Quick meals for hectic school nights
without the skin, cut into 4 pieces 1-1/2 cups (210 g) cherry tomatoes, halved diced avocado, lightly drizzled with lemon juice (optional)
As the school year revs up, our schedules do, too. All those after-school practices, play dates and study sessions eat into dinner preparation time. That’s why I thought you could use these four quick-meal recipes. They each take less than half an hour to prep from start to finish and are full of fun, exciting flavours inspired by some of my favourite cuisines. The whole family will be clamouring for more and, best of all, you’ll still have time to wind down after your day.
Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ricardo Tested Put that menu away! In less time than it would take your family to decide on what to order, you can have a heaping plate of delectable sweetand-sour pork and broccoli ready to satisfy everyone at the table. Prep your rice ahead of time if you’ve got a rice cooker or, for added speed, get a packet of precooked rice at the grocery store — a few minutes in the microwave, and it’s ready to go.
For the sauce:
1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken broth 1/4 cup (60 mL) hoisin sauce 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) honey 1 tsp cornstarch
For the stir-fry:
2 tbsp (30 mL) peanut oil 3/4 lb (340 g) pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips 3 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separate) 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 bunch broccoli, the tops cut into small florets and the stems peeled and cut into sticks (approximately 5 cups/1.25 litres)
To make the sauce, in a medium size bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Set aside.
In a wok, heat the oil over high heat. Stir-fry meat, white parts of the onions, garlic and pepper flakes for 4minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
In the same wok, stir-fry broccoli for 1 minute, adding more oil if needed. Add sauce. Bring to a boil while stirring.
Simmer until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add meat and continue cooking until heated through. Adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with green parts of the onions. Serve with cooked basmati rice. Makes 4 servings.
Seared Fish with Vegetable Vermicelli
Ricardo Tested Vermicelli makes this fish dish a winner for kids, while cilantro, rice vinegar, mirin and sambal oelek give it complexity your palate will appreciate.
There’s nothing I love better than a one-pot dish — not only do the flavours of all the ingredients merge into something magical, but the cleanup is even quicker than the prep time!
1 large red onion, cut into thin strips 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 4 oz (115 g) rice vermicelli 1 carrot, peeled and grated 1/2 English cucumber, grated 1/3 cup (15 g) cilantro, chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) mirin 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) sambal oelek, or more to taste 1-1/2 lb (675 g) white fish, with or
In non-stick skillet over mediumhigh heat, brown onion in 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil. Transfer to a large bowl.
In a large pot of boiling water, add vermicelli.
Remove from heat and let rest for 3 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold running water and drain. Snip vermicelli with scissors to shorten.
Add noodles, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sambal oelek to onions. Toss to coat.
In the same skillet over high heat, brown fish in remaining oil until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper.
Place noodles and vegetables on serving plates. Garnish with tomatoes and avocado. Top with seared fish.
Makes 4 servings.
Pea and Spinach Pesto Pasta
Ricardo Tested I bet this becomes a Meatless Monday regular. Crunchy roasted almonds give this veggie-packed pasta dish a protein boost, not to mention a beautiful textural contrast with the sweet peas. Puréeing half the sauce before combining it with the shells is the secret to making the flavours really cling to the pasta.
4 cups (340 g) small pasta shells 2 cups (300 g) frozen peas 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil 6 cups (150 g) fresh spinach 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice 1/2 cup (85 g) roasted almonds, crushed (optional)
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta al dente. Set aside 1 cup (250 mL) of cooking water. Drain pasta and oil lightly.
Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, soften peas and garlic clove in 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside half of the peas in a bowl.
In a food processor or blender, purée remaining peas, garlic, remaining oil, spinach, cheese, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pesto to skillet. Add pasta and peas and toss to coat. Warm over medium heat and adjust the seasoning, gradually adding cooking water until sauce is creamy.
Sprinkle with almonds and parmesan shavings, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Chicken Banh Mi
Ricardo Tested The bold flavours in this Vietnamese classic make sandwiches for dinner a no-brainer.
It’s the perfect use for leftover cooked chicken — just mix with mayo, hoisin, mirin and hot sauce, and stuff into fresh baguettes (get individual ones for a treat kids will love) with sliced cucumbers, carrots, green onions and as much cilantro as you want.
For the mayonnaise:
1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise 1 tbsp (15 mL) mirin 2 tsp (10 mL) hoisin sauce 2 tsp (10 mL) hot pepper sauce (sambal oelek, sriracha, etc.), or to taste 1/8 tsp five spice powder
For the Banh Mi:
1 baguette 2 cups (340 g) cooked chicken, cooled and torn into large pieces 1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned 1 carrot, julienned 1 green onion, thinly sliced Cilantro leaves, as desired
To make mayonnaise, in a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
Slice baguette open lengthwise. Spread inside of baguette with half of mayonnaise. Cut bread into 3 or 4 sections.
In large bowl, toss chicken with remaining mayonnaise to coat well.
Spoon chicken salad onto bread. Garnish with cucumber, carrot, green onion and cilantro.
Makes 3 to 4 servings.