Midweek meals: five quick easy and healthy dinners to feed your family 

Stir-fries, spaghettis and the best potato cakes - these recipes are fast family-friendly fixes for when time is not your friend

Dinners that will be ready in under half an hour to cook this week.

Red pepper and cherry tomato linguine

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Peppers, chillies and cherry tomatoes collide to make a quick, easy and delicious dinner

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 3 large bell peppers, one of each colour except for green

• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced

• 1 red chilli, finely diced

• big handful or two of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

• large handful of chopped parsley

• juice of 1 lemon

• 280g Linguine

• 2 tbsp good olive oil

• 100g Parmesan, grated

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in generously salted water, until al dente.

2. Remove the stalks and seeds from the bell peppers and chop the flesh into a fine dice.

3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil on a medium high heat and add the diced peppers, chilli and garlic. Sautee for 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly until the ingredients are fragrant and softened. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

4. Next, add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat for another 3-5 minutes.

5. Add a little pasta water to make it runnier if you wish before adding the drained pasta, stirring it well into the sauce. Mix through the lemon juice, Parmesan and chopped parsley, check for seasoning and serve.

Ginger and pork noodles

recipe by:Darina Allen

For a sticky stir fried pork and ginger noodle dish with a sprinkle of peanuts for added texture, try this delectable dish for sharing

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• 200g egg noodles

• 1 tbsp olive oil 

• 450g pork fillet, cut into strips

• 2cm of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and freshly grated

• 1 tbsp shrimp paste

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• D1 tbsp fish sauce

• 2-3 tbsp water

• salt

• black pepper

• 60g toasted peanuts 

• 1 carrot, cut into fine julienne

• 2 spring onions sliced at an angle into ‘horses ears’

• 1-2 tsps Chinese sesame oil

Method

1. First, prepare the carrots and onions. Then cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, they should still have a slight bite.

2. Line up all the ingredients beside the cooker. Heat a wok over a medium/ high heat. Add a dash of oil and the pork strips. Stir and fry for a minute or two, careful it’s really easy to overcook the pork. Turn out onto a plate.

3. Increase the heat, add another dash of oil if necessary, Toss in the peanuts, ginger and garlic, stir and fry for 20-30 seconds. Next, add the shrimp paste, stir and fry for another 30 seconds until aromatic, then add the soy and fish sauces and a couple of tablespoons of water to create steam.

4. Toss in the well-drained noodles and pork. Toss to coat, sprinkle over the sesame oil. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper, taste and correct if necessary.

5. Turn out onto a hot serving plate or plates. Sprinkle with some grated carrot julienne and spring onions. Serve immediately.

Butternut and bean stew

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Brimming with flavours and textures, this meat-free dinner contains protein and vitamin B from the beans and sweet, nutty flavour from the squash

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• ½ chilli, finely chopped

• thumb of fresh ginger, grated

• 2 cardamom pods

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp turmeric

• 1 star anise

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, diced

• 1 aubergine, diced

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tin of mixed beans

• handful of coriander leaves

• 4 tbsp flaked almonds

• 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Method

1. Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, chilli, and ginger and cook for about five minutes.

2. Stir frequently and add a splash of water if the pan gets dry. Stir in the spices and cook for two minutes.

3. Add the butternut and aubergine and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce, and honey and stir well.

5. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the beans and heat through.

7. Divide the stew between warmed serving bowls. Sprinkle over the coriander and flaked almonds. Top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and serve. 

Chicken parmigiana

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

How to make chicken parmigiana worthy of The Sopranos

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, sliced through the middle and flattened

• 150g panko breadcrumbs

• 100g Parmesan, finely grated

• 3 eggs beaten

• 200g flour

• 100ml olive oil

• For the sauce: 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 600ml passata

• 1 onion

• 1 tsp butter

• Salt, pepper, sugar, to taste

• For the parmiagana:

• 2 balls of mozzarella, sliced

• Basil or parsley, chopped (optional)

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Method

1. First, make the sauce.

2. Add the olive oil and garlic to a cold saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium and as soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, pour in the passata.

3. Cut your onion in half and add to the sauce along with the butter. Cover, turn to low and simmer for twenty minutes.

4. Taste, check for seasoning and add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Remove the onion.

5. While your sauce is cooking, set up a breading station by pouring your breadcrumbs and cheese onto a plate, your flour onto another plate and your beaten eggs onto a third plate. 

6. Dip your chicken first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Place onto a wire rack and place into the fridge for ten minutes. 

7. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and heat to medium. Fry the chicken for seven to eight minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through. Leave to rest on the wire rack.

8. Preheat your grill

9. In an oven-proof dish place the chicken in a single layer. Spoon over the tomato sauce and top with the cheese. Grill for around eight minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad. 

Midweek beef stir-fry

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This stir fry is quick to make and it has lots of lovely flavours and textures. It’s my go-to stir-fry when I’m really busy

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 200g lean beef fillet, thinly sliced

• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

• a handful of baby corn, sliced lengthways

• a handful of broccoli florets

• a handful of sugar snap peas

• a handful of shredded white cabbage

• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• Basmati rice to serve

Method

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, until browned all over. Remove the beef and juices and set aside.

2. Add all of the vegetables to the pan and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Add the sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce and stir fry for two minutes. Return the beef and juices to the pan, mix well and heat through.

3. Divide the stir-fry between warmed serving plates and serve with basmati rice.