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.

 

Moroccan chickpea bake

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

The perfect solution to repurpose stale bread, this comforting chickpea bake is bursting with Feta cheese balanced againsy spicy and garlicky flavour

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Moroccan

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 red onions, peeled and diced

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp ground coriander

• handful of fresh parsley, chopped

• salt

• pepper

• 100g Feta

• stale bread, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook on a low heat until the onions are soft.

3. Add the chickpeas, cumin and coriander to the pot and stir until the chickpeas are coated in the spices. If the bottom of the pot goes a little bit dry just add a drop of cold water. Add the freshly chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the chickpea mixture into an oven-proof baking dish. Using your hands, crumble the Feta over the top of the chickpeas. Scatter the stale bread over the top and drizzle with a little olive oil.

5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until feta and bread begin to brown.

6. Remove from the oven, divide into portions and transfer to warmed serving plates.

 

Sticky beef stir fry

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

For a no-fuss midweek meal, try this sweet and sticky beef dish with garlic undertones - serve with basmati rice

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• dash of sunflower oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 

• 400g beef, sliced thinly 

• 1 onion, sliced 

• 1 green pepper, de-seeded and sliced 

• 1½ tbsp soy sauce 

• ½ tbsp honey 

• ½ tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed 

• basmati rice, to serve 

Method

1. Stir the soy sauce and honey together.

2. Heat a little oil until very hot in a wok or large saucepan. Quickly stir fry the garlic and beef for just a minute until the beef is brown on the outside and still a little rare on the inside. Pour the contents of the pan onto a plate and toss the beef in the crushed peppercorns so that it is coated. Set aside.

3. Throw the pepper and onions into the same wok and stir fry until they are beginning to soften. Add the soy and honey and continue to fry for about a minute.

4. Place the beef onto the rice and then spoon the vegetables and juice over the whole lot.

 

Saucepan sausage stew with fennel and lentils

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Lentils are a fabulous addition to this quick stew

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• dash of rapeseed oil

• 400g good quality banger style sausages, chopped into bite size pieces 

• 2 onions, finely chopped 

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

• 1 medium sized fennel bulb, sliced 

• 2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted 

• 1 tsp chilli flakes 

• 200g puy lentils 

• 300ml stock 

• 100ml white wine 

Method

1. Heat your oil in a heavy saucepan, and sauté the onion until completely soft.

2. Add the sausages and garlic and fry until the sausage pieces have browned all over. Stir in the fennel.

3. Now add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, wine, stock and lentils.

4. Bring to a gentle boil and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.

5. Taste and season.

For more quick and easy meals, check out our Midweek Meals section on ieFood.