Please post your best quick evening meal ideas here.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

I work 3 days a week, and ds1 has swimming another night, which means that 4 nights a week we need to have tea cooked and on the table ideally within 20 minutes of walking through the door (to avoid overtired, not wanting to eat children).

ATM I use my slow cooker to batch cook and freeze, so we have casseroles, bolognese, chilli and curry a lot, but I'd love some new ideas for quick to cook teas. Preparation in advance (chopping etc) is no problem to speed things along at the critical time!

My ds's are 4 and 2 and will give most things a try.

Thanks in advance for any ideas you can pass on.

"I use my slow cooker to batch cook and freeze"
And you wish you were MORE organised??

Pasta pesto with chopped spinach is a regular in my house.
Can add bacon bits for adults
Omelettes?
Home made goujons (fried if need to be quick)
erm (I only have 1 ds and he hardly eats anything so I'm not much help here really )

Have you tried the recipe section?
You can search by things you can freeze and prepare in advance?

We're the same 3 nights we need quick meals:

Cheesy pasta - boil pasta and frozen peas When ready quickly mix in a raw egg and grated cheese. If you want (and I think it tastes better) add chopped cooked bacon.

Anything with cous cous, we like lamb steaks (they cook really quickly). I either pre-cook or mix together a tin of tomatoes with onions garlic and +/- peppers/chilli so it's not so dry.

Fresh fish (we eat this heaps as it cooks so quickly) with anything you like. I like it with pasta and the tomato sauce as above.

I'll keep thinking............and will be watching this post for more suggestions.

Pasta pesto.

Pasta with a sauce made from melted boursin or garlic Philly and frozen peas - can add fried bacon or mushrooms too (I don't because most of us are veggie and the dds won't eat mushrooms but it is yummy with mushrooms and without peas).

Thai curry with a bought paste is mega-quick and I do rice in the microwave rice cooker to serve with it - can have dinner on the table in around 20 minutes but it tastes like proper cooking, rather than a snack!

smoked salmon pasta
you can have the sauce ready in the time it takes the pasta to cook, and still have time to make a brew and do some essential shouting.

also home made pizza - make the dough the night before and add the toppings. it then only needs a 10 minute blast in the oven

Noodles & stir fry veg and chicken.

Boil pasta, and green beans, poach smoked fish, combine with creme fraiche and thyme, lemon on side.

That's all I can think of now that you haven't covered.

Ooh Janeite I had forgotten boursin pasta
I used to LIVE on that (and tuna pasta sweetcorn, natch) as a student

My 4 minute tea. Put some frozen peas and a packet of microwaveable rice in the microwave. While they are doing, chop some ham, or left over cooked chicken or smoked salmon or cheese and open a tin of sweetcorn. Mix the lot together, leave a minute to make sure everything is warm, and serve in bowls. Sorted. Dd likes sweet chilli sauce with this.

Pizza is a really good idea

burgers and wedges. Home make the burger mix the night before, and cook on griddle pan. Wedges from the frozen section. Lamb/beef or pork mince is all good. Top withh cheese, slice avos, sauces etc.

Falafels, pita bread and hummous. By the dry mix and make to packet instructions. Hummus is the easiest thing in the world to make, and takes minutes. Make a greek salad-chop up some cherry toms, cucumber, add feta and olives and dress with o-oil/lemon juice and oregano.

Fish Finger sandwiches

Jacket Pots- microwave earlier in the day and then crisp up in the oven.

Message withdrawn

This dish is fabulous.

Parmesan chicken - quick cook thin chicken breasts dipped in beaten egg then breadcrumb/celery salt/smoked paprika/grated parmesan mix ( preprep this and keep in ziplock bag in fridge )

Quesadillas - tortillas dry fried with grated cheese and pesto

Dippy eggs

Any pasta

All need cooked/raw veg on the side

Ooh yes to qaesadillas. I put just cheese in them and then serve with a mango salsa made with red onion, mango, chilli, red pepper, lime juice and loads of coriander.

Brilliant - there's some fantastic things here that I can see us all tucking into.

Thanks again - and keep them coming if anyone else has any ideas.

Paprika Beef

220g Beef steak
1 onion
1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
150ml beef stock
2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp creme fraiche
2 sheets dried egg noodles (Sharwoods 4 min cook)

Put noodles into boiling water
Fry onions and mushrooms, add beef and spices. Fry for 1 minute
Add stock & brandy, bring back to the boil
Serve on top of noodles with a spoonful of creme fraiche

Serves 2

Thai noodle salad

175g rice noodles
2 limes
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
8 salad onions
1 red chilli
1 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp thai fish sauce
3 tbsp chopped coriander

Drop noodles into pan of large pan boiling water & leave to soak for 3 mins
Run under cold tap and drain well
Finely grate zest from one lime and squeeze juice from both. Add to the noodles with rest of the ingredients, toss & serve

This can be made in advance and left in the fridge for a day or so. I then serve with steamed salmon or grilled chicken

Hot and Sour sauce - delicious with salmon, chicken or mixed stir fry veg

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry
4 tablespoons veg stock
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cornflour
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 cm piece of fresh ginger finely chopped
1 red chilli finely chopped
2 carrots finely sliced (julienne)
4 spring onions shredded

Mix together first 9 ingredients (you can do this in advance and stick in fridge). In a non stick pan fry the garlic, ginger and chilli in 1tsp/spray oil. Cook for 1 min (add thin strips of chicken here if using or stir fry veg until cooked through)
Add sauce, bring to boil and simmer for 2 mins
Add carrot, spring onions (plus raw salmon chunks if using) and simmer for 2 mins. Serve with rice (i like wholemeal wild rice with this)

You can make this sauce in advance and leave in the fridge for up to 24hrs

Do you ever secretly suspect that people who post delicious recipes on thread like this are really just like me and on club night just give their children a bowl of pasta with grated cheese on it followed by a yougurt then some fruit in the car?

Oh yes Seeker, DD's had pasta pesto (cold) and a banana in the pushchair at lunchtime

I really really hope so.

Boil in the bag fish in sauce with veg and new potatoes

Any fish fillets you all like, fried in a bit of olive oil or butter in frying pan, add some crushed garlic and salt and pepper for the last bit, while it's doing boil some broccoli or peas and serve with brown bread and butter!

Tinned chickpeas sauteed with onions and then jar of pasta sauce or pesto added. Very yummy and so quick. Could have alone, or with pasta/rice.

I made a tuna salad out of nothing tonight in ten minutes.

1 x tuna steak per person
6 x cherry tomatoes per person
1/2 a lemon
Balsamic vinegar
rocket leaves

I just threw the (seasoned with a lot of pepper and some salt) tuna steaks and tomatoes in a pan of hot peanut oil (higher burning temp than olive oil), seared them a few mm and then turned them, searing the other side so that at least half the steak was still pink. I then squeezed half a lemon into the pan and dropped in some balsamic to caramelise.

The pretty bit was cutting the steaks into strips, which looked fantastic with the charred black pepper outside, cooked white meat and contrasting red centre. Artfully arranged on top of a handful of rocket leaves with the tomatoes rustically scattered about, the dish looked wonderful and the flavours of the ingredients shone through without too much cooking spoiling it.