January has killed my (albeit limited) creativity in the kitchen. I’ve been working long hours in the studio and life outside it has been pretty crammed as well. These days, with busy lives, no one wants to get home and cook for hours before they can eat dinner. Especially during winter. This month, I’ve realised it’s crucial to have a few super-fast time cheat dinners in your repertoire.
Having a few healthy recipes in store is a tactic that definitely steers me away from ordering a takeaway.
Fry a chopped lean chicken breast, and add chilli, lime and crushed garlic. Squash half an avocado onto a seeded wrap, place some sliced roasted red pepper onto each and then top with the chicken mixture.
Add cooked brown rice to a pan with two tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat through for a minute. Stir in two large eggs until cooked, and then add coleslaw mix, edamame, soy sauce and chilli-garlic sauce. Serve topped with peanuts and cilantro.
Prawns with Tomatoes and Olives
Cook 10 oz of couscous according to packet instructions. Meanwhile, pan fry a chopped onion before adding a can of chopped tomatoes, green olives, ½ cup of white wine, salt and pepper. Add the cooked prawns and cover for four to five minutes. Serve on a bed of couscous.
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Baby Broad Beans with Chorizo
Cook broad beans in salted water for two minutes and then drain. Fry chorizo and the drained broad beans in a little oil until the chorizo is crisp and the beans are covered in spicy oil. Serve with bread.
Gently boil prepared tortellini of your choosing for four minutes. Meanwhile, fry garlic, red onion and shiitake mushrooms before adding one large chopped tomato. Add cream and then place this on top of the boiled tortellini in a baking dish. Cover with mozzarella and Parmesan and bake for a few moments to brown the cheese.
