The return to school after summer holidays can be a stressful enough period of adjustment, without the added complications of a global pandemic! So the wonderful Jolene of ‘One yummy Mummy ‘ is here to help, with 5 easy recipes to get you through the school week!
‘I find by having a simple meal plan of dinners the whole family will actually eat organised really lightens the load of the back to school mayhem.’ Jolene says. These recipes take max 40 minutes to prepare.
1. Pizza Pasta
Serves 4
- You will need a saucepan and an ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven to 180℃, gas mark 4.
- Cook 200g of fusilli pasta according to the packet instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, crush 1 garlic clove, dice one red pepper and slice 200g of chorizo.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain and add in the red pepper, chorizo and garlic to the pot, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Pour in 200g of passata and a tablespoon each of red pesto and dried oregano. Mix thoroughly then transfer to an oven-proof dish.
- Finish with a scattering of mature white cheddar on top.
- Place on the bottom shelf of the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Healthy Pot Noodles
Serves 4
- You will need a saucepan and a wok.
- Cook 140g of medium egg noodles according to the packet instructions.
- When they are cooked, drain and toss in a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. Cover the noodles and leave to one side.
- Meanwhile, add a tablespoon of olive oil to your wok and place over a medium heat.
- Dice 4 chicken breasts and add to the wok, cooking for 15 minutes.
- Add 1 crushed garlic clove, 15g of frozen peas, 15g of sweetcorn, and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir fry for another 10 minutes then pour in a chicken stock cube dissolved in 30mls of water, along with a splash of soy sauce.
- Toss in the cooked egg noodles and serve in little pots.
3. Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Serves 4
- You will need a large, heavy-based saucepan.
- Dice 4 chicken breasts, crush 1 garlic clove, slice 1 medium white onion and two stalks of celery.
- Pour a glug of olive oil into your heavy-based saucepan and saute the onion, garlic and celery for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle in a heaped tablespoon of plain flour and stir.
- Slowly add in a pint of hot chicken stock, quarter pint by quarter pint, giving a good stir until the mixture looks thick with no lumps.
- Finish by sprinkling in a heaped tablespoon of mild curry powder, a teaspoon of turmeric and a teaspoon of dried ginger.
- Turn the heat down low and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Quesadillas
Serves 2, depending on how hungry you are!
- You will need a small saucepan and a large frying pan.
- Start by making your salsa: Dice 1 red onion, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper and crush 1 garlic clove.
- Throw into the saucepan over a medium heat with a glug of olive oil and saute for around 6 minutes until the onion has become a little caramelised.
- Pour in a 200g tin of chopped tomatoes and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle in a ½ teaspoon each of cumin, oregano and brown sugar, then finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- In a frying pan big enough to hold a flat tortilla wrap, heat a glug of olive oil then fry one side of your tortilla wrap until crispy. Take out and leave to one side.
- Repeat with a second wrap then top with 2 tablespoons of salsa, spreading it out making sure the wrap is evenly covered.
- Sprinkle with grated white cheddar cheese then top with the first cooked wrap, crispy side up.
- Cook until the cheese is melted and oozing.
- Cut into quarters like a pizza and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
5. Coconut Veggie Curry
- Crush a clove of garlic, dice 1 onion and 1 butternut squash, chop a finger of ginger and 1 green pepper, and slice a handful of mushrooms.
- Add all the veggies to your saucepan over a medium heat with a little oil.
- Squeeze in a tablespoon of tomato puree and mix.
- Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of curry powder, and a pinch of chili powder.
- Season with a little salt then add a tin of coconut milk. Stir well.
- Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Finally, chuck in a handful of spinach and let it wilt. Serve with fluffy rice.
