Our 15 quick and easy recipes are life-savers for the days you don't have the time (or will-power) to cook.
Jamie’s book 5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food is packed with delicious recipes that are good for you, too – all prepped in no time at all. These simple, speedy meal ideas all take less than 20 minutes, meaning you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the family. Take a look for a little mealtime inspiration next time you need a winning dish.
Here are our 15 favourite quick and easy recipes to keep up your sleeve for the days you just don’t have time to cook.
Quick Asian fishcakes
With a generous quantity of salmon, and a lovely kick of flavour from lemongrass and fresh ginger, these quick and easy fishcakes are the business. Salmon is a great source of vitamin D, which works together with calcium to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
Easy rustic gnocchi
Make your own gnocchi in just 30 minutes! Plus, the asparagus in this dish is high in folic acid, which our bodies need to make proteins. It is also especially important in the early stages of pregnancy.
Spicy veggie noodles
We’re suggesting mushroom and tofu, but you can use any veg you have knocking around the fridge or freezer to create this colourful veggie stir-fry. It’s a classic quick dinner idea that everyone around the table is guaranteed to enjoy – just cut out the chilli if you don’t like it hot.
On the table in just 18 minutes? Yes! The tomatoes in this recipe are high in vitamin C, which our bodies need for so many different functions, including the maintenance of healthy skin, teeth and bones; as well as for immune function and to keep our energy levels up.
A brilliant lunch, this carrot salad is super-simple to put together. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which our bodies need in order to metabolise iron and to keep our skin healthy. So quick and easy!
You’re just 20 minutes away from deliciousness with this quick and easy recipe! Avocados are a good source of vitamin E, which helps to protect our cells against damage. They’re also high in unsaturated fats, which help to keep our blood cholesterol at a healthy level.
Crispy salmon tacos
Simply seasoned with Cajun spices and served with the quickest mango and avocado salad, this recipe is an explosion of fantastic, fresh flavours. The fish is the only part you have to cook. Just buy the tortillas from the supermarket and you’re onto a seriously speedy, simple weeknight dinner.
Special scrambled eggs
These aren’t just any scrambled eggs, because in this speedy recipe they’re stuffed into buns and served with a tangy homemade pickle, sticky sweet tomato chutney and a dusting of garam masala. They seriously are something extra special and take only 20 minutes to make.
Easy prawn curry
There’s nothing fussy about this gorgeous prawn curry, with the sauce made from just a good dollop of natural yoghurt and sweet mango chutney. Feel free to swap out the prawns for chicken or vegetables to make the recipe more budget-friendly, and pair it with lovely fluffy rice on the side. It’s a curry that’ll hit the spot for everyone.
Take a look around our budget-friendly recipe hub for more inspiration on how you can shop smart, cook clever and waste less.
Sizzling seared scallops
Just five ingredients and 18 minutes is all it takes to make this hearty seafood dish – the epitome of a quick and easy recipe. While it isn’t one you’ll whip up everyday, the fresh flavours from the mint and scallops paired with hints of richness from the black pudding make it a gorgeous treat that keeps you in the kitchen for hardly any time at all.
Soy-baked trout
Fish is a brilliant quick and easy option for the days when you don’t have the time to spend cooking. This soy-baked trout recipe is a gorgeous dish cooked in chilli, ginger and lime to give it a beautiful aromatic flavour that goes perfectly with fluffy rice or served simply alongside stir-fried greens.
Sicilian tuna pasta
This is the perfect midweek meal using just five humble ingredients, some of which you probably already have at the back of your store cupboard. It takes less than 15 minutes to whip together by simply frying the ingredients and creating a delicious sauce from the pasta water, topped off with a sprinkling of crispy capers for extra bursts of flavour.
One-pan fabulous fish
One-pan recipes are a great way to save time in the kitchen – that’s on both cooking and washing up. This recipe from Jamie’s TV show Keep Cooking and Carry On really hits the spot, made in just 15 minutes from five ingredients that each pack a flavour punch. Switch up the white fish fillets for salmon, prawns or whichever fish you prefer – quick, easy and versatile!
Smoky chorizo salmon
The perfect lunch or light dinner, all it takes to recreate our five-ingredient salmon recipe is 11 minutes to cook and crisp up your fish, fry your chorizo and dress your tomatoes to perfection. As far as quick and easy recipes go, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Black tahini noodles
Rice noodles, lime, cress, sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce are the sole ingredients for this easy Asian-inspired recipe. Serve as a side at a dinner party or enjoy its fresh, nutty flavours as a quick lunch that you can rustle up in 13 minutes between meetings at home. You can jazz it up however you fancy, adding extra veg, tofu or other protein to really make it your own.
Want more? Here are our quick and easy working-from-home lunch ideas that you can rustle up in no time at all.
Here’s Jamie cooking up his delicious three-minute pasta sauce – the easiest midweek recipe!
