When I’m thinking of ways to treat myself in the middle of the week I like to try and make my life as easy as possible. I prefer to make things where everything is cooked together, or use the same tools. For example I would always try to steam any vegetables over potatoes or pasta that I’m cooking, or if I’m roasting something I try to put everything in the oven. That’s what this meal is all about; grabbing a few bits and bobs from around the kitchen and lifting a meal into something delicious. So, instead of going for a standard fillet of fish, I tried the Lemon and Cracked Black Pepper Lightly Dusted Cod from the Birds Eye ‘Inspirations’ range and works so well with sticky balsamic roasted veggies.
Lentils and Chard
There’s always a pack of lentils in my kitchen cupboards. Sometimes more than one; the quick cooking red variety to throw into soups, the big fat yellow ones for making dahl and the more elegant puy for making a wholesome side dish or salad. The mealy, earthy taste and texture that comes from a lentil is part of its charm; the fact that they are so humble but so versatile and filling is why I always find myself with lentils on my plate at least once a week. This dish of lentils and chard was served alongside some simply griddled chicken but it was so good that I think it’s perfect as a meal on its own.
Chorizo Hash with Purple Spring Onions
Sometimes the vegetables that arrive in my veg box are so stunning that it (almost) seems a shame to eat them. We all know that a romanesco cauliflower is mathematically wonderful and who can say no to a green lemon when it’s yellow inside and full of juice. A bunch of purple spring onions turned up on my doorstep and I knew simplicity would be the way to make the most of them; bold flavours from few ingredients. Chorizo Hash with Purple Spring Onions was certainly the way to go.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
Yellow Split Pea Dahl
First impressions are terribly important, but then so is not judging a book by its cover. This may look, on first glance, like a bowl of indistinct yellow mush but trust me, don’t judge this bowl of incredible-ness by its ‘rustic’ appearance. When I have a bowl of dahl it has to be three things: comforting, frugal and full of garlic. My Yellow Split Pea Dahl, which I have been trying and testing for some time now, fulfils all of my dahl needs and wants. Absolutely dahl-icious.
Mexican Black Beans
I tried something similar to these Mexican black beans at a restaurant a few weeks ago. They were so tasty and I loved the frugality of them that I really wanted to try and make them at home. Attempt one tasted fine but the texture was all wrong, attempt two was an improvement but the spicing wasn’t quite right. By the third attempt I’d got it; tasty, slightly spicy, cheap and easy to make. Does it get much better?
Ingredients
You will need (for 2):
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed £0.65
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed £0.10
- 1 small chilli, halved £0.15
- 150ml chicken stock (you could use vegetable stock to make these vegetarian or vegan) £0.30
- ½ tsp ground cumin £0.05
- ½ tsp smoked paprika £0.05
- oil for cooking £0.10
- salt and pepper £0.05
- fresh coriander, chopped £0.30
- Rice to serve £0.30
Total for two: £2.05
Method
Heat a little oil in a saucepan on a medium heat and add the garlic. Fry for a minute or so and don’t let the garlic catch. Add the chilli and spices and keep everything moving.
Add the beans, stock, a little salt and pepper then pop a lid on and leave to simmer lightly for 15 minutes.
Take the lid off and continue to cook for another five minutes; lightly mash most of the beans with the back of the spoon until it’s like a very thick soup.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly and thicken up a little more, stir through the fresh coriander and serve.
I had this on the side with my enchiladas recently but the previous versions were served with rice or quinoa (both good choices) and a fresh tomato salad. I left the chilli out of the first batch I made and it still tastes great but adding it does give that lovely fresh chilli flavour to the beans and along with the spices, garlic and coriander this is a very tasty bowl of stuff. And I bet you’ve got most of the ingredients in your cupboards already. I would be tempted to thicken these beans up further, spread them over a wrap, top with some leftover shredded chicken and fresh tomato salsa, roll and enjoy.
Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas
We were about halfway through this meal when the OH turned to me and said, “This is the best dinner we’ve ever cooked”. High praise indeed. Although I once baked a whole cabbage and anything would be an improvement on that. Chicken enchiladas always remind me of my University days. My friend Kathryn and I would convince ourselves we could definitely eat four people’s worth of enchiladas. We’d cook it all up and be full after just half of the available enchiladas, look at each other and say, “Next time, we’ll just cook half ok?”. We never learnt. I haven’t made enchiladas since then and I thought it was high time I made some proper ones.
Ingredients
You will need (to feed 3-4 people):
For the enchilada sauce
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 dried chipotle chilli, roughly chopped
- 500ml tomato passata
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for cooking
For the enchiladas
- 2 chicken breasts, diced or sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- Oil for cooking
- 6-8 tortilla wraps
- 120g cheddar cheese, grated
Method
Start by making the enchilada sauce. Add the onions and garlic to a saucepan with a little oil and fry gently for at least 20 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden brown. You want to slightly caramelise them to bring out their sweetness.
Add the cumin, paprika and chilli and fry for another minute more.
Pour in the passata, oregano, sugar and add a little salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes or so until the mix has reduced by around a third.
Leave to cool slightly before blending until the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Put a frying pan on a medium heat with a little oil and add the onion. Fry gently for 10 minutes until softened then add the chicken and turn up the heat. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Add just less than half of the enchilada sauce to the frying pan and ensure all the chicken is well coated.
Divide the chicken mixture between the tortillas. Wrap each one tightly and lay in a baking dish so they fit nice and snugly.
Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the wraps then top with the cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.
Serve with Mexican black beans (recipe for these here), guacamole, sour cream, extra chilli sauce and whatever you like!
If you can’t find chipotle chillies then I’m sure chipotle paste would be a great alternative. It’s the smoky flavour that you’re after along with a bit of heat. It’s taken a few tries to perfect this recipe but I’ve cracked it! Caramelising the onions is key to give the sauce a nice bit of sweetness. Not only can it be used for enchiladas, you can use it for chilli con carne and fajitas too (and even for a Mexican twist as a pizza sauce!).
Harissa Lamb with Tabbouleh
When it’s hot in the day but slightly cooler in the evenings, sometimes a salad doesn’t quite cut it; I’m after something with a little warmth and zing for those colder evenings. This Harissa Lamb with Tabbouleh came about for two reasons: firstly I had some harissa paste leftover from a previous chicken version and secondly I had two lamb steaks which were crying out for some Middle Eastern flavours. Also, this recipe is part of an upcoming post where I look at eating organic on a budget so it worked out really well to use up some lovely veg and herbs I had in the kitchen. Also, if you make double the amount of tabbouleh it’s great for lunch the next day, particularly with some toasted pitta bread and hummus.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- 2 lamb steaks
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- Oil for frying
- Salt and pepper
- 50g bulgur wheat
- Large handful of parsley and mint, roughly chopped
- 3 medium/large tomatoes, diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
Start by cooking the bulgur wheat according to packet instructions. If you don’t have bulgur wheat you can use cous cous or quinoa. I have made tabbouleh with all three and they’re all equally as good.
While the bulgur is cooking prepare all the vegetables and herbs and put into a bowl.
Once the bulgur is cooked, add this to the veg in the bowl then add the lemon juice, olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix well and put to one side.
Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and add a little oil. Season the lamb steaks on both sides then put into the pan. Cook the lamb, turning over to make sure both sides are lovely and brown until cooked through (or cooked to your liking). Just before they are cooked brush each side with the harissa paste while still in the pan so the paste catches the heat slightly and caramelises.
Serve the lamb with the tabbouleh.
Similar to lots of my posts recently, this meal is ready in around 30 minutes, is full of flavour and makes the most of what I have in the fridge and cupboards at the time. I think this would be fantastic with some lamb koftas or butterflied chicken cooked on the barbecue then brushed with the harissa for the last few minutes of cooking. The more parsley and mint you add, the more intense the flavour (and colour!) is. I prefer to keep the herbs roughly chopped as I like the texture with the crunchy onions and soft tomatoes. This is my kind of summer cooking.
Tikka Paneer and Pilaf
I love paneer. If I see a menu and it has paneer on it, I will order it without a doubt, preferably alongside a thick, garlicky daal of some description. As the cheese itself is quite flavourless it lends itself to being mixed with punchy flavours and spices. This Tikka Paneer and Pilaf is one of those meals which you start in the morning before work (mixing the marinade) and then finish off in the evening. And, as usual, it’s ready in around 30 minutes and won’t break the bank; a perfect vegetarian midweek meal.
Ingredients
You will need (for four):
- 225g paneer cheese, cut into cubes £1.50
- 3-4 medium tomatoes, quartered £0.40
- 2 tbsp tikka paste £0.15
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt £0.15
Lamb, Lentils and Flatbreads
When it’s a weekday and you come back from work to cook dinner, I’m assuming it’s not just me, you actually just want to relax. The cooking should be straightforward, ideally with minimal washing up and the food should be tasty, filling and balanced. I’ve been adding more and more recipes to my weeknight repertoire that are just that; minimum fuss, maximum flavour and ideally ready in under 30 minutes. This recipe for lamb, lentils and flatbreads was another midweek success and is also part of an upcoming post about eating organic on a budget.
Ingredients
You will need (for two people):
- 2 lamb steaks
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for cooking
- 75g green lentils
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- Two big handfuls salad leaves
- 4-5 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
For the flatbreads
- 150g natural yoghurt
- 150g self raising flour (I actually ran out of self raising and used strong bread flour and they worked just as well)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Method
Cook the lentils in vegetable stock according to the packet instructions.
Make the flatbreads by mixing all the ingredients together until you have a dough. Divide the dough into four and roll out until about half as thick as a pound coin.
Get a frying pan onto a high heat then add the flatbreads, one at a time, dry frying them until they are golden brown on both sides. Pop them into a low oven to keep them warm while you cook them all.
Season the lamb on both sides. Get a frying pan on a medium-high heat with a little oil then add the lamb and fry until cooked through. Remove then slice up.
Drain the lentils then mix with the olive oil, lemon juice and tomatoes. Top with the lamb and serve with the flatbreads and salad.
I have made these flatbreads before (they originally came from a Jamie Oliver recipe) and they are always good and can easily be made in the time it takes the lentils to cook. I only used two small lamb steaks; the lentils are really filling. It’s well worth cooking the lentils in the vegetable stock so give them a bit of a boost. The tomatoes, it helps if they’re really ripe, and the salad add a lovely bit of freshness and crunch. The best bit is the little bit of lentil liquid, tomato juice, olive oil and lemon juice all gather at the bottom of the bowl just waiting to be scooped up with a warm, crisp flatbread.
Baked Aubergine, Halloumi and Tomato Mashed Potato
Sundried tomatoes, paste and pesto always hang around for a bit in my kitchen. I never seem to use a whole tub or jar so am left with trying to find different ways to use them up. And why not mix them with mashed potato! This Baked Aubergine, Halloumi and Tomato Mashed Potato is really rather very good; especially when you get a forkful of everything at once. Great for using up a few odds and ends too and you could easily stretch this to feed four people just by adding an extra aubergine and a few more potatoes.
Ingredients
You will need (for 2):
- 1 aubergine, halved lengthways and scored
- Large handful cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil for cooking
- 1 block halloumi, sliced
- 400g potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
- 15g Parmesan, grated
- Salt and pepper
- Salad to serve
Method
Preheat an oven to 180C. Place the aubergine halves on a baking tray with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle over a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes.
Boil the potatoes until they are tender then drain. Mash with the sundried tomato paste, parmesan and some black pepper. The paste should have enough oil in to give the mash a good consistency but if not you can always add a little extra virgin olive oil.
Just before the aubergine and mash are ready heat a frying pan on a medium heat and add the halloumi slices. Fry until golden brown on each side.
Serve everything up together with a fresh salad on the side.
I am on a bit of an adventure at the moment to come up with easy, quick, midweek meals that are tasty, balanced and don’t break the bank. I think this meal fits perfectly into those criteria, it used up some sundried tomato paste I had in the fridge and is a great veggie option too. The aubergine, tomatoes and salad mean you’re getting three of your ‘five a day’, it’s super summery but also filling and slightly indulgent with the cheese too. When you get a forkful of soft aubergine, sharp tomato, smooth and savoury mash with salty halloumi you can almost imagine your gazing out over the Aegean Sea.
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