Quick Easy Healthy Dinner Ideas Pretty PLEASE???!!

Hi Folks! !

I am looking for some quick easy and healthy dinner ideas if you can help!

Two meals will be for after netball on Monday and Wednesday nights, dont usually get home til around 9pm and two meals will be after work on Tuesday and Thursday Nights dont usually get home till 9. 30 or 10pm.

I used to just get microwave meals from the supermarket when i only had two late nights, but since joining netball I want to be eating "real" food not out of a cardboard box.

I also have an issue with re-heating food particularly chicken.

If anyone has any interesting ideas i can try out i would be much appreciative! ! !

Thanks in Advance! !

Oh, and I cant eat sea food lol!

What about the good old standby, a vegetarian Lasagne? You can make it ahead, heat it quickly, have it two nights in a row if necessary and still have a piece to take to work next day. Vegetable curries can be made ahead and the flavour actually improves with keeping overnight.

chili is great too as you add beans, also shepherds pie. i always have an ice cream box of homemade soup in the freezer which is a great starter -these can be made on a sunday-fill the oven, also stewed apples for quick desserts-keep a jar of crumble topping ready to pop on and heat in oven! !

yummy! Some great ideas going on here! ! !

Thanks heaps so far folks! :)

Elliehen, I dont spose you have a recipe for vege lasagne? Luv the bit about having it for work the next day! ! :)

good wholesome vege soup...

lanii1 since elliehen hasn't returned to the thread, you may glean some ideas from here:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages. asp
x? id=147

http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/
suggest you check out the Health Food Guide magazine website. There are some really good ones on there - or buy the monthly mag for even more.

sounds like a slow cooker / crockpot maybe handy for you . You would be able to prepare your meals ahead in the morning and it will be cooked for you when you get home

Back now :)That thread is full of ideas. I've made different variations over time and have recently been making an easy adaptation of one I saw Richard Till make last year on his Kiwi Kitchen TV programme. You can play with quantities for the size of your household.

Basically, it's this:
Take fresh pasta sheets - or dried INSTANT Lasagne sheets which do not have to be pre-cooked but will need a bit more liquid to rehydrate while cooking.

* Cook lightly salted till softened in 1 Tblsp oil APPROX 4 cups of vegetables: 1-2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 grated carrot, chopped spinach/silverbeet, 2 chopped zucchini, 4 mushrooms, 1 red & 1 green pepper (throw in broccoli if you like it)

* When cool, add & combine 1 cup cottage cheese and whisk in one egg.

* Put 1-2 Tblsp oil in bottom of pan and a generous layer of tomato pasta sauce (from a jar is fine... Dolmio's good. . about 1/4 jar) on the bottom of a baking tray (rectangle, square, doesn't matter).

* Place single layer of pasta sheets on top, cutting to fit if necessary.

* Spread half vegetable mix on top of that, then another layer of pasta sheets.

* Add other half of veg mix.

* Last layer of pasta sheets.

* Pour rest of tomato pasta sauce over top.

Now, here's the departure. I don't bother with the white sauce (Bechamel sauce). I sprinkle the top with about 50gms of grated Edam cheese mixed with two slices crumbled Vogel's bread.

That's sauce/sheets/veg/sheets/veg/sh-
eets/sauce/cheese-crumbs

Only if you've used fresh pasta, stab the top right through with a sharp knife (stops the pasta rising in waves and burning). If you use instant pasta sheets, add 1/3 jar water to the sauce.

Bake about 45 mins to 1 hour at 180*C and stand 15 mins before serving to let it set.

This is not as fussy to prepare as one with white sauce, but you can put a layer of that on top for a more gourmet version.

Vietnamese noodle salad... vermacelli with shredded cucumber, carrot & red onion. Add finely chopt corriander, chilli & mint, lime zest & juice, rice wine vinegar & soy sauce. Toss & enjoy! I do this at least once a week, serve with meat or just on own :)