For many of us, Friday evening signals many things – the fact you’ve made it through a week of work, the beginning of your weekend and, quite frankly, the time to relax. You are truly bossing life.
It might be tempting, then, to reward yourself with a takeaway – the ultimate Friday treat – but those on a New Year health kick, or trying to save money, might be reluctant to do so. What’s a foodie to do?
Dale Pinnock’s new cookbook, Fakeaways, is packed with healthier, budget-friendly recipes you can make in the same amount of time it would take for a food delivery to turn up at your door.
And, unlike some recipe books, the instructions are ridiculously simple to follow.
The book, published on 9 January, is brimming with more than 80 meal ideas. There are recipes for Indian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Thai food – and there’s even a section for ‘Grills & Classics’: think fish and chips, burgers and spicy wings.
Each recipe comes with nutritional information (Pinnock is a nutritionist, after all) and creative twists to help you save time, effort and money. Here’s a sneak peek of three recipes from the new book.
Chicken Rogan Josh
Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 35 mins
“This is a dish that is traditionally made with lamb, but lamb is an ingredient I just don’t and won’t cook with so I’ve flipped this into a chicken version, which tastes amazing,” says Pinnock.
Ingredients
- Olive oil, for sautéing
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- 5–6 cardamom pods
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 800g chicken breast, diced
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- Salt
- Green salad and pitta breads, to serve
Method
:: Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods in a little olive oil with a good pinch of salt until the onion has softened.
:: Add the remaining spices and cook for another minute or two until the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
:: Add the chicken and stir well to coat in the spices.
:: Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
:: Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
:: Serve with a green salad and some warmed pitta breads.
Vegetable Chow Mein
Serves: 2 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 15 mins
“This is a super-easy favourite to recreate and one that I do at home quite often when I don’t feel like making anything extravagant for dinner,” says the nutritionist. “There is definitely something comforting about noodles.”
Ingredients
- 100g egg noodles
- Olive oil, for sautéing
- 1 large red onion, halved and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 large spring onions, cut into batons
- 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- Salt (optional)
Method
:: Place the noodles in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
:: In a frying pan, sauté the red onion, garlic and spring onions in a little olive oil over a medium heat for about 8 minutes until the onion softens.
:: Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté just long enough to wilt it. Add the cooked noodles and mix all the ingredients together.
:: Finally, add the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix well. Season with a little salt if desired before serving.
King Prawn Red Curry
Serves: 2 | Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 20 mins
“Red curries are another staple Thai favourite and I absolutely adore them,” says Pinnock. “Seafood is the perfect match for a red curry, but really, you could use anything. Chicken, tofu or mixed veg will all work great too.”
Ingredients
For the paste:
- 2 teaspoons each ground
- Cumin and ground
- Coriander
- 4 red bird’s-eye chillies, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
- 4cm piece of ginger or galangal root, peeled and chopped
- 6 fresh kaffir lime leaves or the finely grated zest of 1 lime
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- Stalks from 80g bunch of fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
For the curry:
- Coconut oil, for frying
- 300g raw king prawns, shells removed
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 200ml fish stock
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- Brown rice, to serve
Method
:: Place the paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz into a smooth, aromatic paste.
:: Heat a little coconut oil in a large pan, add the curry paste and fry for around 10 minutes until it has become much darker and less pungent.
:: Add the coconut milk and stock, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the prawns and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until they are cooked.
:: Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Serve with cooked brown rice.
Fakeaways: Healthy, budget-friendly takeaways for everyday home cooking by Dale Pinnock is published by Hamlyn. Buy it on Amazon for £11.
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