5 fast dinners

Spicy rice tuna beans

Serves 4, Prep 5 minutes, Cook 5 mins

2 x 250g packs microwavable cooked rice
410g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3tbsp medium curry paste, (we like Patak\'s Balti Curry paste, widely available)
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
400g can tuna in brine, drained
Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Microwave rice according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, cook the curry paste, tomatoes and beans in a frying pan for a few mins till the tomatoes have broken down. Mix through the hot rice, tuna and chopped coriander. Serve with natural yogurt, if liked.

Chicken tikka naan pizza

Serves 4, Prep 5 minutes, Cook 10 mins

4 naan breads (use your favourite flavour)
6 tbsp mango chutney
2 tbsp mild curry paste
200g/7oz cooked chicken tikka breast, cut into pieces
Bunch spring onions, finely sliced
Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Raita, to serve ( to make your own, mix 2tbsp mint sauce into a small pot of natural yogurt, and season well)

Mix the curry paste and chutney together, and spread over the naans before placing onto a baking sheet. Scatter over the chicken, spring onions and coriander. Place in a preheated oven, Gas mark 6/ 200C(190 in a fan oven) for 10-15minutes until heated through, before serving with raita.

Vegetable fricassee

Serves 4, Prep 5mins, Cook 10 mins

1tbsp olive oil
450g/1lb mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 courgettes, thinly sliced
2tbsp wholegrain mustard
1tsp vegetable stock powder (or half a stock cube) dissolved in 5tbsp boiling water
142ml tub single cream
Small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add mushrooms and courgettes and cook over a medium-high heat for about 5minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add stock and mustard and increase the heat, cook for a few minutes until the liquid has bubbled away. Stir in the cream and parsley, season with salt and black pepper and simmer for 2 minutes before serving with rice or a jacket potato.

Beef and pepper noodles in oyster sauce

Serves 4, Prep 8 mins, Cook 10 mins

400g/14oz beef sirloin or rump, sliced thinly
300g pack straight-to-wok noodles
2tbsp sunflower oil
2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly sliced
Bunch spring onions, sliced into 2.5cm/1" lengths
6tbsp oyster sauce
Handful basil leaves, torn

Add a tsp of oil to a hot wok, and add half the beef, cook over a high heat for 1-2minutes until sealed, remove to a plate, and repeat. Add the remaining oil, peppers and onions and cook for a further 2 mins till the peppers are just softening, return the beef to the pan, add the oyster sauce and noodles, add a little freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring, for about 3 mins till hot and cooked through. Stir through the basil before serving.

Indulgent banana and blueberry pancakes

Serves 4, Prep 5minutes, Cook 2 minutes

4 ready made pancakes
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 4-8 scoops vanilla ice cream -depending on appetite!
150g blueberries
4tbsp Bailey\'s liqueur (use maple syrup for kids)
50g/2oz plain chocolate

Heat pancakes as per pack instructions. Scatter fruit over half each pancake before folding into a triangle. Add a scoop of ice cream, drizzle over some Baileys, the coarsely grate over the chocolate. Serve immediately for a midweek treat.

Sticky pineapple with cardamom coconut cream

Serves 4, Prep 5 minutes, Cook 5 minutes

4 thick slices fresh peeled pineapple - look out for ready prepared packs
5 tbsp caster sugar
250ml carton coconut cream
1tbsp Malibu, optional
4 cardamom pods

Preheat grill to highest setting. Cut pineapple into triangles, place on a baking sheet, and scatter over 4tbsp of caster sugar. Place under grill for about 5 mins till browned. Meanwhile place the coconut cream, cardamom pods and remaining sugar in a saucepan and cook over a low - medium heat for a few mins to warm through, remove pods before serving with the hot pineapple.

Low-fat Eton Mess

Serves 4, 5mins and it\'s ready

250g/9ox frozen raspberries (or mixed berries), defrosted
500g tub low fat Greek-style yogurt
4 ready made meringues, roughly broken
4tbsp caster sugar, or to taste
½ tsp vanilla extract

Place the raspberries, vanilla extract and sugar in a large bowl and lightly crush with a fork. Fold in the yogurt and meringue before spooning into glasses. Serve immediately.

Rhubarb shortbread crumbles

Serves 4, Prep 5minutes, Cook 10-12 minutes

539g can rhubarb in light syrup
2 pieces stem ginger in syrup roughly chopped, plus 2tbsp syrup
12 shortbread fingers
2tbsp ground almonds
2tbsp flaked almonds
1tbsp demerera sugar

Preheat oven to Gas mark 6/200c (190in a fan oven). Drain the rhubarb and divide between 4 ramekins, scatter the ginger on top and drizzle over the syrup. Roughly crush the shortbread in a plastic bag, mix in the ground almonds and sugar and place on top of the rhubarb. Scatter with flaked almonds, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven until hot through and golden. Serve with lashings of cream or custard.

Griddled mango with rum cream

Serves 4, Prep 5 mins, Cook 5 mins

2 ripe, firm mangos, sliced into wedges (leave the skin on)
1tbsp icing sugar
150g mascarpone cheese
1-2tbsp dark rum

1. Heat a griddle pan until very hot, add the mango wedges and cook for 2-3mins on each side, until well coloured. Mix together the mascarpone, rum and icing sugar (adding extra to taste), and serve with the caramelised mango.


Feature by: Phil Mundy