Midweek Meals: Five dinners with a sneaky portion of veg perfect for fussy eaters

If you can't face fighting your fussy eater this week, make one of these secretly healthy dinners 

Midweek meals that are secretly packed with veg.

Hidden vegetable pasta sauce

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This sauce is really versatile. It can be used as a base for bolognaise, lasagne or even burritos. It freezes well and it is worth making in a big quantity and dividing up into portions

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 celery stick, finely chopped

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 400g tin tomatoes

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Method

1. Add the carrot, celery, onion, pepper, oregano and garlic and cook for about 6 minutes, add a dash of water if the pan becomes dry.

2. Add in the tomatoes and 300ml of water.

3. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree the sauce until it is smooth.
   
   Photo by Greta Hoffman from Pexels

Nasi goreng

One of the best ways to use up leftover rice, there are lots of variations of nasi goreng but this is our favourite

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indonesian

Ingredients

• spray oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 bundle of asparagus, woody ends removed, and chopped into thirds

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp garlic granules

• salt

• pepper 

• 320g cooked rice

• 2 tbsp mirin

• To garnish:

• 2 fried eggs

• 1 scallion, sliced

• sesame seeds

Method

1. Spray a frying pan or wok with some oil and heat. Add in the garlic, asparagus and shallot and fry off, then add the chicken, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, garlic granules and salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is browned.

2. Next add in the cooked rice.

3. Mix the mirin with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce in a cup and add into the rice and chicken, stirring well until the rice is completely coated. Get your fried eggs cooking so they’re ready for the garnish.

4. Pop half of the mix into a little bowl, and tip it out onto a plate, to give you a nice little ‘sandcastle’ of rice.

5. Top with a fried egg and sprinkle over the scallion slices and sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining mix.
   This recipe is from Gina and Karol Daly's The Daly Dish Rides Again, published by Gill Books.

Simple curry

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This easy curry sauce can be served chunky or smooth – whatever way you like it.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 IEC-recipe-root

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 onions chopped

• 4-5 cloves garlic

• Thumb size piece of ginger grated

• 2 tbsp medium curry powder

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

• 10 apricots

• 3 apples peeled and chopped roughly 

• 3 peppers deseeded and chopped roughly 

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 700ml chicken or vegetable stock

• Salt and pepper

• Leftover roast chicken or a tin of chickpeas

• Basmati rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.

2. Add the onions and cook until softened.

3. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the apricots, apples, peppers, tomato purée and stock and bring to the boil.

5. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 40-60 minutes. You can divide this into portions and put in containers in the freezer for later use.

6. Use a hand blender to blend

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. 

Beef stew with dumplings

Beef, pillowy dumplings and a rich gravy - what more could you want?

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

• 1kg braising steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

• 2 celery stalks, sliced

• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into cubes

• 570ml beef stock

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme

• For the dumplings:

• 175g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tbsp oil

• 118ml milk

Method

1. Put the seasoned flour in a plastic bag, add the beef cubes and toss to coat. Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish and add the beef cubes. Brown well on all sides. This should be done in batches, removing the meat from the pan to a warmed plate until all the meat is browned.

2. Add the onions and cook until they start to turn translucent and add the rest of the vegetables, stirring frequently to brown. Now return the beef to the pan and add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to the boil, stirring well. Cover tightly and reduce heat to as low as possible. Simmer for at least two hours.

3. To make the dumplings, sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and add the oil and milk. Stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated and the mixture resembles a batter. Mould the dumplings into small balls. Approximately 15-20 minutes before serving, turn up the heat, bring to the boil and drop the dumplings on to the surface of the stew. If the stew is being cooked in the oven, allow around 30 minutes for the dumplings to cook.