quick - cheap - 10 mins no effort meal needed

[redderthanred]

fridays are a bit of a race, get home from work, pick up DD, have swimming lessons.
I normally get my tesco delivery on friday evenings So the fridge is half empty, bread is stale and i dont have time to cook.

i really need inspiration for quick, cheap, store cupboard type thing, that can be thrown together and doesnt make much washing up.

We are both getting a bit bored of 'things on toast'

Noodles (4 minutes to boil) with bacon and tomatoes.

I find couscous is the way forward in these situations. I just make it as per packet instructions (pour on boiling water and a glug of olive oil, stir, cover and leave for 5 mins) and chuck in whatever random stuff I have in the house (chunks of cold meat/ cheese/ smoked fish, chickpeas, salad veg etc).
My latest favourite is tuna, (plus cucumber, tomato, tinned sweetcorn etc). I chuck over a bit of dressing - I like lemon juice, a dollop of honey and some olive oil for the tuna one.
Oh, or fresh pasta - takes 3 mins to cook and you can keep it in the freezer and cook straight from frozen (I do this even when the packet doesn't say it can be frozen - it's always been fine.)

The tuna thing was for mixing with couscous, btw!

thai green curry

fry curry paste (thai taste is best from sainsbury), fry chicken, add mange tout/baby corn, add coconut milk, microwave cook rice, ready in 10 mins

I always used to leave jacket potatoes in the oven on swimming lesson night, so they were ready just to put a topping on when we got home. Baked beans and/or cheese or tuna mayonnaise always went down well with my children.

egg fried rice- are you sensing a theme here

next time you have rice make double and freeze some.

get rice out of freezer,

mix eggs with dash soy sauce

fry spring onions, whatever veg you like (peas and onion good), add garlic if you like, add soy sauce, oyster sauce if you like, ham, etc

push to one side and add eggs til they cook like an omeltte, when set mix all together

I do "fake" stews in situations like this. Quickly chop an onion and fry with some garlic and chopped bacon or chorizo, toss in a tin of beans and a tin of tomatoe (or even just a tin of baked beans - but I prefer cannellini or butter beans), a splash of balsamic vinegar, a splash of worcester sauce (or a bit of stock) and if it's looking seriously thick and dry, a bit of hot water/stock. Simmer while you cook some rice and then serve. Easy.

I also do fish - I buy frozen fish fillets which Itake out and leave in the fridge the night before. Then when we get home I put frozen peas/carrots/corn onto boil while I quickly fry the fish and serve with chunks of lemon.

Final choice is boil pasta then fry any combo you have left from the week of mushrooms, onions, bacon, chorizo, courgettes with some butter, some garlic (I use it out the jar for this) some chilli (out the jar) and some lemon zest. Splash some wine in, let it bubble then put in a spoonful or two of whatever diary product you have lying around (cream, creme fraiche, yoghurt). Heat through and serve with the pasta.

DD is 4, she wont eat cous cous or fried rice. Not green curry.

jacket potatoes is a good one, i could just chuck some in the oven when i get home from work.

fridays is just a pain, by the we have kind of run out of most things, are both tired having been out all day, and i cannot be bothered to cook either.

omlette

and that pasta sounds nice.
but tbh, i dont want to do any chopping, or use two pans.

Sounds very lazy, its just by friday ive pretty much run out of steam. lol

Small pasta of some kind, chuck in a handful of frozen sweetcorn or peas towards the end of cooking, drain, then toss in a knob of butter and a drained tin of tuna. My children will always eat it and it's only one pan!

Pasta, pesto & beans. Our 10 minute dinner of choice.

Cook pasta (usually conchigle), takes 8-10 minutes. Just before it is cooked throw in a tin of beans - canellini, haricot or kidney depending on taste. Once pasta is done drain in a collander and put the pan back on the hob, chuck in a tub of creme fraiche and several generous spoonfuls of whatever pesto takes your fancy - we like roast aubergine.

Heat a little, throw the pasta and beans back in, stir and serve topped with some grated parmesan.

On a similar theme we also do Salmon & pasta, but it takes 2 pans. Cook some tagliatelle, meanwhile fry some chopped courgettes, when nearly cooked throw in some smoked salmon trimmings (and lemon juice if it is to your taste). Cooked for a couple of minutes then stir in a tub of creme fraiche. Serve tagliatelle topped with the salmon mixture. Takes 15 minutes tops. Always a favourite. My sister adds other fried veg - onions, mushrooms, pepper (but I don't bother)

Pasta (fresh stuff is nicest but dried is fine) once cooked. Toss with big knob of butter, salt, pepper, Parmesan and cut some fresh herbs into it (I've just got a supermarket pot of basil and chives) - grab a handful and just use scissors to chop. Very simple, very yummy.

Quesadillas - get 2 tortilas/wraps, grate some cheese on to one (could also add thin spread of pesto or thin slices of tomato or cooked, leftover shredded chicken?). Top with the other. Place in frying pan with no oil and dry fry for few minutes (until a bit brown/crunchy - keep eye on it though don't want burnt! DH always burns them) on either side. Cut into slices with a pizza cutter - add some salad and there you go - 5-10min max.

Really quick chicken noodle soup - stock cube + water on the boil (pint or so). Add some dried egg noodles (thin probably nicer) and some leftover chunks of cooked chicken (I just plonk in frozen bits shoved in freezer after a roast). Add a shake of ginger powder - could do the same with garlic powder. Salt and pepper. Simmer 5 mins. Scissor in some spring onions at the end and place in a bowl with a torn up few leaves of iceberg lettuce or cos (don't need to pre-cook). 10min tops.

Also good to have freezer bags of a meal - bolognaise sauce/tomato sauce in the freezer and then either defrost in morning or 5min med, 2-3min high in microwave - just cook your pasta at same time. 10min!

Other guilty secrets for quick stuff...you can pop Potato Waffles in toaster frozen, needs 3 times down but are good after that. Beans and cheese!

Or takeaway which is what I often do on a Friday night!

for pasta you can buy quick cook pasta which only takes 5mins to cook.

Along same lines as chicken noodle soup - minestrone. chicken stock, half tin chopped of tomatoes, frozen mixed veg and some pasta - bring to boil, simmer 10min until pasta cooked - serve with some toast (so doesn't matter if its stale!).

Lionscare- pasta pesto and beans hugely enhanced by addition of 2-3 rashers of chopped bacon

Not in a veggie household it's not

fab - liking the pasta, pesto and beans.
will buy and keep in fridge for next friday. ;)

Boil pasta.
Chop onions
Fry onions and lazy garlic in some olive oil.
Add bacon and splash of wine to pan fry for ccouple of minutes.
Add mushrooms fry another two minutes.
Pour over double cream and fry until pasta i cooked.
Drain pasta stir in mixture and serve with crusty bread.

They all sound yummy. Trust me to bring down the tone.
Cant be bothered dinner here is boil the pasta, tip over a jar of sauce and stir. Its the kids favorite. Add cocktail, already cooked, sausages if meat is needed.
Simples

Pasta with pesto and creme fraiche, you could add some chicken chunks too.

My kids love stuffed pasta from the chilled section - takes four minutes to do with a pot of tomato and marscapone sauce that goes in the microwave for four minutes
if you want to be healthy serve with broccoli
or just freeze some spag bol on another day, cook spaghetti and shove bolognaise in the microwave to defrost

this is why my dcs have school dinners though, they get toast and sandwiches in the evenings

ah- thats why i do toast in the evenings too. She has a cooked meal at nursery on a friday.

She starts school in jan, - prob worth me paying for school dinners on a friday then.

what is lazy garlic please?

Its ready minced/finely chopped garlic. You can get it in jars with the herbs and spices- English provender so it and most supermarkets do their own brand as well. TBH some types I find a bit vinegary, I prefer to use garlic puree.