The pandemic has given people more time to perfect their cooking skills although some have found themselves becoming stuck in a meal rut, falling back on the same dishes every week.
To provide some much-needed inspiration, we asked Guardian readers to share their favourite quick and easy 10-minute lunches.
Zesty chickpea salad
Helena Meagher, teacher, London
Chop up some tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and coriander, and mix with a grated clove of garlic and a drained can of chickpeas. Season and add the zest of one lemon. Mix and serve.
Fried aubergines, courgettes and padron peppers
Farah Hasanli, lawyer, London
I put a plate of fried aubergine slices, lightly fried baby courgettes and padron peppers together and add some feta cheese and chopped basil with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. These were the vegetables I could find in the fridge during lockdown. It made a delicious quick lunch for two.
Insalata caprese
Lesley, professor of medicine, Cardiff
Take some good quality, sweet tomatoes – I like a mix of different varieties – slice and spread out on a plate. Tear over a good quality mozzarella ball. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and finish off with a sprinkling of fresh basil. Eat with crusty bread.
Malaysian-style nyonya prawn curry
Sonia, stay-at-home parent, Australia
Stir fry prawns with sambal chilli paste, coconut milk and tamarind water. Cook and simmer for five minutes, add some chopped canned pineapple and season with salt and sugar. Garnish with a kaffir lime leaf and fresh bird’s eye chilli. Eat with rice or naan bread.
Salmon with gnocchi
Sarah, publicist, London
Heat the oven, and put a fillet of salmon on a piece of tinfoil with salt, pepper and a slice of lemon. While the fish is cooking, boil water and cook some gnocchi. Mix in some pesto and spinach, and flake the cooked salmon on top for a healthy, speedy lunch.
Butterbean salad
Alan Ashbee, retired, Yorkshire
I first had this when I was working in Gibraltar. Drain and wash a tin of butter beans. Add chopped celery, diced onion and a tin of tuna in oil. Mix together with lots of black pepper. Very tasty and filling.
Tofu with broccoli and edamame beans
Isa, product designer, London
This is my go-to quick lunch when I need a change from sandwiches. It takes about five minutes, is 100% plant-based and you can change the toppings every day. Steam some broccoli and add tofu and edamame beans. Then, pick your dressing. I like olive oil or a vinaigrette with cherry tomatoes and olive tapenade, or tahini, lemon juice, sesame seeds and harissa. Mirin, soy sauce, green onions and black sesame seeds are also delicious.
Quick and easy tacos
Karmen Nagy-Stephenson, engineer, Yorkshire
Take some corn tortillas and fill with chopped sweetheart cabbage, red cabbage, onion, tomatoes and peppers. The rest of the filling is up to you! I like Korean chilli mayo and either leftover meat from last night’s dinner or vegan meat substitute. Then I add some grated cheese, coriander, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime. Yummy!
Three ingredient macaroni cheese
Jason Brockwell, orthopaedic surgeon, Hong Kong
Recently I came across a wonderful recipe from J Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats that uses equal parts pasta, cheese and a secret ingredient: evaporated milk. Place the pasta in a saucepan, only just cover it with salted water, and simmer. Grate some cheese. The water in the pan will reduce and become cloudy as it absorbs starch from the pasta. One minute before the recommended cooking time is up, stir the milk and cheese into the pan until it goes smooth and glossy. Season and serve with fried onions, ham, croutons or whatever takes your fancy.
The Kenilworth omelette
Ewart Shaw, retired statistician, Coventry
Chop and fry some onion and bacon. Add sliced chilli and mushrooms, and continue frying. Then add the eggs, stir and leave still until they are cooked. Finish by adding some grated cheese on top (a combination of wensleydale and red leicester works well). Add fresh basil if you’re feeling posh.
Chilli vegetables with rice
Meghana, architect, Mumbai
Heat some oil, add a few cumin seeds and diced onion and cook until translucent. Add a bell pepper and any other vegetables you have to hand: carrots, mushroom, broccoli, corn and courgette work well. While the veg is cooking, mix a little soy, barbecue and chilli sauce with a teaspoon or so of cornflour and water. Pour the mix into the vegetable pan and cook until the vegetables are done. Serve with rice and yoghurt.
Pilchards on pitta
Jennifer Berry, photographer, Swindon
Take a pitta bread and toast lightly. Meanwhile, finely chop some red onion, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, coriander and cucumber and mix. Layer the veg and herbs on the toasted pitta then open a can of pilchards in tomato sauce. Strain the fish and place on the vegetables, reserving the tomato sauce. Season, add lemon juice, then just as you are about to serve, add the tomato sauce.
Sourdough pancake
Ruth Brecher, former operations manager, London
I’ve been making sourdough for years and created this dish to use up some of the copious amounts of starter I have discarded. Mix some of the unwanted starter with cubed feta, chopped tomato and sliced black olives. Heat some ghee in a frying pan and then add the mixture and fry on both sides until puffy and golden and the cheese is melted. Top with chives or basil. It takes minutes to make and is delicious. For a sweet version, fry the leftover starter as it is and top with yoghurt and jam.
Speedy vegetable noodles
Angela, musician, Leipzig
This noodle dish is inspired by Fuchsia Dunlop. Put some noodles in a pan of boiling water and cook according to the instructions. Meanwhile, mix an equal amount of soy sauce, chinkiang vinegar (or cheap balsamic vinegar), chilli oil, tahini and a pinch of salt and sugar. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water, add the sauce and mix. Top with spring onion, coriander, cucumber or any other vegetables you fancy, or a fried egg. Bon appetit!
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