Midweek Meals: Five easy dinners to cook this week ready in less than 30 minutes

Here are five family dinners you can whip up with minimal effort

Even the fussiest eater will find a recipe they like here.

Midweek noodles

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

With the distinct flavours of garlic, ginger and soy, this versatile noodle dish combines a vegetable medley with a delicate crunch of sesame seeds

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 packet of stir-fry vegetable mix (carrots, peppers, courgettes, and spring onion)

• 2 tsp garlic

• 2 tsp crushed ginger

• 3 tbsp dark soy

• 1 packet of straight-to-wok rice noodles

• juice of 1 lime

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tsp sesame seeds, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the walnut oil in the pan; add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, and continue to cook until the vegetables are slightly softened.

3. Add in the noodles and cook until heated through, roughly 2-3 minutes.

4. Squeeze the lime juice over them and drizzle with sesame oil, toss well to combine.

5. Serve sprinkled with some lightly-toasted sesame seeds and enjoy.

 

Pan-fried plaice with peas

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Plaice is a deliciously rich and tender fish with chilli toasted breadcrumbs for enhanced flavour

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 fillets of plaice, skinned

• 100g frozen or fresh peas

• handful of fresh basil leaves

• 6 spring onions, sliced thinly

• 100 vegetable stock

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• sea salt

• black pepper

• 1 tbsp cream flour

• 40g butter

• lemon wedges, to serve

• For the toasted breadcrumb:

• 2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp olive oil

• ¼ tsp lemon zest

• pinch of dried chilli flakes

Method

1. Make the toasted breadcrumbs by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl and then transferring them to a small frying pan, moving them around in a medium hot pan for a couple of minutes until the breadcrumbs turn crunchy and golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Place the butter along with the spring onions, peas, basil, vegetable stock and olive oil in a sauce pan and season with sea salt. Bring to the boil and them reduce the heat, leaving to simmer for 3 minutes.

3. Pat the fish dry with some kitchen towel and them dust with the flour, seasoned with sea salt. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the fish, cooking on a medium high heat for 3 minutes on each side.

4. Serve the plaice with the peas and spring onion mixture spooned on top and garnished liberally with the toasted breadcrumbs.