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! ;)
11KViews
Sign in to react to this post
338 Replies
- For Laksa fans Coles have a newish Laksa soup in a pouch just add cooked chicken , hokkien noodles and bean shoots and you have a great meal.Been a Laksa fan for 30 years as we had a wonderful old lady from Malacca cooking up a storm locally for years but sadly no longer - Coles product is not a bad alternative as a base.
- Not a 'meal' - but it is supposed to be 'fool proof' and 'easy' ...... who's got a sweet tooth (or family with one!)
Give it a go & let me know how it goes!Microwave Fudge.
Ingredients:
500g icing sugar
I tin condensed milk
125ml butter
5ml vanilla essenceMethod:
Mix everything together except the vanilla essence. Cook in the microwave oven for 14 minutes on high and stir every couple of minutes to make sure it doesn't boil over. Afterwards add the vanilla essence and stir quickly. Pour the mix in a glass dish and cut in cubes before it gets cold. This method will never fail!
Enjoy! - Another neat trick is to go to your local Baker at the end of the day ..... they often pack up the day's 'left over pies' and sell them a bit cheaper. Hubby LOVED our local Baker's pies when going thru chemo - so I'd buy whatever they had left over & would freeze them for an easy lunch or snack. You can thaw them at room temp if you think about it far enough in advance (I pop them in the oven or microwave so they are not out in the open) for a lunch treat - tho you CAN actually thaw them in the microwave as well (tho they don't go nice & crispy!) Always best reheated in the oven after thawing. YUM!
- I do try when I am feeling well to stock the freezer but this week has been pretty ordinary, thanks for your great ideas.
- @KattyKit Not a single but often have different food from the rest of the family as I don't want to carb load at the end of the day. I like the Coles Superfood bowl in the salad leaf section. It's yum and I add either some torn turkey slices or a tin of chilli tuna. Had it last night.
A good tip is to make up some meatballs, chicken, beef, lamb, whatever takes your fancy, add some quinoa to the mix for more protein, and then freeze them in batches of whatever size you'd eat them for a meal. Out of the freezer and into the fridge in the morning & ready to eat in the evening. With salad, in a wrap, chuck them in some soup or passata, with pasta. Delish!
The freezer is your friend when eating for one I reckon. Make big batches of anything & freeze meal size portions. - No worries @Kattykit . My neighbor Jude lives alone and she loves the Dr Oetker (?) frozen pizzas in the supermarket)
My kids due to work/study/gym eat often at odd hours - they are dab hands at cheese toasties with random other ingredients in the cafe press and scrambled eggs wrapped in flat bread with sriracha.(trendy very hot chilli sauce)Avocado and cracked pepper on hot toast is a big winner too (- great for cholesterol I’m told)
Another friend is keen on the frozen Herbert Adams pies and stocks up when on special.
If you like Indian the Taste of India black pots are brilliant.
Finally , my husband makes frittata - an Italian pastryless quiche(?) filled with red&green capsicums , purple onions , chopped ham , diced potato finished off in the oven - my favourite - the aroma in the house whilst cooking is wonderful too. - @Romla thanks, I will go and have a look, I do like the On the menu lasagna. I'm like your kids, not keen on cooked vegetables either, esp peas and carrots, that's what puts me off most frozen meals.
- For a change from vegemite make some toast and rub a garlic clove on the surface.Mix some chopped tomato , purple onion and dried Italian herb mix with a little olive oil - Called bruschetta and my favourite lunch.
- Hi @Kattykit am not single but Continental have pasta/ rice packs that a quick tasty easy meal base - recipes on the Continental website - enough for two days. If you like Laksa Coles have a new home brand one in a pouch just add more noodles/ bean shoots and maybe some cooked chicken.Lots of interesting fresh pasta packs and some pasta sauce. If you are able to lots of interesting meals for one on supermarket shelves these days - some in Indian area , wokka style meals and even in canned fish area . Very big in this family even in winter Coles salad leave bag with capsicum/ tomato and purple onion - my kids not keen on cooked veg.Nice with ravioli etc.The Uncle Bens Fried Rice packs also provide a quick base for a meal just a few extras eg tin prawns , chicken etc.Have you tried the newish Cauliflower soup in a cup a soup is really nice.
Hope this helps a bit - try a slow trawl around the aisles of the supermarket if you’re up to it one day as there’s a lot you could use to make a quick interesting meal.xo
Ps Lots of interesting savoury biscuits around instead of bread - I like cheese twists , and wasabi rice thins.The bakery sections also do nice bread/ rolls - Woolies do a 4 seed which is lovely. - Hey all you single women out there, what do you do when you really need to eat more than Vegemite on toast but have no inclination to spend forever in the kitchen for a meal for one, esp when your energy is at zero.
