Furiously fast meal ideas

How to make meals appear out of (almost) nowhere!

By Lauren Floodgate

Most of us don\'t always have a full fridge but with a few kitchen essentials around it is possible to knock up a tasty meal in less time than it takes to order a take away. Click through our gallery to discover the key ingredients that will seriously help you to create fast and fabulous food

Fast green Thai curry

Keep a jar of Thai green curry paste and a 400g can of coconut milk in the cupboard and you\'ll have a gorgeous green curry whenever you fancy it. Here\'s how... Just stir-fry an onion or a finely sliced green pepper in 1tbsp of oil for two minutes, whilst you cut four chicken breasts into cubes. Add the chicken and cook until browned. Add 3tbsp of paste and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the coconut milk and simmer gently for 15 minutes whilst you cook the rice. You can even dress it up for a dinner party - just sprinkle the curry with a handful of chopped fresh coriander and a handful of chopped cashews.

The power of frozen prawns

So handy and quite sophisticated these take minutes to defrost and no time to cook. You can pop them in a sandwich, add them to a curry or use them to top a potato. The most versatile way to serve them is in a Marie Rose or prawn cocktail sauce, which is really easy to make. Just stir together 4tbsp of mayonnaise and 2tsp of tomato sauce and stir in 4-6oz of defrosted prawns. For an easy dinner party starter, criss-cross 3 little gem lettuce leaves on each plate and top with a large spoonful of prawns. Dust with a little cayenne pepper and serve. Lemon flavoured mayonnaise and king prawns make this starter even better.

Eggs-cellent!

We all know how useful these are to throw on toast, but it\'s not that much harder to make a frittata. To serve four, dig out your largest frying pan, a 30cm one is ideal. Beat 6 eggs and 8floz of milk together. Now assemble everything you\'d like to include in your frittata. Fry the chopped vegetables lightly in 1tbsp of oil and add your chopped ham or chicken to the egg mixture. Season well. Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, without stirring, for 8 minutes until set. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese and brown under a hot grill. Serve in wedges with a salad.

Frozen veg?

Yes! It has its uses, and here\'s one. Frozen vegetables are brilliant for adding colour, nutrition and taste to a dish of pasta - just cook and drop them on the pasta before the cheese. And frozen mixed veg is perfect for pepping up children\'s pasta sauces. Just cook the veg, before blending it with tomato pasta sauce - there, not a vegetable in sight!

Ready-baked pastry cases

The best invention ever if you want to cheat but still feel like you\'ve made something from scratch. There\'s loads of ways to use them and they\'re great for sweet and savoury dishes. For a quick, filling supper, make a cheese sauce, throw in some blanched cauliflower and broccoli and some chopped crispy bacon. Spoon into the case, sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden. For a cheat\'s Bakewell tart spread the base of a pastry case with 4tbsp of jam before spooning over a two egg Victoria sandwich mix. Scatter with flaked almonds and bake at 180C for, 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Oodles of noodles

Almost as versatile as pasta, a packet of these is a must. They can be easily changed into a meal by adding a selection of meat and vegetables from the fridge and can be cooked in stock to add a little more flavour. Stir fry a sliced onion and red pepper in 2tbsp of oil. Add a jar of your favourite cooking sauce, a large handful of bean sprouts, 100g of prawns and the cooked noodles and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Just sprinkle with chopped coriander or finely chopped spring onions and serve.

Frozen chicken breasts

You can\'t fail with chicken, it\'s universally liked and buying it this way means you\'ll never be caught short. Because frozen chicken breasts are usually wrapped separately you need only defrost exactly what you require and they\'ll defrost much faster that way. Cube or cut into strips and pan fry for stir fries or curries. For a tasty family supper, cut the breasts into large strips and dip in flour, beaten egg and then breadcrumbs before shallow frying for 5 or 6 minutes. Homemade chicken goujons are so much nicer, tastier and better for you than the shop bought equivalent. When making breadcrumbs in a food processor always make extra and freeze the excess for next time.

It\'s a wrap

Tortilla wraps are really useful and kids love them as they can pick them up and eat them with their fingers. Young teenagers can fill them with cheese and pop them in the microwave to make their own hot snacks. They also have a very long shelf life and are great when you\'ve run out of bread. There\'s loads of ways to serve them too. Spread with your favourite sandwich filling, roll up tightly and serve as an alternative to a sandwich. Stir fry chicken, peppers and onions and serve with guacamole, soured cream and salsa. Sit down together and enjoy assembling fajitas. They can even be used to make cheat\'s cheese on toast. Just spread a tortilla with tomato hamburger relish before sprinkling with plenty of grated cheese. Add a little finely sliced onion and top with a second tortilla. Heat 2tsp of oil in a frying pan and lift the tortilla into the base. Cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned before carefully turning over. Cook on the other side. The cheese will melt and hold the tortillas together. Cut into large wedges and serve. This makes a great starter for a Mexican meal.

Risotto cheating

\'Just Cook\' risotto can be made by just adding water but with the addition of a few store cupboard staples you could easily pass it off as homemade (oh yes!). The following combinations work well:

*Cooked chicken, peas, grated parmesan and a handful of fresh basil
*Prawns, sun dried tomatoes and grated parmesan
*A bag of fresh spinach, grated parmesan and a knob of butter
*Ham, spicy sausage, diced red and green peppers and grated parmesan

Finally...

Here are a few stand-by basics that are so often found in recipes that it really is worth your while making sure you always have them...

Ground paprika, mixed herbs, chilli powder, Worcestershire sauce, chicken and beef stock cubes, balsamic vinegar, virgin olive oil, mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard, minced garlic, sun dried tomatoes in oil, tomato puree, black bean sauce, soy sauce and curry paste. Oh, and of course, a few cans of chopped tomatoes - always handy!