pork medallions are quick and easy to prepare, and are particularly tasty with a maple-chili glaz
Get the recipe for glazed pork medallions
Veal scaloppine
The classic method of pounding the veal very thinly helps it to cook up in no time. Top the meat with the buttery juices left over from cooking for an instant, tasty sauce.
Apple turkey picadillo
This twist on the Latin American staple is made healthier with lean ground turkey and crisp apples. It doubles well. Try tucking it into whole-wheat tortillas or serve over instant brown rice for a quick and healthy supper.
Pacific sole with orange and pecans
Not so long ago, Dover sole meant an overcooked fillet swimming in butter, dotted with tasteless dried herbs and soaked in too much lemon juice. But sole deserves a comeback: it can become a satisfying, sophisticated, one-skillet dinner with very little effort. The recipe can easily be doubled.
Get recipe for pacific sole with orange and pecans
Roasted pork tenderloin
A basic roasted pork tenderloin is the perfect foil for your favorite fruit chutney.
Get recipe for roasted pork tenderloin
See also: 10 tips to help your kids eat more healthily
Polenta with creamy mushroom sauce
This mushroom sauce has such sophisticated flavour, you won’t believe how easy it is to make. We love the smooth, creamy texture and nutty, rich taste of fontina cheese when paired with full-flavoured shiitakes. Make it a Meal: Toss steamed broccoli with olive oil, lemon juice and salt to serve alongside.
Get the recipe for polenta with creamy mushroom sauce
Three-chip chicken cutlets with cranberry sauce
The goal here is an ultra-crispy chicken cutlet without the mess of deep frying. The solution? Start with ingredients that already are crunchy, add high heat, and you’ve got a winner. For even more intensity, use flavoured crisps, such as sour cream and onion or sweet potato crisps.
Get the recipe for three chip chicken cutlets
Smoked trout pâté with toasted rye bread & carrot salad
This flavourful lunch takes no time to make and the essential oils in the trout fillets are said to boost brain power.Recipe from The Pure Package: The Diet for Food Lovers by Jennifer Irvine, £11.40 from AmazonKorean beef stir-fry
Inspired by the flavours found in Korean barbecue, this dish is a mouth-watering addition to any weeknight repertoire.
Get the recipe for Koream beef stir-fry
Thai red beef curry
Sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, Thai curry paste is a great shortcut ingredient to have on hand.
Get Thai red beef curry recipe
Toasted cumin and rosemary-rubbed lamb chops
Other than overcooking, there's not much you can do to mess up lamb chops. And that makes them perfect for busy weeknights. Rub some seasoning on them, toss them in a pan with a bit of oil, and about 8 minutes later you've got dinner.
Recipe for toasted cumin lamb chops
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