Its exhausting enough to have an 8-10 hour work day, without having to slave away in the kitchen too, just to feed yourself a healthy meal. not to fret, here are some quick, no-fuss, 15 minute dinner recipes that you can try at home, courtesy of Jamie Oliver!
Blackened chicken
WITH SAN FRAN QUINOA SALAD
serves 4
“Colourful, exciting and full of flavour, this is an epic San Fran-inspired salad and super-quick to throw together. ”
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- QUINOA SALAD
- 300 g quinoa
- 1 fresh red chilli or yellow chilli
- 100 g baby spinach
- 4 spring onions
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander
- 1 bunch of fresh mint
- 1 large ripe mango
- 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ripe avocado
- 50 g feta cheese
- 1 punnet cress
- CHICKEN
- 2 x 200 g skinless free-range chicken breasts
- 1 heaped teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
- olive oil
- 2 mixed-colour peppers
- TO SERVE
- 4 tablespoons fat-free yoghurt
Method
Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Medium lidded pan, medium-high heat • Food processor (bowl blade) • Large frying pan, high heat
Put the quinoa into the pan and generously cover with boiling water and the lid.
Put the chilli, spinach, trimmed spring onions and coriander (reserving a few leaves) into the processor, tear in the top leafy half of the mint, then blitz until finely chopped.
On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, the allspice and paprika. Fold over the paper, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin.
Put into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, turning after 3 or 4 minutes, or until blackened and cooked through.
Deseed the peppers, cut each one into 8 strips and add to the frying pan, tossing regularly. Peel and cut the mango into chunks.
Drain the quinoa and rinse under the cold tap, then drain well again and tip on to a serving board or platter. Toss with the blitzed spinach mixture, squeeze over the lime juice, add the extra virgin olive oil, mix well and season to taste.
Sprinkle the mango chunks and cooked peppers over the quinoa. Halve and destone the avocado, then use a teaspoon to scoop curls of it over the salad.
Slice up the chicken, toss the slices in any juices and add to the salad. Crumble over the feta, scatter over the remaining coriander leaves and snip over the cress. Serve with dollops of yoghurt.
Pasta pesto
WITH GARLIC & ROSEMARY CHICKEN
serves 4
“Everybody loves super-quick pasta pesto – adding chicken and green beans makes it a great weeknight supper. ”
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- CHICKEN
- 2 x 200 g skinless free-range chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 fresh red chillies
- 8 ripe cherry tomatoes
- PASTA & PESTO
- 250 g green beans
- 1 big bunch of fresh basil
- 50 g blanched almonds
- 50 g Parmesan cheese , plus extra to serve
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 300 g fresh lasagne sheets
- 200 g baby spinach
Method
Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Large frying pan, high heat • Large lidded casserole pan, high heat • Food processor (bowl blade)
On a large sheet of grease-proof paper, toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds and the rosemary leaves. Fold over the paper, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5 cm thick with a rolling pin.
Put the chicken into the frying pan with the rapeseed oil, the bashed unpeeled garlic cloves and halved chilies, turning after about 3 or 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Line the beans up and cut off the stalks, put into the casserole pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook for 6 minutes with the lid on.
Pick a few basil leaves for garnish, then rip off the stalks and put the rest of the bunch into the processor with the almonds, Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher. Blitz until smooth, adding a ladle or two of cooking water from the beans to loosen, then season to taste.
Slice the lasagna sheets up into random handkerchief shapes and add to the beans to cook for a couple of minutes. Halve or quarter the tomatoes, add to the chicken and give the pan a shake.
Stir the spinach into the pasta pan, then drain, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water. Return the pasta, beans and spinach to the pan, pour in the pesto from the processor and stir together, loosening with splashes of cooking water until silky.
Slice the chicken breasts in half and serve with the tomatoes and chilli spooned over the top. Finely grate a little extra Parmesan over the pasta, then sprinkle everything with basil leaves.
Mushroom soup
WITH STILTON, APPLE & WALNUT CROÛTES
serves 4
“This mushroom soup looks really fancy, tastes incredible and takes no time at all – just 15 minutes. ”
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- SOUP
- 2 onions
- olive oil
- 1 organic chicken or vegetable stock cube
- ½ a bunch fresh thyme
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 large portobello mushrooms
- 100 g basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon single cream
- 1 teaspoon truffle oil
- CROÛTES
- 8 chestnut mushrooms
- 1 ciabatta loaf
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 eating apple
- ½ a bunch of fresh curly parsley
- 1 lemon
- 50 g Stilton cheese
- 1 small handful shelled walnuts
Method
Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Oven grill on high • Large lidded pan, medium heat • Griddle pan, high heat • Stick blender
Peel, halve and finely slice the onions and put them into the large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Crumble in the stock cube, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, strip in the thyme leaves and squash in 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic through a garlic crusher.
De-stalk the chestnut mushrooms and place the tops on the griddle pan, turning when charred.
Tear the chestnut stalks and portobello into the onion pan, add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in 1 litre of boiling water and boil with the lid on.
Cut 4 slices of ciabatta at an angle and add to the griddle pan. When charred on both sides, rub with a halved garlic clove.
Coarsely grate or slice the apple into matchsticks and toss with the roughly chopped parsley and a little lemon juice.
Place the chestnut mushrooms on the toasts, crumble over the stilton and walnuts, then pop under the grill until the cheese is melted.
Use the stick blender to purée the soup to a consistency you like, then season to taste, if needed, and swirl in the cream and truffle oil.
Top the toasts with pinches of apple and parsley and serve on the side.
Beef Kofta Curry
WITH FLUFFY RICE, BEANS & PEAS
serves 4
“Curries don’t have to cook for ages, this aromatic beef curry is super quick and full of flavour. ”
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- CURRY
- 1 x 250 g pack of ready-to-eat Puy lentils
- 1 heaped teaspoon garam masala
- 400 g quality lean beef mince
- olive oil
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 5 cm piece of ginger
- 2 spring onions
- 1 fresh red chilli
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander
- 1 ground teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon runny honey
- 2 heaped teaspoons Patak’s rogan josh curry paste
- ½ x 400 g tin of light coconut milk
- 1 lemon
- RICE
- 1 mug (300g) of 10-minute wholegrain or basmati rice
- 5 cardamom pods
- 200 g green or yellow beans
- 200 g frozen peas
- 2 uncooked poppadoms
- TO SERVE
- 4 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
Method
Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Large frying pan, high heat • Medium lidded casserole pan, high heat • Liquidizer
Put the lentils into a bowl with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper, the garam masala and mince, then mix and scrunch together with clean hands.
Divide the mixture in half, then with wet hands quickly squeeze and mould each half into 6 fat fingers. Put them into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, turning when golden.
Put 1 mug of rice, 2 mugs of boiling water and the cardamom pods into the casserole pan, then halve and add the beans and put the lid on.
Squash the tomatoes into the liquidizer, peel and add the ginger, and trim and add the spring onions. Add half the chilli, the coriander stalks, turmeric, honey, curry paste and coconut milk, then blitz until combined.
Pour into the kofta pan, bring to the boil, then simmer and season to taste.
Take the lid off the rice, add the peas, mix it all up and give it just a few more minutes.
Crack up the uncooked poppadoms and pop them in the microwave (800W) for a minute or two to puff up.
Finely slice the remaining chilli and the coriander leaves and scatter them over the curry, dollop with yoghurt, then serve with lemon wedges, poppadoms and the rice, beans and peas.
Golden chicken
BRAISED GREENS & POTATO GRATIN
serves 4
“Juicy chicken and bacon, fresh veg and creamy potatoes, this speedy midweek roast has got it all. ”
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- GRATIN
- 800 g potatoes
- 3 onions
- olive oil
- 1 organic chicken stock cube
- ½ a bunch of fresh sage
- 100 ml single cream
- 30 g Parmesan cheese
- CHICKEN
- 4 x 120 g skinless higher-welfare chicken breasts
- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
- GREENS
- 200 g baby leeks
- 200 g baby spinach
- 200 g frozen peas
Method
Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Oven grill on high • Food processor (fine slicer) • Medium lidded pan, high heat • Large high-sided roasting tray, high heat • Large frying pan, medium-high heat
Scrub the potatoes clean, finely slice in the processor, then tip into the medium pan and cover with boiling water and the lid.
Peel the onions, finely slice in the processor, then tip into the roasting tray with 2 tablespoons of oil, crumble in the stock cube and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Tear in the sage leaves and stir regularly, adding a splash of water if they start to catch.
On a large sheet of grease-proof paper, toss the chicken with salt, pepper and the rosemary leaves, then fold the paper over and bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5 cm thick with a rolling pin.
Put into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, turning after 3 or 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Drain the potatoes well in a colander, then tip into the onion pan, stir together and arrange in a flat layer. Pour over the cream, then finely grate over the Parmesan and pop under the grill on the top shelf.
Halve the leeks length-ways, rinse under the tap, then finely slice. Put into the empty lidded pan on a high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often.
Finely slice the bacon and add to the chicken pan, tossing regularly.
Stir the spinach and peas into the leeks and once the spinach has wilted and the peas are tender, pile on a board or platter with the chicken and bacon on top. Serve with the gratin.
Now you get to enjoy these amazing, healthy and fuss-free recipes in the comfort of your home, despite your busy schedule!
Bon Appétit!
