What’s your favourite low effort but delicious and nutritious meal?

[MacDot]

DH is out for dinner tonight and I am envious because I LOVE eating out.

I want to eat something that feels a bit more special but doesn’t take ages to cook. I’m lacking in inspiration and don’t actually know what I want to eat.

What would you have?

So far I have considered chicken souvlaki with pitta and Greek salad, steak tagliata, baked Camembert with veggies and baguette…

Crab linguine
roasted veg, lentils, lemony garlic dressing and feta or goats cheese.
bacon avocado lettuce baguette.

If its just me for dinner, my go to choice is salmon fillet. None else in my house like fish so it's a proper treat.

Salmon baked with lemon, potatoes and courgettes.

Salmon en pappillote.

Asian inspired salmon.

Any variation!

I’d have a fillet steak fried to medium rare with LOADS of salt, pepper and butter. A chopped salad of tomatoes, rocket, red onions, and peppers dressed with balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil, and a hunk of tiger loaf with butter. That would be my last supper. 15 minutes from fridge to plate.

Fish tacos. Crispy battered fish in the soft taco wraps loaded with whatever you like. I do lettuce, avocado, diced shallots, aioli and chilli sauce. Very quick but feels like a treat.

I also like pan frying some gnocchi with mushrooms, diced onions and then wilting in some spinach and stirring a bit of blue cheese through it near the end.

But quite often I do similar to what you suggested when DH is out and have baked camembert with baguette and good chutney because he doesn't like it so I take the opportunity to have it when I can!

Chicken cesar pasta salad is my current fave. Cook a seasoned chicken breast in the air fryer or buy ready cooked. Cook bacon in airfryer.cook rigatoni pasta then cool under cold water for quickness.Wash and Chop up some romaine lettuce, half an avocado, chop the bacon and chicken- mix all ingredients together, add salt and pepper. I use a truffle mayo add in croutons and loads of Parmesan yummy.

I’m fairly sure I have an emergency Pot Noodle in the cupboard 🙈

Salmon tray bake w lots of veg

@Perfectlystill It’s so good!

I’m not good with quantities so these are very rough but…

For two

Deseed and chop half a cucumber, half a red onion and halve 12-15 cherry tomatoes. Mix in a bowl with a handful of chopped parsley and mint, drizzle 2tbsp of olive oil and juice of one lemon, season well and set aside.

Cook 250g lamb mince in a large frying pan so it’s not squished together and goes crispy, when nearly cooked stir in half a small jar (50g??) of harissa paste, a squeeze of lazy garlic and a splash of water.

Spread half a tub of hummus on to each plate, top with the lamb and then the salad. Crumble over feta (measure with your heart!) and pomegranate seeds and serve with grilled pita.

Steamed broccoli with a sauce made of blue cheese & cream. Top with chopped spring onions.

Smoked mackerel flaked through noodles with pak choi, tenderstem, and a tahini and soy dressing.

My current favourite quick and easy dinner is those gorgeous Bold Beans smoky baked beans - they are absolutely huge, luscious beans in a thick and rich sauce, a million miles away from tinned baked beans. DH says no baked beans are worth £3 but he's wrong.

I have them on toasted sourdough with poached eggs topped with crumbled feta, and sliced avocado on the side.

Takes 5 minutes, is ridiculous good for you and is somehow far more indulgent than you'd think.

Beans on toast, with an egg on top.

When I'm hungry but not bothered to cook anything much, it's two eggs scrambled lightly and lots of parmesan on top. Two big fat chunks of brown soda bread with real butter, and it's ready in five minutes. I think I have it a bit too often, but I live on my own so can do this every day if I want!

Microwave for 2 minutes a pouch of whole meal / vegetable rice
Stir in a tin of mackeral (spicy tomato flavour or vinaigrette)
Stir in halved cherry tomatoes and shredded spinach leaves
Easy peasy quick

I was actually just wondering where you bought the dolphin and what it tastes like 😆 🤣 😂.

A pack of stir-fry veg and a packet of sesame ramen. Stir fry the veg with some cashew nuts. Add the made up ramen. Half a boiled egg on top.

I was coming in on the 'scrambled egg on toast' end of the spectrum too! I cook every day and quick and low effort to me is something I can make in five minutes while reading a magazine.

For fairly quick and least effort - I’m not saying the healthiest - I go for the frozen breaded/tempura fish fillets that are often half (Nectar) price in Sainsbury’s. 20 mins in the oven, done.

With new/baby potatoes, just boiled, salad (which I do throw together) and lemon quarters for the fish.

Having that tonight.

🤣🤣🤣 a dolphin of crème freche sounds quite exotic

I'm envisaging it like those sculptures made of butter...

Same. As soon as I see the words "chop an onion" I dismiss it as too much effort

I like a ready-made fish cake on spinach with a poached egg on top. With a glass of chilled white wine ideally

You do realise pesto is widely available to buy? No effort at all required then.

Sea Bass and pre-packed roasted veg. Easy Peasy.

or

Smoked salmon, brown bread, half and avocado and a bought green salad

or

Spinach, smoked haddock, poached egg and cheese

or

Lamb chops, Aynsley's cous cous and a bought green salad

My favourite is grilled peaches served with burratta and drizzled of olive oil with a sprinkle of pistachios, served with bread of choice. 15 minutes max - not super nutritious but not awful and feels like a treat.

More nutritious - Dr Saliha Mahmoods recipe from The Kitchen Prescription. Essentially a pitta stuffed with harissa grilled aubergine, shredded cabbage and onion, halved cherry tomatoes, tahini, mint, pomegranate seeds and a jammy boiled egg. It isn't necessary quick but it is really simple and delicious 😋