December is month of celebrations and feasting, but we still need midweek meal ideas that are family friendly, quick and easy.
Add a Christmas twist to the working week with these festive midweek meal ideas that the family will love
Midweek Meal ideas – Cranberry and orange glazed turkey skewers recipe
Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10-15 minutes Cooking time: 6-8 minutes
Ingredients:
For the turkey skewers:
- 600g turkey breast meat, diced into approx. 2cm cubes
- 2 red onions, each onion cut into approx. 8 equal pieces
- 8 skewers
For the glaze:
- 1 orange, juice and zest
- ½ bunch thyme
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 130g cranberry sauce
- 1 tsp pureed ginger
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Remove ¼ of the glaze and set aside for later.
- Add the cubed turkey to the remaining ¾ of the glaze and mix, making sure all the turkey is evenly coated with the glaze.
- Split the turkey along with the onion equally and then feed onto the skewers.
- To cook, pre heat your grill. Season the skewers and then place the skewers onto the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Once cooked, remove from the grill and using the saved ¼ of glaze brush the cooked skewers while still hot
Midweek Meal ideas – Hoisin Burgundy Bowl by Lean Lunch & Burgundy Broccoli
1 spear of Burgundy Broccoli, cut the sprouting ends into florets and thinly slice the stems
20g Sweet Chilli Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1 teaspoon of Cornflour
One Spring onion, finely chopped
A small handful of Cashew nuts, chop up or crush in pestle and mortar
a generous pinch of Sesame seeds
Thai Basil to garnish
Method:
1. Combine soy sauce, orange juice, miso paste and five-spice in a saucepan. Combine a teaspoon of cornflour with three tablespoons of water and mix into a paste. Add the cornflour paste to the liquid in the pan. Cook over a medium heat, occasionally mixing the sauce until thickened and from the heat.
2. Pan-fry the tofu in a teaspoon of oil until tofu has started to brown, then add the sliced peppers and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a tablespoon of the hoisin sauce and combine with the tofu and peppers while over the heat.
3. Place a large saucepan of salted water over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add all of the Burgundy Broccoli and edamame beans to the pan, simmer for a minute and a half, then add the noodles, following the cooking instructions on the packet, or until they have reached the desired texture. Drain broccoli & noodles and leave to steam dry for 3-4 minutes.
4. Combine the noodles, Burgundy Broccoli and hoisin sauce in the pan with the Tofu and peppers and toss until thoroughly combined.
5. Serve with cashew nuts, spring onions and Thai basil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Midweek Meal ideas – Cavolo Nero, Cranberry & Prawn Cocktail
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 5 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Skill Level: Easy
- ½ x 500g pack cavolo nero
- 75g seafood sauce
- 300g frozen cooked, peeled prawns, defrosted
- 1.4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cook the cavolo nero in boiling water for 5 minutes, cool under cold water and drain well.
- Meanwhile, mix the seafood sauce and cranberry sauce together, stir in the prawns and season.
- Divide the cavolo nero between 4 glass serving dishes, top with the prawn mixture and sprinkle with paprika.
Midweek Meal ideas – Creamy Seafood Chowder
Jason’s Sourdough, the creators of the artisan sourdough sliced loaf, and food and travel blogger, Elizabeth Atia, have teamed up to create a simple creamy seafood chowder recipe, accompanied with a serving of Jason’s artisan sourdough. A perfect cosy dish to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.
Recipe created by Elizabeth Atia (Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary) in partnership with Jason’s Sourdough, available at M&S, RRP £1.80.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml fish stock (or chick or vegetable)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 150ml milk
- 450g salmon, diced
- 220g smoked haddock, diced
- 200ml double cream
- 250g winkles, cooked
- 50g rainbow chard, chopped
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Method:
- Heat the butter in a soup pot and gently cook the onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until it softens.
- Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the fish stock and potatoes. Simmer, over low heat, for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the milk, salmon and haddock and cook a further ten minutes until the fish is cooked.
- Add the double cream and rainbow chard and heat through until the chard has wilted.
- Serve with the winkles, fresh parsley and buttered Jason’s Sourdough.
Midweek Meal ideas – Turkey Casserole With Pickled Walnuts
Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 Opies Pickled Walnuts, halved
- 50g Butter
- 50ml Oil
- 2 Onions, sliced
- 250g Lardons
- 25g Flour
- 650g Cooked Turkey, shredded
- 200g Carrots, sliced
- 700ml Chicken Stock
- 250ml White Wine
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 100g Frozen Peas
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Heat the butter and oil in a shallow pan. Add the onions and lardons, fry until the onions have softened and the lardons have browned.
- Place in a casserole dish together with the turkey, walnuts and carrots.
- Stir in the flour well and pour over the stock and wine. Season to taste.
- Cover tightly and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and stir in the frozen peas. Re-cover and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with delicious, crispy and buttered jacket potatoes.
Hints and tips: Swap cooked turkey for leftover roast chicken.
Midweek Meal ideas – Sprout, Pepper & California Walnut Stir Fry
Prep: 5 minutes. Cook: 10 minutes. Serves 4
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced (180g)
- 1 red pepper, sliced (180g)
- 500g Brussels sprouts, halved
- 100g California Walnuts
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly (50g)
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and pepper for 4-5 minutes. Add the sprouts and walnuts and continue to fry for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the redcurrant jelly with 2 tbsp water until melted and season.
Cooks tip – Frozen sprouts can be used instead of fresh, just defrost before use. Try cranberry sauce instead of the redcurrant jelly.
Midweek Meal ideas – Chilli glazed salmon skewers From Justine Murphy
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Thai chilli jam (p.195)
- 400ml tinned coconut milk, shaken well before opening
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced
- 4 200g skinless salmon fillets, pin boned and cut into 3cm cubes
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
Method
In a small saucepan over a medium heat, bring the chilli jam and coconut milk to a simmer. Add the tamarind, lime juice, fish sauce and kaffir lime leaf then simmer for a few more minutes to reduce.
Preheat a griddle pan or barbecue to a medium heat. Thread the salmon cubes onto eight metal skewers, and brush both sides with the glaze.
Brush the grill rack or pan with the sunflower oil and cook the salmon, turning regularly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until charred. Brush with more glaze once cooked.
Midweek Meal ideas – Fusilli with Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Basil & Parmesan
Medium difficulty
Prep – 15 minutes
Cooking – 10 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 box Barilla® Fusilli
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 250g Brussels sprouts, shaved
- 120ml dry White wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, sliced thin
- 60g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions
- Meanwhile, in a pan sauté garlic with olive oil and just before it turns golden add the brussels sprouts and sauté over high heat for 2-3 minutes
- Add wine and reduce quickly, season with salt and pepper
- Drain pasta, reserving around 120ml of pasta-cooking water
- Add pasta-cooking water to brussels sprouts mixture; toss mixture over high heat
- Remove from the heat. Toss with cheese and top with basil
Barilla is available on shelf now in Tesco, Asda, Co-op, Amazon and Ocado. RRP £1.29 (excluding lasagne at £1.50).
Midweek Meal ideas – Vegan Nut Loaf
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 180g Opies Pickled Walnuts, sliced
- 300g Mixed Nuts (such as Almonds, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Pecans or Brazil Nuts)
- 1 vegan-friendly Vegetable Stock Cube
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Celery Sticks, finely chopped
- 1 Leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 100g Chestnut Mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 Red Pepper, halved, deseeded and finely diced
- 1 Carrots, coarsely grated
- 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 4 tbsp Cashew Butter
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Dried Sage
- 1 Lemon, finely grated zest only
- 4 tbsp Milk alternative, such as soya or almond
- 100g Fresh Breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Put the nuts and stock cube into a food processor and blitz on the pulse setting until chopped into small pieces, but not fully ground. If you don’t have a food processor, chop all the nuts as finely as you can.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly oil then line the base of a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion, celery, leek, mushrooms, carrots and pepper for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more.
- Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the cashew nut butter. Add the chopped nuts, Pickled Walnuts, herbs, lemon zest, milk, breadcrumbs and salt. Season with lots of ground black pepper and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Press down with a spoon firmly to compact the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the loaf is hot throughout and lightly browned.
- Remove the tin carefully from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before loosening the edges of the loaf with a table knife and turning out onto a board or platter. Cut into thick slices and serve hot with vegan gravy.
Hints and tips: Top with some fresh cranberries and serve with some cranberry sauce.