Fast dinner ideas that don’t include a drive-through or takeaway pick up!
Picture a night when you leave work late, pick up kids, run errands, then finally get home to realise that nothing is ready for dinner. Rather than heading back out to a drive-through or ordering takeaways, have a few of these quick meal ideas up your sleeve!
- Frittata: check out our zucchini butter bean slice recipe for an easy, protein – packed lunch or dinner option. It takes about 3 minutes to throw everything together then 30 minutes to cook. Delicious and can be used the next day for lunches!
- Omelette/scrambled eggs: Although these may be traditionally viewed as a breakfast or a lighter option, eggs can be transformed into a complete dish! When cooking your scramble or omelette, add any veges that you have in the fridge or freezer (e.g. tomato, spinach, mushroom). Add some grated cheese (use something with strong flavour like parmesan or tasty to cut down on the amount you need), and some more protein e.g. shredded chicken, ham, or tinned tuna.
- Wraps or pita breads: Buy a pre-cooked chicken and a bag of salad to speed things up even more! Create a Mediterranean flavour by adding hummus and a quick yoghurt garlic dressing.
- Slow cooker meals: Get organised in the mornings and get your dinner cooking before you even get to work! Enjoy the delicious warming smell that fills the house when you arrive home, and the knowledge that you don’t need to start cooking dinner!
- Use more legumes! Buy cans of lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans and have these in the pantry ready for use. Pair a can of legumes with some tinned tomatoes, spinach, and brown rice, and you have dinner- without a trip to the supermarket! Legumes are high in protein so can replace the need for meat, fish, chicken, and eggs in a meal. However feel free to add more protein to this type of dish!
- Falafel patties: Falafel are a high protein alternative to meat and can be served with salad or veges for a full meal. The reason that they are a “quick” option is because the recipe uses staple ingredients that we can have in the house at all times, and all you need to do is blend the ingredients and cook them in a pan. No need to heat the oven or wash stacks of dishes! Don’t forget to add our delicious yoghurt garlic dressing!
