Tasty midweek meals to make in minutes
Warm up winter evenings with these tasty, fun dishes and keep the smiles wide for all the family
MONDAY
LIGHTER TURKEY CHEESEBURGER
PREP TIME 20 minutes COOK TIME 45 minutes SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
● 3 white potatoes ● ½ cucumber ● 30ml red wine vinegar ● 3.8g yellow mustard seeds ● 250g turkey mince ● 8ml soy sauce ● 30ml mayonnaise ● 30ml ketchup ● 20g mustard ketchup ● 40g Cheddar cheese ● 1 little gem lettuce ● 1 shallot ● 15g crispy onions
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas mark 7. Cut the potatoes (skins on) into wedges, add to a baking tray with a drizzle of oil and pinch of salt. Put the tray in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
2 Top, tail and slice the cucumber finely. Add red wine vinegar, mustard seeds, a pinch of sugar, salt and a splash of boiled water and stir until dissolved. Add the cucumber and mix up, then set aside.
3 Add turkey mince and soy sauce to a large bowl with a generous pinch of pepper. Knead until fully combined. Shape into 2 burger patties
4 Heat a wide-based pan with a drizzle of oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the burger patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
5 Combine the mayo, ketchup and mustard ketchup. Grate the cheese.
6 Shred the lettuce. Peel and slice the shallot. Add the gem and shallot to the bowl of quick-pickles, drain the excess liquid then add a drizzle of olive oil. 7 Once cooked, top the patties with cheese and cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. 8 Top the burgers with the crispy onions. Serve with the salad, potato wedges and burger sauce.
TUESDAY BAKED SPINACH AND RICOTTA SHELLS WITH ISLE OF WIGHT TOMATO SAUCE
PREP TIME 30 minutes COOK TIME 20–25 minutes SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
● 175g giant pasta shells ● 1 tbsp olive oil ● 2 cloves garlic, crushed ● A pinch dried chilli flakes (optional) ● 200g spinach, chopped
● 125g ricotta ● Zest of ½ lemon ● 250ml Isle of Wight tomatoes passata ● 25g strong cheese finely grated
METHOD
1 Heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas mark 4. Cook the pasta shells following pack instructions but drain when they are still a little al dente as they will cook more in the oven.
2 Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently cook the garlic (and chilli, if using) for 2-3 minutes.
3 Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the ricotta and lemon zest, then season well.
4 Spoon the passata evenly across the bottom of a baking dish. Use a teaspoon to pack each shell with the spinach and ricotta mixture, then put the shells into the dish, making sure they’re evenly spaced.
5 Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling and golden. COOK’S TIP
Make this a vegan dish by replacing the ricotta with cashew ricotta and dairy-free cheese on top.
VEGETARIAN
WEDNESDAY
JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN
PREP 30 minutes COOK TIME 30 minutes SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
● 500g chicken or 500g sweet potato/tofu ● ½ lime
For the marinade:
● 3 spring onions ● Tastesmiths Jamaican Jerk Marinade pack: ginger, garlic, scotch bonnet chilli, mixed spices ● 5-6 tbsp tomato ketchup ● 1 tbsp sugar (brown) ● 1 tsp salt (or to taste) ● 3 tbsp flavourless oil, such as sunflower or vegetable ● ½ lime
METHOD
To make the marinade
1 Top and tail the spring onions. Peel and chop the ginger and garlic.
2 Using a blender, whizz the spring onion, chilli, ginger and garlic, 6 tbsp ketchup, Tastesmiths spice pack, 1 tbsp sugar, 1-2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp oil and the juice of half a lime.
3 Add the chicken/veggie alternative to a nonmetallic bowl or a zip lock bag, then pour enough marinade in to give it a light coating.
4 Leave to marinate for minimum 20 minutes – bring it back to room temperature before cooking. To make the jerk chicken
1 Heat the oven to 200˚C/Fan 180˚C/Gas mark 6. Wrap the chicken/veggie option up in a couple of layers of foil and place on a baking tray.
2 Put the tray into the oven to cook for 15 minutes. 3 Baste the chicken/veggie option and turn the heat down to 180˚C/Fan 160˚C/Gas mark 5.
4 Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or until cooked through and sticky and charred in places.
5 Serve with rice and peas or sweet potato fries and coleslaw.
THURSDAY FULLY LOADED NACHOS WITH BLACK BEANS, GUACAMOLE AND FRESH SALSA PREP TIME 15 minutes COOK TIME 5–8 minutes SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
For the guacamole
● 1 large ripe avocado, chopped ● ½ green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped ● 1-2 tbsp lime juice (or to taste) ● 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves ● A few drops Tabasco ● Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salsa
● 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped ● ½ red onion, finely chopped ● ½ red or green chilli, finely chopped ● ½ tablespoon white vinegar ● Salt and freshly ground pepper ● 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
To garnish and serve
● 1 large bag lightly salted tortilla chips (200g) ● 200-250g strong Cheddar cheese, finely grated ● 150g tinned black beans, rinsed and drained ● Handful sliced green jalapeños (from a jar) ● 150g sour cream ● 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves ● Sprinkling sweet paprika (optional)
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Fan 180˚C/Gas mark 6.
2 To make the guacamole put all the ingredients in a blender or mini chopper and blend until smooth. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste.
3 Mix all of the ingredients for the salsa together in a bowl and then season to taste.
4 Arrange half the tortilla chips on a large, oven-safe ceramic platter or on a baking tray lined with foil.
5 Sprinkle half the cheese over the nachos and then sprinkle half the black beans over them. Add the remaining nachos and the rest of the cheese and black beans.
6 Put nachos in the oven and keep an eye on themfl The cheese will soon start to melt. Add more cheese if needed.
7 Cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Spread the salsa over the top then add dollops of sour cream and guacamole. Sprinkle with the sliced jalapeños, coriander and paprika if using. Serve immediately.
FRIDAY SATAY LAMB STEAK WITH COCONUT RICE
PREP TIME 5 minutes COOK TIME 10 minutes SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
● 2 lean lamb leg steaks, about 225g total ● 1 tbsp satay paste ● 1 tbsp vegetable oil ● 150g green beans (frozen or fresh) ● pinch of salt ● 1 x 250g (9oz) packet ready-cooked coconut rice
METHOD
1 Put the kettle on. While it’s boiling, in a large bowl massage the lamb steaks with the satay paste and oil. Preheat a non-stick wok over a high heat. 2 Put the green beans into a saucepan with a pinch of salt, cover with boiling water and place over a medium-high heat. Meanwhile, add the marinated lamb steaks to the wok and cook for 2–3 minutes each side for medium, or to your liking.
3 While the lamb and beans are cooking, microwave the coconut rice following the packet instructions and transfer to serving bowls. Drain the green beans and place over the rice, then top with the lamb steaks.
COOK’S TIP
Lightly stir-fry pak choi or finely sliced green cabbage as an alternative to beans