Rukmini Iyer writes the monthly Cook once, eat twice series for the Guardian Feast, suggesting simple, delicious ways to make your meals go further. In the Quick and easy column, she shared tasty recipes to make in less that 30 minutes for midweek suppers. She is the author of the hugely successful Roasting Tin cookbook series, which has sold over 1.75 million copies to date worldwide, offering fuss-free, nutritious and affordable one-dish dinners.
Rukmini is be here to answer your questions.
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Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Florence Blair. Food styling assistant: Phoebe Altman.
Key events
I’m exhausted after work. What can I prep in 15 minutes?
UtterlyExhausted asks: As someone who’s almost always exhausted by the time work is done but also don’t want to just eat cereal for dinner or a basic sandwich, I’m looking for simple, healthy weeknight one-dish dinners that take 10-15 minutes of prep max, don’t have many ingredients, and will provide leftovers.
Rukmini: I hear you, this is exactly me after work as well, and why I think a ‘chop and chuck’ traybake where the oven does the work for you is exactly what’s needed. If you eat fish, think wild salmon, trout or sustainable white fish fillets in a roasting tin drizzled with soy, honey & sesame oil, roasted with vegetables that take 15-20 minutes to cook too, like tenderstem broccoli and sugar snaps (there’s a video of baby me cooking a version of this here.)
As a rule with a roasting tin recipe, I always think of ‘building’ a dish – so if you have eg a fillet of fish or chicken breast, add flavour by spreading it with something quick from the fridge like harissa, or tapenade, or mustard, then top it with something crunchy, like breadcrumbs, chopped nuts or seeds (Paneer or tofu work well if you’re veggie, or an entire block of feta). Then the rest of the dish includes things which take a similar amount of time to cook – cherry tomatoes, small florets of cauliflower, red onions, dressed with oil and salt. That should take no more than 10 minutes to chop and put in the oven, then when it comes out, a quick dressing of lemon or lime juice, olive oil, salt and fresh herbs which complement the dish will really lift the flavours, and bring everything together.
It’s easy to double up the quantities for leftovers – and actually The Quick Roasting Tin(with thirty minute one-tin dinners) has a whole section on things you can make for dinner & which work well in a lunchbox the next day, too.
‘Think wild salmon, trout or sustainable white fish fillets in a roasting tin drizzled with soy, honey & sesame oil.’ Photograph: PR Image
Quick gluten free, veggie recipes for a celiac?
Soose15639 asks: Any suggestions for quick and easy gluten free, veggie recipes? I recently found out I’m celiac so am working on my new repertoire.
Rukmini: Rice is your friend here I think, and an all-time reader favourite from The Green Roasting Tin is the all-in-one sticky rice with broccoli, squash, chilli and ginger. Instead of cooking the rice in water, you stir it through with coconut milk, spiked with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Then you layer it up in a dish with squash and broccoli, and pop it in the oven to bake, and then take five minutes to mix up a lime, chilli and coriander dressing – and that’s it!
Nowadays, I’d add in some cubed plain or smoked firm tofu for extra protein – it is absolutely not cheating to buy ready diced butternut squash if you’re in a hurry. You can find the recipe here along with an old recipe video on ITV. Generally, I would lean into recipes & cuisines which are often naturally gluten-free – think soupy noodles or laksas with rice noodles, stir-fries with a peanut chilli dressing, curries and fried rice.
If you’re doing rice as your carb accompaniment, you might want to try my family’s microwave method, which is at the beginning of this recipe for green pea pulao rice with cardamom and almonds (the rest of the recipe is v nice too!)
Quick and easy green pea pulao with cardamom and almonds. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Eden Owen-Jones.
An easy tomato-free meal for a friend in need?
Thenewschmoo asks: What do you recommend as the best reheatable meal for me to make and take round when it’s my turn on the rota for providing a meal for friends who are having a hard time at the moment. Only rules are no tomatoes, no coriander.
Rukmini: I think taking food over to friends when they’re having a hard time is one of the nicest things you can do. So many dishes taste even better the next day: for tomato free recipes, I’d suggest casseroles or gratins rather than curries. A tray of dauphinoise potatoes would make an incredible reheat dish, but for an all-in-one meal, one of my favourites is the leek & puy lentil gratin with a crunchy feta topping from The Green Roasting Tin.
You just tip 3-4 finely sliced leeks into a roasting tin along with a few cloves of finely grated garlic, olive oil and sea salt, roast them for 20 minutes in the oven, then stir through a vac-packed packet of puy lentils, two 250g tubs creme fraiche (two 200g is fine too) and a bit more sea salt – lemon juice is nice here too – then scatter the whole thing with breadcrumbs and feta and bake until crisp.
If you’re making it to take and reheat, I’d do this for just another 15 minutes (the original recipe says 20-25 minutes). Then it’d be another 10 minutes at 180C for your friends to heat through (15 mins if from fridge cold). If they like mildly spiced food, then this chickpea & melted onion gratin with harissa from my Guardian column has a similar crisp-topped vibe with a bit more heat (and no tomatoes or coriander!)
Spicy chickpea gratin with melted onions and kale. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food styling: Sam Dixon. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food assistant: Jeyda Ramis.
Welcome to the Conversation
Rukmini Iyer writes the monthly Cook once, eat twice series for the Guardian Feast, suggesting simple, delicious ways to make your meals go further. In the Quick and easy column, she shared tasty recipes to make in less that 30 minutes for midweek suppers. She is the author of the hugely successful Roasting Tin cookbook series, which has sold over 1.75 million copies to date worldwide, offering fuss-free, nutritious and affordable one-dish dinners.
Rukmini is be here to answer your questions.
Log in or sign up here to ask a question in the comments below.
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