Finding the motivation to make dinner can be hard. Life is overwhelming enough without trying to plan and prepare what to eat. Cooking doesn’t have to be something you dread doing in the evenings. These recipes are designed to be quick, budget-friendly, and bring some excitement back to mealtimes.
Feta Pasta
It’s been hard to avoid this food phenomenon as it made its rounds through TikTok and rightly so, it’s fast and filling. Be wandered through, if you’re not a fan of strong cheese it might be best to avoid this one.
Ingredients:
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1 block feta cheese
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1 punnet cherry tomatoes
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80ml olive oil
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2-3 garlic crushed
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salt and pepper
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your preferred type of pasta
Method:
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Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper into a baking dish.
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Add the feta into the centre of the baking dish adding some extra oil to the top of the block.
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Bake at 180 degrees for 35 minutes.
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In the meantime, cook your pasta.
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After 35 minutes, pull the dish from the oven, crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, stir together to create your sauce.
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Next, add your cooked pasta and stir again.
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Serve and enjoy!
Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu
This is a recipe I developed myself when my sister challenged me to make tofu taste good. Although there are measurements for the sauce it’s based largely on personal preference so make sure to taste and change to suit you!
Ingredients:
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a heaping teaspoon of cornstarch
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a block of tofu
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veg of your choice prepared and chopped
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1 tbsp of olive oil
For the sauce:
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2 teaspoons of light soy sauce
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a generous tablespoon of honey
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two tablespoons of wine vinegar
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2-3 cloves garlic crushed
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half a teaspoon of chilli flakes
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a small knob of fresh ginger grated
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teaspoon of cornstarch
Method:
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Cut the block of tofu into 1.5-2cm thick slabs.
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Lay these between some kitchen paper and put something heavy on top, this will press out the water and make it crispy.
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Let this sit for 30 minutes, changing the kitchen paper about halfway through as the tofu will release a lot of liquid.
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Cut the tofu into cubes and coat lightly in the corn starch.
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Bake in an oven at 180 degrees until golden brown.
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In the meantime, pan fry up your chosen veg in the oil.
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Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
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Add your tofu to your pan of fried vegetables and pour over your sauce.
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Cook until the tofu is heated all the way through, and the sauce has thickened.
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Serve with rice or noodles.
Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
Easy, quick to make and delicious. What more could you want?
Ingredients:
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300ml of cream
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450 g of your favourite pasta shape
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2 cloves garlic crushed
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1 onion finely chopped
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1 tbsp dried oregano
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200 g of grated parmesan cheese
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500 g chicken fillets cut into chunks
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5 rashers cut into pieces
Method:
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Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
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In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the chicken and rashers and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
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Add the garlic and onion, cook for a further 2 minutes.
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Lower the heat, stir in the cream and Parmesan, bring to a gentle simmer and season to taste with salt, pepper and dried oregano.
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Add the drained, cooked pasta and stir.
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Serve and enjoy!
Hopefully, these recipes serve a start to your food journey. Now you have the tools it’s time to get cooking!