EASY MIDWEEK MEALS
Quick, tasty, family-friendly dinners
118
MONDAY SPICY STIR-FRIED PORK AND AUBERGINE
PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 35 MINS SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
● 3 tbsp sunflower oil ● 2 aubergines, cut into 2cm pieces ● 4 spring onions ● 2 cloves garlic
● Small piece fresh root ginger ● 2 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Gochujang Chilli Paste ● 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce ● 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine ● 1 tsp maple syrup ● 500g pack lean minced pork ● ½ 25g pack Thai basil, leaves shredded ● Steamed rice, to serve
METHOD
1 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the aubergines and fry for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden all over. Meanwhile, finely slice the spring onions, separating the whites and greens, crush the garlic and finely grate the ginger. 2 In a bowl, mix the chilli paste, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine and maple syrup with
1 tbsp water.
3 Tip the aubergine onto a plate and return the pan to a high heat with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add the spring onion whites, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the pork and fry for 3-4 minutes until there is no pink meat remaining and any excess liquid has bubbled off from the pan.
4 Add the sauce and aubergine to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes until everything is coated in the sauce. Take off the heat and toss in the Thai basil leaves. Serve on rice, with the spring onion greens sprinkled over the top.
TUESDAY PAPRIKA SWEET POTATO & TOFU STEW
PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 45 MINS SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
● 2 tbsp plain flour ● 3 tbsp sweet smoked paprika ● 1 tsp hot smoked paprika ● 550g sweet potatoes, cut into chunks ● 250g tofu, cut into chunks ● 2 tbsp olive oil ● 1 shallot, sliced ● 2 green peppers, sliced into strips
● 2 garlic cloves, minced ● 1 tbsp tomato purée ● 1 tin chopped tomatoes ● 300-400ml vegetable stock
METHOD
1 Combine the flour and paprika powders in a large bowl. Add the sweet potato and tofu chunks and mix until all the chunks are covered. 2 Heat the oil in a large pot then add the chunks to lightly fry. Save any remaining flour/paprika mix to use later. Once all the chunks are slightly browned, take them out of the pot.
3 Add the shallot and peppers and cook until they’re soft. Add the garlic and stir (don’t let the garlic burn or it will turn bitter). Add the tomato purée and stir. Now add the tofu and sweet potatoes back into the pot and combine all. Add the remaining flour/paprika mix and stir again.
4 Add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Turn the heat down to low and cook for around 30-40 minutes uncovered (start with 30 minutes and add another 5-10 if needed). Stir occasionally until the ingredients are soft but not falling apart. Serve immediately.
WEDNESDAY
MEXICAN-STYLE STUFFED TOMATOES
PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 45 MINS SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
● 6 large beef tomatoes ● 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling ● 1 medium onion, finely chopped ● 1 tsp tomato purée ● 1 x 250g pouch of Merchant Gourmet Spicy MexicanStyle Grains ● Coriander and parsley, finely chopped ● Zest and juice of 1 lemon ● Salt and black pepper ● Green salad, to serve
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and set aside for later. Carefully scoop out the soft pulp into a bowl, chopping up any larger pieces.
2 Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole dish over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5-7 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato pulp, tomato purée and grains.
3 Remove the casserole from the heat and stir in the coriander, parsley and lemon juice and zest, then season with salt and black pepper.
4 Fill each tomato shell with the grains mixture until the frying pan is empty, then place the tomatoes, with their tops back on, in the frying pan or, if it’s not ovenproof, on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and blistered on top. Serve with a green salad.
COOK’S TIP
You need large beef tomatoes for this, around 6cm wide. If you can’t find them, swap the tomatoes for bell peppers.
THURSDAY CHICKEN SHAWARMA FLATBREADS WITH YOGURT
PREP TIME 20 MINS (PLUS MARINATING) COOK TIME 20 MINS SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
● 8 chicken thigh fillets ● 3 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Shawarma Paste ● ½ red onion, finely sliced ● 2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges) ● 1½ tsp sumac ● ½ large cucumber ● 250g Greek-style natural yogurt ● 1 small clove garlic, finely grated ● 15 mint leaves, finely shredded, plus extra to garnish ● 4 Waitrose & Partners Hand-Stretched Flatbreads ● 50g pomegranate seeds ● 1-2 handfuls wild rocket, to serve
METHOD
1 Slash each chicken thigh a few times, concentrating on the thicker parts of the fillet. Season with salt and pepper, then rub all over with the shawarma paste. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Meanwhile, mix the onion, lemon juice and sumac with a good pinch of salt. Set aside to pickle until you’re ready to serve.
2 To make the sauce, coarsely grate the cucumber and put in a sieve. Toss with a pinch of salt and leave over a bowl for 10 minutes to drain, then gently press with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Tip into a bowl and stir in the yogurt, garlic and mint.
3 Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cook the chicken for 5-8 minutes on each side (depending on the fillets’ size) until the juices run clear and there’s no pink meat, then set aside for 2 minutes. Clean the pan, then use it to griddle the flatbreads for 30 seconds on each side. Arrange them on plates and top with the chicken, pickled red onion, pomegranate, rocket and the cucumber and yogurt sauce, finishing with the extra mint leaves and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
COOK’S TIP
This recipe also works well with lamb or pork steaks instead of chicken (remember to adjust your cooking times accordingly).
FRIDAY
VERY VEGGIE PASTA BAKE
PREP TIME 5 MINS COOK TIME 40 MINS SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
● 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ● 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes ● 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced ● 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes ● 1 bunch (25g) basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped ● 300g wholewheat penne pasta ● 250g vine tomatoes ● 80g spinach ● 1 ball (125g) lighter mozzarella, torn into small pieces ● 120g sweet baby leaf salad, to serve
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry the aubergine cubes for
3-5 minutes until they take on some colour. Add the garlic, cooking for a further 2 minutes.
2 Add the chopped tomatoes and basil stalks, season generously with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes until you have a thick sauce.
3 While the sauce is simmering, cook the wholewheat penne pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions in a large pan of boiling, salted water.
4 Remove the tomatoes from the vine, add half of the pack to the sauce whole, then stir in the spinach and most of the basil leaves, saving a little to garnish.
5 Mix the cooked pasta into the sauce, transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the torn mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes until the mozzarella is golden and bubbling.
6 Scatter the remaining basil leaves on top of the pasta, then serve with the remaining tomatoes and salad leaves.