Five flavour-bomb fiercely fast meals
Asian-inspired quick fixes for when you're just too hungry to spend hours in the kitchen....
We’ve all been there. You’re either tired, or been working late, or need to head out somewhere, and you just don’t have the time, or the inspiration, to cook an elaborate meal. For me, the Holy Grail of cooking is to be able to put something together quick, that still tastes great and satisfies.
Below, I’m sharing some quick meals that go beyond a bowl of fried rice, a packet of noodles, or beans on toast (although, of course, there’s nothing particularly wrong with any of those, but you might want to ensure they’re all served with a rainbow of veg and herbs and spices).
And I’m always keen to try and make dishes with what you’ve got in the house. We are very fortunate to live 5-10 minutes away from three or four fairly decent supermarkets, but still, it’s so annoying to start a recipe and then discover you don’t have that one faintly obscure ingredient like shallots, gochujang paste, endive or moondust, or even something mundane like black pepper.
If you’re like me, you buy ingredients with a specific recipe in mind, and then forget, or can’t be arsed to make it, leaving things like packets of beetroot powder, arrowroot or an obscure grain rotting in the back of the cupboard. Don’t do that. It wastes money, time and leads to frustration!
My recipes are never prescriptive, I always like to tweak them with what I’ve got. Those who read this regularly will know I have a deep-rooted love of dal, in all its forms, but often I’ll add stuff or leave spices out if I don’t have any. Last night’s dal, for example, had spinach, peas and mixed peppers added (all frozen), an excellent way to ramp up the dish with extra flavour, nutrition and colour. Coconut cream was swapped out for half a can of coconut milk, whic hjust meant I let it simmer for longer. Shallots were swapped out for an onion.
My point is, look at what you’ve got at home, and then make dishes based around what you already have. Nipping out for one ingredient is fine, of course, but it deeply satisfying to cook something new, tasty and exciting with stuff you’ve already got in the kitchen!
For example, we’ve got an ageing can of jackfruit, and we scored some lovely fresh Thai basil for pennies last week, but it’s beginning to look not-so-fresh and forlorn in the fridge now. So - tonight’s dinner will be the pad krapow below, and that’s an easy win, right?
Top tip: Bit of a segue, but I learnt this from a YouTube video just last night, and it’s such a solid tip. You can cook onions in cold oil in your frying pan. Onions contain water, so as the oil heats, there’s nowhere for it to go – the onions, in other words, won’t absorb the oil, apparently. If you pre-heat the oil, as I’ve always done, until now, you’re in danger of overheating it, and then adding the onions means they’ll cook too quickly and burn, and be bitter.
Also – and I love this - the best way to cook onions is to listen to them. If they sound ‘angry’ - sizzling in the pan - your oil is too hot. If there’s no sound, then your pan and oil aren’t hot enough. Apparently, the best sound is like a ‘babbling brook’: you simply want to hear some gentle sizzling noises.
Some of the ingredients below might well not be your usual store cupboard stuff, but check out what’s needed first, ingredients wise, and you’ll be throwing together these fast, tasty and unusual dishes in minutes like a pro!
I’d add ‘inspired’ to all of the below recipes, as I’m sure they’re not especially authentic, and I don’t want to offend any purists. I’m just looking for fast, healthy (or at least, healthier) and tasty dishes. Hoope you try them out - and enjoy them! :-)
RECIPES
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Spicy Tamarind Dressing
Light, zesty and refreshing, this salad is truly a flavour bomb with tamarind, chilli and herbs.
Ingredients:
Cooked rice noodles (vermicelli) – 1 cup (Follow the packet instructions, but normally, you cook them by dunking them in a big bowl of boiling/very, very hot water for 3-6 minutes, so do that first and then prep everything else)
Grated carrot – 1
Cucumber ribbons – ½ (I’ve still got my spiraliser! Remember that trend? But the easiest way to make a sexy lookin’ cuke ribbon is to just use your vegetable peeler on the cucumber, longways.)
Fresh mint and coriander – small handfuls (but not if you’re a coriander hater, of course)
Crushed peanuts – 1 tbsp (Stick the peanuts in a plastic bag or bag of your choice, and then enjoying smacking the crap out of them with a rolling pin, empty jar or handle of your heaviest knife)
Dressing: tamarind paste (1 tbsp), soy sauce (1 tbsp), maple syrup (1 tsp), lime juice (1 tbsp), chopped red chilli to taste
Preparation:
Toss noodles, carrot, cucumber and herbs in a bowl. Whisk together the dressing and pour over. Top with peanuts.
This also works topped with leftover things like tofu, jackfruit or your favourite ready-made meat replacement, if you want a heartier dish.
Silken Tofu with Soy-Ginger-Scallion Sauce (Inspired by Chinese Douhua)
I’m not often in the habit of buying silken tofu. I normally only get it to make a breakfast scramble (where you combine silken tofu with the ingredients, and then crumble in firm tofu— making it more scrambled egg like). But this dish, served cold or warm, has a deeply savoury sauce which is comfort food to the core.
Ingredients:
Silken tofu block – 1
Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
Sesame oil – 1 tsp
Grated ginger – 1 tsp
Chopped spring onions/ scallions – 2
Optional: chilli oil, toasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
Gently slice tofu in large pieces onto a plate. I recommend a sharp knife, as it’s like cutting jelly.
Mix the sauce ingredients and spoon over the tofu.
Serve with rice or just as is.
Indonesian Tempeh Sambal Wraps
Spicy, sweet and tangy tempeh in crisp lettuce leaves. No frying required. You can replace the tempeh with tofu, seitan or even ready-made meat replacements from the supermarket
Ingredients:
Tempeh (thinly sliced) – ½ block
Sambal oelek – 1 tbsp (This is a rich, spicy, salty sauce, which packs an umami punch)
Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
Maple syrup – 1 tsp
Lettuce leaves – 4
Julienned cucumber and carrot
Lime wedges
Preparation:
Pan-sear tempeh slices with sambal, soy, and maple syrup for 3–4 mins until sticky.
Next, wrap your cooked tempeh up in your lettuce leaves with the crunchy veg. You could, of course, make it more filling by using wraps of your choice, roti, cabbage leaves, or even a slice of supermarket white bread. You do you, no judgement here.
*Note: You could also quick -pickle the veg. Just put the chopped veg in a bowl with a good dash of salt, sugar, vinegar and a splosh of hot water. Leave it for five or ten minutes, and bingo, pickles, innit.
Top tip: Want to julienne a carrot or cucumber like a pro? It’s just French for matchstick-style slices - and it’s easier than it sounds. Here's how to do it, fast:
Trim and peel your carrot (or de-seed your cucumber if it's watery)
Cut into 2-3 inch sections - makes it easier to handle
Slice each chunk into thin pieces (like you’re making chips)
Stack a few pieces on top of each other like a veggie Jenga tower
Slice again into thin sticks.
True story: Apparently, in 1700s France, some chef bloke called Julien first cut veggies into matchstick strips, and everyone loved them so much, they named this technique after him.*
Top tip II: Don’t make a culinary fool of yourself – never say “I’m off to julienne some potatoes”. That’s making allumettes, of course. Which is French for matchstick. Which makes more sense than Julienne. Sigh.
*I may have made this up. But there’s also Julienne soup, the recipe for which apparently came after the term was coined. It’s not a soup made of people called Julienne, or exclusively only eaten by peole called Julienne, rather it comprises perfectly manicured vegetable matchsticks.
Thai Basil Stir-Fry with Jackfruit
Plant-based pad krapow using young green jackfruit, which certainly packs a KAPOW.
Ingredients:
Canned green jackfruit (drained and shredded) – 1 cup
Garlic – 3 cloves (minced)
Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
Vegan oyster sauce or hoisin – 1 tbsp
Chilli flakes or fresh chilli
Thai basil – ½ cup
Cooked rice to serve (a cheeky addition, but we all know you can cook a perfect bowl of basmati in ten minutes, right? So get your rice on the hob while you’re prepping everything else. Alternatively - and I’m ashamed by this - we always have two or three microwaveable packets of rice in the cupboard, which are warmed in just two minutes!)
Preparation:
Sauté garlic and jackfruit for 2-5 mins, in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add sauces, chilli, and stir until heated through.
Fold in the Thai basil at the end.
Korean Spicy Cold Soba with Gochujang and Sesame
A bold and punchy cold noodle dish for when you fancy something different.
Ingredients:
Buckwheat soba noodles (cooked and cooled) – 1 cup (Cook to packet instructions, but they only ever take minutes) (Top tip: After they’re cooked, sprinkle your noods with sesame oil and mix it in, to stop them from sticking together, and add good extra flavour)
Gochujang – 1 tbsp (Very spicy Korean chili paste. A tbsp might be a bit much for many. I’d start with a teaspoon, and add to taste)
Rice vinegar – 1 tbsp
Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
Maple syrup – 1 tsp
Sesame oil – 1 tsp
Julienned cucumber and radish, or other veg of your choice.
Toasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Toss with cold noodles and veggies.
Top with sesame seeds.
Eat. Be Happy.
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STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW - AND CARE ABOUT
Madeira’s population calls for stronger animal welfare measures
Growing public outcry on the beautiful Portuguese island of Madeira has sparked a petition titled "Paradise for Tourists – Hell for Animals", demanding urgent action to address rampant and unchecked animal cruelty. The petition urges the regional government and capital city Funchal’s municipal council to take decisive steps: restricting the chaining of dogs, criminalising abandonment, creating safe surrender systems for unwanted animals, and ensuring minimum standards of hygiene and welfare for those in captivity.
It also calls for the launch of widespread public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on animal rights and responsibilities.
Despite national laws that classify animals as sentient beings deserving of care and respect, enforcement in Madeira remains weak, allowing cruelty, neglect, and abandonment to persist largely unpunished. Activists warn that this disconnect between legislation and reality is not only inhumane but risks damaging Madeira’s international image.
Support the cause: sign the petition here. I think you have to be Portuguese, with a national ID number, which is required to sign…but still, it’s worth sharing far and wide.
Stop the North African street dog cull
In Morocco, government officials are apparently planning to kill street dogs in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, rather than carrying out their neutering programme as previously agreed. Shooting and poisoning dogs in the name of football is absolutely barbaric (mass neutering is far kinder and more sustainable), not to mention unnecessary. Sign this petition to put pressure on the Moroccan government to do the right thing.
Vegans are happier
A large-scale study of over 11,000 participants reveals vegans experience significantly higher levels of happiness than meat-eaters, challenging stereotypes. According to research from Tracking Happiness, vegans scored an average of 7.27 on a happiness scale, compared to 6.80 for meat-eaters and 6.99 for pescatarians. The study suggests that this emotional boost may stem from living in alignment with one's values - particularly ethical and environmental motivations - as well as the physical health benefits of a plant-based diet. With fewer chronic illnesses, better nutrition, and a sense of positive impact, vegans are shown to enjoy improved overall well-being.
Interestingly, the research also debunks the myth that vegans are widely disliked. Only 14% of meat-eaters surveyed held a negative bias toward vegans, indicating a shift in public perception as plant-based living becomes more mainstream. The study highlights how veganism supports both mental and physical health, with happier individuals also more open to adopting the lifestyle.
Cause of the Week
Support Street Dogs
We Care is a charity I love, based in Sri Lanka. As the website says: “There are an estimated three million street dogs in Sri Lanka, lacking even the most basic veterinary care. As vets, we find that unacceptable – we believe every single animal in the world deserves high standard veterinary care.”
I get their newsletter, and it immediately comes across how very hard the team works. But it also feels like they’re always teetering on the edge of collapse, due to lack of funding. We can all help, and you can even sponsor a dog or buy a t-shirt. Check out this awesome charity here.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS.
As ever, feel free to share this if you liked it, and do share your cooking images, recipes and thoughts.
Love and spicy fingerprints
Amazing recipes! Thank you 🙌🏻👍🏻👏🏻
Really enjoying the recipe inspiration . . . and the gifs are such a fun touch!