5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons garlic paste
2 small onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons runny honey
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1.5 litres boiling water
750g basmati rice
325g cooked king prawns
200g frozen peas
fried eggs (optional)
Put the oil into a large non-stick pan and turn the heat up to high. Add the garlic paste, followed quickly by the onions and salt. Give it a good stir to make sure that the onions don’t burn too much, and keep them moving and browning.
Lower the heat completely, and add the soy sauce, honey, chilli powder and curry powder, and cook for a minute on a medium heat.
Have the hot water at the ready. Add the rice to the pan and turn up the heat, stirring all the time. As you stir you will see the rice become white in the heat of the pan.
Now stir in the prawns. Pour in the water and keep stirring the rice on a high heat. As soon as the liquid has thickened, and the rice is more noticeable, add the peas, give it all a final stir and pop the lid on. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let it steam for at least 15 minutes.
Fluff the rice up with a spoon and leave to stand with the lid off for a few minutes before serving. Eat as is, or fry a few eggs while you wait for it to cool a little.
Freeze leftovers in a bag or tub once the rice is completely cool.
PRAWN MALAY RICE
CORONATION TUNA
SERVES: 2 WITH EXTRA FILLING FOR LATER IN THE WEEK TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES
Coronation chicken sandwiches seemed a bizarre concept to me. I never found a halal one that I could try, but the colour and the distinct lack of curryness made me suspicious. But I love how some things stand the test of time, and now this is one of my faves and it works really well with tuna. With very little fishy flavour, it absorbs all the deliciousness of the Coronation flavours. I make enough of this so that I can make 2 sandwiches – one for me and one for the other half while we are on our lunch break. And I leave the rest of the tuna mix in the fridge for a salad or, better still, to top a hot jacket potato, with some extra baby spinach.
3 x 145g tins of tuna chunks in brine, drained
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 heaped teaspoon curry powder, mild or hot, as you prefer
2 tablespoons mango chutney
2 tablespoons raisins
a pinch of salt
10–12 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise (I like it creamier and have been known to go heavier, but this is entirely up to you)
To serve
4 slices of brown bread
butter, for spreading
baby spinach leaves
Put the tuna into a Tupperware container with a lid, making sure to drain off any excess moisture first. Nobody wants a soggy filling. (I’m mixing this in the Tupperware to save on washing up.) Add the cinnamon, black pepper, curry powder, mango chutney and raisins, along with a pinch of salt, and give it all a good mix until well combined.
Add the mayonnaise. I like a very creamy filling, so if by the time you get to 8 spoons, and you think you have enough, that’s totally up to you. I for one can keep going. Mix well.
Butter both slices of bread and layer on your tuna filling. Add the spinach and sandwich together.
Before you tuck in, close up your Tupperware and save the leftovers for another lunch during the week. You might like to use it as a filling for potato skins (see p. 92).
ONE-POT TORTELLINI
SERVES: 6 (SMALL PORTIONS) TOTAL TIME: 15–20 MINUTES
I cook the tortellini in the vegetable stock rather than boiling them separately – as the bits of filled pasta boil in the stock, they thicken the sauce, giving you a warming soup. And more than anything else, it saves on washing up. Everything that goes into this recipe uses up bits in jars and bits from the freezer, which means you can have a nice wholesome warm lunch with as little prep as possible.
1 litre boiling water
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
100g frozen peas
190g jarred asparagus, drained and roughly chopped
600g filled tortellini
a large handful of fresh mint, chopped
1 lime, juice and zest
1 tablespoon butter
Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan on a medium heat, then add the stock cubes and stir until dissolved. Add the salt, turmeric, garlic granules, chilli flakes and peas.
Add the chopped asparagus, along with the tortellini, and allow to gently boil for 5 minutes. Add the chopped mint and the lime juice and zest and take off the heat. Stir in the butter and let it melt. Then it’s ready to eat.
As soon as it has cooled, if you want to, you can portion out into freezer-safe, microwave-safe pots with lids and freeze.
SAVOURY FRENCH TOAST
SERVES: 6 HALVES, SERVES 3 TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES
Bread dipped in egg and fried is a winner any which way, and this is a little bit different from its sweet counterparts. I don’t see why we can’t have French toast for lunch instead of, or including, breakfast. It’s great having these in the freezer, too, for those days when you don’t have time to think about what to make for lunch. You can just pop them in the oven to reheat while you’re getting on with other things.
6 eggs
100ml whole milk
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1 teaspoon onion granules
6 slices of sliced white bread
3 slices of cooked ham/turkey/vegetarian ham slices
3 slices of mild cheese
vegetable oil, for frying
Put the eggs into a shallow bowl, wide enough to take a slice of bread, and add the milk, salt, sugar, turmeric, garlic granules and onion granules. Mix well and leave to sit for 5 minutes, allowing the granules to rehydrate in the egg mix.
Sandwich the slices of bread together with the ham and cheese. Dip them into the egg mixture and pop them on a plate.
Put a non-stick frying pan on the hob with a thin layer of oil on the base. Take one of the sandwiches and dip it back into the egg mixture to get another soaking, then fry on a medium heat for 3 minutes, until it has a golden colour and the cheese begins to melt. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes, pressing lightly with a spatula to help seal the bread, then pop the sandwich on to a plate lined with some kitchen paper. When they’re all done, cut them in half.
Add some more oil to the base of the pan and repeat with the other sandwiches, dipping and frying in the same way. Depending how absorbent the bread is, you may find you have enough eggy mix left to make another sandwich.
Serve hot, with a dollop of ketchup if you like.
These are best eaten fresh, but if there are any left over you can wrap them in foil and freeze them.
SAVOURY FRENCH TOAST
BAKED BEAN FALAFEL
MAKES: 20–24 ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
I don’t know about you, but we always have baked beans in the cupboard so this is a great recipe for if you want to try something different with them. It might sound unusual … you’re just going to have to trust me on this one! If you also like coleslaw, double up the sauce ingredients in green and pop the extra ingredients on your shopping list.
For the falafel
4 x 400g tins of baked beans
1 large egg
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
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1 tablespoon ground coriander
120g chickpea flour
a large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
cooking oil spray
For the sauce
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
Coleslaw (optional extra)
3 carrots, grated
½ white cabbage, finely shredded
½ red cabbage, finely shredded
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Drain the beans, keeping the sauce aside in a separate bowl, then rinse the beans and leave them to drain. Put the beans and the egg into a blender and whiz until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the garlic, onion, salt, chilli powder, cumin and coriander. Add the chickpea flour and mix everything together – it may be quite a wet mix.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C and have a large baking tray ready, generously greased.
Using wet hands, create walnut-sized balls of the bean mixture and pop them on the tray. Spray them with oil all over and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, turning them halfway through.
To make the sauce, add the garlic, salt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley and sriracha to 150g of the drained bean sauce from the tin. Stir and set aside.
If you don’t want to waste the rest of the bean juice, double up the sauce ingredients to make a double batch of it. Use half as a dipping sauce for the falafel. Stir the other half through the coleslaw ingredients listed.
When the falafels are baked I like to eat them squashed inside a soft bap, smothered with the sauce and some salad (and some of the coleslaw, if you’ve made it). There is plenty here to eat and to freeze, so pop the extras into a freezer bag.
The coleslaw will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve alongside cold cuts of meat, or in a jacket potato.
BAKED BEAN FALAFEL
Make a coleslaw at the same time as the Baked Bean Falafel (see p. 100) and you have the perfect accompaniment for many other dishes.
PANEER PITTA
SERVES: 6 NOT SO HUNGRY, 3 VERY HUNGRY ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
I didn’t grow up eating cheese or with it being around the house. It’s very not Bengali of me when I pick cheese and crackers over a curry, but there you go. This Indian cheese is like halloumi, creamy yet it doesn’t melt. It’s great for absorbing flavours and takes on the deliciousness of anything you put with it. Best of all it can be frozen, so it means I have spicy cheese on tap. I am making enough filling here to fill 6 pockets, with some left over to either freeze, or add to pasta to make a delicious pasta salad. When you have double quantities, you have done the hard work once and you can decide later how to eat it, again!
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a dash
2 x 250g packs of paneer, cubed
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 large red onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2 large red peppers, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 lemon, juice and zest
fresh coriander, chopped
85g watercress, roughly chopped
3 pitta breads
Start by putting the oil into a non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Add the cubes of paneer and fry, making sure to stir occasionally so that the cheese turns golden brown – not only does this add to the flavour, but it also creates a texture that the sauce can adhere to. Fry for about 5 minutes then transfer to a plate.
Add another small dash of oil and lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic paste and cook for a minute, then add the sliced red onions and salt and cook for a few minutes, until the onions are soft.
Squeeze in the tomato purée and cook for a minute. Add a few splashes of cold water to stop it sticking, that’s all. Throw in the peppers, cumin and chilli flakes and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on, until the peppers are soft and limp.
Pour in the honey, then add the juice and zest of the lemon and the paneer and cook on a high heat for 2–3 minutes. The mixture should be dry and the cubes of cheese should be coated with the sauce.
Take off the heat, then stir in the coriander and watercress – the cress does not need cooking, it will wilt from the heat of everything else surrounding it yet maintain some of its fire.
Halve the pitta breads and toast them, then fill with the mixture.
Pop the filling you have left over into a Tupperware container and, when it is totally cool, freeze it or stick it in the fridge for later (or see here for how to make a pasta salad out of it).
PANEER PASTA SALAD
This is a great way of using up any leftovers you have of that tasty cheese without having to serve it exactly the same way. Mix 300g of cooked and cooled pasta with the left-over paneer. Add ½ a chopped cucumber and a small bag of watercress. Stir in a few tablespoons of yoghurt, mix well, and you have a really simple pasta salad.
PANEER PITTA
HONEY MUSTARD CHOW MEIN
SERVES: 4 TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
Chow mein is the easiest thing to order, but even easier to make. I love the flavours of honey mustard, so I’m keeping it simple. I also whip-up a double batch and skewer half the chicken for the freezer, so if I have to make a quick lunch or need something to whack on a grill, I have the same honey mustard chicken, minus the chow mein. If you don’t want the extra in the freezer, simply halve the ingredients in green.
10 chicken thighs, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons runny honey
4 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
4 cloves of garlic, minced
a 2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
oil, for frying
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
450g stir-fry vegetables
275g ready-made noodles
a large handful of fresh coriander
50g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
wedges of lime
Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl with the honey, mustard, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt and sriracha, and leave to marinate.
Place a large non-stick frying pan or wok on the hob on a high heat. Add the oil and, when it’s really hot, add the onions. When they are very brown, add half the marinated chicken, putting the other half into the fridge for later.
Continue cooking the chicken on a high heat, and when it is cooked through, add the stir-fry veg and the noodles and mix together, before lowering to a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just a little bit soft, but still crisp.
Take off the heat, sprinkle with the coriander and peanuts, and serve with a wedge of lime – and I’m always tempted to add another dash of sriracha.
Once you have eaten, put the marinated chicken from the fridge on to skewers and pop on to a tray to freeze. When frozen, take the skewers off the tray and put them into a bag to store.
CHICKEN SKEWERS
If you have made a double batch of chicken put half of the marinated meat on to skewers and pop on a tray to freeze. When frozen, take the skewers off the tray and put them into a freezer bag to store.
Defrost fully when needed, then cook in a preheated oven (220°C/fan 200°C) for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
HONEY MUSTARD CHOW MEIN
CORNED BEEF SUB
SERVES: 4 ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
As the kids get bigger, they seem to get busier, with social calendars that make my schedule look as bare as my cupboards on a Saturday evening before a weekly shop. So this is just another really easy way to make a hot sandwich that is transportable, warm and yummy. One of these days I will b
e partying as much as my kids – not any time soon though.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large onion, diced
½ teaspoon salt
1 red pepper, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 x 340g tins of corned beef, diced into 1cm pieces
4 sub rolls
150g Gouda cheese, grated
To serve
sriracha sauce
rocket or lettuce
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, then add the garlic and onions and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the salt and cook until the onions are a golden brown.
Add the red pepper and potatoes and cook with a lid on for 10 minutes. If it starts to stick, add a small splash of water to create some steam for the potatoes to cook.
Now mix in the turmeric, chilli powder and lemon zest and juice. Stir in the corned beef and continue to cook on a medium heat.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C.
As soon as the potatoes are tender, take the pan off the heat. Lay the four sub rolls, sliced and open, on a baking tray and fill one half of each with the corned beef mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake in the oven until it has melted.
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