Grilled chicken with pasta salad

This is a great way to use up leftover pasta and leftover ratatouille sauce- otherwise, you can make them from scratch.

Recipe
1. Grill chicken breasts until golden brown.
2. Prepare sauce. Ideally use up leftovers from Ratatouille, adding chilli powder, or make by mixing 1 tin tomatoes with chilli powder.
3. Make pasta salad either by using leftover penne or by first cooking penne according to packet instructions. Mix the penne in a serving bowl with baby spinach, feta and red onion.
4. Serve the chicken with the tomato sauce on top, with the pasta salad on the side. You could add garlic bread as an accompaniment.

Egg fried rice

Good for a quick supper, and you can use up leftover vegetables.

Cook the rice according to packet instructions.
Fry 2 spring onions and garlic, then add bacon or cooked ham.
Add the rice and 2 tbsp soy sauce.
Add 2 eggs, beaten with pepper.
Add beansprouts or green beans.
Serve with prawn crackers.

Coronation chicken with jacket potatoes

This is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken from a roast.
It's also an easy one for entertaining mates, especially in the summer.

Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Wash baking potatoes and prick with a fork several times. Microwave them for 7-10 mins, according to size, until you can skewer them easily with a knife. Then place them in an oven proof dish, season with sea salt and coarse black pepper, and sprinkle with olive oil. Bake until soft and tender- around 10-15 mins.
3. Tear strips of cooked chicken then place in a bowl. Add a little mild curry powder (around 1/2 tsp), some natural yoghurt (around 1 tbsp) and season with salt and black pepper.
4. Prepare a salad using round lettuce, tomato and avocado. Dress with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.
5. Serve with chicken over the potatoes, with salad on the side. You could also have garlic bread as an accompaniment.
Variation: Serve chicken in baguettes with a little spinach.

Beef stew

Brown beef, then remove.
Fry onion, red pepper, garlic, and 1 tsp paprika.
Add red wine and bring to boil. Return beef to pan with 1 tin tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Put lid on and simmer or bake in the oven as a casserole for several hours.
Once beef is tender stir in 1 tin butter beans and some parsley. Make sure beans are warm through before serving.

Beef, mushroom and broccoli stir fry

Boil broccoli for 3 mins then set aside.
Thinly slice steak.
Stir fry garlic, onion, beef and mushrooms.
Add a mixture of 2 tsp cornflour, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp vinegar, 2 tsp oil and 5 spice powder.
Add broccoli for 1-2 mins.
Serve with rice or noodles.

Chicken thighs with roasted vegetables

An easy oven dish.

Recipe (serves 2)
1. Place 4 small chicken thighs and six small new potatoes into a large ovenproof dish. Season with sea salt and coarse black pepper, and sprinkle with olive oil. Add a dash of white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Roast at 200 degrees for 35-40 mins.
2. Prepare vegetables: I suggest 1 courgette, 1 carrot, 1 red onion, 1 green pepper and perhaps 2-3 mushrooms.
3. When chicken has roasted for 35-40 mins, add the veg and stir well. Roast for another 15 mins or until veg is tender.

Penne and vegetable pasta bake (V)

A lovely summery dish.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Prepare your vegetables- I used mushrooms, courgette, red pepper and red onion.
3. Put your veg into an oven proof dish, season with sea salt and coarse black pepper, sprinkle with olive oil and roast for 10-15mins.
4. Meanwhile, cook penne pasta until al dente.
5. When the veg has cooked for 10-15 mins or is just getting tender, add the cooked pasta and tomato sauce (you can use a tin of chopped tomatoes or I cheated and used a ready made sauce). Add basil and mozzarella to garnish.
6. Cook until piping hot then serve. Lovely with garlic bread.