Midweek Meals: five quick and easy dinners for the family to enjoy this week 

Black pudding bolognese, an easy fried rice and quick midweek fish tacos are all on the menu this week 

Delicious dinners are just moments away.

Black pudding bolognese

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Black pudding adds flavour that hours of cooking would normally require in this speedy bolognese with fresh herbs and a hint of paprika - enjoy with grated Parmesan

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

• 2 medium onions, finely diced 

• 1 stick of celery, finely diced 

• 400g good quality black pudding, cases peeled off 

• 2 sprigs of rosemary, needles chopped finely 

• 250ml red wine 

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika 

• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes 

• handful of parsley, finely chopped 

• extra virgin olive oil 

• black pepper

• sea salt 

• 25g butter 

• 50g Parmesan, grated 

• 450g tagliatelle 

Method

1. Heat some oil in a large frying pan or casserole and add the onion, carrot and celery on a medium heat.

2. Season lightly with salt and stir around the pan until everything has softened but not coloured, around 10 minutes.

3. Add the paprika, some black pepper and the rosemary and stir into the veg before adding the black pudding, breaking it up with the wooden spoon. Cook for five minutes or so before adding the red wine, cooking for another five minutes and then adding the chopped tomatoes.

4. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for around 40 minutes. Season to taste.

5. Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente and then drain and coat with butter.

6. Serve the ragu spooned over the buttery tagliatelle and cover with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

Simple chicken casserole

recipe by:Darina Allen

This casserole takes 10 minutes to prepare. It is so simple and so nourishing – all the family will love it

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken or 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and 2 breasts

• 700ml homemade chicken stock or water

• olive oil, for frying

• 4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into thick chunks

• 2 onions, peeled and quartered

• salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• sprig of thyme

•  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4.

2. Joint the chicken into eight pieces or use chicken pieces, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Pour the chicken stock or water into a large casserole dish and heat on the hob.

4. Heat some oil in a frying pan and begin to fry the pieces of chicken until golden brown. As they brown pop them into the casserole dish, at this stage you can also add in the chopped carrots and quartered onions. Add another pinch of salt and twist of freshly ground black pepper and the sprig of thyme.

5. When the liquid comes to the boil, put the lid on, transfer to the preheated oven for 1-1½ hours.

6. Chicken will come easily off the bone when cooked and the carrots will be tender.

7. Pour off the liquid and let the fat rise to the top — spoon this off. (If the chicken is organic, save to sauté cooked potatoes.
   
   Note: Any leftovers can be made into a chicken pie topped with fluffy mashed potato or a puff pastry lid. Reheat in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and the top is golden brown and crispy. If necessary, place under the grill for a minute or two before you serve, to brown the edge of the potato.

Thai-Style chicken noodles with green beans

recipe by:Neven Maguire

Straight-to-wok noodles are a brilliant shortcut if you’re in a hurry and want to save on washing up, perfect to enjoy with chicken and chilli sauce

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla) 

• 2 tbsp clear honey 

• 2 tsp light muscovado sugar 

• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 large shallots, thinly sliced 

• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

• 1 fresh long red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced into rings 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces 

• 200g fine green beans, trimmed and cut in half 

• juice of 1 lime 

• 2 × 150g packets of straight-to-wok noodles 

• 50g fresh bean sprouts, trimmed 

• To garnish:

• fresh coriander leaves

Method

1. Place the soy sauce in a small bowl and stir in the fish sauce, honey and sugar. Set aside until needed.

2. Heat a wok until smoking hot. Add the oil and swirl it up the sides, then tip in the shallots, garlic and chilli. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until sizzling.

3. Tip the chicken into the wok and continue to stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until sealed. Drizzle over the soy sauce mixture and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is nicely glazed.

4. Add the green beans to the chicken mixture, then sprinkle over the lime juice and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the green beans are cooked through but still have a little bite. Fold in the noodles and allow to just warm through. Add the bean sprouts and cook for 30 seconds or so to keep them crisp.

5. Arrange in warmed bowls and scatter over the coriander leaves to serve.

Fish tacos

A stalwart of American food trucks, these tacos are stuffed with hearty vegetables and delicate flavour and will be in regular rotation on your weekly menu

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 40g panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp garlic granules

• salt

• pepper 

• 1 egg

• 300g fresh cod or haddock fillets, cut into goujons

• 6–7 sprays of rapeseed oil

• For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp lighter than light mayo

• 1 tsp yellow American mustard

• 1 pickled gherkin, finely chopped

• 1 tsp pickle juice from the gherkin jar

• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

• juice of ½ a lime

• To build the tacos:

• 4–6 small wholemeal wraps

• Shredded lettuce

• 1 red onion, halved then finely sliced into half moons

• 1 large tomato, diced

• 3-4 tbsp tinned sweetcorn

• 1 radish, finely sliced

• fresh coriander (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Lash the panko, smoked paprika and garlic granules, along with the salt and pepper, into a bowl and mix well.

3. Beat the egg in a separate bowl, then dip the goujons first into the egg, then into the spice mix, making sure they are coated evenly.

4. Spray a baking tray with a little oil and evenly lay out the coated pieces of fish on it. Pop in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning and spraying with a little oil halfway through, until the coating is golden and brown.

5. To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a small ramekin and put to one side.

6. Heat the wraps on a dry pan until soft or pop in the microwave for 20 seconds, then lash on the lettuce, onion, tomato and cooked fish goujons. Finish by shaking over some sweetcorn, drizzle over the sauce, and garnish with some radish and optional coriander.
   This recipe is from Gina and Karol Daly's The Daly Dish Rides Again, published by Gill Books.

Hake with ginger and rice

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This is a super simple, humble recipe for a quick dinner or lunch using good quality Irish hake and our favourite leftover ingredient — rice

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 400g leftover rice

• Bunch of spring onions, white parts sliced thinly, green ends discarded

• 1 thumb of ginger, peeled and grated

• 2-3 fillets of skinless hake,

• cut into large chunks

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 50g butter

• 3 tbsp light vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

• Small handful of coriander, chopped

Method

1. Place the fish chunks on a board and drizzle two tablespoons of oil over it. Rub the grated ginger all over the chunks and then season all over with sea salt and black pepper.

2. Make sure the chunks are well coated in oil, ginger and seasoning.

3. Leave for a couple of minutes.

4. In a large frying pan over medium high, heat the remaining oil and then add the marinated fish chunks. Cook the fish for a couple of minutes on one side and then cook for a further two minutes until the fish is cooked through. Remove from the pan to a warm plate.

5. Add the butter to the pan, letting it melt before adding the leftover rice. Heat the rice for a minute or two and then add the spring onions.

6. Stir everything around the pan until the rice starts to stick. Stir the sugar and vinegar together until the sugar dissolves and then pour this over the rice.

7. Stir through and then remove from the pan. Serve in bowls with the fish on top, garnished with freshly- chopped coriander.