You’ve worked hard today. You’ve wrangled students, been to meetings, answered emails and no doubt spent a fair portion of time on admin. If you would love a delicious dinner but wonder how you’ll summon the energy and enthusiasm to cook, we get it. This week on School Stream, we are sharing some dinner ideas that won’t take hours to put together.
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The Quick Crowd Pleasers
Midweek after a hectic day of teaching is not the time for “restaurants” at home. Quick, easy and pleasing recipes are your friend. Here are a few to try.
- Recipe Tin Eats is often referred to as “Australia’s Favourite Home Cook”, in no small part because Nagi’s recipes are delicious and pretty much foolproof. Beef Fried Rice and Chicken Chow Mein are loved by all – even the notoriously hard-to-please preschool and teenage cohorts.
- Jamie Oliver knows a thing or two about feeding a family. This Arnold Bennett Frittata is complex enough to satisfy adventurous eaters while being familiar enough for those with a cautious palette. Best of all, it comes together in a heartbeat.
- Kale Junkie creates family-forward meals with a focus on reducing waste and increasing taste. This Creamy One-Pot Broccoli Pasta will feed a hungry crowd and, in the unlikely event of leftovers, can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
(Recipe note: smoked haddock can be substituted with any hot smoked fish and watercress can be replaced with baby spinach.)
- Everything tastes better with spinach and feta. Melissa Clarke has a cult-following for her uniformly wonderful vegetarian recipes. This one pan orzo with spinach and feta is another hit and has over 7000 5-star reviews on the New York Times.
Meals for one
There is no shame in whipping up a toastie and calling it a day, but there are plenty of faff-free options at your fingertips too.
- Wholesome by Sarah says she throws together this impressive Rocket, Tuna and Lentil Salad is under ten minutes.
- For the nights when you want something delicious without putting in too much effort, this Quesadilla by Nigella Lawson is faff-free, wildly adaptable, and could be described as “toastie-adjacent”.
- If the words Vegan Chickpea “Omelette” are your idea of a good time, this could be your new weeknight go-to. Thanks to the chickpea flour, this “omelette’ delivers a decent serve of protein for plant-based foodies.
Batch cooking for busy people
Batch cooking is a saving grace for those times when time – or is that thyme (?!) – is not on your side. And let’s face it, educators are always busy! Here are some great recipes to prepare ahead of time so you always have something delicious in the freezer for dinner.
- Melissa Hemsley is the patron saint of batch cooking that maximises taste while minimizing food waste. Here are two classics from her repertoire: Red pepper and lentil stew with pomegranate and minestrone are sure to keep you fuelled for a busy day.
- Nigella Lawson can always be relied upon for recipes that are achievable for home cooks and this Cauliflower, garlic and turmeric soup is no exception.
- Roasted Tomato and White Bean stew is a super-flexible recipe that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Don’t just take our word for it, this humble recipe has close to 10,000 5-star reviews online.
Low Effort, Fancy Meals
- Anchovies aren’t for everyone but, if you are a fan, Alison Roman’s Lemony White Beans with Anchovy and Parmesan is a winner. Other recipes to try from the internet’s favourite cook are this Cold Noodle Salad and Fennel Salad with Green Olives and Lime.
- You will find the recipe for this moreish Spring Onion Pancake Pie on the popular Food by Lucy Instagram Page, alongside loads of other recipes. Don’t worry if you can’t keep up with the comments and snazzy editing. You can find all the details on what to do in the comments.
Recipe Round-Up
- Adam Liaw has pulled together a list of 20 meals that can be made in less than 20 minutes. There is an absolute treasure trove of options here. Whisks out!
- ABC Life claims you can have these four dinners prepped in 15 minutes. The only thing left for you to do is start unwinding from another busy day while dinner cooks away unattended.
Bon appetit!
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