Which one are you cooking?

Our recipe development chef, Laoise Casey handpicks some of her favourite recipes on our app for easy and delicious midweek family dinners. When I started working in restaurant kitchens, I had visions of making intricate masterpieces at home and whipping up feasts on a casual basis, as you do. In reality, I turned more and more to easy, comforting dishes, and these are exactly the recipes I love to create in our Plate Up test kitchen for you to recreate at home. Family-friendly recipes that are packed full of flavour, using minimal ingredients, and using easy cooking techniques to answer that age-old question, "What's for dinner?" We’ve got you covered.

First up our Filo Frying Pan Samosa Pie. Brimming with vegetables, this one-pan wonder combines the flavours of a samosa in an easy-peasy frying pan pie. Cauliflower, broccoli, and sweetcorn are spiced with curry powder and turmeric. A layer of crispy filo pastry is the crowning glory on top. Filo pastry is one of my favourite cheat’s ingredients to use in the kitchen. It’s so easy to use and also very forgiving, so if you do make a mistake with it, don’t worry; just scrunch it up, brush with oil or butter, and continue using it. No one will know, and it will still taste and look great!

Our one pan speedy halloumi, chickpea & kale is one of our most popular recipes and has a nifty tip to create a rapid sauce. Simply add a spoonful of nutty tahini, and you’ll have a delicious creamy sauce in minutes. This is cooking that’s big on flavour and low on effort!  You can swap the chickpeas for red kidney beans, black beans or cannellini beans. The kale can also be swapped for spinach, if you prefer. Make this recipe your own, and you’ll have an easy meal on the table in no time. That’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser, trust me! 

Finally, I have to mention our one pan bolognese with a twist—our Turkey Bolognese Gnocchi. This bubbling bolognese is a leaner spin on the traditional recipe, using turkey mince. Topped with creamy mozzarella, then grilled until golden. Best of all, it's a one-pan dish—minimal washing up, maximum flavour! I love using gnocchi as a starch to bulk out dishes; there’s also no need to pre-cook it as you can just add it directly to sauces and heat through. Another kitchen shortcut that I love to use when creating family meals.

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There is a natural pleasure to be found in cooking and eating these types of comforting and nourishing meals. These are the recipes I love making for myself and my family after a long day of recipe testing, and they are the ones I turn to time and time again. You can check out my instagram to see what delights I make as well as heading to Plate Up socials for lots of recipe inspiration and planning. We hope you enjoy cooking them as much as we love creating them. Check out the Plate Up app for more nifty midweek meal ideas. Happy cooking!

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