Inspired Cooking Techniques for Impressive Easy Meals

INSPIRED cooking techniques for impressive easy meals banner

The past year has meant we’ve been cooking at home more than ever before, but are you tired of the same old recipes again and again? Are you looking to mix it up with new dishes and cooking techniques you’ve never tried before? We’re here to help with our favourite easy meals that are as good to look at, as they are to eat! Focusing on the main technique used for each recipe, we want to help you create amazing meals and expand your repertoire of recipes. We hope you love our inspirational meal ideas as much as we do!


Braising: Mexican Shakshuka

Spend less time hovering over the stove, but get the same delicious results, by combining steps. Braising the eggs in our Mexican Shakshuka recipe helps speed up the cooking process by adding them directly into your sauce. Forget about poaching or boiling – simply make four evenly-spaced indentations in your salsa mixture and crack an egg into each. Then, cover your pan and cook until the yolks are set. When we said easy meals, we meant it!

Mixing: Vegan Corn & Black Bean Tacos

Bored of the same sauces in your meals? Mix it up by mixing in different ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Miso mayo is the star of our Vegan Corn and Black Bean Tacos and couldn’t be easier to make. All you need to do is combine a generous helping of vegan mayonnaise with miso paste, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, then give it a good mix! We also love stirring hot sauce (like Sriracha) into mayo for a kick or adding some chopped herbs and citrus for extra taste.

Charring: Veggie Quesadillas with Goat’s Cheese

Colour = flavour! Did you know that high heat creates caramelisation of natural sugars found in lots of vegetables? Charring your veggies is a quick and easy way to make them even more delicious. You don’t even need to put oil in the pan – just thickly chop your veggies and add them to a hot, dry pan, pressing down occasionally so they’re nice and crisp on the other side. We’ve used red onions, peppers and cherry tomatoes in our Veggie Quesadillas, but you can char a variety of veg like asparagus, corn and sweet potatoes to release more flavour.

Whipping: Steak Tacos with Whipped Ricotta

These Steak Tacos wouldn’t be the same without our zesty whipped ricotta. Grab your food processor and add some ricotta, garlic, lemon zest and thyme, before whipping into a light and fluffy mixture (simply whip everything together in a bowl if you don’t have a processor). Whipped ricotta also tastes delicious on crusty bread and adds an extra touch to salad, if you’re looking to make it more exciting. Why not try different flavour combinations, like oregano, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar, to find your favourite?

Deglazing: Strawberry-Orange Sangria Chicken

Deglazing is a fantastic way to add flavour to your dishes using the pan you’ve already cooked with. Our Strawberry-Orange Sangria Chicken recipe uses triple sec, white wine and vinegar to coat the strawberries, but you can use a variety of other fruits and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to create irresistible flavours. Whisky is great for deglazing a pan that cooked beef or pork, while apple juice or cider is a perfect match for chicken.

Baking: Sheet-Pan Mexican Chicken with Wedges

Sheet-pan dinners are unbeatable when it comes to quick, easy meals that taste incredible. All you need is a large baking tray, an oven and a whole load of delicious ingredients! Our Sheet-Pan Mexican Chicken uses sweet potato wedges, chicken and bell peppers, but the options are endless. Why not try layering Old El Paso tortilla chips with your favourite toppings to make tasty nachos, or combine prawns with black beans, peppers and onions for a mouthwatering easy meal?