I used to like to play a game with myself. When Mr NQN’s family used to pop by, I used to invite them to stay for dinner. I loved the challenge of being able to conjure up something, for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores out of what I had in my cupboard or fridge. I would get excited at the idea of trying to make something out of what I had without having actually gone for a proper shop.
Donna Hay’s new book Simple Dinners is one of those books that I would have no doubt flicked through during one of these challenges. They’re all about easy dinners without a battalion of ingredients ideal for weeknights, quickly cooked and assembled but without sacrificing flavour. There are 13 sections broken down into eggs, bread, pasta, noodles & rice, couscous, beans & lentils, chicken, beef, lamb, pork as well as many others ending with that all important chocolate chapter. Recipes include spicy chickpea and chorizo fried eggs; crunchy top beef pies; prosciutto, sage and ricotta French toast; cheat’s ravioli lasagne, chicken pan pie;n oven puff cake with blueberries and cheat’s chocolate and salted caramel tart. Plus these 140 recipes are all new recipes and have not been previously printed in the magazine.
Thanks to Harper Collins, four lucky Not Quite Nigella readers will win a copy of Donna Hay’s Simple Dinners valued at $39.99 each! Plus one lucky reader our of the four will get a boxed pair of Donna Hay Modern Classic mugs from her new range with Royal Doulton (assigned at random). For a chance to win all you have to do is tell me what your best simple dinner recipe is! Simply add your answer as a comment to the story. The competition ends at midnight AEST on the 14th of January, 2012. You can enter this competition once daily and it is open to anyone within Australia.
***The winners are:
Karen M. of NSW
Rebecca C. of Vic
Fiona C. of NSW
Dimity C. of NSW***
Best of luck!
Lots of love,
Lorraine
xxx
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My best simple recipe would be the one cup pancake from Jamie Oliver
it’s so easy! one cup of milk and one cup of flour and a bit of salt so so so EASY!
Really hope I get this book hehe I need some new dinner ideas
Thanks Lorraine!
We love Donna Haye in Canada, her natural photographic style has been the benchmark in food photography for at least a decade!
JT has said that he is always amazed at the lovely dinner I can put together with basically nothing on hand! I love the challenge too. My Simply dinner is barley and mushroom risotto (I always have barley in the pantry and I always have dried mushrooms, usually a variety). I use the liquid is reconstituted the mushrooms in as mushroom stock for even more flavour.
My best simple recipe is Dan Dan Noodles. I first saw Jamie Oliver do the recipe in his 30 Minute Meals and I have since become obsessed with researching different interpretations of this recipe. It is quick, easy and by far the simplest and tastiest recipe in my repertoire.
Simple dinners will always have to be a stir fry for me, whatever meat you have as well as veggies in the fridge with some sauce you have in the cupboard and voila!
making honey chicken skewers with a simple salad
Best simple dinner recipe = pasta, always
tomatoes, olives, tuna – comfort food. I love that you used to challenge yourself to make dinners for you inlaws with what was in your fridge haha! awesome 
Heidi xo
In winter – my favourite simple dinner receipe is a big pot of pumpkin soup! Perfect when there are a lot of hungry mouths to feed on short notice!
Well…. It has to be my ‘chorizo, feta and spinach pasta’!
I always seem to have the above in the fridge so always make it when I don’t have any other cooking ideas. The recipe is v simple:
1. Boil water in a pan and cook pasta according to packet instructions- I like rigatoni.
2. you sauté garlic, onion and sliced chorizo In another pan together until onionss are soft and chorizo is crispy, add a tin of tomatoes, a bit of salt, oregano and black pepper. Simmer for 10 mins.
Add half a packet of fetta, broken down in pieces to the tomato sauce until it melts and then add a handful of baby spinach. Stir well so that spinach wilts.
Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, mix well and enjoy!
Crab Pasta: crab meat (always keep a can in the pantry), lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cherry tomatoes, cooked pasta. Gorgeous!
I make a chicken, roasted pumpkin and basil pasta when unexpected guests arrive for dinner. Everyone that has tried it has loved it and the ingrediants are always in my fridge/cupboard. So tasty and done in 20mins top!
My best simple dinner is a pot of soup or chili and a pan of cornbread.
can’t beat a good hearty goulash stew slow cooked in the oven with some crusty bread – one pot winner ideal for winter all ready to go before busy time with kids when dinner normally needs to be prepared
Oh I’d LOVE to win the new Donna Hay!! I use her books all the time. My fave fall back and speedy dinner is an omlette. I can add all sorts of ingredients and the finished product is different each time. as long as eggs are on hand, I can create a Spanish, Chinese or basic omlette, and have been known in the past to make one or two surprise- discover what’s inside when you tuck in- omlettes!
My best simple recipe is this: fry some onion in a wok, add leftover roast chicken, throw in chopped up vegetables (whatever you can find plus a wombok cabbage), stir fry. While the onion is cooking, prepare a packet of chicken noodles. Once the noodles have softened, add to the wok with some powdered chicken stock. (I never measure.) Then pour a small amount of water in. Stir for a little while and serve with chilli sauce. Too easy.
A beautiful tart of olive tapenade, chopped haloumi cheese and cherry tomatoes, with a side of rocket salad, just drizzled with balsamic vinegar. All ingredients that reside in my fairly Greek-influenced kitchen, and couldn’t be simpler to whip up at a moment’s notice.
My best emergency, no food in the house recipe is pasta carbonara because you only need bacon, cream, egg yolks, parmesan and pasta (and a touch of parsley if you have some growing). And then I use the egg whites to make a pavlova. That’s a two-course meal with fewer than 10 ingredients!
Bucatini all’amatriciana. Hands down the best quick meal in my house. Full of flavour and punch.It is also one of my favourite meals.
Love Donna Hay cookbooks, my easy recipe is a simple omelette with goats cheese and spinach. Takes just a few minutes and especially great when you are starving and want something quick. I once saw Donna standing in front of me queuing at a clothes counter, was rather starstruck and too stunned to say hello!
My best simple dinner is penne with a sauce of olive oil, chilli flakes, marinated artichokes and pancetta! Absolutely divine!
My simplest dinner is a roast chicken or any roast, complete with assorted roasted veg. very fast to put together, and you get to do other things in the time it takes to cook!
It is 3 packets of 2 minute noodles. I just adore them!
Heat a jar of bolognaise sauce and add seafood marinara and chilli. Let it heat through slowly, serve over pasta. Enjoy!
banana jaffles- slice bananas in between two slices of bread, cook in jaffle iron then dust with castor sugar and cinnamon-crunchy and sweet mmmmmmmmmmmm
I love Donna Hayes books and magazine…my simplest dinner recipe is a green salad…always an easy addition to a meal.
My all time simple dinner recipe is Omlette with corriander, spanish onions and fresh chillis. Filling and yummy!
I don’t know about a simple dinner, but I have an excellent simple delicious dessert. For a really easy trifle, put sponge fingers in the bottom of a bowl, cover with strawberry or raspberry puree (fresh) and then a layer of passionfruit yoghurt. It is always good.
We have three absolutely loved by all quick week night meals for just the two of us or unexpected guests. No 1 – eggs, bacon,Heinz baked beans, sausage and chips; No 2 Spag Bol – always a frozen sauce in our freezer and tarted up perhaps with fresh herbs from the garden or splash of red wine, or No 3. a quick chicken with coconut curry sauce. All are winners and yummiferous.
My simple dinner would be seasoned steak seared on a pan side with steamed long beans or other types of vegetables, finish it with mash potato
Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto cooked over coals. Nom nom nom!
roast veggies (from my garden- last night it was beetroot, carrot, potato, onion and garlic) tossed through with quinoa, lemon juice (garden), herbs and leafy greens (also from the garden!)and goats cheese. A little tahini dressing to serve. YUM!
Couscous Delight
To 2 cups of coucous add finely peeled strips of carrot, zuccini,shallots,diced pineapple and 1/2 cup of shredded cooked chicken. Add a dab of butter and stir in a cup boiling water
Stand 5 minutes, stir in a little pepper and salt if liked, and serve to a delighted family.
My favourite is oven baked mushroom risotto, which uses aborio rice, condensed mushroom soup, a few herbs etc and stock. You fry the rice then add the other ingredients, bring to the boil and then put on the lid and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. Lovely filling meal, no constant stirring and only one pot to wash. Ideal!
Savory French Toast with dill from the garden mixed through the egginess before dipification! Yum by itself, but if there are a few tomatoes left in the house then a quick fresh salsa on top. Yums in my tums.
My simple dinner recipe will be baked rice with whatever leftover in the fridge, be it ham, bacon or chicken with any greens that I have plus cheese and tomatoes topping. Quick, simple and easy.
My go to recipe for a simple dinner is my Chilli Tuna Fried Rice!
Boil some rice (about 3 cups cooked). Sometimes if I plan enough in advance, I like to make the rice the day before, for some reason it always tastes better if the rice is cooked and allowed to sit for ages.
Fry up a couple of eggs, chinese omelette style, remove from pan and slice into ribbons. Be a good cook n be sure to taste
Fry up some bacon (as much or as little as you like). Again, taste!
Take a large tin of chilli tuna, drained. Add it (and the chilli, depending upon how spicy you like your food), the egg about a cup of frozen peas, some sliced shallots and the rice to the pan. Stir. Don’t forget to taste!!!
Pour through some soy sauce (approx. 2 tablespoons). You know what to do here, taste!
When you’re happy with how it all tastes, serve sprinkled with extra shallots.
Enjoy
p.s – the leftovers are amazing too!
Donna Hay is just the best!
My simple dinner for me would be an omelette made with whatever filling you have on hand, yum!
My ex husband’s 85 yr old Auntie showed me how to make the secret to this dish – I think of her every time I make it – it takes about 5 minutes to make once the pasta water is boiled.
Cook 250g angel hair pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Keep pasta warm and heat 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil (depends on how much oil your diet can handle), when oil is hot, add a couple cloves of crushed garlic,(don’t burn or the dish is ruined). Add a tin of anchovies,drained. Mash anchovies through the oil, add pasta water (and crushed red chilli for some kick if you like). Toss sauce through pasta, season with salt pepper and grated sharp parmesan.
I’m a Donna Hay tragic, ask my poor hubby about the time I embarrassed him at her store in SYD.
It’s something made more in winter – chickpea chicken and feta bake. Gorgeous and in the oven. This book will be perfect for next year – moving down south and having bubba #02 in April!!! Simple is best
Scrambled eggs.
Everyone likes it, it’s healthy, protein packed, it takes me 2 minutes to make and I need only butter, cream and egg:)
I love buying some fresh muscles from the seafood markets (so cheap!) and throwing them together with some tin tomatoes, chilli, garlic, basil, oil and adding to some linguini. Takes minutes!
My best simply dinner is pesto pasta. Can be healthy or naughty (just pesto, or add cream as well), vegetarian (roast pumpkin, asparagus etc), or add whatever is on had (leftover chicken or chorizo). But what ever I add its always quick and easy and always a success.
My best and healthy simple recipe is to pan fry a nice piece of fillet steak and serve it with a salad of rice noodles mixed with julienne zucchini and oven roasted cherry tomatoes,(the juices of the tomatoes makes a nice dressing for the zucchini and noodle salad), and meanwhile I semi-boil potatoes and then oven roast them until crunchy.
When the meat has been sitting for 10 minutes I slice and serve it up with the potatoes and salad. It does sound fiddly but it comes together quite simply!!
Oh I love her books and they seem like the most perfect thing for busy weeknight dinners or when you realise you haven’t seen a grocery store in over a week.
My favourite simple dinner – two actually.
Pita Pizzas – yep, literally what they are. Mini pita bread used as the base and then topped with whatever toppings you want (this is great to chuck on whatever you have left) – cover in cheese and into the oven for 10-15 mins until the cheese melts.
Also – open-faced veggie burger sandwiches. One piece of multigrain bread, spread with avocado, add some spinach leaves, the veggie burger patty, a cheese slice and then an egg on top. I like to add a little bit of hot sauce on top as well. So yum!
I love salads as an easy meal – stir fry chicken or haloumi, mixed greens, all the veg in the fridge and a dressing invented by what i can see. YUM!
My best simple midweek dinner is actually another Donna Hay recipe from her magazine a few months back – its this amazing salmon and soba noodles with a mirin/soy sauce … so you mix mirin with soy sauce, lemon juice and add some toasted sesame seeds then pour over some cooked soba noodles and some pan fried salmon … we eat this twice a week most weeks – I’ve added a drop of sesame oil and some chopped spring onions to our usual meal …
I must admit I am a very recent DH fan and this dish was my conversion … since then I’ve cooked about 20 other dishes from that one magazine (I think it was the anniversary edition) and they have all been really lovely meals !
my simple dinner:
olive oil, 1 large onion, capers, olives, tomatoes (or sundried tomato pesto), salt and pepper, basil, parsley, 1 can of pink salmon and parmesan cheese— cook together in medium heat plus spaghetti. Goes down well with a can of coke…would love to have it with a glass of wine though
My recipe would be seared salmon with soy sauce with some stir fried bok choy, all done in one pan. Very satisfying and quick.
Simple dinner? Well, it would have to be whatever you have in the fridge/pantry on hand wouldn’t it? A simple dish of Carbonara, a side salad with crispy garlic bread would be perfect for a comfortable but enjoyable dinner!Donna Hay makes cooking so simple & easy doesn’t she? I’d love to win something of hers! Thanks for the opportunity Lorraine.xo
Omelette or frittata, hands down best simple dinner!! (especially for those not wanting to eat the pile of carbs you’d get from pasta/rice)
We would use whatever vegies we had in the fridge, and we can usually find some meat and grated cheese in the freezer. Served with a simple side salad, or just on a bed of fresh spinach, delicious!
My simple dinner is often a roasted chicken, Thomas Keller style, with salad from the garden, home made vinaigrette, and a pureed soup of one or two vegetables (leeks or onions sauteed, then some other vegetable cooked with home made chicken stock, salt, pepper, herbs, a little splash of heavy cream, and puree!)
My simple dinner recipe is from Jamie Oliver, its a cheat meatballs with garlic tomato sauce. You cheat making the meat balls by frying a good quality sausage out of their casing and fry crushed garlic with chopped tin tomatoes with fresh basil and wortchesire sauce. Serve with pasta… Yummmm…
Green curry (a very loose definition!)…I always have green curry paste and coconut cream in the pantry + whatever meat and green veges/frozen peas are lurking in the fridge. Served with basmati rice, another always-there item.
Haloumi And mint pasta! You just boil the pasta and then toss through some burnt butter and top with grated hloumi cheese with dried mint mixed through it! Always a winner- delicious and minimal effort!
Definitely a rice salad. I always order and keep left over rice from take-away in the freezer for those last minute dinners. Then I add whatever I have in my pantry / fridge – which is at minimum, always canned tuna and beans of some sort, fresh tomato, onion and carrots. And always dress with a little olive oil and lemon. This is also a great meal to clean out the fridge and freezer (especially when going on holidays).
Pasta, any kind, with some sauteed onion and garlic, some vegetables and a tin of tuna or salmon, finished with a sprinkle of what ever cheese is in the frige.
A delicious pot of curry chicken. Yum!
I love doing that do. I quite often challenge myself to create meals from what I’ve got.
This sounds really gross but it’s so delicious – sausage parmigiana. It’s my great-grandma’s recipe and she used to make it when they had very little money. Slit sausages down the middle and open them up. Spread with tomato sauce (I used pasta sauce) and sprinkle with cheese. Bake them for about 20 mins at 180C.
My most simple and delicious meal. A tin of good quality tuna over boiled potatoes with peas to serve. A delicious meal using staples, from the pantry.
chives and eggs served in the pan with a dash of soya sauce!
My favourite simple no hassle meal is PASTA, I always have parmesan & an eggs in the fridge. Mix lightly whisked egg into hot drained cooked pasta, sprinkle over plenty of parmesan, season w salt & pepper, voila my best comfort meal ever especially if home alone
my simple dish would be my lazy home made pizza base, chuck whatever is in the fridge on it.
steamed pork mince with black beans, big bowl of rice to soak up the sauce!
as a vegetarian, simple is just slightly harder, my favourite yet simple meal would be omurice!
i love asian food so i like to get the steamed pork ribs in black bean suace off my local takeaway, simple yet guilty!
We love eggy rice,just scramble a couple of eggs through cooked rice,add shallots,coriander and season with fish sauce,real comfort eating.
My simple ercipe is prawns, garlic and pasta. Tastes delicious and is quick and simple!!
My favourite is definitely cheat’s mango and chicken salad!
Just some salad leaves tossed with noodles, mango, chicken (which I cook or simply buy roasted) and Italian dressing. Super simple and easy.
I love a balance of vegetables, rice or pasta and meat. So pasta with meat and vegetable Al Fredo style is one of my favourites.
This recipe takes ½ hour to make.
I boil the pasta until cooked, then set aside. While pasta is cooking, I make the Al Fredo sauce by sautéing onions with olive oil, smoked ham or bacon, mushrooms. After mushrooms have cooked I pour the cream and mix for 1 minute. Then I mix the cooked pasta into the Al Fredo sauce. Plate the pasta and serve with accompanying glass of wine.
Pasta, smoked salmon and a splash of oil. Yummy, surprisingly economocal and ‘special’!
I grow my own salad garden so my favourite simple dinner is to go out and pick a handful of whatever looks happiest- and rip it into a bowl, my favourite at the moment has a base of sorrel and flowers (chive, cornflower,rose,snowpea, calendula) with a light tahini & lime dressing served with some crispy skin salmon. Oh and when the corn’s ripe- I throw some of that in the steamer too.
An omelette with bacon & fried tomato
Barbrcued tandoori chicken served on pita bread and topped with mint yoghurt, diced tomatoes and fresh coriander.
Our family hasty tasty is to throw some twisty pasta into boiling water & whilst this is cooking take another pan & gently sauté some diced red pepper, zucchini , broccoli in olive oil then add a can of Italian tuna in chilli oil , some pitted black olives and a jar/ bottle of tomato passata & fresh green herbs. Simmer uncovered until pasta is ready and then combine in a large serving bowl for everyone to help themselves. Extra fesh homegrown small chillies sliced for those who want more zing !! My son has wooed his girlfriend and entertained his housemates and friends on this dish for years – they all think he’s a gourmet cook but it is his only recipe !!
My simple recipe is Moroccan beans with couscous. Just fry a chopped onion, add 2 or 3 cans of beans (I like cannelini and kidney beans)and 1 or 2 cans tinned cherry tomatoes (these r much nicer than diced tomatoes in this recipe I recently discovered but I used diced for years so they r fine), a bit of water and a lot of Moroccan spice mix to taste. I should try and make my own one day I just use one from the supermarket. And cook for at least 30 minutes. Serve with couscous made with lots of butter! It’s very filling and comforting and EASY.
Annabel Langbein’s Marinated Salmon, delicious. Sweet chilli sauce, lime zest and juice, marinate for 10 minutes and cook in the marinade for 10 minutes in a very hot oven, it’s succulent
I can’t join this contest as I live in the Philippines, but my go to dish is puttanesca. 20 minutes from start to finish.
From what I always have in the cupboard and fridge is what I make when I can’t be bothered going out to the shops. It’s usually pasta with simple Napolitana sauce (it’s my background and what I grew up with, as my parent’s finances weren’t huge, especially with 6 mouths to feed). I love pasta, I can eat it everyday, it’s filling and fast and delicious.
my easy dinner last night was fresh, hot pasta topped with parmesan, butter and lots of black pepper.
Meat pie & chips!
Yep, I need better ideas
Trying to teach my 80 year old husband to cook. so book would be sensational. My simple recipe, Jamie oliver pancakes, and then fill up with whatever in fridge, stew, meat sliced, cold meats, or any sweets. Can grate your own preferred cheese on top, I love double brie on everything, and warm up in microwave.
Wow, so many great ideas and recipes from your foodie fans!
For a quick dinner I make Jamie Oliver’s salmon, green beans & pesto.
On a piece of foil place a handful of green beans and some broccoli, then put a piece of salmon on top. Smear the salmon with pesto, and then season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Wrap up as a nice little foil parcel, and bake for 20-25 mins at 200 degrees C.
I eat this for dinner at least once per week, it is delicious and super healthy.
Hi Lorraine! I find it hard to beat pasta with a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh basil, garlic and a few cherry tomatoes – yummm! Thank you for the opportunity to win such a fab book!:)
My best simple dinner recipe? Comes from the hands of my MM when I turn over the kitchen to him. Not always al la carte but wow the lack of stress and the pleasure of sitting back with a good wine, more than compensates.
Daggy but so good! Some diced steamed veg (usually broc)stirred through 2 minute noodles (cooked up on the stove) and finished with cheese.
So fast, so simple and not really bad for you.
My best simple dinner is salmon ( usually from the freezer) pan fried with crispy skin, with wasabi and dill sauce (good bought mayo with wasabi paste and dill). Accompanied by bok choy or asparagus wrapped in proscuitto (or ham if that is what is in my fridge). Asparagus works……beans work….peas work. So easy to adapt and looks like far more effort than it is.
Bashfully basic meal – open a can of baked beans, pop slice of bread in toaster, fry an egg for touch of luxury – assemble- and add a daring dash of chilli flakes !!!
Favourite stand by quick dinner – My tuna pasta: boil pasta (any sort), fry onion, garlic, chilli, anchovies and add can tomatoes, can tuna (in olive oil), splash wine. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese. I always have these ingredients in the cupboard – it’s comfort food for me (or a carbonara but that always feels like such an indulgence!)
Balsamic and herb Roast Lamb is my easy dinner and it is loved by all who try it. Simply make a marinade with 3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and toss in any herbs (fresh or dry)you like. Place lamb leg in oven bag, pour in marinade and throw in a couple of garlic bulbs cut in half. Cook as directions on oven bag instructions. When cooked remove lamb and serve with pieces of the garlic bulbs and spoon marinade, which has now become a sauce, over!
Maple & Mustard chicken, simply marinade the chicken pieces in a mixture of maple syrup & wholegrain mustard, then fry ina little olive oil. Great with Baked potatoes & a salad.
Made in the right quantity, vegetarian nachos are delicious for dinner! Just pour plain Doritos on a plate, chop up some fresh tomato, add herbs of your choice, mountains of mozzarella cheese and add a bit of lime juice and olive oil on top. Microwave until the cheese is melted, then add sour cream (if feeling extra naughty1) or natural yoghurt on top. The whole dish takes 10 minutes at most to prepare and is so, so delicious.
My homemade chicken, vegetable, and mushroom soup served with fresh coriander and ginger – the symphony of fresh flavours and aromas are perfect in this recipe.
Oh Lorraine: take a bow!! As a multitude of others,I have been in variable trouble with ‘no-show’ from a certain mail server for 3 days, and totally so, today
! So, one simply googled you in the end! NOW: how can one go past a stirfry in which you can use absolutely everything? 
! In the summer months, an inspired salad is not half bad either and exactly how long would a marvellous omelette take? Oh, Donna Hay – what beautiful products!
My best,easiet and nutritious meal, of which I always have the ingredients on hand is a salad consisting of boiled egg, baby spinach, red and yellow capsicum, cucumber, black marinated chilli garlic olives, feta and red onion. A dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then I add either a tin of red salmon or chicken quickly stir fried in garlic and chilli oil. Always a winner with guests who pop in and even my husband loves it!
Grilled chicken & salad.
Tasty on the lips & kind on the hips too!
Its got to be Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. I love that it means ‘Whore’s Pasta’ and it boasts complex flavours in a dish that is embarrassingly easy to make. Perfection in a bowl.
is a casserole chuck everything in with your favourite gravy and let the oven do the work.
On a warm night their is nothing better than having a prawn salad. Easy to make and so tasty.
Potato salad. Cooked Potatoes diced, diced bacon, grainy mustard,chopped chives, extra virgin olive oil and toss together
Roasted (or sometimes raw) broccoli and caulifower with chickpeas and a dressing of tahini, lemon juice, and chilli at the moment
The best simple dinner recipe is some fresh pasta with a yummy simple sauce of cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil a little salt and a simple delicious dinner! Yum Yum XXXX
Wagyu steak BBQ’ed on a camp fire. It always makes the other campers jealous.
A
Gotta be laksa: fry laksa mix with fish sauce & lime, add coconut milk/pre-soaked noodles/tofu and Chinese greens. Garnish with coriander – divine!
Our simple easy dinner is a tuna pasta dish with Tuna, onion, chilli, cinnamon, basil, pasta, tinned tomatoes, passata and grated parmesan – its delicious and super easy!
Stir fry noodles as the ingredients are just dependent on what is in the fridge and there is always noodles in the house.
My simple dinner is pasta with broccoli.
Boil the broccoli until a vivid green. Remove the florets with a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil some pasta using the same water. Stir fry it up together, add some fried breadcrumbs, grated cheese and serve!
I have two simple favourites, scrambled eggs, even better when made with fresh eggs from my lovely neighbours, or pasta with a sauce made quickly with garlic and some of our home grown tomatoes and basil!
My best simple dinner recipe is a stir fry – slice any meat you like into strips, cook with chopped oni on, garlic and ginger; add whatever crispy veges chopped into slices that like; add a handful of cashews, add a quarter of a cup of soy sauce, a tablespoon each of honey and oyster sauce and a squirt of lime, toss to coat the contents of the pan, and serve over rice or hokkien noodles.
Fried rice. What a great way to serve up your leftovers – mixed with rice and added with soy.
My best simple recipe for Dinner is Indian Quick Dal with rice….
So comforting and warm…
I love Donna Hay…
keeping my fingers crossed.
Um, really Asian, tomato and eggs =) can not go wrong with that
For when I have to be out the door in five minutes -
I put toast on, then in a mug whisk just lightly, two eggs, spoonful cream (or sour cream or milk but prefer cream), plus couple halved cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle each chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Cooked in microwave on med power, (stirr halfway through), is ready by time toast pops up!
My favorite quick recipe is prawns sautéed in garlic and olive oil with a bit of chilli. The add a splash of white wine and simmer. Then add al dente pasta with parsley, squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Yummy! Fingers crossed xox
Simple for us is pan fried salmon and hopefully a quick salad with something fresh from the garden thanks to my husbands green thumb. Savings on the salad well make up for the price of the salmon.
We always try have salmon at least once a week as it is so healthy and makes me feel not quite so bad if we have 2 min noodles the next night.
Great giveaway.
My best simple dinner recipe is Donna Hay’s beetroot blini with goat’s curd. It takes 20mins to put together and goes really well with any bqq meats.
A nice steak with either a microwaved potato / sweet potato easy as pie !
I’m a full-time worker, love cooking but don’t want to be a slave to the kitchen. Once I agreed to meet up with a fellow hobbyist in Qld. She had no idea of my tastes and I was arriving late. In 5 minutes she had pasta on the boil, stirred through a salmon dip and topped with prawns, sprinkled a little paprika for colour and garnished with a dill sprig. Our hobby was creative so of course her creative juices extended to cooking although she said she hated it. I was impressed. Maybe I should send her a copy of the book ha ha.
Quickest ever dinner….cup of rice and a massive dollop of corned beef from a can…heated in the microwave! Some may gag but it always hits the spot every time!
if I’m feeling adventurous I’ll add some sweet corn!
Warm chicken salad
My simple dinner is chicken parmagana with chips and ceaser salad.
Well, it depends on the crowd and my mood. If more than just me and my mother are around, I tend to go for grilled kangaroo with cous cous and vegies – yum. If just myself and I’m feeling virtuous, scrambled eggs with toast/selection of jams and vegies (I am obsessed with vegetables), or – if alone and completely unwilling to care about anything – Sultana Bran or (English-brand) Dorset muesli with yoghurt, fruit and toast. I rarely do them, though – I love cooking too much!
Quiche. There are so many different types of quiche and they’re healthy, quick and easy to throw together.
My simple dinner is Marinated chicken Salad.
Just marinate some chicken in whatever you have (usually mine’s honey and balsamic!) Give it a quick fry off in the wok then throw it all over a mixed salad of greens, cherry tomatoes, olives and fetta with a light balsamic dressing. Simply Summery too!!
An omelet cooked to perfection with whatever I have to hand – Prosciutto or Vintage Cheddar or asparagus or…. Never fails to please or impress. A simple, tasty salad to accompany.
I love making fajitas. They’re quick and fresh, and they fill me up! I usually make beef fajitas but have changed to chicken recently.
our simple dinner is roast potatos with baked beans topped with cheese.
My best simple recipe is cooking savoury chicken rice in my rice cooker.
Fry some chopped garlic & ginger in some oil. Add some chicken pieces, some lght soy sauce, some dark soy sauce, some oyster sauce. Add the amount of washed rice you want. Stir to coat. Then put into the rice cooker and cook the usual way…press the ON button!
egg fried rice… probably because we have it so much! |D
Some roast chicken purchased and broken up; sour cream worstershire sauce, cayenne pepper bacon diced and mushroom soup, mushrooms chopped roughly and a little milk. Cook bacon and mushrooms add soup and other ingredients add chicken and serve with rice.
Chicken, asparagus and mushroom risotto- 25mins and it’s on the plate steaming hot and delicious!
I have a recipe that I call sl*t-roast, because it’s so easy even a lazy wh*re can make it! Plus it uses booze and only one pan. A real single ladies’ dish.
Potatoes/ any root veg sliced wafer-thin layered in a baking dish. Piece of protein (choose yours) on top. Pour half a cup of white wine over the lot. Cook till potatoes are golden and crunchy and protein cooked. Fifteen minutes before that you can add diced broccoli, or frozen peas, or whatever greens veges you have, and another sploosh of wine.
My simple dinner also no food in house dinner is – Yellow Dhal- chop onion, garlic, add tumeric, sea salt, cover with veg stock, when lentils are soft stir in coconut milk to taste. 15mins tops. Quick, comfort- add rice and yoghurt spiced with cumin and grate that wrinkled cucumber you found in the back of the fridge. Yum. Even a spoon of mango chutney if you have some. What the heck if you have pappadums zap in the miccy sprayed with oil for 1 min. Mini indian take-out!
Home made pasta with freshly made pesto from home grown basil. And a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes.
My favourite simple dinner is a vegetable frittata….sauted onion, garlic, proscuito, diced vegies like broccolini, left over pumpkin/sweet potato, fresh asparagus, mushrooms etc what ever is in the fridge. Add eggs, torn basil and sprinkle of Romano Cheese and PRESTO!!!! Always enjoyed and never a problem finding the ingredients.
My favorite is quesadia with any leftover inside serve with sour cream and salsa
Simple quick one I do is fried eggs sunny side up with some toast. Or I make pasta with tinned tomato, home made pesto and a little cream. Or pasta with tin tomato and tuna. In summer hot days pasta with tuna drizzeled with lemon juice olive oil and a little parsley.
I <3 Donna Hay! When are you going to release a cook book? I have written almost all of your fabulous recipes into my journal! Lol, my super quick meal in a hurry is sausage, baked beans & a fried egg on toast, simple & delicious!
ive been a long time follower of your blog, i reckon your cheeseburger soup is fantastic!
vietnamese pawpaw and chicken salad for a quick and healthy dinner!
hi NQN * fan girl scream at above prize!* my favourite simple meal would be my 4 cheese pasta served with herby baguette!
as a lazy student, simple meals are the best! my current fa v is my vegetarian fritata!
steamed pork ribs ftw!
Do you know what Lorraine, even if I don’t win Donna’s book I will treasure this post. It is jam packed with so many great ideas which are quick and yummy. I host international backpackers in exchange for daily work and this blog has given me so many quick ideas to cook for them after a full day at work. We are receiving a gorgeous young French couple next week for a month. Her hobby is photography which I’m sure you can identify with.
Easiest dinner when the kids lived at home – Minute rice, prepared, to which we added salsa and black beans (heat the black beans, leave ‘em cold, my girls didn’t care). Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top, or shredded cheese, although neither is crucial, and serve with chips.
Easiest dinner now that it’s hubby, the dog, and me – buttery toasted cheese sandwiches! Any bread, butter in the skillet and on one side of the bread, a swipe of cream cheese on the bread and cheddar (or whatever is on hand), toasted up in the skillet. Yum.
hi lorraine, my best simple dinner would be anything with egg. curry , omlete whatever you fancy! another thing its kinda like rissoto made with rice , lentil and whatever vagetables you have.you can also add some spices, meat or not or just keep it simple! bothway its delicious and nourishing!
Chicken soba noodles – soba noodles (cook in 6mins), shredded chicken (yep, bought on the way home), masses of fresh herbs from my garden, splashes of sesame oil, soy sauce and chilli sauce, and any vegetables I happen to have, finely shredded and tossed into the soba noodles for the last 2 mins.
The good old spaghetti bolognaise, it is economical, easy to prepare and quick to get from the stove to the table.
My never fail family favourite dish!
Spaghetti with basil and pine nut sauce… I’m a ‘Pesto’-Master at this dish!
Mushroom Risotto… it really kicks ‘Rice’!
Simple dinner for me….a crustless quiche( because I have chickens) and just use the opportunity to use up all the leftovers in the fridge!
Scrambled eggs on toast – quick, simple and satisfying.
I believe it has to be risotto in my Thermomix using dried mushrooms as well as fresh. Really kicks up the flavour.
eggs always has to be the eggs!
baked beans on toast, says alot about my cooking skills really!!
nigella’s mustard cidery pork, with steamed potatoes and asparagus….heaven and so easy!
Fritta. 6 eggs lightly beaten combined with any fridge leftovers such as cooked meat, tomatoes, shallots or onions, cooked potato etc.
Just cube the leftovers, stir in the eggs and gently fry in a little olive oil. Leave it to cool and eat sliced while the family chats about their day.
If friends drop in just add a salad. Too easy!
My favourite simple recipe changes over time, and several have been Donna Hay ones.
My current fave is cauliflower, oven roasted for half an hour or so tossed in some olive oil , while red quinoa is simmering in stock. Combine cooked quinoa and cauli with finely chopped shallots and goats cheese,- this meal is heavenly, healthy and easy!
My favourite easy dinner is to bung some pork ribs in the oven, steam some rice and veggies while they’re cooking, baste the ribs, toss the rice with sushi seasoning and the veggies with sesame oil. Less than 10 minutes work in total for a yunny meal:-)
My simple meal is a Quiche… It is a blank canvas to which I can get my artistic (and appetite)juices flowing. There are so many variations and you never make the same one twice
YUM!
Whenever I need a quick easy-to-prepare-and-cook dinner, I make steamed oyster sauce chicken. My husband actually taught me this dish, which goes to show how easy it is if he can cook it too!
Fettuccine with Tuna and Olives
Combine:
2 cans undrained tuna in oil
2 tomatoes chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
half cup black olives halved
quarter cup french dressing
Add to cooked Fettuccine
Delicious!
Forgot to mention 2 small cans of good quality tuna !!
my favourite weeknight meal is brocoili caborana. takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and you can add any green vegetables from the fridge. Saute onion, add vegetables, basil pesto and garlic, fry off. add half a tin of evaporated milk and mix 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of cornflour to the remainder before adding. simmer until milk starts to thicken and finish with some pine nuts (or any nuts on hand). Serve with parasmen cheese. My brother (who wont eat veg unless they are stir-fried, loves this pasta and requests it whenever he comes over)
Potato Boreka’s are a family favourite of our’s, quick easy and very yummy.
Just boil up some potatoes and mash with garlic salt and non-dairy margarine (for those lactose intolerant) add fried onions (fried in olive oil) mix together. Take a sheet of Ready made Puff or Shortcrust Pastry (whichever is your favourite) and cut into 9 equal squares (like a 0′s and X’s table). Spoon the Potato mixture into the middle of each square of pastry and form a triangle and press around the edges to seal. Place on a baking tray with baking paper, brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a hot oven for 20 – 30 mins. Serve with salad or in winter a hot side dish.
Crunchy, flavorsome and filling.
Tasty & quick. Warm salad based with rocket, pine nuts, red onion, feta. Cook mushrooms and protein of choice, chicken, lamb or even prosciutto. Toss through salad base with olive oil and vinegar of choice. My currant favourite is raspberry wine vinegar. Quick, tasty & healthy.
steamed fish, ginger and spring onions, soy, over steamed rice with stir fried bok choi in oyster sauce, simple, healthy and yum !!
With her namesake, really guess I should be able to be a better cook-maybe the cookbook can help?
puttanesca!
It is crazy Donna can release so many books….
best simple dinner: cereal with milk, but when i feel festive i mix two different types – e.g. weetbix and special k!
Roast chicken, rocket,lambs lettuce, spinach, mango and macadamia salad sprinkled with feta or blue cheese. Just scrumptious.
many of the recipies sound fairly complex. mine is really simple, cook a packet of dried pasta. pan fry some mushrooms until golden, add the drained pasta, top with parsley and enjoy.
My simplest meals is eggs… they are just so simple, versatile and quickly become delicious. My fav is scrambled plus.
Crack 4 fresh eggs (free range pref) into a bowl whisk in a dollop of sour cream, season with onion salt and black pepper. Microwave for 1.30 mins approx stir in a handful of shaved parmesan and give in another min in the microwave. While still warm stir in a spoonful of sliced sundried tomatoes and thin slices of parma ham. Serve on warm sour dough bread with lashings of butter topped with a little chopped chives.
I fry some onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes and capers; add a bit of white wine and some lemon juice and grab some frozen peeled prawns from the freezer to add. Serve tossed through pasta with some fresh rocket!
My best simple recipe is one that I learnt in Italy from my aunty and fortunately they sell the product here. Barilla dried 3 cheeses tortellini, used for soups.
1 pack of Barilla tortellini formaggi (cheese)
1 Tbs of Vegeta vegetable stock
Olive oil
Bring a pot of water to boil, add vegetable stock and tortellini, boil for 11 mins. Serve into boils pour some olive oil for flavour and optional grate some parmesan.
there you have it, the most delicious meal you have ever tasted and it only took 15mins. Everyone loves it and its cheap as.
Our go to simple dish is vegetable pizzas. We always have pizza bases on hand, add zucchini, capsicum and any other fun veggies with pasta sauce and cheese. Yummy!
An Italian homsetyle classic – saute some garlic, chopped chili and chopped anchovies in olive oil, then add cooked broccoli broken into florets and cooked orrechiette pasta. Serve with lots of parmesan on top and volia! I cook the broccoli in the same saucepan as the pasta, just adding it in the final two minutes, to save washing up.
Vietnamese rice paper “make your own fun” rolls! Fresh, fun, healthy and delicious!
Our favourite is simple pizzas also- so quick- we always have bases- just put on whatever is in the fridge- veges and meats! In the oven 15 min and ready!!!! Yum!
These ideas should be put into a book and published!!!!!!
I’d go for an omelet with a surprise filling
carbonara with ham mushrooms and spring onion:-)
As a poor uni student living out of home, simple recipes with not that many ingredients are essential to my cooking repitoire.. so when I decide that three mi goreng dinners is enough msg consumption for a week, I usually make baked eggs with whatever is on hand. Chorizo, or smoked salmon, or ham. Pair that with some toast and a tomato salad with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing and you have yourself a pretty awesome dinner. Plus, who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner? Certainly not me!
My favourite quick meal is a Donna hay recipe I Have tweaked a bit. It’s a baked haloumi & sour dough salad with lots of parsley & mint. Very tasty
my simple quick dinner recipe is tom yum soup.a table spoon of bottled tom yum paste ( from asian food store), dried or fresh mushroms, kaffir lime leaves or bottled chopped lemon grass and frozen prawns…just boil them with water..if I am really hungry I throw in some rice noodles!
Enough Pasta for two
One tub cream cheese
One packed smoked salmon
Black Pepper
Chives
Stir!
Eat!!!
MY favourite quick dinner recipe, popular with young and old, is macaroni cheese. Cooked macaroni in a sauce made with butter, flour, milk, pepper, chopped parsley and lots and lots of grated cheddar (I buy it pre- grated). Place in oven dish, cover with a shallow layer of fresh breadcrumbs, smother in grated cheddar and bake till cheese is brown and casserole is bubbling.
I love a quinoa salad – you can just toss in any salad ingredients you have and it’s always delish!
I would love this recipe book! Our favourite and easiest is chicken fajitas… soft wraps paired with stirfried chicken, onion and capsicum, flavoured with cumin, paprika and lime. Add sour cream, avocado or salsa – whatever you have in the fridge!
My favourite easy dinner is cooked garlic and prawns then add lemon zest, the juice and rocket and serve over pasta. So good and takes as long as it does to cook the pasta. YUM!
Simple cupboard meal: Tin tomatoes, garlic, mixed herbs, pasta and cheese. So simple and tasty
Eggs on toast! Can’t beat it!
roast dinner because you put , meat and vegies into the one pan and cook in oven – anybody can do it
Wraps… with whatever is in the fridge. They’re so versatile and can be meaty, vegetarian whatever suits! Its simply a matter of grab fresh out of the garden, or check whats in the fridge and put it all together. Everyone is pleased as they can assemble it themselves to their taste, and its such a homely, comfortable dinner to share.
I love to do a simple dukkah crusted chicken with some steam veg and cauliflower mash.
fried rice. I always have rice in teh freezer ready to go and I use whatever meat for the ingredients.
I just love to cook! i will try anything and almost everything… but very hard these days working 5 days and two small children to find simple healthy recipes
I know this sounds terrible but I love Marion’s Kitchen Thai Green Curry as a mid week easy dinner. She has everything ready in a box for you and you just buy the chicken, zucchini, beans and cook the rice. I don’t usually buy boxed meal but this taste delicious! I love her other stuff as san choy bow, red curry …
Grilled Atlantic salmon with smashed potatoes and wilted bok choy, and steamed snow and sugar snap peas. Love the creamy mash against the crunchy peas.
Tomato & rocket bruschetta is one of many – thanks for the great ideas.
My best simple dinner idea is ‘whatevers in the fridge’ stir fry
There’s nothing easier than an omelette – filled with whatever ingredients may be handy.
I cook mine on the sandwich press, so the cleanup is simple too!
streamed vegies with chat potatoes & sour cream served with pan fried tassies salmon.
Hmm best simple recipe? It’s probably my fig, proscuitto and goat’s cheese/feta/blue cheese (depending on what’s in the fridge!) pasta. Simple, easy, quick and tasty.
I’m NOT just saying this but this book is on my Christmas wishlist!! I shit you not, because I’m always working evenings I never have time to make dinner.. and someone recommended this book! LET ME WIN LET ME WIN!!!
Oh I got so excited I forgot to tell you my best simple dinner recipe lol. Boil pasta, chop up some chorizo, toss with pesto OR tomato paste with chilli flakes. YUM.
My best simple dinner recipe is a twist on one of Maggie Beer’s recipes, as I always have the ingred. in the fridge and freezer, and i can adapt it to whatever I have! It’s a gorgeous meatloaf with puff pastry wrapped around it. Old school, but yum!
Boiled soupy rice
Add a can of Sirena Tuna in oil
and toss in cherry tomatoes at the end with shallots and corriander, lemon juice and for a real bite, chopped up fresh chillies and white pepper!
My all time simple dinner is spaghetti (must be thin spaghetti and not buccattini) with a butter and parsley sauce. The sauce is made simply by melting good quality butter and then adding a generous amount of finely chopped continental parsley. Pour sauce over spaghetti when cooked. Serve with grated aged Parmesan. Yum!
Vodka Cream Penne with Chorizo…an original NQN recipe! I have made it dozens of times. SOOOOOO good and so, so, so easy.
Our best simple dinner is something roasting away in oven!
Could be a whole chicken or piece of beautiful crackled pork or a simple piece of fish with a herby breadcrumb top. Add a salad and some fresh bread to mop up any juices and dinner is done!!
My best simple and lazy recipe has to be my Lazy Japanese Salmon Rice. All you have to do is to pan fry a piece of salmon and crumble it with a fork. Add the salmon to some boiled rice and squeeze some Japanese mayo in. All is left to do is to mix, mix and mix! Voila~
I have 2 fall backs 1 is scrambled eggs which can be done in the bowl you are eating from in the microwave and be eaten plain or tricked up with cheese, bacon, smoked salmon, chives or so many different things. And another is my baked potato. So smole and yet so delicious.
Spaghetti – can be complex or super simple. Add any vegies in the fridge or keep it a simple mince and hebs etc .. presto!
Grill pizza’s – the base is whatever is on hand, bread, pita, muffins, rolls, topped with grated cheese, bacon or salami (again whatever is on hand), herbs, tomato paste, onions, cheese, capsicum – whatever is on hand. Quick, easy, versatile and so yummy.
Bacon, mushroom and leek risotto. So easy I could do it blind folded with one hand tied behind my back, and it never fails to please.
Quiche – always have some puff pastry on hand – add eggs cream and mixture of this and that! Top with an italian herbs mix and leave it to bake. yum!
My fall back simple dinner is a chicken and Bacon creamy pesto pasta. Hubby and kids both love it and it is quick and easy to make.
Okonomiyaki. Mix hredded cabbage, flour, egg, water, shallots if you have it, and whatever meat or other stuff that takes your fancy – and just cook the batter in a (non-stick) pan with a bit of oil. Top with mayonnaise (I always have a tube of Kewpie mayo in my fridge) or wasabi mayo if you like
and okonomi sauce (again, I always have this in the pantry but you can make it using ketchup, soy sauce and/or worcestershire sauce)
I love Donna Hay’s simple style and reliable recipes. I have two very worn Christmas editions of her magazines that are dog-eared and splattered but are still providing the inspiration I need to pull together spur of the moment Summer get togethers.
My Simple Dinner ->TUNA CASSEROLE
Cook Pasta(any shape)
Mix cream & milk until smooth.
Add tuna, garlic, dry mustard and onion.
Melt butter Over mix
Spread mixture over casserole dish.
5. Bake at 185 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Cold Chicken curry
1 bbq chicken
1 tablespoon curry powder 2 tablespoons apricot jam
2 small onions
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
pull chicken apart and shred
fry onion till translucent add curry powder and apricot jam
add chicken stock stir and simmer for 8-10 minutes until reduced then cool, add chicken cream and mayonnaise
stir to combine and serve with rice or my families favorite is to spoon it on crusty bread, we took this to carols by candlelight the other night and shared it with friends thay all asked for the recipe, great for a summers picnic.
Pasta with pesto stirred through it and if I have enough time some steamed beans added. Yum!
The most popular quick dinner in our house is pasta with proscuitto, cherry tomatoes, capers, lemon zest & rocket. I think I might’ve taken the recipe from Donna Hay actually & changed it a little.
My simple dinner is Chinese Fried Rice. Basically you can add anything to it:chicken, bacon or prawn and some Chinese veggies, beans, shallots.
I really wished I win Donna Hay’s cookbook to get more ideas of simple n yummy cooking.
My simple dinner is Pesto pasta. I usually always have fresh Basil in the fridge, so I whip up a pesto with some basil, parmasan and Cashews, add some penne, fresh tomatoes, olives and fetta.. Yum!
My go to simple dinner is fettucini with lots of tomatoes. I cook the pasta separately. In a baking dish, I put in lots of sliced garlic, 6 sliced tomatoes, bacon bits (could use speck or Italian salty bacon), dried parsley, bit of olive oil and bake until tomatoes are soft and gooey. Then I combine with the pasta and add cheese on top. It’s a family favourite.
My best simple recipe is a punnet of roasted cheery tomatoes, a dollop or two of ricotta, a lug or two of good quality olive oil and some fresh basil leaves, tosssed through al dente pasta. Simply delicious and never fails to be well received.
Stirfries. Easy Peasy
My simple dinner is scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and dill or spring onions stirred through. Best made with a dollop of fresh cream, and butter to grease the frypan. Takes five minutes. So quick and easy!
Asian pork soup with vegetables & herbs is a favourite in my household & it’s so easy to prepare in the morning, then chuck it into a slow cooker-type device for the day….and when we get home in the evening, dinner is pretty much served!
I love a balance of vegetables, rice or pasta and meat. So pasta with meat and vegetable Al Fredo style is one of my favourites.
This recipe takes ½ hour to make.
I boil the pasta until cooked, then set aside. While pasta is cooking, I make the Al Fredo sauce by sautéing onions with olive oil, smoked ham or bacon, mushrooms. After mushrooms have cooked I pour the cream and mix for 1 minute. Then I mix the cooked pasta into the Al Fredo sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then plate the pasta and serve with accompanying glass of wine.
A favorite of mine is a Donna Hay lemonade – quick, easy, delicious and a great way to use up all the lemons if your lemon tree is producing well.
A quick an easy family dinner that the kids love too is to throw some meat on the BBQ (lamb chops usually, sprinkled with oregano) with a pile of roasted veggies (sweet potato, red onion, eggplant, parsnip, carrots, chopped and covered in olive oil and sea salt) on the side. Delicious dinner that takes little effort and means I can spend time with them too.
Cream of mushroom pasta with chicken pieces is a simple but delicious meal I often make for dinner if i’m stuck for ideas
For me it has to be homemade pizza my kids and husband make. The kids have ham and pineapple and the adults vary from roast pumpkin and fetta to mushroom or a “left overs” pizza also works well. Either they they do the cooking so it is win/win for me!
Tried Donna’s Haloumi and Chicken skewers with preserved lemon on the weekend. They were simple, delicous and a huge hit.
My favourite dinner fallback is a rich eggplant parmigiana: it can be made days in advance without a lot of work, looks impressive when guests come around, and can be easily adapted to suit all kinds of dietary requirements (which is quite a plus in our circle of friends).
Potato and leek soup:-)
Chicken & pumpkin couscous – a chicken breast & some pumpkin steamed in glad microwave bags, a cup of couscous mixed with a cup of stock, a sprinkle of morroccan seasoning & a small pack of sultanas & dried apricots.
Healthy too
Chicken pesto pasta with sundried tomatoes… A whole family pleaser! Sauté chicken with garlic, then add basil pesto (homemade is best!) with a splash of cream then sundried tomatoes and penne pasta. Grate Parmesan cheese over the steaming bowls before serving… Yummy!
My best simple dinner is cooking a quick and easy spaghetti bolognaise with a small salad on the side.
We always have tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, onions and herbs at home so there’s never any need to dash to the shops and using kangaroo mince gives it a bit of a different, very tasty, flavour.
Cant go past some fresh grilled fish – yummy!
Quick and easy Thai Basil chicken.
Chop 1/2 kilo chicken thighs, fry with chopped garlic and ginger. Add 2 handfuls of Thai basil and soya sauce to taste. Sprinkle with chopped sping onions and serve with rice.
I love a balance of vegetables, rice or pasta and meat. So pasta with meat and vegetable Al Fredo style is one of my favourites.
This recipe takes ½ hour to make.
I boil the pasta until cooked, then set aside. While pasta is cooking, I make the Al Fredo sauce by sautéing onions with olive oil, smoked ham or bacon, mushrooms. After mushrooms have cooked I pour the cream and mix for 1 minute. Then I mix the cooked pasta into the Al Fredo sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then plate the pasta and serve with accompanying glass of wine.
Fresh pasta tossed in baby tomatoes, basil, red o ion and olive oil, all from the garden of course, with just a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan over the top! Simple, cheap and delicious!
Good old roast:-)
Nothing beats an omelette for a quick healthy and filling meal. I make a delicious onion omelette or onion frittata for serving 2.
You start by sautéing the 2 large size onions or 4 medium size onions with a bit of olive oil or unsalted butter for variation. After onion has caramelised, season with salt and pepper then set aside.
In a large bowl beat 6 large eggs with ¼ cup of milk then mix the caramelised onion into it. Now pour omelette mixture into a frypan and fry until cooked. NB: the minute that you mixed the hot caramelised onions into the beaten eggs the cooking process started. So you won’t take long frying this omelette.
Serve with accompanying bread or salad, and your favourite beverage.
Simple? Pasta! You can do this in 10 minutes… and it’s just as good as the one from the acclaimed restaurant across the road.
Add 400 grams of fresh, egg paperdelle or tagatelle to salted boiling water and cook aldente. In a seperate, large pan (e.g. I use a Silit wok), add a satchet of quality veal stock, some cracked pepper, swiss brown mushrooms + any other variety you like to mix (I have a preference for King George). Simmer until the mushrooms are done and at the end, add strips of your favourite cut of veal, beef or if you’re feeling indulgent, sliced waygu.
Easy and you have a light, healthy veal pasta meal!
Love Donna hay! Grilled fish with some veggies is another simple dinner or even bake it with some lemon,any herbs you have in baking paper ensures you have flavours and not much to wash up!
Luke Nguyen’s Beef Loc Lac is such an easy dish that can also be made using pork & adding stir fry veges for a one-dish meal served with rice
My best meal… whatever someone else makes.. it always seems to taste better
1Kg.chicken pieces ,tub sour cream, can cream of chicken soup tablespoon grain mustard 1/2teaspoon mustard powder. Place chicken in lasagne style dish. mix sour cream, soup and mustard, pour over chicken. Cook in moderate oven until chicken is good. Delicious served with veges, or over rice, or in vol au vent cases.
Cant go past tuna bake
My son will eat it until the cows come home!
Tomato Based Lamb Shanks = SUPER EASY & SUPER TASTY!
6 x Lamb Shanks
1 x Onion
3 x Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 x Tins 400gm Diced or whole peeled tomatoes (I use one of each)
2 x Table spoons of sundried tomato pesto
1 x Tablespoon Rosemary
1 x cup water
2 x beef stock cubes.
Brown Shanks in frying pan, meanwhile, dice onion, put in slow cooker with all other ingredients then add the shanks to the slow cooker also, cook on low for 8 hours and serve with creamy mash potato. Although the cooking time is lengthy it is one of the easiest meals I cook and tastes like it’s come straight from an a’la’carte’ restaurant.
Eggplants are one of my favourite vegetables that are healthy and tasty when fresh. There are so many ways that you can cook eggplants.
Grilled Eggplants is one of my favourite dishes because it’s quick and simple to make.
Start with 2 large eggplants peeled and cut into thin 1 cm slices. Mix 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper. Sometimes I add crushed garlic to this mix but it’s optional. Using a brush or knife, spread the olive oil mixture onto both sides of the eggplant slices. Place them onto a large tray(s) (pizza or biscuit tray) and place it in the oven at 200C for 20 to 30 minutes. Take tray out of oven and straight to the table. Serve with bread and a slice of ham.
Left over roast meat and veg frittata – super simple and delicious!
mine is a simple low gi basmati rice and tuna salad, it is wonderful and filling
DONNA HAY RECIPES ARE ALWAY POPULAR HERE I HAVE 10 CHILDREN AND HAVE NOT YET COOKED ANYTHING THEY DONT LOVE
Slow cooker pumpkin soup, put it on in the morning forget about it all day and serve when hungry! Yum!
Bowl of freshly cooked rice with lap cheong + steamed egg – real comfort food!
When it comes to a dinner for one, I can’t beat an omelette with spinach and cheese filling. Of course if I have guests, I need to be a little more classy – French toast!
I always make Mac and Cheese as an easy and quick dinner. The kids love it and its so simple to make – the kids even make it themselves!
For me it’s always pasta with whatever leftover veggies and cheese I can scrounge from the fridge. Something different every time but somehow always a treat!
Pasta with Tuna sauce (so simple)
Macaroni Cheese, the ultimate comfort food. Pour into a casserole dish, top with sliced tomatoes, parmesan and fresh breadcrumbs. Then under the grill to toast. Yum!
tonight nachos-corn chips with salsa and grated cheese in the microwave:-)
Simple meals is what I need for a women on the go.
I like to make spaghetti bolognaise. It’s very easy, tasty and quite healthy. It’s the one meal that’s guaranteed to get a “yummy” from my little mate.
I call it the whatever there is in the fridge stir fry noodles…we always have noodles, some form of meat and veg, prep all of them and stirfry..easy!
Pasta with what ever sauce takes my fancy
Best simple dinner..is chicken snitzel with pasta and sauce and a yummy garden salad on the side. Its the only dish I can get both my kids to eat…they are very fussy
Toasted cheese and ham toast – very simple and yummy
My Avocado Dip is fresh and filling and makes a delicious sandwich spread.
Mash 1 ripe avocado using a fork. Then mix in ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, ½ lemon or 1 small lime, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Mix well.
Make your sandwich by spreading this avocado dip/spread on both slices of bread. Then add whatever meat or salad vegetable you wish.
Enjoy!
The taste of summer
Mangomisc is a light and refreshing desert.
Made the same way as a tiramasu except you use mangos and orange juice laced with Grand Marnier and when served with a splash of raspberry sauce its to die for if you love mangos.
My best simple recipe is grilled chicken salad. Simply grill chicken breasts, make a salad and serve the sliced cooked chicken on top I also love to add mangos and avocado.
Huevos Rancheros! A tasty option for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Blitz 2 tomatoes, 1/4 onion, a handful of coriander and a small chilli in the processor then cook for 15 mins. Fry 2 eggs. Serve the eggs on a warmed tortilla with the tomato salsa on top. Yummo.
Homemade pizza!!!
lebanese bread passatta as base top with whatever:-)
Pesto pasta is my go-to easy dinner.
I make lots of pesto in summer & always have some pesto & Parmesan cheese in the fridge year round = simple, quick & easy dinner with pesto tossed through (dried or fresh) pasta, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
bush spice chicken – chicken coated with bush spiced fied in pan served with salad
My best simple recipe is chilli lemongrass pork fillets done on the BBQ with an asian salad – especially in summer!!!
I love a good warm chicken salad with bacon rashers. The chicken marinated in honey, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, garlic and lemon juice – the salad greek with plenty of advacado and fetta.
get my wife to whip something up, all I have to do is clean the dishes when we are all finished!
For me it would have to be homemade pizza on a pita bread base! Not only is it fast and simple you know exactly what healthy food items you are eating
Will this list of quick meals be left on the site after the competition closes ,or do I need to copy and save?
my pantry and freezer are always overflowing with goodies..have a husband who can`t resist a bargain so when he does shop he buys bulk…we always have seafood marinara mix in the freezer and puff pastry and a few basic herbs in the garden…so if I`m stuck it is usually a seafood pie…a simple white sauce well seasoned throw in some marinara mix & parsley divide into individual serving bowls, pop a piece of puff pastry on top and bake for about 20 to 25min and serve with some green leaves and lemon wedge….delicious!!!! would really love the Donna Hay Book she is so inspirational
I keep all these on hand as it’s simple and delish!
1 packet of canneloni, 1 big tin of tuna in springwater, 1 small tub of sour cream and 1 jar of pasta sauce.
Mix the sour cream with drained tuna and stuff in the canneloni. Put in a baking tray, cover with pasta sauce and some cheese and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Enjoy!
Hi Lorraine! One of my simple dinners is modified quesedillas- pop chicken, sliced Spanish onions, capsicum and shredded cheese on a Lebanese bread, fold in half and press it in a sandwich press! Add a salad and voila! Yum!
You couldn’t get a more basic cook than me, this cookbook would help me to simplistic meals that look good.
My simple dinner is bake bean pie. Line a greased bake dish with buttered bread.Add a layer of grated cheese (sometimes mixed flavours – left over bits)then a layer of tin tomatoes, then add a tin of back beans then add some more cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle of herbs. Put in oven for about 30-40min in 180. Yum ! It is my made up dinner.
Simple and healthy: baked soy and sesame salmon. Just pop a salmon fillet on a square of foil, rub a bit of sweet soy sauce on it and sprinkle sesame seeds on top, then scrunch the foil together over the top, so the heat is caught inside. (For a crispier top, leave slightly open.) Whack it in the oven for about 10–15 minutes on 200 degrees C. Perfect!
Best simple homely dinner recipe would have to be rice and grinded peanuts
Rice: the rice to water ratio is 1:2, pop into the rice cooker =)
Peanuts: come in those “salted peanut” packages. pop into grinder and grind =)
Goes very well with some soy sauce as well =)
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 15 to 30 minutes
Ingredients
500 g beef mince
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic or 1 garlic clove, crushed
1 x 800 g tin diced tomatoes
1 small zucchini, chopped
½ green capsicum, chopped
6 mushrooms, chopped finely
ó cup barbeque sauce
½ cup tomato sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon mixed dry herbs or ½ cup freshly chopped herbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
MeWhod
1. Spray a non stick pan with some spray oil and fry up the onion, mushrooms, garlic,
zucchini and capsicum until tender.
2. Add the meat, brown and break up any lumps.
3. Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes and sauces. Stir well and allow to simmer until sauce has
reduced slightly.
4. Add herbs and serve with cooked pasta and grated tasty or parmesan cheese
My favourite simple meal is chilli tuna pasta from an old Women’s Weekly cook book. Love it!
Hi NQN,
Really enjoying browsing your site, thanks for all your photos and recipes.
My hubbies favorite quick dinner is what we call “Baked Bean Surprise”
I microwave washed potatoes in skins for 2-3 minutes whilst cooking bacon in pan. Potatoes are sliced and seasoned, then fried in pan with bacon. Baked Beans are heated through in microwave whilst finely slicing spring onion & grating tasty cheese for garnishing. Lastly I cook eggs in pan while hamburger buns are toasted. I serve on plate as an open stack, toast,eggs,bacon,baked beans, cheese,then scatter spring onions and potato slices around the plate. Happy Hubby!
my go-to quick & simple all time fave dinner recipe is one from Donna Hay’s Fast, Fresh, Simple cookbook – garlic chickpeas & chorizo.
8 ingredients, 1 fry-pan, 10 mins (inc prep) & dinner is served!
A quick and yummy summer recipe is tuna dip/spread. You can eat it with bread, mixed in with pasta and it’s a filling meal. It only takes ½ hour to make.
Pasta
1. Boil any type of pasta until al dente. You can also use ravioli filled with cheese and spinach.
2. While pasta is cooking, make the Tuna Dip/Spread.
Tuna Dip or Spread
1. Open a 425g can of tuna and drain the water or oil, then place it into a bowl.
2. Open a jar of S&W Mayonnaise or a mayonnaise of your choice. Take 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise and pour over tuna. If you like less mayonnaise the only add 4 tablespoons.
3. Chop about 4 stalks of spring onions then mix into tuna dip. You can add more spring onions if you wish.
4. Using a fork, mix everything well but do not mash it.
Mix Pasta and Tuna Spread
1. Drain water and place into a large bowl.
2. Mix the Tuna Dip/Spread into it.
3. Cover the bowl while setting the table as this allows the flavours to blend well.
Serve with your favourite beverage.
My best “simple” dinner recipe would have to be Apricot Chicken with Mashed Potato and Steamed Vegies. Pop on your peeled and cubed potatoes to boil, with your vegies over the top in the steamer. The apricot chicken is simply a can of apricot nectar and a packet of Continental French Onion Soup. Mix 3/4 of the packet in the nectar and pour over the chicken and sprinkle the remaining soup mix over the top to help form a crust.
Way too easy and huge on flavour!!
Simple and easy, that sure does please me.
Tasty and quick, that is the trick.
I love a simple and easy stirfry with whatever veggies are in the fridge and homemade honey soy sauce. Add some frozen prawns, marinated tofu or leftover roast chicken for a wonderful and healthy meal
Quick and simple,
Pesto Prawns Spagetti!
It only takes as long as the spagetti takes to cook…
And you dont even need a book!!
My ‘go to’ quick dinner is tuna broccoli ricotta pasta it takes minutes once the pasta is done. Boil whatever pasta you have in the cupboard, pop in broccoli florets for the last couple of minutes. Using some garlic oil saute a little chilli and lemon zest being careful not to burn, add in a tin of tuna, the cooked pasta and broccoli, and a tub of ricotta stir through until warm. Top with shaved parmesan. Nyum nyum.
I love chicken broccoli bake, served with pasta shells. Simple and delicious but, best of all, my toddlers now LOVE broccoli!
Lamb kebab – cook skewered lamb with garlic, lemon juice and oregano (when I do my weekly market shop – I make the skewers up and freeze them so I always have them ready). While the lamb is resting I heat the pita on the fry pan – on the pita tzatziki dip, lettuce, tomato , salad onion , feta and lamb. Always a hit!
Frittata surprise- whatever leftover vegies, meat or bit’s n pieces from freezer can be fried up covered with egg sprinkle some cheese on top, throw it in oven and serve when ready!
Tonight Spaghetti bolognaise-prepared sauce with browned mince and garlic bread:-)
Chicken and vegetable lasagne using chicken pieces, frozen veg and can of cream of chicken soup layered. My kids love it! Cheap and simple to prepare
Our new favourtie quick meal is a tub of antipasto from the deli warmed in a frying pan and tossed over fettucine. YUM!!
Vietnamese cold rolls…no matter what meat or seafood is in the fridge, no matter if there’s just a single carrot and a bit of grated cheese they are always quick and delicious.
This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous but my best recipe that is so simple to prepare is boiled egg and soldiers. This is such a comfort food that takes me back to my childhood and the smell evokes such happy memories!
A simple, healthy, fresh dinner I cook often is a piece of fish – squeeze lemon over it & grill for a few minutes each side. Chop up a salad and pour a glass of white wine – bliss!
Tomatoes, onions, sweet potato, zucchini all sliced and layered in a rectangular oven proof dish
with crumbled fetta and tasty cheese between the layers and some italian herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. On top sprinkle breadcrumbs and cheeses and bake in the oven for 45 mins. Its so simple and tastes great as well as being low in fat and carbs!
Pumplin and pinut cous cous. Roasted pumpkins cubs, dates and pinuts, with irange juice and cous cous. Freash, simple and filling.
Pork stir fry with Asian greens, oyster sauce and Chinese five spice. Served with steamed jasmine rice, the Chinese five spice imparts an authentic Asian flavour.
My quick easy dinner:
400g cooked macaroni
1 tin of tomato soup
1 cup of grated cheese
200g of ham diced
Mix it all together and in and oven proof dish bake until light brown on top. Yum, easy and everyone loves it!
Tonight-stuffed potato with tuna cheese and spring onion:-)
any roast dinner because it is basically one dish in the oven and is very good for you
Tuna mornay – delicious, healthy and everyone in the household eats it!
Barramundi or any fish lightly grilled, home made salsa to top made with left over salad ingrediants with lemon juice or similar. With a tossed salad or steamed veg. Yum
A simple homemade dish – fry some onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes and capers; add a bit of white wine and some lemon juice and grab some frozen peeled prawns from the freezer to add. Serve tossed through pasta with some fresh rocket!
A Greek salad is a quick, filling, healthy summer meal. It takes me less than ½ to make. We always have these ingredients in our pantry and fridge because we usually cook Mediterranean food.
Firstly, make the salad dressing by placing into a jar or bowl the following ingredients and then mixing well:
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 lime or ½ medium size lemon
½ tsp oregano
3 basil leaves finely chopped (optional)
½ tsp of sea salt
½ tsp of black pepper
Secondly, make the salad by combining the following ingredients into a bowl:
8 firm ripe medium size tomatoes cut into wedges
4 Lebanese cucumbers (usually small and thin in size) cut into thick round pieces
1 red onion or Spanish red onion, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum thinly sliced or cut into small chunky pieces
200g Greek Kalamata olives – drained
200g of Feta cheese – drained
Thirdly, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss or mix gently to combine all the ingredients. Serve immediately with fresh bread slices of baguette or focaccia and your favourite beverage.
Risotto cakes, you cook the rice via the absorption method, then stir in some eggs, cheese and whatever vegies/meat/herbs you like, I always seem to end up with plenty of grated carrot, onion and olives.
The other day I had “nothing in the house” but managed to make a yummy soup with 1 onion 2 carrots some cabbage a can of tomatoes water and a packet of chiken noodle soup mix and salt and pepper cooked it then vitamised it.Amazing what can be done with nothing!So simple so tasty.
My Creole Smoked Trout salad with some sliced olive and onion bread on the side.
My best simple recipie is what I call “Remedy Pasta” – pasta + fried chorizo + sliced hot chilli + whole cherry tomatos + a dash of olive oil.
Delicious, filling and the chilli and revitalising after an over indulgent night!
I love the simplicity of my chicken and mango salad. BBQ chicken, mango pieces, various lettuce leaves and crispy noodles. Quick and delicious.
Spaghetti with fresh homemade pesto (made from basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil). Simple but perfect. Add a glass of wine, put your feet up and all is right with the world.
Tonight-homemade hamburgers
My favourite simple dinner is risoni salad. You can dress it up or down depending what’s in your fridge or cupboard. You can use any left over meat or combine a couple,I love crispy fried pancetta all crumbled up into it ,rocket,halved roma tomatoes,roasted pumpkin or sweet potato,toasted pine nuts, capsicum, celery you really can combine almost anything with this most versatile little pasta
Best dinner recipe is the phone number of the local Thai. Time to get out the bowls and a fork and voila, here it is, hot and healthy and not a mess in the kitchen to clean up. Pure BLISS.
Hi,
A quick simple easy dinner is roast pork, and roast vegetables, preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius, place roast pork in baking dish and cover with a little olive oil and salt, bake for 30 mins, add vegetables to baking dish and bake another 30 mins or until pork is cooked, turn off oven and let stand in oven for 10 mins, Dinner is cooked, simple, easy and healthy.
tonight chicken nibblettes marinated at the deli-stir fry them and voila!!
Prawn & tomato pasta – fry some onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes and capers; add a bit of white wine and some lemon juice and grab some frozen peeled prawns from the freezer to add. Serve tossed through pasta with some fresh rocket!
Anything that can go in the slow cooker first thing in the morning! No cooking at arsenic hour!
A recipe I learned at school called Hells Kitchen. It is basically a fry up of anything I can find in my fridge and cupboards!!
Simple but delicious
Tasmanian Salmon Fillet
Fry Salmon, cook soba noodles, mix sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, soy bean paste in a bowl to make a dressing (or use Changes oriental noodle salad dressing), chopped spring onions and coriander.
Place noodles on place, top with salmon and drizzle with dressing. Yum!!
cheats Ravioli Lasagne – cook up like a chef with no fuss!!
#10 approval rating by the minimites too!!
My best simple dinner recipe is lemongrass chicken stir fry
It’s so easy to make after a long day at the hospital- just need to cook the chicken, add the veggies, lemongrass, chilli and Asian sauces!
Ooooh I love Donna Hay and even more I love the sound of ‘Simple Dinners’. My simple dinner is ‘Pork Chops and Tomato Curry’. All you need is to fry curry powder with pork chops, place in a buttered casserole dish, fry an onion and add tomato soup, garlic, sherry, salt and pepper and pour over pork chops. Cover with lid and bake an hour at 180 degrees. Serve with peas and rice. There are 3 wonderful things about this dish; everything is on hand, it is my great-grandmother’s dish so it connects me to my past and once it’s in the oven I get an hour to relax!
Once every couple of weeks I throw all the vegies leftover in the fridge in the food processor, add some stock and dice whatever meat is left in the freezer, throw it all in the slow cooker to make a delicious yummy casserole
Chicken surprise parcels. Grab a sheet of ready made puff pastry and slice in half. Place some chopped chicken breast, topped with sliced tomato, chopped onion, bacon, grated cheese and a good spoonful of whatever relish you have in the pantry. Brush edges with egg wash and close up. Brush all over with egg wash and bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes. QUICK, EASY & YUMMY!!
my simple dish is Apricot Chicken – simple and delicious the whole family loves it although my husband says i make too much roadhouse tucker!
Hot Dog in Homemade Sauce
Buy good quality fresh pork sausages or fresh Italian pork sausages. I always buy 8 for my family of 4. This recipe is for a thick onion, capsicum and tomato sauce.
Using a non stick fry pan, fry the sausages on medium heat until cooked. Then remove sausages from frypan and place onto baking dish or plate then put it into a warm oven. This will keep the cooked sausages hot.
Thinly cut 3 large onions, 2 large capsicums and put them into the frypan containing the fat from the sausages. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to sauté the onions and capsicums. Fry until the onions and capsicums are soft and onions start to turn light brown.
Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic and sauté until golden in colour. Then add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Stir everything together.
Pour ¾ cup of white wine and stir for 3 minutes until alcohol evaporates. Then add 400g can of chopped tomatoes stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
Take the hot cooked sausages from the oven and place them into the sauce in the frypan. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
Serve by cutting the fresh hot dog buns in half and using a spoon place spoonful of sauce with onions and capsicums into the bread then place the sausage on top. Place a hot dog on each plate and serve with your favourite beverage.
omlette with ham cheese and spring onion:-)
we make baked bean crepes. Simple to make, filling and loved by all the family
My easy dinner is crumbed chicken tenderloins, with a salad. Easy and fast.
Easy dinner is fresh chicken ceasar salad, great for a light summer dinner. Buy a BBQ chook, cos salad from the garden, some bacon bits, some parmesan cheese, croutons and sauce to please and voila, you are ready to eat!
My best simple dinner is cous cous salad, cut anything up from your fridge, bit of lemon juice and coriander, cous cous and stir. I usually eat it straight from the salad bowl with a nice glass of sav blanc
Leftovers. Always fun and quick and test of your creative powers to pull something yummy together.
Soup! Lots of different types, but the kids favourite is a ham bone, a packet of fresh soup vegies ready cut from the supermarket, green and yellow split peas and some stock or water! Very easy.
not a very good cook (which causes much frustration from my four kids/hubby) but i know how to cook an awesome roast which we have at least once a week!
would so love this prize
My simple quick meal is chicken & pine nut pesto pasta-
In one pan brown 500gm of chicken then add about half of cup of pinenuts.
In a separate pot cook about 2cups of penne pasta until soft
Then add both chicken, pine nuts & pasta to one pan on low.
Sauce- one tub of cooking cream and one tub of pesto + cashew dip (both found In the deli section of your shopping centre)
Add sauce to the pan and stir continuously until creamy.
Now serve! A delicious meal for 4 ready in less then half an hour
Tacos!!!
San Choi Bau, super quick and easy, wok goes on the chopping board on the table, lettuce cup plates and a spoon to serve! Quick easy dinner, super tasty and one spoon and one wok to wash up!
I put snapper fillets in an open pocket of al foil and I mix dried basil, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a cup then drizzle two tea spoons over each snapper fillet. I cook the fillets in the oven for a few minutes and serve with garden salad. A quick and simple meal that tastes AMAZING! And a great meal to serve up when friends come over for dinner.
Apricot Chicken
Place Chicken Legs in casserole dish. Cover with a small tin or Apricot Nectar combined with a packet of French Onion Soup. Cover and bake on 180 degrees for 1 hour. Turn once during cooking. Uncover & bake for another 30 mins. Turn once during cooking. Serve with cooked White Rice.
Grilled salmon with sushi rice and Asian greens – served with a quick dressing of soy, ginger, sushi seasoning and shallots. Is so moreish and healthy too!
Fresh salmon and prawn mix sauteed in olive oil and fresh garlic, zest and juice from one lemon and diced Roma tomatoes. Toss through some fresh fettucine and served with cracked pepper and parmesan….oh! And a glass of icy cold savvy blanc of course!!!
Scrambled eggs with feta, tomato, fresh herbs and anything else in the fridge – quick, nutritious and any leftovers are delicious in a sandwich for the next day!
My spaghetti with olive oil and chilli is my favourite, quick and easy to make dish. Über easy!
Steamed fish with lemongrass, chilli and soy served with stir-fried asian greens and oyster sauce. Simple, healthy and faster than ordering takeaway!
Some mince, frozen vegies and pasta sauce with chilli, and then obviously fetuccine – yummo and healthy and finished in 10 mins!!!
Home made pizza!
Pitta bread base with fresh tomato, prawns, garlic, chilli, baby spinach and some crumbled feta
PEAS AND GARLIC PASTA.
*Cook pasta, Cook frozen peas, Cook chopped garlic in olive oil.
*Combine all together and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
This is quick, easy, delicious and most people would have all the ingredients on hand.
Ive always got chicken fillets in the freezer and whatever vegies in the fridge turned into a stir fry that the family love
Baked chicken in a bag is such an easy dinner. I often cook this when I don’t feel like chopping up lots of ingredients & toiling per the stove. I simply chuck some chicken drumsticks into one of those oven bags & add flavouring (such as the sachets that come with the Continental brand oven bag), shake it around a bi & bake for about 45 mins
My simple dinner would have to be Chicken and pasta bake. A favourite with the whole family and a quick and easy weeknight meal. Just dice up some chicken & onion and cook until just cooked, cook some pasta, stir through some pasta sauce either home made or store bought top with cheese and bake in oven until cheese has melted and golden brown.
I absolutely love Donna Hay, have all her magazines & was given a cooks guide for my bday. Would simply love to get a copy of her new cookbook.
My best simple dinner is Donna Hay’s Easy Vegetable Soup, so thick & creamy,only a few veggies needed( parsnip, carrot,Zucchini)& the magic ingredient I think is Parmesan cheese. Some nice crusty bread, a perfect quick winters recipe.
simple easy meal in our house is stir fry slice dice and fry and serve healthy fresh and tasty.
Best “Simple Dinners” recipe – cheese on toast
Easy to make, we love it the most
“Donna Hay” enticing recipes, would love her book
Soon I’ll be a more exciting cook!
Gotten some wicked recipe ideas here:-)
Simple…Australian lamb chops chargrilled on the BBQ with a fresh garden salad. Yum!
I would be fabulous to win a copy of Donna Hay’s book. Thanks for the opportunity!
My Mums Chow Mien.
Brown some mince & chopped onion, add grated carrot and half a sliced cabbage. Sprinkle over some curry powders, cover and cook until all nice and soft, AND mouth wateting. Serve with Noodles. Delicious!
My best simple dinner is a simple chinese savoury egg custard made with beaten eggs, chicken stock and any fillings such as prawns, scallops or mushrooms. This only cooks for 10 minutes in the steamer so is so simple and delicious : )
Simple dish of eggs. Fried, coddled, baked, scrambled or omelet. Never hungry with a carton of eggs in the fridge.
A big green salad with french dressing, capers and a couple of buttery poached eggs and gelato dessert-simple, quick and delicious.
Fish always seems like it would be a big deal to cook, but I make an amazing baked fish that takes 30mins to prepare and cook!
Lay out some alfoil on a baking tray and put a scattering of baby spinich leaves over the bottom. Place a piece of fish (something nice and white like Dory) over the spinich. Spread some crushed garlic over the fish, drizzle with lemon juice and a dash of olive oil. Add a slice of lemon and some chopped chilli and season with salt and pepper. Make a parcel out of the alfoil around the fish and pop in the oven for about 10 -15 mins. Make a salad while the fish is cooking and voila! A gourmet meal in record time! It’s my absolute favourite when I’m in a rush!
My best simple dinner is leftovers on toast.
they always taste better the next day
My simple recipe is lamb shanks, large tim on diced tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, garlic and cooked in the slow cooker. Then served on mashed potato with carrots and peas. Easy!
My best simple recipe is vegetable soup, soo yummy in winter
My most favourite is my own secret recipe for oyster Kilpatrick and salt and pepper squid with chilli and basil.
My daughter’s favourite – a tin of tuna & a bottle of sweet/sour sauce, on a bed of pasta, topped with cheese. Yum!
My simple dinner receipe has to be breakfast for dinner! Who can go past crispy bacon, golden hash brown and yummy scrambled eggs on toast? I know my family can’t!
Roasted potatoes and carrots with rosemary in the oven!
My simple dinner recipe is a good old fashioned stew. Throw everything in the pot and just let it cook away till ready.
spaghetti with garlic, fresh chilli, rocket & pine nuts!
YUM!!!!
no recipe needed!
cook spaghetti,
gently cook garlic & chilli in olive oil.
add garlic & chilli to spaghetti
add fresh rocket & toasted pine nuts, top with finely grated parmesan cheese.
nom nom!
My simple recipe is a mild, tangy Chicken satay. It is also one of my favourite comfort meals. In one pot brown chicken pieces, add a bottle of peanut satay sauce add chopped zucchini, carrot (or other vegetables you like/ have on hand) and a tin of pineapple, simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve with fluffy steamed rice. Can’t beat it for ease and flavour.
Fresh pumpkin ravioli, spoonful of basil pesto & cream, topped with shaved grana padano – quick, simple, and so little clean up!
A simple and fresh pasta sauce with tomato, bacon, basil, onion and garlic and cooked up together and poured over pasta!
Bacon, banana and cheese toasted sandwich, the best simple dinner ever.
I often whip up a quick pizza for the family with a yoghurt/flour base (1 part yoghurt to 2 parts flour) and whatever we have in the fridge. Healthier and quicker than takeaway!
Easy pasta with baby spinach leaves, baby roma tomatoes, cashews, feta, julliene carrot, tomato base and chorizo sausage all thrown in together! I love it because it’s easy and the boys love it because it’s tasty! Win win all round!!
Any ONE POT WONDER… could be a soup, pasta sauce, caserole.
On its own, poured over bread, pasta or baked under the griller.
Simple to make easier to eat…..
Nothing beats an open melt for a simple meal. From the bottom up – rye bread, cranberry sauce, turkey, whole seed mustard and then brie.
I am a big fan of breakfast for dinner so bacon, eggs, grilled tomato, baked beans and toast. Quick and easy
I fry up smoked salmon in olive oil and add pepitas and sunflower seeds to the pan, then I wash some salad mix , add some fetta cheese, and a couple of spriggy bits of alfalfa and call this my smoked salmon summer salad……….easy and it is really healthy for your skin!!!!
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