Midweek Meals: Five quick and easy dinners ready in under thirty minutes

Chicken teriyaki, burrito bowls and even a Korean rice bowl - it's all possible in half an hour

Five delicious quick and easy meals that the whole family will enjoy.

Chicken Teriyaki

Serve this chicken with rice and shredded pickled or fermented red cabbage

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken thighs, boned

• 15g flour

• Rapeseed oil/chicken fat

• Sea salt

• For the sauce:

• 150ml sake

• 150ml mirin

• 75ml soy sauce

• 15g sugar

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• Sea salt

Method

1. Toss the chicken in seasoned flour and allow to stand while you make the sauce.

2. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a pot and bring to the boil.

3. Fry the chicken in oil/fat in a frying pan until nicely browned.

4. Pour the sauce into the pan and spoon over the chicken.

5. Reduce the sauce by half or until it comes syrupy.

Korean spicy beef rice bowl

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

This is one of my favourite midweek meals. It is ready in twenty minutes and satisfies any craving I have for a takeaway

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Korean

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef

• 1 onion

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 45ml honey

• 60ml soy sauce

• 1 ½ tsp Korean red pepper flake powder or chilli flakes

• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 red pepper

• 1 corn on the cob

• 200g tender stem broccoli

• 200g sugar snap peas

• A handful of cashew nuts

• 450g brown rice

• 2 spring onions

• Sliced fresh red chilli

• Some fresh chopped coriander

Method

1. Rinse the rice well. Put into a saucepan with 900ml cold water and some salt. Cover, bring to the boil, and then simmer until the water is absorbed about ten to twelve minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat, take off the lid and let it stand for five minutes to allow any excess moisture to evaporate away.

2. While the rice is cooking, get on with the stir-fry. First, make your sauce. In a bowl, combine the soya sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper powder or chilli flakes, black pepper, honey, and half of the toasted sesame oil.

3. Peel, halve and slice the onion. Wash and prepare the rest of the vegetables. Remove the stalk and seeds from the red pepper, then slice it. Cut the kernels away from the cob of corn. Chop the tender stem broccoli into pieces about three centimetres long. Keep the sugar snap peas whole.

4. Heat a wok over a high flame. Add the rest of the sesame oil. Reduce to a medium/high heat and toss in the sliced onion. Stir fry it for a few minutes until it starts to soften and brown a little. Now add the beef and keep stir-frying until it is well browned. Add the broccoli, stir fry for a minute or two, before adding the sugar snap peas and corn, again, stir-frying all the time. 

5. Add the red pepper and stir fry for another two minutes. Finally, add the sauce and a handful of cashew nuts. Coat everything well in the sauce, stir-frying for another two to three minutes to cook the ginger and garlic and develop all those gorgeous flavours.

6. Now plate up. This recipe makes four generous portions. Put a quarter of the rice into each bowl. Add the spicy beef, and then finish with the spring onion, chopped coriander and some sliced fresh red chilli. 

Linguine puttanesca

If you aren’t a fan of anchovies, I get it. Neither am I usually, but I love them in this sauce. If you’re not convinced, then just add an extra tablespoon of capers instead

Servings

2

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 200g (7oz) linguine

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 200g (7oz) canned cherry tomatoes

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 4 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

• 12 black olives, pitted and chopped

• a handful of basil leaves

• sea salt and freshly ground black

• pepper

Method

1. Cook the linguine in a large pan of salted boiling water for 9 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Drain and reserve half a cup of the pasta cooking water.

2. While the pasta is cooking, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Stir in the garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the capers and olives and cook for a further minute. Add the cooked linguine and reserved pasta cooking water to the sauce and stir well.

4. Divide the linguine puttanesca between two bowls, season with pepper and tear over the basil leaves just before serving.
   
   In Minutes by Clodagh McKenna is published by Octopus Publishing and is out now. 

Butternut squash mac and cheese

Butternut squash is the essential ingredient in this silky smooth mac and cheese

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cubed

• 350ml milk

• Salt and pepper

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• Grating of nutmeg

• 450g macaroni or small pasta shells

• 100g strong Cheddar, grated

• 50g Parmesan or Grana Padano, grated

• 50g mascarpone (optional)

• For the breadcrumbs (otional): 

• 100g breadcrumbs

• 2tbsp butter

Method

1. Place the butternut squash, milk and 150ml water into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the garlic, nutmeg and salt and pepper. 

2. After 15-20 minutes, pierce the squash with a knife. If there is no resistance, turn off the heat and leave to cool slightly while you cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. 

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. 

4. Using a stick blender, purée the butternut squash in its cooking liquid. Stir in the pasta and cheeses, stirring until the cheeses are melted and the sauce has come together. Taste, adding more seasoning if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin it out. 

5. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and stir the breadcrumbs in foaming butter until golden and crispy. Scatter on top of the mac and cheese just before serving. 

Burrito in a bowl

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Filled with refreshing lime flavour and Greek yoghurt for a creamy kick, this wholemeal burrito dish is a great midweek choice

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Mexican

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

• 500g lean minced beef

• 3 tbsp Greek or natural yoghurt

• 3 tbsp lime juice

• 3 tbsp tomato purée

• 60ml water

• 1 tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 125g brown rice

• ½ iceberg lettuce, shredded

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

• 100g Cheddar, grated

• wholemeal wraps, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the cayenne pepper and paprika and cook for one minute. Stir in the mince and cook for about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Mix the Greek yoghurt and lime juice in a small bowl and set aside.

3. When the mince is cooked, stir in the tomato purée, water, and kidney beans and heat through.

4. Warm the wraps according to the instructions on the package. Divide the cooked rice between the wraps. Add a layer of iceberg lettuce to each one, followed by a layer of avocado slices and a layer of spicy mince. Sprinkle the Cheddar on top and finish with a dollop of the Greek yoghurt.