EGG RECIPES
Plan B Spinach & Eggs
Last minute plan changes happen. So it pays to be prepared and have a plan-B recipe at the ready that is a) incredibly low effort b) delicious c) satisfying. These green eggs tick all the boxes.
Cabbage ‘Carbonara’
Move over spiralized zucchini! There’s a new vegetable based pasta substitute that is even more delicious and comforting. Seriously, now that I’ve discovered the joy of cabbage, I don’t think I’ll ever feel the need for a bowl of pasta again.
The ‘Next Day’ Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a North African dish of eggs cooked in a tomatoey sauce. While it’s commonly served for breakfast, it also make a fab meat-free dinner. It’s also a brilliant way to turn leftover cooked legumes or veg into a brand new meal. Which is where the ‘next day’ part comes in.
Sun-Dried Tomato Omelette
I know anything with sun-dried tomatoes sounds so 1990s. But after a dismal tomato season and missing out on lots of home grown oven roasted tomatoes, I was compelled to pick up a jar of sun dried tomatoes in the supermarket. Which led me to using them one night for a simple omelette. And the result was so delicious, I just had to share the recipe. Even if it does sound a bit dated.
FLEXITARIAN
Buy Nothing New Curry
The idea is if you have a can of coconut milk and some passata or canned tomatoes and some curry powder or paste, you can make a meal.
I’ve written the recipe for using leftover cooked meat and vegetables, but you can also use raw. Just simmer in the curry sauce until everything is cooked through.
Easy Almond Pizza
As much as I love eating my Zucchini Pizza and Cauliflower Pizza, they can be a little high effort given you need to grate the veg. So I was thinking of how could I make an even easier pizza for weeknight dinners that would be a) low carb and b) enjoyable for the whole family. Which gave me the brain wave to replace the veggies with extra almond meal and extra eggs. Talk about a winner!
CHICKEN
Everyone Happy Cashew Masala
As much as I love coconut milk based curries, sometimes you just want something different. For those days it’s hard to go past this cashew masala – a mild and creamy cashew-based pot of goodness.
FISH
‘Plan-B’ Green Bean Nicoise Bowls
We have the marvelous Mark – long term and prolific Simple Meal Plans member to thank for this idea. He mentioned using frozen beans, canned tuna and olives in his ‘pantry’ version of this Seared Tuna with Cherry Tomatoes.
Tuna Fried Rice
Egg fried rice is one of my favourite go-to meals for small boys (and big Irishmen)! So I’m always looking for ways to tweak it and make it more exciting. This Tuna Fried Rice using canned tuna and rice is my latest favourite.
Salmon, Pea & Feta Bowls
Now that I’ve finally got over my childhood aversion to peas (after many false starts!), there have been a lot of pea-based abundance bowls in our house. While my Irishman loves an olive & goats cheese version, my favourite is this little combo of salmon, mint and feta.
Love how a bag of frozen peas becomes dinner in only a few minutes… Who needs pasta?!
Chilli Con ‘Tuna’
The idea for this tuna and bean based recipe came from one of my Simple Meal Plans Members. It’s a brilliant ‘pantry’ recipe to have in your repertoire. I would never have thought to replace the meat in chilli con carne with fish. But canned tuna works incredibly well.
VEGGIES
Darya’s Egg Fried Cabbage
OMG! This is one of my favourite things to eat at the moment. It’s such as simple dinner but so satisfying and delicious. And one of those versatile recipes that is equally good for breakfast, lunch OR dinner.
Broccoli & Bacon Bowls
These broccoli and bacon bowls were one of my first frozen broccoli experiments. Just the thing for an easy weeknight dinner. Although I’m happy to eat things like this any time of the day.
Gorgeous Greens Tart
This is seriously my new favourite thing to make when I’m having a friend over for lunch. It’s super quick and looks impressive. And tastes like you’ve gone to the trouble of making pastry for a tart. Which of course you haven’t. Plus it’s Low Carb. So a winner all round! I adore this version with blue cheese and sage, but if you’re not a blue cheese fan check the variations for other ideas.
Spinach Feta Burgers
I love a good veggie burger. Especially when they contain actual vegetables like these. This is one of those super versatile recipes that is excellent to have up your sleeve. Using frozen greens it’s basically a pantry recipe. But you can also cook the burgers ahead and have them stashed in your freezer ready to cook from frozen. Like I said, super versatile.
SOUP
Spinach Soup with Smashed Feta & Walnuts
Now I know spinach soup doesn’t sound that exciting. Even with the alliteration. But trust me, when you top it with creamy salty feta and crunchy roast nuts, this soup becomes a thing of beauty (and deliciousness!). Love that all these ingredients will keep in the fridge / freezer / pantry for months so it’s a great recipe to add to your ’emergency meal’ collection.
Yuuummy Spiced Tomato Soup
The best part is that this simple soup is made with ingredients that keep in your pantry for months (if not years) so it’s a great little recipe to have in your ’emergency meal’ arsenal.
Pea & Pesto Soup
Frozen peas are seriously one of the best pantry (or freezer) ingredients. I love that they don’t require any prep and can actually taste better than fresh peas.
LEGUMES
Red Lentil ‘Risotto’
I couldn’t be happier with how this red lentil ‘risotto’ turned out. All the oozy goodness with lots more protein and fibre than your boring old rice risotto.
Hot Cheesy Chickpeas
This is one of my all time favourte comfort meals. I just love how the cheese forms a natural warm sauce for the chickpeas.
