29 quick and easy recipes that taste delicious

Time-saving heroes

Everyone loves a clever shortcut to save time in the kitchen, and you'll be surprised at some of the tricks and tips we have up our sleeve. Whether it's a nifty cooking technique, a new ingredient you'd never thought of buying or using, or simply putting your kitchen kit to use in a different way, our recipe collection will show you how to save time without ever compromising on taste.

Crispy, sticky chicken wings

You'd swear these gorgeous chicken wings were deep-fried, right? Wrong! The clever trick here is to add half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to the dry rub. It makes the wings super crispy when they're baked in the oven. Halfway through cooking, they're coated in a sticky, sweet and sour glaze. Another top tip? Put them into a cold oven. As the oven heats up, the fat is rendered out, allowing them to crisp up.

Get the recipe for crispy, sticky chicken wings here

Lasagne

The meat ragù for lasagne needs long, slow cooking. But you can massively speed up the preparation time by chopping the onion, celery and carrots in your food processor. This is such a good tip for when you need lots of finely chopped vegetables in a casserole or soup too. Just be sure to use the pulse button as you don't want to end up with a purée.

Get the recipe for lasagne here

Ham and rice casserole

This creamy casserole is such a speedy dish. And the best thing about it is there's no sauce to make. Simply use a can of condensed mushroom soup, or celery soup if you prefer, and you can make it even quicker by using ready-diced frozen vegetables too. The rice cooks in the mushroom sauce, so there's no pre-cooking either.

Get the recipe for ham and rice casserole here

Aromatic sticky ribs

A marinade for Chinese-style ribs usually requires so many ingredients, from different spices to several sauces. But you can rustle up the marinade for our tasty ribs with just three ingredients: a shop-bought jar of barbecue sauce, two cinnamon sticks and three star anise. You'll still get that delicious flavour, but with much less time and effort.

Get the recipe for aromatic sticky ribs here

Easy pizza

Here's a pizza which takes just 10 minutes to rise. It calls for fast-acting, easy-blend yeast, so there's no more hanging around waiting for that dough to double in size. In fact, you can make this recipe even quicker by mixing the dough in a food processor, which will do the kneading for you. It's faster, and tastier, than a takeaway.

Get the recipe for easy pizza here

Black bean and chipotle soup

Homemade chipotle paste is a bit of an effort, with smoked chillies, onion, garlic, vinegar, sugar, spices, herbs and tomato purée all added into the mix. But, in this recipe, you can achieve the same wonderfully smoky flavour by simply using a jar of chipotle paste. Packed with nourishing black beans, the soup is very simple and warming. And you'll love the contrast of textures with tortilla chips, smashed avocado and sour cream too.

Get the recipe for black bean and chipotle soup here

Miso ramen

Instant (or quick-cook) ramen noodles make a fast, hearty meal worthy of any noodle bar. This particular recipe uses frozen peas, but you can just throw in whichever vegetables you have to hand. A nourishing dinner will be on the table in just 15 minutes.

Get the recipe for miso ramen here

Thai red pepper soup

This soup is ready in no time, thanks to the smart idea of using a jar of roasted peppers, shop-bought Thai curry paste and a can of coconut milk. Roasting peppers is a long job, as they have to cool before you peel them, so this is a great time-saving solution. You lose none of the fresh, lightly spiced flavour or creamy texture either.

Get the recipe for Thai red pepper soup here

Prawn laksa

Laksa is a spicy, Malaysian noodle soup, perfect on a chilly day – and when you need a quick lunch if you make clever use of a laksa paste base. It's always worth having a jar in the fridge, as it keeps very well. Thai red curry paste is a good replacement if you can't find it. Most of the other ingredients here are from the store cupboard too. You'll just need some fresh prawns and coriander. You could even use chilli flakes (one teaspoon) instead of the fresh red chilli.

Get the recipe for prawn laksa here

Tomato galette

Bring Mediterranean sunshine into your kitchen with this gorgeous galette. Now that you can buy all-butter shortcrust pastry, you'll never notice the difference between shop-bought and homemade again. It's a great ingredient to have in your freezer. This is free-form too, so there's no lining of tins or blind-baking. The filling is a delicious mix of courgettes, cheese, onion, tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Get the recipe for tomato galette here

Quick dan dan noodles

Create a favourite takeaway noodle dish in no time, with just a few ingredients. The trick is to fry sausage meat with Chinese five-spice powder until crisp, then make a chilli oil-based sauce, to emulate the traditional Sichuan peppercorn-spiced pork flavour and texture. As a bonus, use straight-to-wok udon noodles for an easy midweek meal.

Get the recipe for quick dan dan noodles here

Caesar salad

You may have been buying Caesar salad dressing for ages, given that the traditional recipe is made by hand, and involves some time to slowly whisk in the ingredients. Not any more! Our classic dressing is made in a food processor and is ready in five minutes. It's way better than anything you would buy, and the whole dish takes just 20 minutes to prepare and assemble.

Get the recipe for Caesar salad here

Coconut fish curry

With just a few ingredients, this warming fish curry is easy to pull together. The preparation is made even quicker by ready-made garlic paste and ginger paste. They come in tubes or jars, and keep well in the fridge. So farewell to grating fresh ginger and crushing garlic – we bet these will be on your shopping list from now on.

Get the recipe for coconut fish curry here

Mediterranean roasted halloumi with basil

Everyone loves a traybake: there's so much less washing up. And this recipe is made even quicker as you'll use your food processor to make the sauce – no chopping required. Put potato halves and sliced peppers into the roasting tray; whizz up basil, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil until coarsely chopped; then toss into the veg and bake. After 20 minutes, add tomatoes and halloumi (or feta, if you prefer).

Get the recipe for Mediterranean roasted halloumi with basil here

Easy chicken biryani

A traditional biryani is a labour of love. The chicken needs to be marinated, the rice soaked then par-cooked, and it's all steamed in a clay pot with a dough seal. Without sacrificing the flavours, try these shortcuts. Soak the rice in warm water to speed up the cooking time, and cut the chicken into small chunks to cook more quickly. The recipe uses store-bought crispy fried onions too, so it all takes just 45 minutes to prepare and cook.

Get the recipe for easy chicken biryani here

Thai-spiced fish cakes

There's no hunting around for lots of different ingredients for these aromatic fish cakes. White fish is pulsed in the food processor with grated ginger and garlic (you could use shop-bought pastes), plus chilli, coriander, fish sauce and an egg. They're formed into patties, dusted with flour and shallow-fried. Serve with a big crunchy salad, or they make a lovely starter on their own with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Thai-spiced fish cakes here

Pesto

Purists will say that pesto has to be made by hand, in a mortar and pestle. But you can easily make it in a food processor, using the pulse button so that the basil doesn't get overheated and bruised. You'll still have that wonderful aroma and taste of fresh pesto, with just a few ingredients. It freezes perfectly too, so you can have a taste of summer all year long.

Get the recipe for pesto here

Thai beef curry with peanut sauce

There are a couple of great time-savers in this dish. First of all, it uses a shop-bought Thai red curry paste. Then, there's no peanut sauce to make. Simply whizz up the nuts in the food processor until finely chopped, then they go straight into the coconut curry sauce. The recipe also uses thin strips of rump steak, so there's no waiting around for the beef to tenderise either.

Get the recipe for Thai beef curry with peanut sauce here

Smoked salmon, dill and mustard tart

The classic combination of smoked salmon and dill with a touch of French mustard is a winner here. The recipe – which calls for shop-bought baked shortcrust pastry shells – is for six small tartlets. But you could happily make a large 20cm (8in) tart instead, or buy canapé pastry cases to make an elegant snack.

Get the recipe for smoked salmon, dill and mustard tartlets here

Satay noodle stir-fry

This simple stir-fry is ready in 15 minutes and it's the sauce which is the clever time-saver. Simply mix peanut butter with sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar – it's an instant store cupboard recipe. Add in straight-to-wok udon noodles with green vegetables for a healthy midweek meal.

Get the recipe for satay noodle stir-fry here

Lamb and tomato curry

You may think a rich, spicy and tender lamb curry with neck fillet would take an age to cook. Not in this recipe, where it's made in a pressure cooker in just 20 minutes. Pressure cookers are great for making stewed dishes in an instant, so if you have one, give it a go.

Get the recipe for lamb and tomato curry here

Quick braised red cabbage, sausages and apples

Braised usually implies something is slow-cooked but this quick meal is on the table in under an hour – and doesn't skimp on that rich flavour. Thanks to red wine vinegar and dark maple syrup, the red cabbage cooks down fast, and will be glossy and tender in just 15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of piquant English or Dijon mustard to cut through the hearty sausages, earthy apples and rich cabbage.

Get the recipe for braised red cabbage, sausages and apples here

Dan dan noodle soup

Sichuan chilli bean paste, crushed yellow bean sauce (or miso paste) and crunchy peanut butter are the star ingredients to making the broth in this noodle soup taste like it's been simmering for hours. In reality, it's ready in around five minutes and the whole dish is on the table in 15 minutes.

Get the recipe for dan dan noodle soup here

Traybake spaghetti

An easy pasta supper with five minutes of prep and minimal washing up? Yes please! Everything – spaghetti, onion, garlic, passata, chicken stock, tomato purée and chunks of sausage meat – goes into a tray uncooked. Then 30 minutes in the oven later, dinner is served.

Get the recipe for traybake spaghetti here

Char siu pork with pak choy

Traditional char siu pork typically takes quite some time to marinate and roast. But this copycat stir-fry is ready in less than 30 minutes. It uses the same spices and flavours (happily involving lots of store cupboard ingredients), but the meat is stir-fried in a wok instead of roasted. The easy shortcut tastes just as good as the original.

Get the recipe for char siu pork with pak choy here

Ploughman's toastie

How do you take a cheese toastie to the next level without a sandwich toaster? Easy! Sourdough bread slices are filled with Parma Ham, grated cheese, chutney, apple and spinach in this mouthwatering recipe. The clever time-saver is to fry it in a pan, with another heavy pan on top, to ensure a gorgeous crisp outside and gooey melting middle. It's ready in four minutes with no sandwich toaster to scrub clean afterwards.

Get the recipe for ploughman's toastie here

Banana and chocolate ice cream

Frozen bananas blended with cocoa powder and chocolate almond milk makes an instant, healthy ice cream. Garnish with your favourite toppings and eat immediately before it melts. You could use dairy chocolate milk if you don't need it to be vegan.

Get the recipe for banana and chocolate ice cream

Twelve-minute tiramisù

Classic tiramisù, made with eggs and mascarpone, usually needs a long time sitting in the fridge to set. But this quick version uses instant coffee granules, pillowy whipped cream and shop-bought sponge fingers to save time.

Get the recipe for 12-minute tiramisù here

Chocolate orange mug cake

Mug cakes are a shortcut to something sweet anyway, but this recipe also makes use of two clever ingredients for maximum flavour. Marmalade adds a pleasing sweet-bitter hit of orange and chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella) adds a rich, chocolatey note.

Get the recipe for chocolate orange mug cake here