Mexican Mince

Beef mince, red kidney beans, finely diced onion, diced capsicum, garlic, tin tomatoes, chicken stock cube, cumin, salt, tomato paste. (and some sort of chilli either in dish or in sauce).

Serve with burritos, lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, sour cream and coriander.

Result: 4

Preparation: extremely quick - under half an hour to serving.

Fettucine Steak

(credits to the Paragon in Goulburn for the recipe)

Fettucine. Rump steak in piece or strips - fry up first. Sauce of onion, spring onion, capsicum, mushroom, fresh tomato, zucchini strips, passata, sour cream, soy sauce, cinzano.

Result: 3.5 - extremely satisfying

Preparation: quick and easy - in about time taken to boil pasta. Can chop up veges etc beforehand.

Quick Chicken Soup

(see previous recipe for white-cooked chicken)

Save cooking water from cooking of chicken (or use chicken stock). Add leftover chicken (shredded), spring onion, ginger, peppercorns. Swirl through egg. Add a few noodles (broken into short pieces)

Result: 3.5

Preparation: very quick and easy, and uses up leftovers.

White-cooked Chicken

(credits to Chau for the recipe) (see also Ken Hom)

Take size 12 chicken. Put in pot of cold water with knob of ginger, 3 tsp salt. Bring to boil, high simmer for 20mins with lid on. Turn off. Leave until cool (all day).

Serve with: sauce of hot oil poured onto spring onion and shredded, with a bit of soy and sesame oil added. Serve with greens.

Result: 5

Preparation: very very easy! Just need to be ready in advance.

Capsicum, sweet potato and feta pasta

Roast at 200 degrees for about half an hour:
red capsicum, sweet potato pieces, onion, garlic
Puree and serve on pasta with feta.

Result: 4

Preparation: very easy!

Salami Pasta

Tinned tomatoes, salami, olives, onion, capsicum, zucchini (or eggplant), mushrooms, chicken stock cube, sugar. Serve with gnocchi.

Result: 4

Preparation: extremely quick and easy

Beef Pepper Curry

From Charmaine's Complete Asian Cookbook

Make with whole spices for cumin and coriander, then crush in mortar & pestle. Even better the next day.

Result: 5

Preparation: set aside an afternoon, preferably the day before you want to eat it!

Chicken Parma

Chicken schnitzel from butcher (crumbed), tomato pasta sauce, grilled eggplant slices, grated tasty cheese. Assemble & grill. Serve with mashed potato or sweet potato.

Result: 4 - very satisfying

Preparation: quick and easy, especially if tomato sauce is already made.

Sweet & Sour Chicken or Pork

Chicken or pork pieces, marinate in soy sauce, dry sherry and cornflour for 15 mins.

Onion, green capsicum, mushrooms, green beans, tin of pineapple, fresh tomato.

Sauce with passata, pineapple juice and brown vinegar. Thicken with cornflour.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: Surprisingly quick and easy. Can be done in under 30 mins.

Rockling with roast vegetable salad

Rockling from M & C Seafoods. Rub with coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, lemon juice, chilli flakes, olive oil mashed in mortar & pestle. Leave on fish for 1/2 hour. Bake at 180C fan for 10 mins in Corningware dish, uncovered.

Serve with roasted vegetable salad (eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, tomato, lettuce mix, olives, pine nuts. Dressing of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil.

Result: 4

Preparation: easy and quick.

Cauliflower and Fennel with Cheese Sauce

Cauliflower, washed, broken into florets, steamed for 8 mins.
Fennel, cut in quarters, boiled for 15 mins.

Place in separate baking dishes.

Cheese sauce (simple white sauce + grated tasty cheese + parmesan cheese + grated fresh nutmeg).

Top with parsley mixed with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Bake for about 25 mins.

Result: 4 (but not as a main meal ... much better as an accompaniment to steak) - about 3 as a main meal.

Preparation: easy, but lots of dishes.

Meat Lasagna

Bolognese sauce (best with beef & pork)
Ricotta + tasty cheese + parmesan + milk (white sauce)
Spinach leaves, washed
Lasagne sheets (barilla l'uovo is best)

Result: 4.5

Preparation: a few different things to prepare, but can make a huge amount of it at once.

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

200g soup mix (beans & barley), diced chicken breast, finely diced onion, leek, diced carrot, diced celery, diced potato, chicken stock. Soak soup mix for several hours. Fry onion, carrot, celery and leek in olive oil. Add all the rest. Cook for an hour or so.

Result: 4 - very hearty

Preparation: lots of chopping, but easy.

Pad Thai

Chicken, rice noodles, peanuts, tofu, eggs, green beans, onion, garlic, chilli, bean sprouts. Eggs added after onion fried to coat the wok. Fish sauce, white vinegar, sugar, tamirind, sauce cooked separately for a bit. Splash all with lime juice.

Result: 4

Preparation: easy, but a wok and a pot.

Pad See Ew

Rice noodles - 'Mekong' brand from shop in Preston market. Microwave for 40 seconds.

Tofu, onion, capsicum, mushrooms, broccoli, choy sum. White pepper, kecap manis, dark soy, sherry, lime juice.

Result: 3.5

Preparation: super quick