Pressed for time to get dinner on the table? Angela Day has five recipes you can prepare in half an hour
On the menu
Spicy chicken skewers on stir-fry noodles
Lamb steaks with herb dressing and potato wedges
Warm chorizo and potato salad
Creamy pork and apple
Spicy beef tacos
SPICY CHICKEN SKEWERS ON STIR FRY NOODLES
Serves 4
30ml hoisin sauce
30ml tomato sauce
5ml sriracha sauce
10ml honey
10ml Chinese five spice powder
500g chicken breast fillets, cubed
300g egg noodles
30ml sunflower oil
1 red onion, sliced
half a red pepper, sliced
half a yellow pepper, sliced
half a green pepper, sliced
2 baby marrow, cut into julienne strips.
10ml chopped garlic
45ml soy sauce
10ml sesame oil
coriander for serving
Combine the hoisin, tomato and sriracha sauces with the honey and mix well.
Add the chicken cubes and set aside for 10 minutes.
Thread on to wooden skewers and cook on a griddle pan, turning frequently and basting with any leftover marinade.
Pour boiling water over the noodles and set aside for 15 minutes to soften.
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan and add vegetables and garlic.
Stir fry for 5 minutes until softened. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan.
Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss until the noodles are well coated.
Serve the chicken skewers on a bed of noodles and garnish with coriander.
LAMB STEAKS WITH HERB DRESSING AND POTATO WEDGES
Serves 4
4 medium potatoes cut into thin wedges
45ml olive oil
Cajun spice to season
4 lamb steaks
30ml olive oil
15ml fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper
DRESSING
1 small bunch of Italian parsley
1 small bunch of coriander
grated rind of 1 lemon
10ml chopped garlic
1 mild red chilli, seeded and chopped
30ml lemon juice
15ml red wine vinegar
45ml olive oil
Place the potato wedges in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Cajun spice. Roast in the oven at 200degC for 25 minutes.
Rub the steaks with olive oil, rosemary and seasoning. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Heat a griddle pan and cook the steaks until done to your liking.
Serve drizzled with the dressing accompanied by the potato wedges.
DRESSING: Place the herbs, lemon rind, garlic and chilli in a mini chopper and pulse until the herbs are finely chopped.
Add the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil and pulse until combined. Season to taste and serve with the lamb.
WARM CHORIZO AND POTATO SALAD
Serves 4-6
500g baby new potatoes, washed
6 eggs
300g broccoli, cut in florets
225g chorizo sausage, sliced
100g feta, cubed
45ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
salt and pepper
rocket leaves, for serving
Place the potatoes in salted cold water in a large pot. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.
Add the eggs to the pot and cook for a further 7 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove the eggs and plunge into cold water.
Meanwhile, fry the chorizo in a frying pan over medium heat for 5â??minutes until crisp.
Strain the potatoes and broccoli, cut the potatoes in half, then add, with the broccoli, to the chorizo and cook for 2â??minutes, stirring to coat in the chorizo juices.
Stir in the feta.
Shell and halve the eggs.
Transfer the warm potatoes, chorizo and broccoli on to a serving plate on a bed of rocket.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then pour over the warm salad.
Add the eggs and serve.
CREAMY PORK AND APPLE
Serves 4-6
1 red onion, peeled
45ml red wine vinegar
15ml castor sugar
30ml olive oil
600g pork fillet, sliced
1 apple, cored and cut into wedges
juice of 1 lemon
15ml Dijon mustard
125g crème fraiche
45ml thyme leaves
salt and pepper
Finely slice the onion, then mix with the vinegar and sugar in a glass bowl. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan until hot. Brown the pork slices, in batches, on both sides.
Heat more oil and fry all the pork.
Add the apple and fry for a minute.
Add the lemon juice, mustard, creme fraiche and thyme leaves and stir until well combined.
Return the pork to the pan, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 5 minutes, until the pork is cooked.
Serve on a bed of rice.
SPICY BEEF TACOS
Serves 4-6
30ml olive oil
400g rump, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 red onion, halved and sliced
1 red, yellow and green pepper, sliced
300g packet taco dinner kit
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 small cucumber, diced
15ml olive oil
10ml lemon juice
1 small lettuce, shredded
125ml grated cheddar cheese
dollop of sour cream,for serving
Heat half the oil in a frying pan or wok until hot. Brown the meat in batches.
Remove and set aside.
Heat the rest of the oil and fry the onion and peppers. Add the packet of taco spice and fry for a minute.
Return the beef and add the packet of salsa. Fry for a few minutes until heated through.
Heat the tacos in the oven for 5â??minutes.
Combine the grated carrot, diced cucumber, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.
Place some shredded lettuce in the bottom of the warmed taco shell, followed by the stir-fried beef and peppers, carrot and cucumber salad, grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
Repeat with the rest of the tacos and ingredients.
Serve immediately.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.