Quick and Easy Breakfasts
Start your day with something simple that won’t take up too much of your time.
Peanut butter overnight oats are a great make-ahead option. Mix your oats, milk or water, peanut butter and a little sweetener the night before, then add your favourite toppings in the morning. Try banana, berries, apple, seeds or yoghurt, depending on what you have available.
If you have a little more time, perfect pancakes are an easy and affordable breakfast, brunch or late-night treat using basic ingredients such as flour, eggs and milk.
An omelette is a really healthy and cheap meal that can be as plain or fancy as you like. Add ham and cheese for a classic combination, try leftover potatoes and peppers for a Spanish-style frittata or keep it simple and a add a side of baked beans or toast for a filling meal at any time of the day.
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Quick Meals for Busy Days
Short on time? You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make something filling.
15-minute loaded noodles turn a couple of noodle nests into a more substantial meal with eggs, frozen vegetables, soy sauce and optional extras such as peanut butter, tofu, leftover chicken or peanuts. It’s also easy to adapt to whatever you have in the fridge.
A simple stir-fry is another flexible option. Add chicken or chickpeas, frozen vegetables and noodles or rice, then customise it with ingredients such as ginger, chilli or honey. It’s a great way to make your rice or noodles go further.
If you want something that requires very little washing up, try one-pot pantry pasta. It uses basic ingredients, can be adapted with different vegetables or proteins and makes enough for leftovers.
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Budget-friendly Comfort Food
Cooking on a budget doesn’t mean you have to stick to boring meals.
Bean chilli is packed with store cupboard ingredients, making it an affordable and filling option. It’s also ideal for batch cooking, so you can make extra portions to enjoy later.
For a classic favourite, try chilli con carne, which can also be made ahead and frozen for another day.
Fancy something cheesy? Chicken or veggie pasta bake is a filling option that works well for meal prep and leftovers. Swap the chicken for frozen vegetables or spinach to make it vegetarian.
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Bean Chilli
Curry Night
You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make a tasty curry at home.
Easy chicken curry uses simple ingredients including onion, garlic, curry powder and tinned tomatoes. You can also experiment with other spices you already have in your cupboard.
For a meat-free option, chickpea curry combines chickpeas, tomatoes and spices with optional spinach for a quick and budget-friendly vegan meal.
Both are great served with rice, so once you’ve mastered how to cook rice, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
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Something a Little Different
If you want to try something new, shakshuka is a simple dish of eggs cooked in a spiced tomato sauce. It’s made with everyday ingredients and can be prepared as a meal for one or scaled up if you’re cooking with housemates.
Or get together with your friends or flatmates and have a pizza night. The super easy pizza recipe uses a simple homemade dough and lets everyone choose their own toppings, including vegetables, cheese or budget-friendly meat options.
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Easy Pizza
Master the Basics
Pasta and rice are two of the most useful ingredients to have in your kitchen, but getting them right can sometimes be tricky.
Our how to cook pasta and rice perfectly guide covers everything from getting your portions right to cooking times and using pasta water to help your sauce stick. Once you’ve got the basics sorted, you can use them as the starting point for everything from curries and chillis to stir-fries and pasta dishes.
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Make it Your Own
The best thing about many of these recipes is that you don’t have to follow them exactly.
Use frozen vegetables instead of fresh, swap chicken for beans or chickpeas, change the spices or use up leftovers from another meal.
You can also adjust portions depending on whether you’re cooking for yourself or sharing with friends.
