Midweek Meals: Five summer recipes ready in 45 minutes or less

From a summer salad to a Japanese rice and beef bowl — we have something for everyone this week

Salads, steak, fish and more.

Baked Trout with Lime & Garlic Butter

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This would pair deliciously with a hearty leafy green salad topped with nuts & seeds.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 8 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 33 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter, softened

• juice and zest of ½ lime

• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• salt and pepper

• 2 x 100g trout steaks, pinboned

• Sweet potato mash , to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Combine the butter, lime zest, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Season, mix well and set aside.

3. Place the trout steaks on a sheet of foil. Make 2–3 incisions in each steak and stuff the incisions with the herb butter. Squeeze a little lime juice over each steak and seal the foil. Place the steaks in an ovenproof dish and bake for 10 minutes. Then open the foil and bake uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the skin is nice and crispy.

4. Place the cooked steaks on warmed serving plates and squeeze over a little lime juice. Serve with sweet potato mash.

Summer steak salad

recipe by:Darina Allen

Deliciously fresh salad with avocado, cheese and vivid cherry tomatoes compliment tender strips of steak for a hearty, summery dish

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 700-900g sirloin or fillet steak (at least 4.5cm thick)

• 1 red onion, pickled

• 8-10 sweet ripe cherry tomatoes

• 2 firm but ripe avocados

• 1 Romaine or 3 Little Gem lettuces

• extra virgin olive oil

• rocket and watercress sprigs

• 12 scallions or spring onions

• 110-175g mild blue cheese (Gorgonzola, Crozier Blue or St. Agur)

• Caesar dressing

Method

1. Season the steak generously on both sides with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for at least an hour. Make the pickle red onions as per the recipe below.

2. Cut the Romaine into sixths lengthwise or the Little Gem into quarters. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half around the equator. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Preheat a barbecue or a pan-grill on a high heat. Pat the steak dry with kitchen paper. Drizzle the steak with extra virgin olive oil. Sear the meat well on both sides and along the fat. Reduce the temperature and cook until medium rare. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest while you sear the Romaine or Little Gem on all sides. Clean the grill first, then drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Sear the lettuce chunks on a high heat until nicely charred on all sides. Transfer to a serving plate. Scatter with rocket and watercress sprigs.

4. Toss the spring onions in a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and sear on the heat.

5. Cut the steak into 5mm thick slices across the grain. Scatter over the salad with the tomatoes, pickled red onions, avocado wedges, and crumbled blue cheese. Finely chop with charred spring onions and scatter over the salad along with some flaky sea salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper. Serve with Caesar dressing and tuck in immediately while the steak is still warm.

Gyudon - Japanese Rice & Beef Bowl

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

This dish is usually served with chopped spring onion and toasted sesame seeds scattered over the top, and sometimes finished with the addition of a soft poached egg which is delicious.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 450g ribeye steak

• 400g sushi rice

• 1 large onion

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 4 tsp brown sugar

• 2 tbsp mirin

• 2 tbsp sake or rice wine

• 300ml dashi or beef stock

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• To Serve:

• 2 spring onions

• A few teaspoons of pickled ginger

• 1 red chilli (optional)

•  

Method

1. Put the steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes —this will make it much easier to slice very thinly. When the steak is chilled, use a very sharp knife to slice it against the grain into very thin strips, ideally about 4mm thick. Set aside at room temperature.

2. Rinse the rice in a sieve under a cold tap and then place it in saucepan with 500ml of cold water. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat as low as possible and simmer for 10 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

3. Peel and halve the onion and cut it into thin slices. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir fry the onion until it starts to soften and turn just a little brown. Reduce the heat, and add the soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sake, beef stock and grated ginger. Stir to combine and simmer for about three minutes.

4. Your rice should be almost ready by now, so check it and see of all the water has been absorbed. If it is done, take it off the heat and remove the lid to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate.

5. Add the thinly sliced steak to the pan, stir it in to make sure all the slices of meat are separated and cook it covered for three to five minutes depending upon how you like your beef.

6. Wash and thinly slice the spring onions. Wash and deseed the chilli and chop it finely.

7. Divide the rice between four large bowls and then spoon the beef and onions over each portion of rice. Make sure to divide the broth evenly between the bowls as it is full of flavour, and you do not want anyone to miss out!

8. In Japanese fast-food places, you can even order your Gyudon with extra broth or tsuyu. If you ask for it to be served ‘tsuyudakudakudaku’, which means ‘dripping with soupiness’ that means you want lots and lots of broth, which is how I love to eat this dish.

9. Serve the Gyudon with chopped spring onions and chilli scattered over the top and the pickled ginger on the side.

Sambal prawns with coconut and cashews

recipe by:Lara Lee

Make this dish vegan by swapping out prawns for tofu or tempeh

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 12 mins

Total Time

 12 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 25g desiccated coconut

• Flavourless cooking oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed) or coconut oil

• 20 medium raw prawns, peeled, tails on, defrosted if frozen

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 2tsp garlic paste

• 4 long red chillies, deseeded and finely diced

• 200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths diagonally

• 1tbsp kecap manis

• ½tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar

• Large pinch of fine sea salt

• 60g roasted salted cashews

Method

1. Toast the coconut in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat for about two minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until golden. Transfer the coconut to a plate.

2. Wipe out the pan and heat one tablespoon of oil. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for one to two minutes each side, or until they are just cooked through. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

3. Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok or pan, still over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook, stirring continuously, for three to four minutes, until the chillies have softened and are starting to wrinkle.

4. Add the green beans along with one tablespoon of water, the kecap manis, sugar and salt. Cook for another three minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the green beans are just cooked through with a crunchy bite.

5. Stir in most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little of each for garnish, and return the prawns to the pan. Toss everything together. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cashews.

Warm Potato Salad

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

The beauty of this recipe is that by cutting the potatoes into small cubes, you can speed up the cooking time for the tasty bites.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

• 6 streaky rashers, cut into small pieces

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

• 1 cup of frozen peas

• 1 heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard

• 1 tsp of runny honey

• 2 tbsp of vinegar (I like cider or balsamic)

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach and/or rocket

Method

1. Preheat your (fan) oven to 180C.

2. Line a heavy baking tray with non-stick baking parchment. Pour the cubed potatoes and the sunflower oil on top of the parchment and mix together so that the cubes are coated in oil. Put the baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes.

3. After 15 minutes carefully lift out the baking tray and add the rasher pieces and sliced onions. Stir so that they are well combined with the cubed potatoes. Return the tray to the oven.

4. Meanwhile, boil a kettle and pour the boiling water on top of the cup of frozen peas (a quick defrost). Put the mustard, honey, and vinegar into a jar (which comes with a lid). Seal the jar and shake well to combine the dressing.

5. Once the baking tray has been in the oven for 30 minutes in total remove the tray and immediately pour the dressing over the tray and stir straight away.

6. Finally, drain the peas and add them to the baking tray. Serve while still warm.

7. While the leftovers (if you have any) are still warm, stir in the baby leaf spinach and rocket leaves. Decant into a lunchbox and take to work or school the following day!