Genuinely simple meals (for crap cooks), I have one and it's gorgeous

[KellyHopter]

Penne pasta
Smoked trout
Brocolli
Sugar snap peas
Lemon juice/zest
Dill
Cream
Salt and pepper.

It's heaven!

It's so nice to make a meal which takes literally 20 minutes (actually 20 minutes, fellow crap cooks will understand the frustration of recipes saying they take x amount of time and it somehow ends up being double due to crap cookness) and tastes lovely, isn't complicated, laborious etc.

I'd be very interested in any similarly easy meals (especially those which would do for 2 people, well 1.5 really...)

[SerenaJoy]

This is the pot noodle recipe if anyone's interested.

[PurplePidjin]

Serena as a student I used to bung a handful of frozen sweetcorn in with a pack of 9p chicken noodles :o

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Mega easy beany chilli thing (I use it to make burritos)

Fry a diced onion and diced red or green pepper
Add paprika, chilli (or chilli flakes if cba to chop chili), spoonful barbecue sauce, bit of cocoa)
Add tub of passata and a couple of tins mixed beans. S&P. Might need a bit of sugar, or more spicing.

Can add fresh coriander, sweetcorn, chipotle paste if you want to snazz it up a bit more.

[addictedtosugar]

We do something similar to RunDougal's recipe, but serve over pasta (and add some onion right at the start).

I've also discovered that the premade gnocchi can be fried in butter for a few minutes, rather than boiled. I was eating just fried gnocchi one night last week. Not very balanced, but yummy and quick.

[twothousandandfourteen]

My kids favourite is chicken pesto, you bake chicken thighs/ drumsticks (about 30 mins), mix half a tub of natural yoghurt with about a tablespoon of pesto to be the sauce. Put sauce on top of chicken and serve with rice - is lovely.
Have also just discovered that you can bung frozen peas in with rice for the last 5 mins of so to make rice & peas!

[SerenaJoy]

PurplePidjin I've been known to do the same, although my noodles of choice these days are Mild Curry flavour Super Noodles. I'm living the dream.

I fed that to DS with fish fingers for dinner the other night

[WaveorCheer]

Quick fried rice:

M&S frozen cooked rice and peas into pan with some oil straight from freezer. Add frozen sweetcorn and leftover cooked veg from fridge (whatever's taking).

Whisk a couple of eggs and a splosh of soya sauce (to taste), add to pan and stir until set.

Quick, delicious and covers all the bases. Great with a dollop of ketchup.

[WaveorCheer]

Er, the rice is strIght from the freezer, not the oil. That would be weird.

[WaveorCheer]

Er, the rice is strIght from the freezer, not the oil. That would be weird.

[Allalonenow]

twothousand you can stir frozen spinach in also, it just blends in, but is still another veg, and iron rich too.

[Birdies]

[JollyGolightly]

Super easy sag aloo: put a (small) pack of new potatoes in the slow cooker with a jar of curry sauce, leave for 4-6 hours on low, 10-15 minutes before you want to eat, stir in half a pack of fresh spinach. We don't bother with rice because it's already carby, but garnishing with natural yogurt, lime pickle and chopped coriander is worthwhile.

[Clutterbugsmum]

Mine would be.

Chicken and veg rice.

Fry a chopped onion in a little oil, add some chopped chicken (1 breast is enough for 2 or 3 servings). Once browned add 50g of rice stir until coated in oil. I then cover with either chicken or veg stock until about 1in over the rice. Cook for about 10min then add frozen mix veg or veg you have in your fridge then cook for anonther 10mi until rice is cooked. Check if you need any more seasoning.

You can also add bacon as well if you have any.

Pasta with bacon and peas.

Fry a chopped onion, add a couple of bacon rasher per person (I use scisscors to cut bacon into pieces) fry until cooked and browned. While cooking bacon and onion is cooking, cook some spaghetti (75g per adult) just before cook throw in a couple of handful of peas. Once spaghetti and peas are cooked save a cup of the cooking water before draining. Add pasta and peas to bacon mix, add about 3/4 of the pasta water and a couple of tablespoon of pamesarm cheese and some black peper, mix together add the rest of the cooking water if dry. Serve with extra cheese if you want.

[JollyGolightly]

Roast mixed veg of your choice at 200 degrees, if you chop it smaller it takes less time. 20 mins here. Place fillets of fresh fish on top, with a bit of oil and lemon brushed over, return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Some chopped basil on top is good.

I used to be a good cook but am now crap. Give me an hour or two without toddlers and after a good nights sleep and I could make something lovely, but the daily reality is whatever I can make in advance, or in as short a time as possible in .a tan.trum soundscape

[hollyisalovelyname]

Twothousandand fourteen do you heat the yogurt and pesto or is it a cold sauce?

[Fishstix]

Boil gnocchi, drain and put in baking dish, add in half a can of chopped toms and a chopped mozzarella, top with cheese if you will. Bake for 20ish minutes. Crisps up like a dream and is utter comfort food. Only half a can of chopped toms tho, more makes it swim!

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Loving the style on this thread ... things like .... "if you will"' / "if you have any" / "if you want to snazz it up a bit more"

I wonder if much of this alternative style found it's way into the new Mumsnet cook-book?

Otherwise I can see the potential for a super easy book 2

[Clutterbugsmum]

I think you right JugglingFromHereToThere, I think you right I there is market for simple cook book with basic receipes with alternatives/additions for not very confident cooks.

[ComeHeather]

put a whole washed butter nut squash in oven and roast til soft, about 40 minutes. do this when you have the oven on for something else anyway. ..store cooked squash in fridge til you need it. Then Top and tail and cut open length ways. scoop out seeds. chop all rest of flesh roughly including the skin and fry in a big pan with an onion and some butter. add carrots and celery or other root vegetables whatever you have and in what ever quantities you can be arsed to chop. I leave all skins on as I am super lazy. add a third to a half of a pack of red lentils. stir then add hot stock from a cube or bouillon powder til veg well covered. cook til all soft. whizz up with handheld blender stuck in the pan. add salt and pepper to taste. soup for lunch all week.

[ComeHeather]

love these threads btw. got loads of them printed out and pinned on kitchen notice board.

[paperclip2]

Another spinach variation - more of a quick snack than a full meal, but it will keep you going for a couple of hours.

Microwave a handful of frozen spinach balls, mix with soft goats cheese and spread on multi-grain toast (keep a sliced loaf in the freezer for this purpose and just pop a slice in the toaster straight from the freezer).
Egg on top, can be soft-boiled, poached or fried, whatever you prefer.

[twothousandandfourteen]

Holly - its a cold Säule, but works really well

[twothousandandfourteen]

that should have said sauce!

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

That sounds lovely heather

[WaveorCheer]

Arf at tantrum soundscape. We should include a CD with the recipe book for the authentic MN cooking experience.