Easy and Healthy Recipes for Dinner

It’s the end of a long day, you’ve just come back from work or the gym; you’re tired, you’re hungry and the last thing you want to do is spend hours preparing an elaborate meal but you can’t just rely on snacks and leftovers. Thankfully there are a whole host of easy to make, full of flavour dishes for 2 that won’t leave you with a sink full of dirty plates and pots at the end. In this article we’re going to go through three different recipes to show you that it’s easier than you thought to make something amazing that is also healthy at the same time. 

If you are interested in beef recipes, check out this recipe on Corrie Cooks.

One Pot Spaghetti

The recipe we’re going to start with is a simple and easy One Pot Spaghetti. Spaghetti is one of the easiest and most versatile dishes that you could grace your kitchen with so feel free to add, remove or change any part of this recipe to make it vegan/vegetarian, to include your ideas or even just things lying around your kitchen. If you want to follow the recipe closely though make sure you’ve got all the ingredients below:

• 150g  lean ground beef (omit for vegan/vegetarian)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 onion
• 1 cup marinara sauce, homemade or store bought
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 75g spaghetti
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter (dairy free for vegan), optional 
• Freshly grated parmesan, optional
• Nutritional Yeast, optional
• Minced parsley, optional
• Red pepper flakes, optional

1. To start you’re going to want to add water to a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil and drop your spaghetti into the water. Boil the spaghetti until its a not completely cooked and could use a few more minutes. Drain the spaghetti with a colander or sieve and leave aside. Be sure to save a cup of the pasta water for later.
2. Add olive oil to the pan and let it heat up, next fry the onion and garlic until translucent around the edges and fragrant.
3. Add the beef and continually move around to let it cook to your desired doneness, or until there’s no more pink.
4. Add the sauce and tomato paste to the beef. Stir well before adding the herbs and vinegar along with any other seasonings you desire. For a vegan dish add nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavour. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Add the pasta water.
6. Let the sauce cook and reduce slightly.
7. Add the spaghetti and optionally the butter and continue cooking until the spaghetti is to your liking.
8. Stir well and serve immediately optionally topped with parmesan cheese, minced parsley or red pepper flakes.

Buttered Chickpea Curry

Taking a break from carb-rich pasta the next easy recipe we’re going to be looking at is a simple, savoury creamy curry that’ll make you question why you ever ordered Indian food instead of just making your own in less time that it’ll take to deliver. We’re going to be making a quick and easy Buttered Chickpea Curry. You can easily add or replace the chickpeas with chicken for a meatier alternative, but for the original recipe, which is incidentally vegan, make sure you’ve got the ingredients below:

• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 a tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 60g cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 can chickpeas, or the whole can for extra chickpea goodness
• 1/2 can tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon onion granules
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder alt. curry paste
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• 30g tomato paste
• 30g smooth peanut butter
• 1/2  tablespoon tamari alt. soy sauce

1. Firstly add the olive oil to a hot nonstick pan and fry the onions and garlic until translucent around the edges and fragrant. If you’re including chicken cook your cubed chicken pieces through until done before proceeding. 
2. Half the cherry tomatoes and stir for around two minutes until cooked.
3. Optionally, mash half of the chickpeas for a thicker curry.
4. Add the chickpeas, canned tomatoes, turmeric, onion granules, paprika and curry powder and mix. Be sure to crush the canned tomatoes in the pan with your spoon. Let cook for two more minutes until chickpeas are coated and the spices get to know each other.
5. Pour in the coconut milk along with the tomato paste and peanut butter and let it all simmer to seven to eight minutes stirring frequently. Add more coconut water if its too thick.
6. Stir in the tamari and serve immediately with rice, fresh naan or even on its own!

Korean Bulgogi Chicken with Spicy Sesame Noodles

The third and final recipe we are going to be looking at today is a beautiful mix of flavours from all over East Asia. You’re going to have to spend just ten minutes in the morning doing a bit of quick prep but it will be worth it to quickly throw this together in the evening. We’re going to make a quick Korean Bulgogi Chicken paired with Spicy Sesame Noodles. To make this recipe vegan simply omit the chicken or replace with a firm tofu. Like all of the recipes we’ve seen feel free to adjust and change them as you want to but for the original make sure you’ve got all the ingredients below.

For the Chicken:

• 300g boneless chicken thigh and/or breast alt. firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon gochujang sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar alt. any sugar works
• 1 tablespoon honey alt. Agave
• 1 tablespoon rice wine salt. Mirin or White Wine
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 a teaspoon sesame seeds

For the Noodles:

• 2 packets of ramen alt. any dry asian noodles or linguini pasta
•  5 tablespoons tamari alt. Soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, optional
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of your favourite hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon of agave alt. Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• A handful of sliced mushrooms
• 2-3 bokchoy, sliced

1. Mix together all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade, cut the chicken into chunks and place into a ZipLock bag and leave to marinade for a few hours.
2. Boil the noodles according to the instructions on the packet and leave aside.
3. In a deep pan heat the sesame oil and add the chicken pieces and cook through, add the marinated a few tablespoons at a a time as the pan dries when cooking. Once cooked set aside.
4. In the same pan sauté the mushrooms for five minutes and add the sliced bokchoy and continue sautéing for another five minutes. 
5. In a separate bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients and pour them into the pan. Let the mixture come to a boil.
6. Add the noodles to the pan toss to combine.
7. Serve immediately with the chicken or tofu atop the noodles.