BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: 3 FAST & EASY RECIPES

Life’s too short to spend all your spare time in the kitchen, but it’s also too short to eat bad food. The compromise? Mouthwatering meals that come together in minutes

The ‘You Can Hit Snooze’ Breakfast
BLUEBERRY CHIA SEED PUDDINGS

An overnight soak method means you can throw this together after a boxset binge and catch a few precious extra ZZZ’s in the AM. 

Serves 8 (or 4 for a more substantial brekkie)

INGREDIENTS

• 240ml almond milk (or any other preferred milk)
• 120g full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds only
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp honey (or any other preferred sweetener)
• 8-10 raw almonds, roughly chopped
• 75g fresh or frozen blueberries

METHOD

1. The night before serving, mix together the milk, yogurt, chia seeds, vanilla seeds, cinnamon and honey in a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
2. When ready to eat, add the almonds and blueberries.
3. Spoon into serving dishes and serve.

• TIP: You can use swap the blueberries for most soft fruits – try mango, raspberries, grapes, strawberries or plums, and add nuts for extra crunch.

The Working Lunch:
GRILLED HALLOUMI & MANGO SALAD

Take 10 minutes to prep this colourful salad at home and take it to work in a Tupperware box… you’ll be the envy of the office sandwich shop crowd.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• small bag mixed salad leaves
• ½ a fresh mango, puréed
• 1 fresh mango, cubed
• 1 avocado, sliced thinly lengthways
• 250g halloumi cheese, sliced into 1cm-thick pieces
• 200g honey-roasted cashew nuts
• salt and pepper

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, mix the salad leaves with half the puréed mango, then add the cubed mango and the sliced avocado.
2. To grill the halloumi, slice it into 1cm-thick pieces and fry in a hot griddle pan until golden, or alternatively cook in a panini grill. Add to the salad.
3. Meanwhile, crush the roasted cashews and sprinkle over the salad.
4. Season to taste and serve immediately, with the remaining mango purée poured over the salad.

The Winner Dinner:
QUINOA-STUFFED ROASTED PEPPERS

Hearty yet healthy, nutritious and delicious, these are the ideal meal when you’ve come home from the gym ravenous but determined not to undo all that hard work.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large red, yellow or orange bell peppers
• 170g quinoa
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 x 425g tin of black beans, drained
• 1 x 200g tin of sweetcorn, drained
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 x large jar shop-bought tomato sauce
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Halve and deseed the peppers, but keep the stalks intact. Blanch the peppers in boiling water for 2 minutes apiece, then drain on kitchen paper.
3. Cook the quinoa according to the packet, adding the vegetable stock cube to the cooking water.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, black beans, sweetcorn, cumin, chilli powder and garlic. Mix thoroughly, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour the tomato sauce into a large, deep roasting tin and arrange the blanched peppers on top.
6. Season the inside of the peppers before dividing the quinoa mixture between the cavities.
7. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, then cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot with salad on the side.

• Tip: Add feta cheese, halloumi, or finely chopped veggies into the quinoa mixture.

Make it happen

Where to find it: Recipes from ‘Sweet Chilli Friday’
Find out more: ‘Sweet Chilli Friday’ by Alpa Lakhani, Anjana Natalia, Deepa Jaitha, Sangita Manek, Sheetal Mistry & Sonia Sapra is published by Meze Publishing, RRP £15
Read this: To read more about ‘Sweet Chilli Friday’ and the Peppercorn Passion cooking club, click here. To read an interview with the authors, click here. For two Indian recipes from the cookbook, click here