Midweek meals: Five low-effort dishes perfect for a lazy bank holiday dinner

From fish in a flash to 10-minute naan pizza, here are some speedy but tasty dishes 

You won't spend more than half an hour making these dinners

 It’s the end of a long weekend so we don’t want to spend ages whipping up a meal for the family. Here are five quick and easy dinners to satisfy everyone

10-minute naan bread pizza

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

Naan breads are perfect pizza bases when after-school activities demand a swift dinner

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 13 mins

Total Time

 13 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 plain naan breads

• 300g passata

• 400g Mozzarella

• Suggested toppings:

• Pepperoni

• Finely sliced red onion

• Roasted peppers

• Jalapeno peppers

• Sliced olives

• Parmesan

• Rocket

• Pesto

Method

1. Turn the oven on to 200°C with the baking tins inside, preheating while you assemble your pizza. 

2. Sprinkle the naan breads lightly with water before spreading with passata, salt and pepper. Dotting pesto on top of the passata is delicious if you like pesto. 

3. Follow with cheese, and the toppings of your choice. 

4. Bake for ten minutes, until the cheese has melted and the naans are pillowy and crisped at the edges. 

 

Linguine puttanesca

recipe by:Clodagh McKenna

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. 

 

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.

 

Red lentil dahl

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This recipe will be deliciously rich the following day as the flavours come out even more so try to make enough for a few meals!

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• ½ onion, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, grated

• 1 medium red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped

• 3 tsp cumin

• 1 tbsp medium curry powder

• 200g red lentils washed and drained

• juice of 2 limes

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

• 500ml boiling water

• bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. In a large pot melt the coconut oil. Add the vegetables and sweat off gently on a low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the dried spices and cook for roughly another 2 minutes.

2. Stir in your lentils, lime juice and chopped tomatoes. Add the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer for another 15- 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

3. Serve topped with heaps of fresh coriander and a good dollop of natural yoghurt!

 

Fish in a flash

recipe by:Darina Allen

This simple recipe can easily be multiplied - serve with lots of roasted veggies

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 8 mins

Total Time

 18 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 small red onion, chopped

• ½ tsp red chilli flakes

• 1cm/½ inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 x 300g/10½oz fillet of white fish (haddock, pollack or salmon)

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• salt

• freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Place the tomatoes and red onion in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the red chilli flakes. Add the ginger and garlic cloves and drizzle over the olive oil. Mix well. Now lay the fish fillet on top of the veggies, skin side down, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Squeeze the lemon over the top. Let the juice run through your fingers so you can catch any pips. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, and then place in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and check it’s cooked. The flesh should now be opaque. Serve with the roasted veggies. The tomatoes should be soft and bursting. I also like to eat this with a handful of baby spinach leaves and maybe a little French dressing