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

Take the stress out of your meal plan with these quick recipes

Midweek meals: Easy dinner recipes like sweet and sour chicken and a vegan burrito bowl

Salmon fish cakes and spicy dip

With a delightfully crispy exterior and tender interior, these fish cakes are easy make and compliment perfectly the creamy, spicy dip

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the salmon fishcakes:

• 400g floury potatoes, boiled and mashed

• 400g skinless salmon fillet, poached and flaked

• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

• 2 tsp capers

• 1 tbsp finely chopped dill

• grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

• 50g butter

• sea salt

• black pepper

• For the spicy dip:

• 100ml crème fraîche

• 1 tbsp peeled and grated Fresh horseradish root (jarred horseradish will do too)

• grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, plus a bunch of watercress (optional), to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Place all the ingredients for the fishcakes except the butter in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

3. Divide the fishcake mixture into four balls and shape each into a patty.

4. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the fishcakes and brown on both sides. Transfer the fishcakes to a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

5. While the fishcakes are baking, mix all the ingredients for the horseradish cream together in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper.

6. To serve, place each fishcake on a warmed plate with a spoonful of the horseradish cream and a wedge of lemon, plus a handful of watercress, if you wish.

 

Spicy Sichuan Pork Noodles

The trick here is to get your green beans nicely blistered in the pan and a good bit of caramelisation on your noodles.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 8 mins

Total Time

 18 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• For the spicy Asian sauce:

• 1½ tbsp oyster sauce

• 1½ tbsp kecap manis*

• 4 tsp sambal oelek*

• For the noodles:

• 250 g fresh Shanghai or hokkien noodles

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 cups (200 g) green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half

• 3 ½ brown onion, finely diced

• 1 garlic clove*, finely minced

• 2 tsp finely minced ginger*

• 200 g pork mince

Method

1. Mix the ingredients for the spicy Asian sauce in a small bowl.

2. Cook the noodles according to the packet directions. Drain, then rinse briefly under tap water. Leave in the colander until ready to use.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron frying pan6 over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the green beans, spreading them out in a single layer. Leave to cook for 2 minutes, stirring only every 30 seconds, until lightly charred and just cooked through. Tip the beans into a bowl and set aside.

4. Cool the frying pan for 15 seconds, then place it back over high heat.

5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, then cook the onion, garlic and ginger (if using) for 30 seconds. Add the pork mince and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it mostly changes from pink to white, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the sauce and continue cooking the pork for another 1 minute until it is nicely browned.

6. Add the noodles, green beans and remaining sauce. Toss for 2 minutes with two wooden spoons, ensuring that the noodles get some nice caramelisation.