18 Fast and Healthy Weeknight Family Meal Ideas

A handy list of 18 fast & healthy family friendly meal ideas for busy weeknights.

PASTA SALAD (COLD) PASTA (HOT) WITH SAUCE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

Italian: sliced olives, feta, red onion, celery, Pasta Sauce Ideas Recipes to make using a Rotisserie Chicken ham, Italian dressing  Bolognaise,  Chicken Noodle Soup  Pesto, Chicken & Fresh cream  Chicken Salad Seafood: shrimp, cucumber, red pepper,  Chicken, mushroom, rocket &pesto  Chicken Sandwiches / wraps / pockets wholegrain mustard, mayonnaise,  Cheese Sauce (Mac n Cheese)  Chicken Pot Pie tablespoon ketchup, salt and pepper.  Chicken and Vege Stir Fry

MEAL IN ONE SALAD STUFFED BAKED POTATO QUESADILLAS

TACO SALAD – Sliced lettuce, grated Boil or bake whole potatoes and top Heat up a pan on your stove top. Fold your carrots, beans, taco meat (ground beef or with your choice of fillings. quesadilla in half flip once it’s golden. chicken), salsa, avocado, sour cream, top with crushed tortillas. Topping Ideas: Filling Ideas  Creamy spinach  Cheese and Ham TUNA SALAD – sliced lettuce, cucumber,  Cheese and Ham  Taco mince, sour cream & cheese tuna, pickles, hard boiled eggs,  Taco mince, avocado, salsa and  Chicken, cheese and Avocado mayonnaise. sour cream  Spinach and feta  Mushroom sauce  Leftovers Eat on it’s own or add to toasted pita pockets or wraps.

TOASTED DELI SANDWICHES SNACKY KIND OF DINNER (TAPAS) FRIED RICE Two slices of wholegrain or rye and your choice of filling. Leftovers, Salad Bar, Cheese, crackers, Cooked rice, ham or chicken, mushrooms,

Toastie ideas: pickles, fruit, veg slices, hummus dip. peas, corn, carrots, egg  cheese and tomato  Egg and Mayonnaise ZERO WASTE TIP: Cut day old wholegrain Bubble & Squeak: Pan fry leftover roast, rice  Chicken, Lettuce & Mayo bread into triangles and bake on low and vegetables and serve on top of toasted  Bacon and Egg until crispy for makeshift crackers. wholegrain.

WHOLEWHEAT WRAPS / POCKETS STIR FRY BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

 French Toast Toasted Whole wheat pockets with your Chicken / meat or Seafood, sliced  Pancakes with banana, bacon, choice of filling. vegetables fried with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon & maple syrup ginger, ½ teaspoon crushed garlic and 2  Scrambled Egg / Boiled Egg / Poached Filling Ideas: tablespoons soy sauce. Egg on Toast  Shredded chicken, salad, mayo  Baked Beans on Toast  Tuna Salad Serve with bulgar wheat, rice or rice  Omelette topped with mushrooms,  Egg Salad noodles. cheese & ham

HOMEMADE PIZZA QUICK SOUP TRAYBAKE BBQ MEAT & VEGGIES

Use my two-ingredient pizza base (recipe Soup Ideas: Lay meat, sliced vegetables on a tray and attached) or whole wheat pita bread as a  Tomato oven bake. Serve with an easy side sauce. quick pizza base option. Top with pizza  Butternut Easy Mushroom Sauce Recipe: Sautee sauce, cheese and toppings.  Cream of Chicken Mushrooms, add 200ml fresh cream. Simmer  Quick Chicken Laksa until sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt No time to make up a dough? Use a whole  Noodle Soup - Bring water, Chicken and pepper wheat pita bread as your base. stock or miso paste to the boil. Add

vermicelli noodles, any vegetables you Easy Garlic Butter: Melt together, 4 PIZZA Topping Ideas: have and leftover bits of chicken or Ham and Pineapple frozen seafood. tablespoons of butter, 4 cloves crushed Spinach and feta garlic and one tablespoon chopped parsley. Salami, mushroom and red pepper TIME SAVING TIP: Once ingredients are Chicken, pesto and Mushroom cooked through. Use a stick blender / TIME SAVING TIP: Slice meat into strips / cubes blender to chop up ingredients to save before cooking to shorten cooking time on cooking time.

COUSCOUS SALAD HOMEMADE BURGERS ALL IN ONE KEBABS

Cooked couscous with your choice of Lightly toast a wholegrain bun. Fill with a Use up vegetables and meat you have vegetables and meat. grilled beef pattie or chicken breast. in your freezer by chopping them up into Add salad and sauce of your choice. large cubes / pieces and threading TUNA COUSCOUS: Couscous with tuna, them into kebab skewers. chopped cucumber, red pepper, Try a Deluxe Tropical Burger: Add a fried

beetroot, baby tomatoes and corn. egg, pineapple ring, fried banana and bacon. Grill in the oven or outdoors on the BBQ. GREEK COUSCOUS: feta, black olives, baby tomatoes, cucumber, Greek dressing

HANDY RECIPES

Two Ingredient Pizza Base (Makes 2 medium pizza bases) Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 cup Self Raising Flour (White or Wholemeal) 1 Tablespoon Chilli Powder (or Cayenne Pepper) 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt 1 Tablespoon Cumin 1 teaspoon Paprika Mix flour and yogurt together until a smooth dough. 1 teaspoon Salt Roll out on a floured surface. This amount will make 1 large or 2 ½ teaspoon Onion Powder medium sized pizzas. ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder Add your favourite toppings and bake for 10 – 12 min at 180 C or 350 ¼ teaspoon dried Oregano F. I have a fan forced oven, so you may need to increase cooking time slightly (1-2 min) with a standard oven. Mix all ingredients together. Store in airtight container.

Seafood Dressing Salsa

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise 1 Small Red Onion Finely Diced 2 Tablespoons Ketchup (I use an organic version from the 3 Ripe Tomatoes finely chopped Supermarket) 2 Garlic Cloves – crushed 1 teaspoon Wholegrain mustard Handful of chopped parsley 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar Mix all ingredients together. Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate in a container for up to three Homemade Italian Dressing days.

¾ cup olive oil Quick Guacamole ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 garlic clove - minced 2 ripe avocados roughly mashed with a fork (this is where you can 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried decide how chunky you like it) oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice or lemon juice ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 Tablespoon minced red onion 1 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional). ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 6 baby tomatoes quartered. Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until well combined. The mix will settle so shale again just before Mix all ingredients together. Serve immediately. dressing salad.