Quick, Easy and Healthy Meals. Perfect for Bachelors #Healthy #Meals

Most of the menu ideas below are vegetarian, however you can always substitute the soy mince with the real thing.

These are just simple ideas. If you REALLY don't like working with food, hire someone like me - a personal chef - to fill your freezer and fridge with pre-packed, pre-cooked meals.

Tasty, Spicy Vegetarian Mince

Who says Vegetarian food is boring? I'm by no means a Vegetarian but often have to cook for Vegetarians and Vegans.

I got home this evening and was too lazy to go shopping or go to any great lengths to cook, for that matter. My best is foraging through the fridge and cupboards and making something out of nothing. This took me just 10 minutes.

1. Boil the kettle and soad 1 cup Soy Mince in 1 cup boiled water.
2. Put the pot on the stove and heat to medium heat.
3. While that is warming up, crush 4 garlic cloves; chop 2 Jalepeno chillis
4. Place in pot (no oil) with 2 heaped teaspoons Basil Pesto.
5. Then add the Soy Mince and mix well.
6. Spices - 1 tspn Paprika, 2 tspn masala, salt and pepper
7. Add a can of chopped tomatoes
8. Some chopped fresh mint
9. At the end add half a tub of Mascapone cheese.

You can use this mixture to top a baked/microwaved potato; toasted wholewheat bread; or on a bed of salad greens; or as an omlette filling.

• Microwaved "baked" potato - prod the potato all over with a fork and microwave for about 5 mins, depending on the size of the potato; turn half way through
• Microwaved Omlette - beat two eggs and a dash of milk. Pour into a soup bowl and microwave for 1 min or 2.

TACO SALAD

Mix Soy mince (prepared as above) with some red kidney beans.

Place in large bowl and top with lettuce, cheese and tomato. Before serving, add corn chips. Toss. Add dressing. Toss and serve.

TUNA SALAD OR BAKED POTATO

Take a tin of Tuna and mix with half a container of fat-free, smooth cottage cheese (a small dash of mayo if you want to cheat). Add some chopped onion, chopped gherkin and some mixed herbs.

This mixture can be used to top a salad or baked/microwaved potato.

HUMUS AND SALAD PITA

Fill a large wholemeal pitta pocket with a heaped tablespoon of reduced-fat hummus, olives and salad - Use fat-free plain yoghurt as dressing or any other low fat dressing.

Other options for filling could also be the tuna mixture (see above) with salad; or left over roast chicken and salad.

WRAPS OR PITA'S

Filled with:

• Vegetarian Wrap filled with Fry's "meat" strips, chopped tomatoes, beans and avo
• Left over roast chicken and avo with a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese
• Mexican Salad - green salad with corn, kidney beans and topped with crushed corn chips and sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.
• Mexican Chicken Wraps (filled with spiced chicken, chopped tomatoes, beans and grated cheese);
• Mediterranean Salad - cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, Feta and Tuna

Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
3 cloves of garlic finely grated
500ml chicken stock
300g split peas
300g thickly sliced ham or bacon diced
1 bayleaf
Salt and pepper

Method

STEP 1

Heat the butter in a saucepan and when lightly foaming gently cook carrot, onion and celery until softened, but not coloured.

STEP 2

Add garlic and then pour in chicken stock. Simmer until softened.

STEP 3

Add split peas and bayleaf and bring back to the boil. Simmer for about 1 hour.

STEP 4

Remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Stir in 300g diced ham and serve.


Season with salt and pepper.