The Plan Dinner Recipes

Wondering what to make for dinner? Check out these three great dinner recipes from The Plan by Aoife Hearne. No matter what you feel like for dinner, one of these recipes is sure to do the trick! This cookbook brings together all the recipes and practical advice you need to reach and maintain a healthy weight for life. Let the healthy choice become the easy choice.

Chicken and Chorizo Pasta Bake

Ireland has a love affair with chicken. Chicken is a quick and easy protein choice, but make sure it doesn’t take over from other protein options. Although chicken is often looked on as a cheap option, as with everything in life, you get what you pay for. When possible, choose local, outdoor reared/free-range chicken for the best quality.

A great family favourite!

Serves 4

Ingredients

200 g wholewheat penne pasta
1 courgette, chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 sweet pointer pepper, deseeded and chopped
350 g chicken breast, chopped into 2.5 cm pieces
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
90 g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 × 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
Bunch of basil, chopped, or 3 tsp dried basil
100 g chorizo, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.

Put the penne pasta in a pot with plenty of water and cook for about 10 minutes until slightly underdone.

Place all the vegetables in an ovenproof dish. Add the chicken, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, basil and chorizo. Stir in the cooked pasta.

Cover and place in the oven for 45–60 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the cover and cook for a further 10 minutes for a crispy top.

Calories: 551

Curry Beef Noodle Bowl

This is quick and easy. Ask the butcher to cut the steak into strips for you to make this a speedy option for a cold winter evening.

Serves 2

Ingredients

200 ml water
100 g whole-wheat noodles
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
200 g sirloin steak, cut into strips
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1⁄2 chilli pepper, finely chopped
200 g mushrooms, quartered
2 spring onions, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp fish sauce
240 ml reduced-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp curry paste
Bunch of basil, chopped, or 3 tsp dried basil

Directions

Place 200 ml of cold water in a pot. Add the noodles and bring to the boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10–20 minutes.

Over a medium to high heat, add the oil to a pan. Place the beef evenly in the pan. Add the pepper, mushrooms and spring onions, and cook for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened.

Add the garlic, fish sauce, chicken stock and curry paste.

Simmer for 10–15 minutes. Then add the basil and continue to simmer for a further 1–2 minutes.

Divide the noodles between two bowls and cover with the beef mixture.

Calories: 530

Pepper Frittata

Eggs are your friend when time is tight!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tsp rapeseed oil
200 g potato, cooked and diced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
5 eggs
50 g Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tomatoes, chopped
50 g spinach

Directions

Place the oil in a skillet, or pan, over a medium heat.

Add the diced potato and peppers, stirring continuously for 8–10 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, cheese and tomatoes.

Add the egg mixture to the pan, cooking until set.

Once the bottom is browned you may turn it over to cook, or place under the grill (on medium heat) for 5–7 minutes, until browned on top and the inside is completely cooked and no longer runny.

Top with the spinach and serve.

Calories: 462

Saturday Night Pizza Special

Break from a traditional Saturday night takeaway and make your own! These are not necessarily the healthiest of meals but they are certainly better than ordering a takeaway. This is higher in calories than the other options, so I suggest you keep it to just once a week.

Leave the dough to rise overnight in the fridge, as this will boost the flavour – and it makes for quick preparation.

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Pizza Base:

150 g strong flour
1⁄2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
1⁄4 tsp salt
100 ml boiled water, slightly cooled
1 tbsp olive oil
For the topping:
120 ml passata
2 tbsp tomato purée
50 g cooked ham, sliced
10 g pepperoni, sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 red onion, chopped
70 g sweetcorn
Sprinkling of uncooked polenta
90 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
For the side salad
50 g salad leaves
50 g cherry tomatoes, halved
1⁄4 cucumber, thinly sliced

Calories: 590

Directions

Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the warm water and oil, and mix to a rough dough – it should feel damp but not overly sticky. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 5–10 minutes.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size. (You can leave it to rise in a warm room for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.)

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.

Once the dough is ready, shape it into a round shape and leave for at least 15 minutes – it may take longer if the dough has been in the fridge overnight.

Roll out into a circular shape.

For the topping, mix the passata and tomato purée in a bowl. Spread the tomato mix on the pizza base.

Add the rest of the toppings and then sprinkle the cheese on top.

Place in the oven for 10–15 minutes.

Serve with the side salad.

We hope you enjoyed these great dinner recipes. The Plan is available on our website, Eason and in all good bookstores.

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