Quick Easy and Healthy One-Pot Dinners

We are all trying to get back into the routine of back to work after hols, kids back at school etc.

We need to make life easy and have plans for dinner most evenings and a few one pot dinners will certainly help us on the way.

We are not quite ready to start the stews, hotpots and slow cookers so lets look at alternatives.

Pasta Bakes

Small shaped pasta works best for bakes  

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, mix thoroughly .....

• • Goats cheese,  pesto, roast red pepper,  passata, mix into penne pasta and top with grated parmesean cheese 
• • Tuna & Broccoli Pasta – drained tuna, can of tomatoes, light soft cheese,lightly steamed broccoli,  grated cheddar, breadcrumbs, 

Heat the tomatoes, sir in the soft cheese until melted, combine tuna, pasta, broccoli & sauce into an ovenproof dish top with breadcrumb & cheddar cheese pop into a preheated oven for 15 mins until bubbling.  

Skip the broccoli and use sweetcorn instead...  

• • Ham mushroom & pea pasta bake make a simple white sauce and top with grated cheese..

Easy White Sauce ...

50g plain flour, 500ml milk, 1 teasp butter – melt butter, saute onions, stir in flour and cook for 1 min gradually add in milk stirring conintually until you have a lump free sauce, incread heat and bubble to thicken...  Extremely Versatile sauce  - pop in a few handfuls of grated cheddar to make a creamy cheese sauce..

Variations 

Chicken & broccoli bake, Cheese, tomato & Spinach bake, mushroom, spinach, mozzarella, sunblushed tomatoes roast peppers..

Mince dishes

Asiany Turkey Mince roll ups.. babycorn, sugarsnaps, beansprouts, chilli, garlic, coriander splash of soy & teriyaki beansprouts & iceberg..  Cook in a wok and simply serve a plate of iceberg cups with the Turkey Mince in a separate bowl and let people help themselves..

A Mexican variation using Turkey mince use either nachos, or tortillas…  fry off with garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander, add the turkey mince and a few chopped fresh tomatoes with coriander…   Serve in Tortillas with some salad.

Chilli Beef in nachos, tacos, wraps, or jacket potatoes, vary it with different topping for example salsa, cheese, guacamole.

 Cottage pie – top with carrot & parsnip mash or potato & parsnip with horseradish

Lasagne  - forget the béchamel and use cottage cheese & fresh basil pesto or 1 med tub  natural yoghurt and 2 eggs mixed well

Mousakka

Layers of  aubergines, minced lamb, potatoes, topped with natural yoghurt mixed with 3 eggs sprinkled with breadcrumbs and baked till just bubbling hot…

Dont like Aubergines substitute of courgettes ....

StirFries

Stirfries w noodle – chicken breasts cubed or prawns or tofu,  red onion, ginger, garlic, red pepper, broccoli, sweetcorn, mix oyster, sweet chilli sauce, add noodles either soaked or ready to cook...

Oven baked Chicken Thighs  --   Chicken thighs marinated in honey & mustard place over sweet potatoes, baby potatoes and carrots in a non stick baking tray bake for 30 mins or until cooked through

Asiany Turkey Mince Roll ups… 

500g Turkey mince – lovely and lean

6is Baby corn chopped 

1 handful Sugar snap peas 

3 handfuls of mushrooms

1 red pepper cubed into small pieces

1 red chilli chopped very finely

2 cloves of garlic chopped very finely

1 red onion chopped very finely

Small piece of ginger

1 bunch of coriander chopped

3 handfuls of beansprouts

8 iceberg lettuce cups

Couple of  Splash of soy & teriyaki sauce

Splash or spray of oil

Heat a wok, add the onion, pepper, chilli, garlic& ginger cook for 3 mins, add the mince stir fry with a splash of soy and teriyaki, add half the coriander, cook for 5 mins. Meanwhile  Steam the chopped baby corn for 5 mins, chop the sugar snaps into small pieces add to the mixture with the baby corn , stir to combine cook for another 5 mins add the remaining coriander with another splash of soy & teriyaki.

Pop the beansprouts on top of the mixture just as you are about to serve.. combine and pop mixture into a bowl.  Serve in cups of iceberg… roll up and eat… just delicious!!

 Sophie’s Moussaka

500g minced lamb

500g natural yoghurt

3 raw eggs

2 red onions finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 glass of red wine

2 large aubergines in big cubes

4 rooster potatoes sliced

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

1 large handful of basil

Fry the aubergine in oil remove and place on kitchen paper.

Heat a little oil and cook the onion & garlic for 3 mins, add the mince cook until browned add the wine and tomatoes cook for 10 mins, pop the aubergine and basil into the mixture and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile Steam the rooster potatoes for 5 mins just to remove the big bite…   

Combine the yoghurt with the eggs..  Layer the lamb mixture with potatoes and top with the yoghurt mixture on top…. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 45 mins @ 190… serve with a green salad…