Midweek meals: Beat the heat with dinners ready in 20 minutes or less

If you don't want to be in the kitchen for too long during sunny evenings, here are five tasty dishes to try this week

These easy recipes won't have you in the kitchen for more than 20 minutes.

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.

10-minute naan bread pizza

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. 

Barbecued salmon and lobster with summer salad

Kevin Dundon shares one of his favourite barbecue family meals to enjoy with tender lobster, baby potatoes and a vibrant salad

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets, skin on

• salt

• pepper 

• 1 tbsp fresh chives 

• 1 tbsp olive oil  

• 4 halved lobster, precooked (optional) 

• 1 lemon, juiced 

• 100g mayonnaise 

• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 

• 1kg baby potatoes, boiled 

• 200g cherry tomato 

• 80g rocket leaves 

• ½ onion, chopped 

• ½ cucumber, sliced 

• 50g butter 

Method

1. Preheat the barbecue to medium.

2. Drizzle the salmon darns with olive oil, and season salt and pepper.

3. Place the salmon on the barbecue. Add the lobster if using the grill for 4-5 minutes or until cook and uniformly pink in the centre. Add some butter over on the last minute to glaze the fish. Remove from the barbecue. Keep warm and set aside until ready to serve.

4. In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5. In a second bowl, cut the baby potato into halves. Add the rocket leaves, cherry tomato and cucumber. Drizzle with olive oil and a second drizzle of lemon juice. Toss to combine and Season well.

6. Serve the salmon and lobster immediately with the vegetable salad and Marie-Rose sauce.

Grilled summer salad

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Full of bold ingredients, add this salad to your summer menu

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 2 medium courgette (one green, one yellow)

• 1 medium red onion

• 200g good quality feta

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• good pinch of sea salt

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 120ml extra virgin olive oil

• freshly ground black pepper

• handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded

• good pinch of red pepper or chilli flakes

Method

1. Cut the courgette into oblong slices and the red onion into 8 wedges. Make a quick marinade by whisking together 100ml of olive oil, two tablespoons of white wine vinegar and the crushed garlic, along with a small pinch of sea salt.

2. Place a griddle pan on a medium high heat until very hot, add the rest of the olive oil before placing the courgette on the hot griddle and season with salt and pepper. Cook both sides until tender and showing black marks from the grill. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the red onion to the hot griddle and cook until tender and slightly charred.

4. Arrange the grilled courgette and red onion on a serving platter, crumble the feta over and drizzle with the marinade. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes over, and garnish with freshly torn basil leaves.

Pasta Piselli

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

An easy peasy Italian pasta recipe that makes use of what you already have in your cupboard and freezer

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 13 mins

Total Time

 18 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• ½ onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 800ml stock, chicken or vegetable stock

• 150g frozen peas

• 200g pasta, whatever you have handy

• 50g Parmesan, grated

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Lemon, squeeze of lemon

• Mint leaves to serve, optional

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and leave to saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. If the pan begins to dry add a splash of the stock.

2. Add the garlic and the pasta and stir for a minute or so. Add the stock, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon and begin to simmer.

3. Leave for between 7-10 minutes, be careful not to let the ingredients stick to the pan so do stir as you go. Add the peas for the last 3-4 minutes.

4. Serve with fresh mint and a little grated parmesan. Enjoy.