Quick, Easy, Comforting Midweek Meals With Olive Oil
It’s the time of year when we all want warm, healthy meal choices that are quick to produce and enjoyed by the whole family. By choosing extra virgin olive oil as your main fat source you are putting health and flavour into your family’s diet too. Here is some inspiration to fuel your diet well this Fall.
When it comes to quick, easy and packed with flavour, you can’t go wrong with this Chicken Pasta Bake from BBCGoodFood.
Chicken Pasta Bake With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Serves
6
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 6 tbsp mascarpone
- 4 skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 300g penne
- 70g mature cheddar, grated
- 50g grated mozzarella
- ½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion gently for 10-12 mins. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 min. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar and season to taste. Simmer uncovered for 20 mins or until thickened, then stir through the mascarpone.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Season the chicken and fry for 5-7 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cook the penne following pack instructions. Drain and toss with the remaining oil. Tip the pasta into a medium sized ovenproof dish. Stir in the chicken and pour over the sauce. Top with the cheddar, mozzarella and parsley. Bake for 20 mins or until golden brown and bubbling.
Vegetable Risotto With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Serves
2
For those who enjoy a meat-free option mid-week, this flavoursome vegetable risotto from Olive Magazine is a great polyphenol-rich option.
Ingredients
- 900ml vegetable stock
- 125g asparagus spears, cut into 2-3 pieces
- 25g butter
- 1 tbsp Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 150g risotto rice
- 75g peas (fresh or frozen)
- 50g baby spinach, chopped
- 40g pecorino, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- 1tbsp chives, chopped to make 1 tbsp
- 1tbsp mint, chopped to make 1 tbsp
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Heat the stock in a pan until simmering. Blanch the asparagus in the stock for 30 seconds then scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain.
- Melt a knob of the butter with the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan then cook the onion for 8-10 minutes or until Janine Ratcliffe Food director softened. Add the rice and keep cooking and stirring for a few minutes until the rice is glossy.
- Add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring, until the rice is just tender (it should have a bite but not be chalky at all). Add all the veg, including the blanched asparagus, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining butter, pecorino, herbs and lemon zest, season and put on a lid. Leave to sit off the heat for 3 minutes then serve in warm bowls with extra cheese, if you like
Crispy Air-Fryer Beef
Serves
4
The popularity of air-fryer cooking continues to grow – especially when we are time poor and need something healthy and satisfying to eat in a hurry. This Crispy Beef with Noodles fromJules Mercer is an excellent choice.
Ingredients
- 4 x 150g/5½oz minute beef steaks, very thinly sliced into strips: 4 x 150g/5½oz minute beef steaks, very thinly sliced into strips
- 1 tbsp soy sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 peppers, red or yellow, seeds removed and cut into chunks: 2 peppers, red or yellow, seeds removed and cut into chunks
- 2 onions, cut into 2cm/¾in chunks: 2 onions, cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
- 1 red chilli, seeds removed, sliced: 1 red chilli, seeds removed, sliced
- 1½ tbsp Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil: 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp cornflour: 3 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder: 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 spring onions, sliced on an angle, to serve: 2 spring onions, sliced on an angle, to serve
- Freshly cooked rice or noodles, to serve (optional): freshly cooked rice or noodles, to serve (optional)
- For The Glaze: 2 tbsp sesame seeds (a mix of black and white, or whatever you have): 2 tbsp sesame seeds (a mix of black and white, or whatever you have)
- 5 tbsp white wine vinegar: 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar: 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce: 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar: 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup: 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
Instructions
- Mix the beef strips with the soy sauce in a bowl. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Heat the air fryer to 190C. Toss the pepper, onion and chilli in ½ tablespoon vegetable oil and cook for 10 minutes.
- To make the glaze, set aside about a teaspoon of the sesame seeds for sprinkling. Mix the remaining seeds with all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables and return to the air fryer for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
- Heat the air fryer to 200C. Add the cornflour, Chinese five-spice and remaining vegetable oil to the marinated beef mixture and mix well to coat. Lay the coated beef slices in the air fryer in a single layer, with space around them for the air to circulate. You may need to do this in two batches.
- Cook for 7 minutes until the beef strips have crisped up. Remove the tray halfway through and shake so that the beef pieces cook evenly.
- Once all the beef is cooked, pop the pepper and onion back in the air fryer for 2 minutes to heat up, then remove and mix with the crispy beef. Top with the spring onions and reserved sesame seeds and serve with rice or noodles, if using.
