Tag Archives: half-hour recipes

Red Pesto Lamb with Pasta

Red Pesto Lamb with PastaHere is a tangy, tasty alternative to Bolognaise.

Time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 667 Kcal
Fat per portion 41.8g of which saturated 7.9g
Serves 4

Lamb mince 500g (1lb 2oz) pack
Onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Red peppers 2, deseeded and diced
Red pesto sauce 190g jar
Chopped tomatoes 400g can
Pasta shapes 150g (5oz)

1 Heat a deep, wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mince, onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes.

2 Stir in the peppers, pesto and tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3 Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook as instructed on the packet or until al dente.

4 Mix the pasta into the meat sauce and serve.

If you are really hungry, serve with a French stick spread with garlic butter and grated Caerphilly and baked in the oven.

Recipe taken from Good Food, Fast.

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Honey Flapjack Cookies

Honey Flapjack Cookies

Both wheat and dairy free, these little oaty crunchies are completely irresistible. 

Time 25 minutes plus cooling
Calories per cookie 72 Kcal
Fat per cookie 4g of which saturated 0.5g
Makes 30 cookies
Suitable for vegetarians

Porridge oats 125g (4½oz)
Medium oatmeal 50g (2oz)
Light soft brown sugar 110g (4oz)
Heather honey 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract a few drops
Vegetable oil 110ml (3½fl oz)
Egg 1, beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.

2 Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Then put heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture, well spaced apart, on the baking sheets and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon – you should be able to make 30 cookies.

3 Bake for 12–15 minutes until they are a rich golden brown. Leave them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking trays before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Cook’s Tip
For the best results, choose a stronger tasting variety of honey and add a teaspoon of cinnamon or ground mixed spice for a different flavour.

A Good Food Fast recipe.

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Sweet Potato and Pepper Omelette

Sweet Potato and Pepper OmeletteA colourful vegetarian dish that is just as good served hot as it is cold. It’s good for a picnic, too.

Time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 321 Kcal
Fat per portion 18g of which saturated 4.2g
Serves 3
Suitable for vegetarians

Sweet potato 1 large, peeled, cut in half lengthways and then into 5mm (¼in) slices
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
Red pepper 1, deseeded and cut into thin slices
Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed
Eggs 6, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped parsley 2 tbsp
Finely chopped coriander 2 tbsp

1 Place the sweet potato in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes until just tender. Drain well.

2 Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and gently fry the pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the potato slices, and cook, stirring, for a further minute.

3 Pack the vegetables evenly over the base of the frying pan and pour in the eggs and plenty of seasoning. Cook the omelette over a gentle heat, pushing the cooked egg from the edge of the pan into the centre, until the egg is set all over – it will take about 10 minutes to set completely.

4 Preheat the grill to hot, and place the omelette under the grill, protecting the frying pan handle if necessary, to cook for 2–3 minutes to lightly brown the top.

5 Serve hot or cold, straight from the pan, cut into wedges and sprinkled with the chopped herbs. A green salad makes a tasty crisp accompaniment.

Cook’s Tip
The secret behind making a good omelette is to keep the heat quite low and allow the egg to cook gently so it doesn’t toughen and become rubbery.

Good Food, Fast Dairy CookbookRecipe taken from Good Food, Fast

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Skate with Capers

Capers and vinegar perfectly complement the taste of skate.

Skate with CapersPreparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Calories per portion 593 Kcal
Fat per portion 46g of which saturated 28.8g
Serves 2

Plain flour 2 tbsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Skate wings 2 small or 1 large, halved
Butter 110g (4oz)
White wine vinegar 2 tbsp
Capers 2 tbsp, rinsed well and drained
Chopped parsley
Lemon wedges

1 Tip the flour onto a plate and season it with salt and pepper. Pat the skate dry and dust both sides with the seasoned flour.

2 Heat half the butter in a large frying pan and cook the skate for 4–5 minutes on each side.

3 Remove the wings from the pan and keep them warm while making the butter sauce. Add the remaining butter to the pan and heat until it foams and starts to turn to a rich golden brown colour, then pour the vinegar into the pan and add the capers and parsley. Season the sauce to taste.

4 Place the cooked skate on plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a lemon wedge and a refreshing salsa salad (see Just One Pot recipe).

Cook’s Tip
If your frying pan isn’t large enough to cook both skate wings at the same time, then cook them individually rather than having them overlapping in the pan.

Recipe taken from Just One Pot.

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Danish Pastries

A super-speedy way to enjoy an indulgent breakfast or coffee-time snack.

Danish PastriesTime 30 minutes
Calories per pastry 281 Kcal
Fat per pastry 18g of which saturated 6.1g
Makes 8 pastries
Suitable for vegetarians

Ready-rolled puff pastry 425g packet
Egg 1, beaten
Apple sauce 8 tsp
Golden marzipan 110g (4oz)
Apricot jam 2 tbsp, warmed and sieved
Flaked almonds 15g (½oz), toasted

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

2 Unroll the pastry and cut into eight equal-sized squares. Brush each with beaten egg and then add 1 teaspoon of apple sauce on to the centre of each.

3 Form the marzipan into a sausage-shape about 5cm (2in) long and slice into eight. Lay a piece on top of the apple sauce on each of the pastry squares. Fold up the corners of the puff pastry squares to meet in the middle over the marzipan, forming a mitre shape. Pinch each of the corners to seal.

4 Transfer to the baking tray, brush the top of the pastries with more egg and cook for 15–18 minutes until risen and golden.

5 Transfer to a wire rack, lightly brush with the sieved jam and sprinkle with a few almonds. They are best served warm.

Cook’s Tip
Use the same cooking method, but vary the fillings, such as canned fruit, jam or squares of chocolate.

Rceipe taken from Good Food, Fast.

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Five-spice Beef with Chilli & Peppers

Warming and lightly scented, this meaty meal is a treat for the taste buds.

Five Spice Beef with ChilliesPreparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 8 minutes
Calories per portion 285 Kcal
Fat per portion 13g of which saturated 3.5g
Serves 2

Lean fillet or sirloin steak 225g (8oz), trimmed and cut into very thin strips
Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
Chinese five-spice powder ½ tsp
Clear honey 2 tsp
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped
Small red chilli 1, deseeded and finely chopped
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
Red pepper 1 small, deseeded and finely sliced
Yellow pepper 1 small, deseeded and finely sliced
Spring onions 1 bunch, trimmed and thinly sliced
Canned water chestnuts 75g (3oz), drained, rinsed and sliced

1 Place the strips of beef in a shallow dish. Mix with the soy sauce, five-spice powder, honey, garlic and chilli and set aside to marinate.

2 Heat the oil in a wok until hot and stir-fry the peppers for 3 minutes.

3 Add the beef mixture and the spring onions and continue to stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the beef is well sealed. Add the water chestnuts and stir-fry for a further minute until piping hot.

4 Serve immediately with microwavable rice (cooked as on the packet’s instructions).

Cook’s Tip 
Chilli adds ‘bite’ to a recipe, but also a spicy heat. If you prefer less of a ‘kick’, use a mild green chilli in place of the red chilli.

Recipe taken from Just One Pot, Dairy Cookbook.

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