Some of Bridget's favourite recipes + helpful tips

Image courtesy of Jacqueline Alwell, The Brown Paper Bag

If you’re someone who struggles to think of what to make for dinner, gets sick of having the same meals each week or opts for takeaway to save the whole process of planning, cooking and cleaning up, you’re in the right place! I’ve put this together to help make planning and cooking meals that little bit quicker, less stressful and more enjoyable.

I love cooking, especially for others, and I find that it’s quite a mindful thing to do. Sharing meals with people is one of my favourite things to do as it’s a chance to connect, catch-up and chat about the day. When I lived at home, we would often sit at the kitchen table long after we'd finished our meals just chatting or having a cuppa. It’s something that I still love to do these days with our families and close friends. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that sitting down to share meals with those we love has become less common, often rushed and less mindful. 

Listed below are some of my favourite recipes at the moment. While I enjoy following recipes, I also have a knack of concocting things so I don’t have specific recipes for those. Colour at every meal is important to me and can be done in simple ways. One day at the market, I overheard a little boy say to his mum that he wanted a ham sandwich for lunch. She said to him that he needed at least 3 colours in it which I thought was such a great thing to learn from a young age. This idea could be a good guide to follow when it comes to your own meal times (the more natural colour the better!). 

 Here are some things to note before you read ahead:

• I do slow-cooked meals in a heavy cast iron pot on the stove. You could use a slow cooker or partially cook the meal in a heavy-based pot on the stove and then transfer to the oven.

• I cook, portion and freeze rice to save cooking it each time.

• If you know you’ll be pushed for time later in the day, measure out the spices you’ll need for dinner in the morning. It's not a fun job to do in a rush and there's a fair chance you won't make that meal again!

• I always add extra veggies to recipes. Zucchinis, peas, carrots, kale- anything that you have on hand and enjoy eating.

• Use your BBQ if you have one. Crispy skin salmon cooked on the Weber is our usual Monday night dinner and it’s so good! You can also grill vegetables like pumpkin and zucchini on the BBQ and mix them through a salad. This works well in the warmer months when you don’t want the oven on.

• When I say enough for two nights, I’m referring to feeding two people each time.

• I intentionally cook extra vegetables and make salads to make meal times quicker and easier.

• When I roast vegetables, I use everything from pumpkin and sweet potato to broccoli and purple cabbage. I do them all on the same tray and drizzle with olive oil. I often add curry powder or a mixture of herbs and spices like ground cumin, paprika and coriander . You can add anything you like!

*Click on the recipe names below to read the full recipes.

Lamb Curry (Irene, Eat Drink Paleo)

This is an Indian style curry and it’s so delicious. The lamb melts in your mouth! Again add extra veggies if you’d like to. I serve it with steamed greens and quinoa, cauliflower rice or occasionally brown rice. You can thicken it with coconut yoghurt or natural yoghurt if you can tolerate dairy. It’s a great one to cook for two nights or to freeze.

Jools’ Easy Chicken Curry (Jamie Oliver)

This is so tasty and the chicken is so tender even though it isn’t cooked for a long time. I use less chicken and two cans of chickpeas to make up for it and replace the lentils. I use full fat coconut milk and find the Ayam brand to be one of the best as it hasn’t got any thickeners added to it. As always, I also add chicken bone broth (powder form). Serve with rice and greens.

Benjamin Cooper’s Turmeric Spiced Butter Beans

This is one of the easiest, tastiest and versatile recipes to have on hand. I used a small can of coconut milk or add extra beans and water as it can be a bit rich. You can throw in veggies like peas, Tuscan kale, silverbeet or leftover brocolli stalks. I love it on toast with some avocado, chilli gherkins and fresh herbs. You could also have it with rice as more like a curry or see what else Benjamin (Executive Chef at Chin Chin) recommends.

Choc Zucchini Muffins (nut free)

I can almost guarantee that you’ll make these a lot. There are lots of other flavour combinations on the site for you to choose from. You can add choc chips or chop up some dark chocolate. I use less dates (5-6) and a bit less maple syrup as I find them a bit sweet but play around and see what you like.

Butter Chicken (Pete Evans)

This is such a quick and easy meal. I find the portions a little bit small so you could double it. You can add some diced up greens while it's cooking or serve it with steamed greens and quinoa or rice. 

Brussel Sprout and Carrot Fritters (Jacqueline Alwill)

These are handy to have for breakfast or lunch with salad, others veggies or however you please. You can use other veggies but make sure you squeeze the liquid out of them a bit (especially zucchini) otherwise they won’t hold together properly. I love these with hommus and fresh dill on top (as you can see in the photo).

Warming Ayurvedic Dahl (Katie Graham)

This recipe goes a long way and freezes really well. When I make it, we usually have it with similar sides to the Lamb Curry and Butter Chicken. I know a Dahl is a Dahl because of the lentils but you can also make it with four chicken thighs instead. At the end of the cooking time, the chicken is so tender it falls apart.

Ingredients

• 1 tbs of oil (coconut or olive)

• 1 1/2 cups of dried red lentils

• 1 tbs ground cumin

• 1 tbs ground coriander

• 1 tbs ground turmeric

• 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes

• 1 tsp cardamon

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 onion, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped (or use crushed garlic from a jar)

• 2 tbs grated ginger (or use crushed ginger from a jar)

• 1/2 bunch coriander, roots and leaves, chopped separately

• 1 litre of water or vegetable stock (I use bone broth powder)

• 1/2 cauliflower, chopped small

• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped small

• 1 fresh red chilli, chopped (optional)

• 4 tbs of coconut yoghurt to thicken (optional or you can use your preferred yoghurt)

To serve

• Steamed greens

• Rice or quinoa

• Coconut yogurt

• Coriander leaves

Method

• Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear.

• Soak the lentils for 2-5 hours.

• Drain the lentils and heat the oil in a heavy based pan.

• Add the onion, ginger and garlic until soft.

• Add all of the dried spices and cook for about one minute or until they’re aromatic.

• Add the lentils, water, coriander root and vegetables.

• Add the coconut yoghurt with about half an hour to go.

• Serve with greens, rice or quinoa, yoghurt and coriander.

• NOTE: I cook this in a cast iron pot on the stove for at least 2 hours. You can cook it in a slower cooker for 4-6 hours on low. If you choose the slow cooker option, do the first 5 steps in a pan and then transfer it to the slow cooked and mix through the remaining ingredients.

Shepherd’s Pie (Luke Hines)

This pie can be made with cauliflower, sweet potato and pumpkin mash or traditional potato mash. Serve it with greens and/or a side salad. I also like this one which is very similar.

Warm Chickpea and Rice One-Pot Wonder (Katrina Meynink)

Something easy for a Friday night or easy weeknight dinner. You can throw extra veggies in if you want to. In place of stock I use Nutra Organics bone broth powder. It’s very spicy so I use 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes instead of 2.

Baked Chicken Meatballs in Spiced Tomato Sauce (Irene Macri)

Another great meal to cook for a couple of nights. Buy chicken mince to save you having to mince it yourself! Serve with mash and greens or rice and greens.

Bridget’s Mexican Mince

This recipe is so handy to make and then have for a few nights or freeze. It can be used in tacos, burrito bowls, on nachos, stirred through rice or quinoa with some avocado or in baked sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince (add extra beans if you’d prefer a vegetarian option)

• 1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 jar of passata

• 1 onion, diced 

• 2 zucchinis, grated or finely diced

• 1 red or green capsicum, finely diced

• 1 large carrot, grated or diced

• 3-4 tomatoes, diced (Roma tomatoes aren’t acidic like others)

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of dried chilli flakes or fresh red chilli

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method

• Sauté onion in olive or coconut oil until slightly browned.

• Add spices and cook until aromatic (1-2 mins).

• Add mince and cook until just browned. 

• Add kidney beans, passata and all vegetables.

• Stir well to combine.

• Simmer, stirring twice, with a lid on for about 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the sauce has condensed.

Do you have a go-to recipe? I’d love for you to add it in the comments section below so we can give it a try.

Also, if you cook one of these meals, let me know what you think!

Happy cooking,

Bridget x