The Monday to Friday, after-work dinner round-up is a pinch on the best of days. We’ve all started off the day with the best of intentions to eat well, only to succumb in a moment of post-work weakness to whatever goodies we can scoop up on our way home when the alternative seems to be spending endless hours standing over a stove.
Good news. It doesn’t have to be. In the same time it would take you to drive to your favourite take out window and order up your meal, here are a couple of quick and nutritious recipes that you can pull together in under 30 minutes while still being kind to your hard-earned waistline:
Spiced Cauliflower and Potato Sauté©:
What you need:
- 4 cups of cauliflower florets
- 1 cup of coarsely chopped potatoes/sweet potatoes
- 1 small onion
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 quarter inch piece of fresh ginger
- 1 small tomato diced
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon tumeric powder
- Small handful of fresh coriander chopped
- Salt and chilli to taste
Then what?
In a deep pot, sauté© diced onion until golden brown. Add chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add cauliflower florets and potatoes. Add spices, salt and chilli to pot with just a tiny splash of water. Stir well and keep heat on medium low. Cover your pot. The steam will cook the veggies but stir pot every 5 to 7 minutes. When potato is soft, add diced tomatoes. Dish is be ready in under 30 minutes. When cooked, toss in fresh coriander.
Eat with:
Tastes best thrown into a warmed whole wheat wrap, with a side of avocado or chopped salad.
Summertime Egg Frittata
What you need:
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 slices of Prosciutto coarsely diced
- ¼ cup fresh green peas
- 3 eggs
- Dash of milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Then what?
Caramelize sliced onion in a small, but heavy cast iron pan. Turn your oven to broil setting. In separate bowl, beat eggs with dash of milk. Add prosciutto and green peas to egg mixture along with salt and pepper. Remove cast iron pan with onions from heat and immediately add egg mixture to pan. Wait two minutes and check bottom to see if cooked. Once it has, quickly transfer pan to oven and make sure you watch carefully. The frittata will rise slightly and brown to a golden colour on top layer in about three minutes.
Eat with:
Remove from oven and cut into fours and serve with an arugula salad. Makes for delicious leftovers and/or packed lunches the following day. If you’re feeling creative, substitute with seasonal veggies.
