Midweek meals: Five summer dinners ready in 30 minutes or less

Take the stress out of this week's dinners with these speedy dishes

From stir fry to spaghetti, here are some dinners that are sure to be crowd-pleasers

Minced lamb stir fry with tomatoes and coriander

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Fresh, rich cherry tomatoes are at the centre of this garlicky dish, filled with tender lamb, soya flavours and a hint of chilli

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• rice for four

• 400g minced lamb

• dash of rapeseed oil

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

• 2 thumb size pieces of ginger, finely chopped

• 4 tbsp soya sauce

• ½ tbsp honey

• zest of 2 limes, juice of 1 small one

• 3 spring onions, sliced

• 1 head of pak choy, leaves pulled apart and larger leaves sliced

• 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

• bunch of coriander, stalks and leaves roughly chopped separately

Method

1. Put the rice on to boil in lightly salted water and drain when cooked.

2. Heat the oil in a large wok and fry the garlic, chilli and ginger for thirty seconds.

3. Add the lamb and and brown it all over. Add the soya sauce, honey and lime juice and zest. Taste and season.

4. Stir in the spring onions, pak choy, coriander stalks and tomatoes. The heat should wilt the pak choy almost straight away.

5. Serve with the rice and sprinkle the coriander leaves over the mince.

Quesadillas

recipe by:Darina Allen

Quesadillas are a delicious snacks of corn tortilla and a variety of fillings, sold in little stalls on the streets of Mexico

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Mexican

Ingredients

• 8 corn tortillas or 4 wheat flour tortillas

• 110g Mozzarella cheese, grated 

• 2 green chillies, cut in strips (optional)

• To serve:

• Guacamole

• Tomato and coriander salsa

Method

1. Heat an iron pan or griddle, lay a tortilla on the hot pan.

2. Put about 30g of cheese on one half, keeping it a little from the edge, lay a leaf or two of epazote on top, sprinkle on a few strips of chilli.

3. Fold over the other side, seal.

4. Cook for a minute or two, then carefully turn over.

5. Serve just as it is or cut into quarters with tomato and coriander salsa and guacamole, or refried beans.