Your absolute quickest, least faffy tea recipes

[saxendaqs]

We have an extremely busy week coming up, unusual for us! We're both working 12 hour days and I'm just doing the Tesco order.

Any ideas for very quick, no faff, little prep dinners? Happy to buy prepared stuff. Already got a couple of oven pizzas on the order!

Many thanks

Anything beige. Southern fried chicken steaks or Kievs and chips /wedges

Jacket salad cheese and beans

Pastabake

Pasta pesto and grated cheese

Tortelloni, pesto and shredded spinach

Oh and throw some frozen peas in at the end of the pasta cooking

Why hadn't I thought of jackets! Great idea

Carbonara. Any of those filled pastas or ready
made gnocchi.

You can buy McCain jacket spuds that are frozen and you just chuck them in the mic for about 5 mins. They're really nice as well!

Microwave rice sachets that are already flavoured / contain veg are absolute lifesaver is here. Literally can make a vaguely healthy and filling dinner within five minutes.

Either the golden veg one, stick in the microwave and in the meantime quickly sauté some mushrooms, peppers or any other veg you have knocking about in the fridge. Once the rice is done stick it in the pan, add some soy sauce/rice vinegar/sesame oil, handful of peas from the freezer or a tin of sweetcorn or whatever. Then protein - chuck some ready to eat marinated tofu pieces or quorn or chicken or whatever if you like, fry a couple of eggs to stick on top and there you go. OR get a Mexican flavoured one (mine is from M&S via Ocado), I top up with sweetcorn and black beans usually, and serve with cheese, salsa, guacamole or avocado and sour cream. Handful of tortilla chips if you like and optional protein too. Yum.

Lemon and coriander cous cous sachet. Add boiling water and stand. stir though chopped cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Top with precooked chicken breast chunks or chicken tikka pieces. Handful of salad leaves.if you are feeling fancy, stir a tablespoon of mint sauce into a small pot of natural yoghurt to use as a dip. The whole thing takes five minutes, is healthy, and takes no more energy than boiling the kettle. You can use different flavours of cous cous eg sundried tomato and use different protein eg salmon or feta cheese.

Yes definitely doing the Mexican rice one that sounds great

Stir fries
Quaesidilla
Omelettes
Salmon with cous cous and salad
Haloumi in pitas with salad and coleslaw

Fresh pasta with garlic, lemon juice, prawns, chilli and fresh herbs.
Field mushrooms topped with blue cheese and grilled

Bag of gnocchi in a pan with oil and chorizo or bacon bits, fry up and as they start getting golden add halved cherry toms (or any other no-cook veg e.g. olives, jarred artichokes or peppers). When they're squishy and crispy on the outside they're ready. Turn off heat and add small chunks of mozarella which will melt as you serve.

Pasta with a shop bought sauce , served with grated parmesan and garlic bread.

Curried cauliflower egg fried rice with cod/haddock/chicken/prawns.

microwave bags of cauliflower rice, stick in the micro for 4 minutes. Frozen skinless fish fillets microwave a couple mins, throw it all in a pan with a tiny bit of oil, curry powder, peas if you wish and an egg, fry for a few minutes then serve.

Super super fast and easy, tea on the table in 10 minutes kind of stuff. It’s my go too when I just can’t be bothered.

I tend to play around with the flavours too; instead I’d curry powders I’ve done sweet chilli prawns with the cauliflower rice, or a teriyaki beef.

I also like to do courgette noodles with cooked cherry tomatoes and prawns/chicken. You just need to cook the tomatoes until semi-soft, throw in the ready cooked king prawns with some seasoning just to warm them, then toss in the noodles to warm too.

Chicken thighs , halved new potatoes, carrots and 2 quartered red onions, drizzle of olive oil and mixed herbs and salt and pepper and cook for about 30-40 mins.

I’m another who uses those rice type packets. I fry some halloumi with paprika and flour sprinkled over. If I can be bothered, fry / roast an onion and any veg. Chuck in the rice packet (whatever flavour I have). Serve with loads of salad and yogurt with harissa (again if I can be bothered)

Wraps, salads, cheese, cooked meats, salsa. Self assembly on the table. Done.

All of these take under 15 minutes from fridge to table:

Omelettes and salad

Nice soup with crusty bread or focaccia and cheese (we have this two weeknights when there's no time to cook - posh brand chilled soup and a focaccia all ready in ten minutes and is filling once you add the cheese)

Spaghetti carbonara

Filled pasta with a bought sauce

Stir fry and noodles (pack pre-prepped veg and strips of meat)

Steak and salad

Likewise pitta, hummus, falafel. 😊

breaded fish with prick the bag veg & potato croquets
fresh filled pasta with veg & sauce
ready made lasagne
chicken kievs
chicken stir fry
sharwoods sweet & sour sauce over chicken & veg with microwave rice

Put frozen butternut squash and sweet potato chunks with a tin of chickpeas in a slow cooker with a tin of curry sauce and put on low for the day, serve with micro rice or toasted pittas

Following for the inevitable 4-hour 19-ingredient "super simple" Ottolenghi-esque recipe

Meanwhile I suggest
McDonald's takeaway

Tomato soup and cheese sandwiches

Potato waffles in toaster with anything

Or just put wraps on the table with a packet of sliced ham, grated cheese, carrot batons in a bag, pesto or mayonnaise - and let them sort themselves

Egg beans and chips

Chinese style chicken curry using pre cooked chicken, onion , frozen peas and mayflower curry sauce with a prepared sachet of egg fried rice. On the table in 20 mins .

Get yourself off to Iceland @saxendaqs they do some fabulous ready meals