Think you don’t have time to cook? Check out these nutritious, speedy and delicious dinner ideas.
There’s an old cliché that a student’s diet consists of two-minute noodles and canned spaghetti. And it’s true that after a long day of work or study (or both!), often the last thing we feel like doing is spending time in the kitchen. But as we become more aware and interested in nutrition and how to best fuel our bodies, we realise you don’t need to be a maestro in the kitchen to throw together a quick– and we mean really quick – and nutritious dinner. Nor do you need to spend a fortune on ingredients. All it takes is a reasonably well-stocked pantry and a few classic recipes you can spend as little as 15 minutes making.
These recipes from Chisholm Institute’s Culinary Instructor , Carmel Cammarano, are fast, fresh and guaranteed to satisfy you a whole lot more than a (admittedly delicious) cup of noodles. “Dinner can be so tedious after a long day – even for a chef!” says Carmel. “But it doesn’t have to take long or be difficult. Give these recipes a go and you’ll be eating good food in hardly any time.”
Deconstructed Greek Salad
Serves four
Simple, fresh and delicious, you can make this salad with or without the store-bought chicken.
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain Greek-style yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano leaves, plus extra leaves to serve
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 baby cos lettuce, quartered, washed
200g red grape tomatoes, halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 small yellow capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
100g Greek feta, crumbled
2 cups store-bought roasted chicken, shredded
Lebanese bread rounds, torn, to serve.
Method
Step 1: Combine yoghurt, lemon juice, chopped oregano, garlic and 1 tablespoon warm water in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Arrange lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, capsicum, olives and feta in serving bowls and top with shredded chicken. Drizzle with the yoghurt dressing and sprinkle with extra oregano leaves. Serve with bread.
Ham and Feta Piadina
Serves one
This traditional sandwich is so simple to make and is the perfect late-night supper for one when you need a break from study.
Ingredients
50g Swiss cheese slices
2 small flour tortillas
40g sliced leg ham
¼ avocado
50g Greek feta, crumbled
20g rocket leaves
store-bought tomato chutney
fresh herbs (optional), to serve.
Method
Step 1: Lay sliced Swiss cheese on 1 tortilla and top with sliced ham, avocado slices, feta, rocket and a little chutney.
Step 2: Top with the remaining tortilla and cook in a frying pan until golden brown. Turn and cook for a further minute or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve topped with fresh herbs.
Quick Sesame Noodles
Serves two
This is an elevated version of the classic umami-packed two-minute noodles. It may take just a few minutes longer, but is well worth the extra effort.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 eggs
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and halved
180g soba noodles
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, to serve
1 tablespoon kecap manis* or dark soy sauce, to serve
Method
Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, taking care not to break the yolks, and fry for 2 minutes or until just set.
Step 2: While the eggs are cooking, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the broccolini and cook for 2 minutes. Add the noodles and cook both for a further 2 minutes or until al dente and broccolini is tender. Drain.
Step 3: Divide the noodles and broccolini between 2 bowls and top each bowl with a fried egg. Scatter over the green onion and sesame seeds and drizzle with the remaining sesame oil and kecap manis.
* Kecap manis is a sweet Indonesian soy sauce; you can find it at Asian grocers and most supermarkets.
