Creamy Coconut Chicken Soup

1 420gm can cream of chicken soup

1 420gm can coconut milk

1 22gm packet Singapore style soft noodles

1 TBS coriander

1 TBS Soya sauce

 Combine the chicken soup and the coconut milk. Heat in a saucepan over a moderate heat or in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Add the noodles and heat for a further 2 minutes-until noodles separate. Add soya sauce and coriander and serve. Serves 2 as a main meal.

* Another variation is to use a tin of cream of pumpkin soup instead of the chicken, and a TBS of chilli sauce and a TBS of fish sauce instead of the soya sauce.

Chickpea and Spinach Soup

2 TBS olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 300gm pack of frozen English spinach, defrosted

1 420gm can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

6 cups of beef stock

1 cup of risoni or macaroni

½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

 Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pot. Add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the defrosted spinach, chickpeas and stock and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and serve with a loaf of crusty bread.

Serves 4.

* Instead of using the frozen spinach, try a mixture of fresh silverbeet and kale.

 Microwave Minestrone

1 large onion

2 rashers of bacon chopped or ½ a 250gm packet of pre-diced bacon pieces

2 stalks of celery, sliced

1 carrot, diced

1 potato, diced

½ large zucchini, diced

1/8 cabbage, sliced

2 x 500ml jars of pasta sauce

1 400 gm can kidney beans

½ cup macaroni

 Place all the ingredients except the kidney beans and macaroni into a microwave safe stock pot. If lid has a vent, leave it open. Cook on high for 25 minutes, stirring twice. Add the macaroni, and cook on high for a further 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans and cook on high for a further 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Serves 4 to 6.

* If you don’t have a can of kidney beans, substitute with a can of baked beans.

Microwave Scotch Broth

500gms lamb shanks or neck chops

2 litres of beef stock

¾ cup barley

2 onions, diced

2 medium carrots, grated

2 stalks of celery, finely sliced

1 turnip, grated

1 cup of frozen peas

 Combine the lamb and the beef stock in a 4 litre microwave safe dish. Cook, covered on high for 6 minutes. Add the barley and vegetables, and cook on high for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before serving, remove bones and skim off any fat.

Serves 6-8.

Mock Minestrone

1 400gm can tomato soup

1 400 gm can kidney beans, drained

1 400gm can diced tomatoes

1 onion, diced

2 tsp garlic

1 cup frozen green beans

2 tsp mixed herbs

800mls water

1 TBS vegeta stock (or vegetable stock powder)

½ cup risoni or macaroni

Grated parmesan cheese to serve

 Place oil into a large heavy based pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the soup, water, kidney beans, tomatoes, vegeta stock, frozen beans and mixed herbs. Bring to almost the boil and add the risoni or macaroni. Turn heat down to a simmer, and cook until the pasta is soft, about 10 minutes. Add parmesan cheese to each serve. Serves 4-6.

Stretched Tomato Soup

 1 400gm can of tomato soup

800mls water

1 cup of small spiral pasta

1 small onion diced

1 TBS olive oil

1 carrot, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 TBS chopped parsley

Heat oil over moderate heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery and sauté until onion is glassy and soft. Add tomato soup and water to pot, bring almost to the boil. Add pasta and simmer for approx 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked.

Serves 4.

Stretched Cream of Chicken Soup

1 400gm can of cream of chicken soup

400mls water

400mls milk

1 cup of macaroni

1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables

1 chicken stock cube

 Mix tin of soup, water, stock cube and milk over moderate heat.

Add the cup of frozen vegetables and heat until almost to the boil. Add the cup of macaroni and cook over moderate heat until pasta is cooked. Approx 10 minutes, serves 4.

Easy Mulligatawny

 3 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 TBS curry powder

2 TBS oil

½ cup long grain rice

½ bbq chicken, flesh stripped and shredded

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 440 gm can diced tomatoes

1 440gm can coconut milk

800mls chicken stock

1 TBS minced coriander or 2 TBS fresh coriander, chopped.

 Heat the oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion, ginger, garlic and curry powder until onion is soft and the mixture is fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, rice and mixed vegetables. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Add the coconut milk and the shredded bbq chicken, and heat through. Stir in the coriander and serve.

Serves 4.

 Tuna and Bean Salad

 1 400gm tin tuna in spring water, drained and flaked

1 400gm can of four bean mix, drained and rinsed

3 tomatoes, diced

½ cup diced green capsicum

1 small red onion, diced

½ peeled cucumber, diced

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS italian style salad dressing

¼ cup artichoke hearts or preserved eggplant, sliced

¼ cup anchovy stuffed olives, sliced

 Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss. Serve with fresh, crusty italian bread. Serves four.

Vegetable Salad, Italian Style

 ½ a cauliflower cut into florets

½ a broccoli cut into florets

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

¼ cup water

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon wholegrain mustard

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

2 TBS chopped chives or 1 TBS dried chives

6 anchovy fillets, chopped

Pinch of black pepper

 Place vegetables into a microwave safe dish with the water and cook on high for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are just cooked, still crisp to the bite. Place vegetables in the fridge to cool.

Mix together the anchovies, chives, garlic, mustard, pepper and vinegar. Then slowly add the olive oil, mixing well to combine. Pour dressing over vegetables just before serving.

Serves 4 as an accompaniment.

Creamy Pesto Smoked Fish Sauce with Spinach Fettuccine

500gm packet of spinach fettuccine

2 TBS butter

2 TBS plain flour

500mls milk

1 jar of pesto sauce

250gms of smoked cod

½ cup of water

 Cook fettuccine according to the packet.

Place smoked cod into a microwave safe dish with the water. Cover and cook on medium for 4 minutes. Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat and add flour. Mix well to make sure there are no lumps. Cook stirring for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the milk to the roux, continuously stirring as you pour. Bring white sauce to boiling point to thicken, and then remove from heat. Stir in the jar of pesto. Flake and de-bone the fish, and add to the sauce. Pour sauce over the fettuccine, stir to coat and serve.

Serves 4-5.

• Even quicker tip-substitute a 500ml jar of béchamel sauce for the white sauce. Heat according to jar directions and add pesto and fish as directed in recipe.
• Use a 200gm packet of frozen kippers instead of the smoked cod

 Microwave Lamb Curry

 500gm lamb leg chops, cutlets or neck chops

¼ cup vinegar

1 TBS soy sauce

1TBS oil

½ teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 clove crushed garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 TBS tomato paste

¾ cup water

1 beef stock cube

¼ cup flour

1 400gm can diced tomatoes

1 400gm can chickpeas, drained

¾ cup frozen green beans

1 onion, diced

Microwave on medium-low for 40-45 mins, covered. Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.

Easy Dhal

1 onion, finely diced

1 TBS oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

200gms red lentils

3 cups water

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp salt

 Place onion, garlic, oil, cumin, turmeric and ginger in a microwave safe dish. Cover and cook on high for approx 2 minutes. Add the water, red lentils and salt. Stir to combine and cook, uncovered on medium for 20 minutes, and then 10 minutes on medium-high or until the lentils have the consistency of a porridge.

Serves 4 as an accompaniment to curry and rice.

Microwave Apricot Chicken Curry

1kg chicken pieces

1 40gm packet French onion soup

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 400gm tin of apricots in juice

1 large onion, sliced

 Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe dish. Cover and place in microwave on high for 10 minutes.

Stir, and then cook for a further 20 minutes on medium setting. Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.

Serves 4.

• Or, combine all ingredients into a casserole dish and cover. Place into a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius with 4-6 potatoes wrapped in alfoil. Cook for 1 hr and 15 minutes, checking the potatoes at the hour mark. Serve with your favourite green vegetable that you microwaved in the last 10 minutes of the chicken cooking.

 Cheat’s Lasagne

250gm’s minced beef

2 cups grated cheese (tasty or cheddar)

1 cup boiling water

1 400gm can of tomato soup

1 beef stock cube

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained of liquid

2 TBS tomato paste

1 packet instant lasagne sheets

 Mix together the minced beef, can of tomato soup, cup of boiling water, beef stock cube, oregano, diced tomatoes, garlic and tomato paste, making sure to break lumps of mince with a fork. Place 1/3 of the meat sauce into the bottom of a greased lasagne dish, and then cover with some lasagne sheets, then a layer of cheese. Repeat these layers, ending with a layer of meat sauce. Place dish into a pre-heated 180 degree oven, and cook, covered in foil, for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, remove the foil and top with the remaining cheese and cook uncovered for a further 5 minutes.

Serves 4-5.

Pumpkin and Chicken Curry

2 TBS oil

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp minced ginger

1 stalk lemongrass (1 TBS lemongrass in jar)

2 tsp curry powder or paste

500gms chicken breast or thigh fillets

1 cup frozen peas

½ large zucchini, cut into chunks

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 420gm can cream of pumpkin soup

1 cup coconut milk

1 TBS fish sauce

¼ fresh coriander (or ½ the jar of coriander)

 Cook the chicken in a microwave safe dish, covered, on medium for 7-10 minutes and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pot and combine the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and curry powder/paste. Cook until fragrant and the onions are soft. Add the can of pumpkin soup, coconut milk, fish sauce, sweet potato, zucchini and frozen peas. Heat to boiling point, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. While sauce is cooking, cook some jasmine or basmati rice in the microwave-1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, cover with lid and microwave on high for 10-15 minutes).

While sauce is simmering, take chicken and cut into cubes. Add the chicken to the sauce once the vegetables are tender and simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is heated through. Stir through the coriander, and serve with the rice. Serves 4.

• You can substitute pumpkin or potato for the sweet potato, eggplant or cauliflower for the zucchini, and snow peas and frozen sliced green beans for the frozen peas.

 Quick and Easy Spaghetti Bolognaise.

 500gms minced beef

1 500ml jar of pasta sauce

1 400gm tin of diced tomatoes

1 400gm tin of sliced champignons, drained

1 500gm packet of pasta, cooked according to packet directions

Grated parmesan cheese to serve

 Place mince into a microwave safe dish, cover, and cook on high for 5 minutes. Drain off liquid and break mince lumps up with a fork. Add the pasta sauce, the tomatoes and the champignons, cover dish and microwave on medium for 10 minutes. Take off lid and stir. Return to microwave and cook, uncovered on medium for another 10 minutes. Serve with spaghetti and parmesan. Serves 6.

• Got a bit of extra time and would like some more flavour? Add one diced onion, 2 tsp of minced garlic and ½ a diced zucchini to the mince in the first step. Instead of cooking on high for five minutes, cook on high for 7 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients and cook as previously instructed.

 Seafood Pizza

2 large pizza bases

3-4 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

1 500gm packet of frozen marinara seafood mix, defrosted and drained

1 500ml jar of pasta sauce

1 large onion, diced

2 tsp mixed herbs

 Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. For each pizza base, add half the pasta sauce, and then sprinkle with a cup of the mozzarella each. Add half the marinara mix to each pizza, sprinkle with a teaspoon of the mixed herbs and top each pizza with the remaining cheese. Place on trays into the oven, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Serves 6

Beef Curry

500gms diced beef

2x400gm tins of diced tomatoes

2 TBS Spencer’s vindaloo curry paste

1 400gm tin chickpeas, drained

1 large onion, chopped

250gms frozen baby okra

 Brown beef in a heavy based pot over moderate heat. Add sliced onion and curry paste and cook until onion is soft. Add tomatoes and chickpeas and stir to combine. Simmer over low heat for ½ hour. Add frozen baby okra and cook for another 10minutes. Serve with basmati rice.

Serves 4-5

* If you don’t have frozen baby okra, add 250gms of sliced green beans or a 300gm packet of frozen English spinach.

Asparagus and Pea Risotto

1 medium onion, diced

1 tsp minced garlic

2 TBS olive oil

1 and ½ cups Arborio rice

4 cups of boiling chicken or vegetable stock

1 340 gm can asparagus cuts, drained

1 cup frozen peas

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup cream

 Place diced onion, minced garlic, olive oil and Arborio rice into a microwave safe dish. Stir to combine and cover and cook on high for 1 minute. Add two cups of the hot stock, stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 5 minutes. Stir, then add remaining stock. Cover, and cook on high for 5 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. Add the remaining ingredients, remove cover and cook on high for a further 2-5 minutes.

Serves 4.

Minced Beef Curry

1TBS oil

500gms beef mince

1 large onion, diced

1 400gm tin diced tomatoes

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes

1 cup frozen peas

¼ cup Thai sweet chilli sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

2 TBS curry powder

3-4 cups of water

1 400 gm can chick peas, drained

 Heat the oil over a moderate-high heat in a heavy based pot. Brown the mince, breaking up the lumps with a fork. Add the diced onion, garlic and curry powder and cook until onion is soft. Add the chilli sauce, tomatoes, chickpeas, peas, sweet potato and enough water to cover. Stir well and reduced heat to a simmer. Cook until the sweet potato is soft, approx ½ an hour, adding more water if required. Serves 4-6 with rice.