Quick and simple recipes - post them here!

db

#chaplife
i'm always after quick & easy recipes, so if anyone has any please post them up here :)

doesn't matter how basic or simple you think they are - in fact, the simpler the better! for example:


Basic tomato sauce for pasta

(feeds 2 people)
  • 1 small tin chopped tomatoes
  • Tomato puree
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Half a stock cube (I use vegetable but any would do)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt & pepper

1. Heat a splash of oil in a deep pan over a medium heat.
2. Chop or crush garlic into pan.
3. Squeeze tomato puree into pan (approx. 1 tsp - i never measure it, just eyeball it according to taste).
4. Fry garlic & puree for about a minute, then tip in the small tin of chopped tomatoes.
5. Chuck in the sugar, crumble in the half a stock cube, then add a good grind of salt & pepper.
6. Give it all a good mix, then simmer it on a low heat (lid off) until it reduces to a consistency you are happy with.

mix in your preferred cooked pasta (i love tagliatelle) and boom - that's it! basically takes the same amount of time to make as sauce out of a jar, but tastes so much fresher/better imo.. i always have a basil plant on the go, and i would recommend anyone else do the same as a few leaves plucked & stirred through this really makes all the difference..

the beauty of this sauce is, it goes with anything, so you can easily use it with any leftover meat or bits & bobs you have in the fridge.. try bunging a glug of cream & some chorizo in, or even just a spoonful of philadelphia :love:

so come on, let's 'ave 'em - your quick & easy recipes for when you want to cook, but can't really be arsed/haven't got the time :)
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
so come on, let's 'ave 'em - your quick & easy recipes for when you want to cook, but can't really be arsed/haven't got the time :)
Carbonara is a good quick one too.

Carton of single cream (the middle sized one)
3-4 rashers streaky bacon or pancetta - sliced into thin strips
clove or two of garlic
2 egg yolks
Parmesan

Cook enough spaghetti/fettucini for 2 people

While cooking pasta, beat egg yolks into the cream in a bowl, add as much parmesan as you'd like and mix thoroughly.

When the pasta is 5/6 mins from done, fry bacon in a pan until crispy and oozing (depending on the nature of the bacon used here, i tend not to add any oil but let the fat come from the bacon itself in a dry pan, otherwise use a bit of olive oil) for 4/5 mins.

Add sliced garlic and fry for a minute or so.

Drain pasta and put back in the pan it was cooked in, add contents of the bacon pan and those of the eggy cheesy creamy bowl and stir into the pasta until its all mixed together and eat instantly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: db

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
are we just talking meals, or deserts and cakes too?

Anyway - here's one. A popular meal in Scotland.... Tomato soup dish (a casserole)

Slice up an onion and put in bottom of a casserole dish.
Layer a packet of diced beef onto the onions.
Pour over 2 or 3 tins of Heinz tomato soup (and any other brand WILL NOT give the same taste)
Drizzle with vegetable or olive oil (just 2 tablespoons)
Cook on a low heat (say Gas Mark 3) for around 2.5 to 3 hours.

Serve on a plate of plain boiled rice.

Note: I've served this to mates who HATE tomato soup, and they've still loved it!
 

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Simple "NO 5" rock-cakes

1 - Egg
2 - Oz. raisins
3 - Oz Sugar
4 - Oz Butter
6 - Oz self raising flour
(see why I call them NO 5 rock cakes now?)

Rub the flour and butter to bread crumb. Stir in the fruit and sugar. Then stir in the egg and a splash of milk to get a sticky dough. Drop 12 dollops on a baking tray. 200C for 20 mins.
EAT WARM - Yum!
 

db

#chaplife
are we just talking meals, or deserts and cakes too?

well, i was thinking of dinner/supper when i posted, but all quick & easy recipes are welcome! :)

Take a slice of bread.

Put some cheese on it.

Lightly Toast.
Shouldn't you toast the non-cheese side first?
see, i would say the same, but my missus makes cheese on toast the same way proactive does - i.e. doesn't toast it first.. most bizarre..
 

db

#chaplife
another one, that i will most likely be doing tonight:

Stuffed Chicken

(feeds 2 people)
  • 2 x Chicken breast
  • 4 x Rashers bacon (or slices of prosciutto, if you're fancy)
  • 2 x Diarylea triangles, or 2 x tbsp Philadelphia
1. Lay 2 rashers of bacon or 2 slices of prosciutto side by side, to make a sheet of pork :pig:
2. Lay a chicken breast at one end.
3. Slice chicken breast lengthways & unfold it, exposing the centre.
4. Bung a Dairylea in there, or a tbsp of Philly.
5. Fold the chicken back over, then roll the whole thing up - you should find the bacon/prosciutto fits all the way round, making a nice, neat meat parcel :v:
6. Stick your meat parcels in an oven proof dish/tray, drizzle with olive oil, and whack in the oven ~200°C for about 25 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken).

i like to serve them with new potatoes, which are the ultimate lazy accompaniment imo as they come in "steam in the bag" microwaveable format these days..

this is obviously just the "basic" version - the beauty of these bad boys is you can stuff any old crap in there that you like.. i've usually got some chorizo knocking around that needs using up, or some spinach or something.. even if i haven't, just a bit of tomato paste and a few basil leaves really make them tasty :love:
 

That-Crazy-Rat-Lady

Well-Known Forumite
Chilli Linguine

1 Clove of Garlic
1 Chilli (hotness of your choosing)
1 Chicken Breast (or quorn :) )
1 Lemon

Finely chop the garlic and chilli,
add to the frying pan with chicken
Add lashings of lemon juice

Add to pasta, rice, spaghetti, anything really!

Yum Yum!
 
  • Like
Reactions: db

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
A very quick and easy one consists of :

1 tin of tuna to be opened drained and mixed with mayo, lemon juice, herbs and garlic (and often tabasco)
Serve with 2 min microwavable rice, and salad.

All major food groups covered, reasonably healthy and on the plate in less than 3 mins.

My four year old loves it at lunch time :)
 

That-Crazy-Rat-Lady

Well-Known Forumite
A very quick and easy one consists of :

1 tin of tuna to be opened drained and mixed with mayo, lemon juice, herbs and garlic (and often tabasco)
Serve with 2 min microwavable rice, and salad.

All major food groups covered, reasonably healthy and on the plate in less than 3 mins.

My four year old loves it at lunch time :)

Sounds really good!

Any suggestions for a tuna alternative? (Its about the only thing Quorn cant make!) It sounds really really yummy!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
If the bread hasn't been toasted, how is it cheese on toast? It's cheese on bread, surely.

These are the sort of people who would eat a boiled egg from the big end.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
If the bread hasn't been toasted, how is it cheese on toast? It's cheese on bread, surely.

These are the sort of people who would eat a boiled egg from the big end.
I agree! Its just not cheese on toast if you haven't toasted both sides of the bread, then toasted the cheese too!

Husband makes it the silly way, I think its a Stokie thing ;)
 
Top