Forum Discussion
What are your easiest, tastiest meals - quick to prepare when you can't think of anything!!
Hi guys
I have a few 'standard' easy meals that I always have the ingredients handy, in case I seriously can't be bothered cooking a 'fancy' meal ....... feel free to add your own 'Favs'! ;)
Last night, we had our winter favourite 'comfort food' - Lamb Shanks!! I cheat, and buy the Aldi FROZEN Lamb Shanks (2 for $12 already cooked - they usually cost that 'RAW'!!) - that way you can always have a couple in the freezer. I often take them with me when I am camping too - SO easy to just cook in the microwave with some sweet potato 'on the trot'!
Take them out of the box and they are even easier to store in the Freezer. If you decide to cook them up later in the day - just pop them in the sink (or big container) with cold/lukewarm water & they'll thaw out pretty quickly. Change the water if you want them to defrost quicker. They come in 'individual Vac Pacs' - and because they are already Pre Cooked - when you open them, the 'cooked fat' is already 'in solid form' and you just pull it out - so they are healthier for you too!!
There are 2 flavours - one with Mint in the gravy & the other one based on a red wine gravy. Both are LOVELY! This is how I prepare them for 2 people .......
In a BIG casserole pot, add 1 tin of diced tomato & 1 drained tin of Chickpeas. Add 1 x Cubed Potato, 1 x cubed small Sweet Potato, 1 x chopped/cubed Carrot. Mix them into the tomato/chickpeas sauce. Remove any 'solid fat' from both of the Shanks and add them to the casserole pot along with all the gravy in each pack. Mix the gravy well with the tomato mix. Cover the pot & cook at 180 degrees Celsius oven for 2-3hrs ..... stir every hour. The meat will just fall off the bone and I bet you enjoy them!
BONUS: After serving up with the gravy and veggies (and cabbage or your choice of greens...) whilst the remaining gravy & veg are still hot - use a Bamix (or similar) to pulverise it all ..... this will make a wonderful soup for the next day or so! I usually water it down a bit as it can be quite thick. Lovely with some toast for lunch.
One of my other favs is the 'Vac Pac'd' 'FLAT CHICKEN' .... once again, Aldi do a lovely one - with yoghurt & garlic with NO BONES - so you just cut up the chicken in slices when cooked. Just do a BIG ROAST - I do it in 2 dishes - the chicken in one (with alfoil under the chicken on a cake rack to reduce the cleaning!) and all the potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot & onion in another tray, all into the oven at the same time as the chicken - and it takes a bit less than 1hr to cook at 170 degrees Celsius. Turn the chicken & veg around after 1/2 hr. Cook greens in the microwave 5 mins before serving time. This gives us 2 full sized meals for 2 for 2 nights. Once again - keep one of the chickens in the freezer - as they are 'flat' they store really easily & don't take long to defrost in the sink in cold/lukewarm water - great for when unexpected guests turn up, too.
When my Grandmother first went into secure living (with her own kitchen) I suggested that she cut up a whole chicken (for numerous meals) and put it into a casserole dish with a packet of Chicken Noodle Soup & the required amount of liquid, as well as a chopped onion & sliced red capsicum ..... cook it for about an hour - and it was YUMMY - and gives lots of meals too - served with salad. (Whole frozen chickens are VERY reasonably priced ......)
Here's the 'after pic' of my lamb shanks last night ....... just as well we don't have a dog .... nothing much left! ;)
I have a few 'standard' easy meals that I always have the ingredients handy, in case I seriously can't be bothered cooking a 'fancy' meal ....... feel free to add your own 'Favs'! ;)
Last night, we had our winter favourite 'comfort food' - Lamb Shanks!! I cheat, and buy the Aldi FROZEN Lamb Shanks (2 for $12 already cooked - they usually cost that 'RAW'!!) - that way you can always have a couple in the freezer. I often take them with me when I am camping too - SO easy to just cook in the microwave with some sweet potato 'on the trot'!
Take them out of the box and they are even easier to store in the Freezer. If you decide to cook them up later in the day - just pop them in the sink (or big container) with cold/lukewarm water & they'll thaw out pretty quickly. Change the water if you want them to defrost quicker. They come in 'individual Vac Pacs' - and because they are already Pre Cooked - when you open them, the 'cooked fat' is already 'in solid form' and you just pull it out - so they are healthier for you too!!
There are 2 flavours - one with Mint in the gravy & the other one based on a red wine gravy. Both are LOVELY! This is how I prepare them for 2 people .......
In a BIG casserole pot, add 1 tin of diced tomato & 1 drained tin of Chickpeas. Add 1 x Cubed Potato, 1 x cubed small Sweet Potato, 1 x chopped/cubed Carrot. Mix them into the tomato/chickpeas sauce. Remove any 'solid fat' from both of the Shanks and add them to the casserole pot along with all the gravy in each pack. Mix the gravy well with the tomato mix. Cover the pot & cook at 180 degrees Celsius oven for 2-3hrs ..... stir every hour. The meat will just fall off the bone and I bet you enjoy them!
BONUS: After serving up with the gravy and veggies (and cabbage or your choice of greens...) whilst the remaining gravy & veg are still hot - use a Bamix (or similar) to pulverise it all ..... this will make a wonderful soup for the next day or so! I usually water it down a bit as it can be quite thick. Lovely with some toast for lunch.
One of my other favs is the 'Vac Pac'd' 'FLAT CHICKEN' .... once again, Aldi do a lovely one - with yoghurt & garlic with NO BONES - so you just cut up the chicken in slices when cooked. Just do a BIG ROAST - I do it in 2 dishes - the chicken in one (with alfoil under the chicken on a cake rack to reduce the cleaning!) and all the potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot & onion in another tray, all into the oven at the same time as the chicken - and it takes a bit less than 1hr to cook at 170 degrees Celsius. Turn the chicken & veg around after 1/2 hr. Cook greens in the microwave 5 mins before serving time. This gives us 2 full sized meals for 2 for 2 nights. Once again - keep one of the chickens in the freezer - as they are 'flat' they store really easily & don't take long to defrost in the sink in cold/lukewarm water - great for when unexpected guests turn up, too.
When my Grandmother first went into secure living (with her own kitchen) I suggested that she cut up a whole chicken (for numerous meals) and put it into a casserole dish with a packet of Chicken Noodle Soup & the required amount of liquid, as well as a chopped onion & sliced red capsicum ..... cook it for about an hour - and it was YUMMY - and gives lots of meals too - served with salad. (Whole frozen chickens are VERY reasonably priced ......)
Here's the 'after pic' of my lamb shanks last night ....... just as well we don't have a dog .... nothing much left! ;)
338 Replies
- hmmmm, good question @SoldierCrab!! .... Carefully!! It looks so cool for a quick & easy snack or even a meal!
I am guessing after taking the drawer out, you'd tip it & shake it carefully to loosen it - and use an egg slice to encourage it out.
You could use a smaller pizza base than the size of the drawer (or cut yours down to size) - or even put it into a flan dish that has a removable base? (Mine is round, but some are oblong or square.)
You could also fold some alfoil in half & put it under the pizza base (going up the walls) and grab them to help lift it out?
I'll take the measurement of mine & give it a go. :) - Arpie how do you get it out of air fryer ?
- I reckon this one has to be the EASIEST pizza EVER ...... I'll have to give it a go! ;)
And another one ..... - Definitely @Julez1958. Love it
- Hi there
No photos but one of my standby easy dishes is chicken wings in the oven marinated in equal amounts of honey and soy sauce - I line the baking dish with alfoil to make it easy to wash up.
I serve with Asian noodles and steamed julienned carrots and zucchini . - Here's a fairly easy 'bring a plate' recipe - but you need to be on FB to be able to see the video! .....
1 x Brie
1 x packet of flakey pastry
Cranberry Jam/Jelly
Mark the top of the Brie into 8 wedges & then mark each slice as shown - 2 triangles & one 'bigger one' ....
Cut each wedge into the shapes shown. Slice the Flakey Pastry into strips as wide as the Brie is 'deep'
Lay each piece of cheese on the Pastry Strip & roll it til covered with pastry - cut the strip & continue with next bit of cheese to use up the rest of the strip. Use a new strip 'as needed'.
Line an oven dish with a circular cut piece of Flakey Pastry & place each piece of cheese, skin down, to replicate the pic with 'marks' at the top , but not as close together.
Place in an oven, about 180-200˚ for 15-20 mins .... maybe more ..... It should look like this!
Allow guests to pull off each piece & dunk in some Cranberry Jelly/Jam - ENJOY
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1100671425048196 - I can relate to this one - I LOVE bacon, specially CRISPY ....
- Tuna MessThis is super basic, from my broke student days.Ingredients to serve 2
- 120 - 130g uncooked pasta
- Tin of tuna
- Cheese sauce (just a packet of the stuff, like the Masterfoods or whatever)
- If you have some leftover vegies, or a can of corn kernels or whatever you want to use up, here's your chance!
- Grated cheese
Method- Cook the pasta. Preheat the oven while cooking the pasta.
- Drain pasta.
- In an oven-safe dish, mix in pasta, tuna, cheese sauce and any leftover veg, corn, what have you. Mix in a little of the cheese too if you like. Salt, pepper, if you've got a little oregano, thyme, garlic paste/powder, chuck it in.
- Top with grated cheese.
- Into the oven until heated through and the cheese is golden and bubbly, usually 15 - 25 minutes at around 180C does it.
- Check out this guy's snack/lunch ideas (mainly for his kids' school lunches ...) Well worth checking out for fairly easy meal ideas - like Chicken Wings cooked in the Toastie, ready in 10 mins!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/513891387914173
He really thinks outside the box - using his air fryer and a Toastie maker for cooking some unusual snacks - even using thinly sliced potatoes instead of bread!
https://www.facebook.com/schoollunchboxau/reels/ - OMG ... I can almost smell this, just watching it!!
The flavour develops even more, when stored in the fridge
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-LNlu2I0PW/
Caponata is a Sicilian eggplant dish featuring a sweet and sour mix of tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, and vinegar.
Reasons to love this recipe:
✅ healthy and comforting at the same time
✅ made with seasonal ingredients
✅ staple south Italy recipe
✅ easy to make
✅ versatile: great on it’s own, side dish or as a pasta sauce
Ingredients for 2 portions:
▪️2 aubergines
▪️1 onion, chopped
▪️300g Cherry tomatoes, sliced on half
▪️3 celery sticks, sliced
▪️Olives, handful
▪️2 tbsp Capers
Dressing:
2 tbsp red wine vinager
1/2 tsp salt
Basil
Instructions:
🍆The the aubergine onto cubes. Add to a bowl with a tsp of salt.
After sprinkling salt on the aubergine slices, let them sit for about 30 minutes. You’ll notice they start to release liquid, or ‘sweat’. This helps to remove any bitterness and reduces the moisture content, making them less likely to absorb oil when cooked.
🍆Bake them for 20-22 mins at 180C in air fryer (you can use the oven too)
🍆 In a pan cook the onion, add tomato sauce and let it reduce down. When it’s almost ready add celery, cherry tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar.
🍆Finally add the roasted aubergines, olives, capers, toasted pinenuts and basil.
🍞 It’s perfect to scoop it up with my homemade bread
