All my clients and friends keep telling me they want to eat better but have no time to cook! In response to this I’ve decided to post some quick-to-prepare recipes that will allow you to eat well, and get food on the table fast, with a mimimum of fuss.
This recipe is embarrassingly easy and I have endless variations of it, but here goes:
Note: For vegans, use a butter and cheese substitute. This is a vegetarian meal, but carnivores could easily add in a few handfuls of bacon, ham, chicken or sausage. Like I said, endless variations…
Ingredients: potatoes – washed but skin on ( you could also use pumpkin or sweet potato if you choose), an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, a few cups of mixed vegetables, some ripe tomatoes (or a can if you’re really pressed), and a tin of baked beans, some cheese, coriander (cilantro – or fresh herbs of your choice), cumin, black pepper, paprika (smoked is good!) and a little chilli.
Method:
Heat oven to moderate, 180c, or 350f.
Find a big baking dish or pan to serve your meal in and grease well with butter. (I use an old enamel dish I found at an op shop many years ago. It’s still one of my faves and it cost $2!) Cook up enough potato cut in rough big chunks, unpeeled, to cover the bottom of pan with a hearty layer. (I often use pumpkin or sweet potato or a combo too.) While the spuds are cooking grease your serving pan and chop the rest of your vegetables, and then get started on your slaw. Ten minutes should be more than ample time!
When the potato is cooked dump into bottom of pan. Feel free to smash down a bit to get that coverage. Cover with a layer of baked beans. 1 tin ought to do it. Then add various chopped vegies – for ‘Mexican’ (this is hilarious considering I am an Australian…) I use chopped capsicum (bell peppers), raw onion, green onions (shallots) a few cloves of crushed garlic, fresh corn (you could used tinned), fresh coriander and then season with lots of cracked black pepper, cumin, paprika (smokey is good!) and a little chilli – or just use a mexican spice mix. Cover with a layer of sliced fresh tomatoes and then with grated cheese and place in hot oven for about 20 mins or until golden brown on top. Devour, with a garden salad or coleslaw. Easy and yum!
Variation: For something a little fancier slather some guacamole and sour cream on top, and add more fresh coriander (cilantro).
Coleslaw – finely slice or shred a quarter wedge of red cabbage and a white one, add some finely chopped celery, capsicum (bell pepper), onion and apple, grated carrot, and a little fresh corn if you have it. Add coleslaw dressing and mix well. (Confession – I will usually use store-bought dressing when I’m in a hurry) I often add walnuts or diced pineapple to my coleslaw too, depending on the day, and what I’m serving it with.
PS – You can cheat with the coleslaw if you need to by buying a bag of pre-chopped coleslaw vegetables from the supermarket, then adding a few of your own touches (like the onion and apple). That’s still going to be way better than the pre-bought tubs of mush that imitate the real thing.
I often use whatever vegetables are in my cupboard/fridge or growing in the garden for my cheesy bakes. If I am feeling energetic I will cook beans from scratch, or use leftover chilli from a previous meal. It is a great dinner to reheat for lunch or supper the next day too 🙂
Tips: Cook double your usual quantity of potato at one night’s dinner, and make this recipe up to serve the following night. Refrigerate and then bake when needed, but give yourself a good 30 minutes cooking time to make sure it is heated right through. Faster than take-away and a fraction of the price! Or make two trays and freeze one to serve on those nights when you are too tired to care.
And while you’re waiting for this to brown in the oven, and with the coleslaw all made, you’ll have time for a minute’s meditation….
Life’s too short to eat bad food! I hope you enjoy this easy meal xx
Thanks Nicole, for yet again another great easy family friendly recipe… It was a hit! Had no Idea what to cook last night, aswell as being tired out at the end of a big day.. was healthy & yummy. ( much better than a take- away opt).. luv it.. and finished it off today for lunch.. ❤❤
This is a winner when you’re tired and hungry. Glad you and the family enjoyed it. xx
Homemade coleslaw is the BEST. Also I’m jealous that you’ve grown delicious looking, plump tomatoes – ours got devoured by pests before we could get to them 🙁
Thanks for the tasty recipe!
I understand about the whole pesty creatures eating my produce thing… I do a lot of companion planting now, which helps with bugs, and I just grow enough that the critters can eat some and there will still be some for me! Loving your blog btw! 😀 xx
I like the idea of adding pineapple or walnuts to slaw. Sounds yummy!
Yummy, and it changes the texture and flavour nicely – you’ll never get bored of slaw again! xoxo
I’ve never put baked beans in a dish like this, that’s an interesting idea, and very quick. Your bargain enamel dish sounds great and reminds me of my youth. I’ve noticed that these enamel dishes are coming back into fashion lately – at surprisingly high prices – but finding one in an op shop would be very satisfyiing. I liked the one moment meditation, very good.
This recipe came out of desperation! I came home on a freezing night after we’d spent hours out in the rain fixing fences at our farm. The only things I had to hand were spuds, onions, a tin of baked beans, a few vegies, some tomatoes and a heel of cheese. Worked out though!
I think it’s marvellous, and I meant to add that I’ve never put potatoes into the bottom of something like that, they usually go on top in my recipes. I’m going to try this though, I like the look of it, and the coleslaw.
Great dish! Very versatile. And your garden tomatoes are gorgeous! What a beautiful color!
After eating home grown tomatoes I’ve actually become something of a tomato snob – there is nothing worse than a wedge of tasteless greeny-orange tomato. When they ripen on the vine, the smell, the flavour… I have often been known to eat one on the way between the garden and the kitchen because i just can’t wait any longer! Hooray for farmers markets so that everyone can eat tomatoes that taste the way nature intended.
Thanks for the help in the kitchen. I am domestically challenged 😉
There isn’t much easier than this! {{{HUGS}}}
I’m going to try this one.. Yummo. Thx Nicole :))
😀 Yay for you cooking this! xx
That’s a great dish for improvisation… I have to play around with it 🙂
One of my favourite ‘what’s in the cupboard/garden/fridge’ dishes. Have fun making it your very own style! 🙂