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Australian home cook and bestselling author Donna Hay is back with ‘The Fast Five’, taking the weeknight classics and re-imagining them into five fast, delicious crowd-pleasers. Containing over 145 recipes, the book puts a new twist on weeknight staples like pasta, tacos and curries, resulting in time-saving, flavourful riffs on the classics. Here, Donna shares the inspiration for her latest release, alongside three excellent recipes…
By Heather Steele
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I know how easy it is to get stuck on the same weekly repertoire of recipes – that safety net of dishes we know by heart. The Fast Five features your all-time favourites, reimagined as five instant flavour hits, thanks to my tasty shortcuts and ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ switch-ups. These recipes still live in that comfort zone of reassuring deliciousness, but with more personality, crunch and punchy flavour than ever!
With a simple change-up, weeknight dinners transform into flavour-forward crowd-pleasers. If I can add a burst of freshness and some pantry magic into a crumb, filling or patty, you can enjoy all your take-out favourites in super yum, better-for-you ways – and faster than it takes to order in! You’ll also find my ready-in-a-flash desserts – soaked in all the sticky, nostalgic dreaminess thatalways fills the house with amazing scents – but with five fast, nice-for-you twists.
Inspired? We’ve picked three of our favourite recipes from The Fast Five for you to try at home...
Photo: Chris Court
Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Skewers
Serves
4
Ingredients
800g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and cut into pieces
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
400g haloumi, cut into cubes
2 lemons, halved and thinly sliced into rounds
For the lemon, garlic and rosemary marinade:
⅓ cup (16g) rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons shredded lemon rind
To serve:
Olive and lemon brown rice salad
Method
Step 1
To make the lemon, garlic and rosemary marinade, combine the rosemary, oil, garlic, lemon juice and lemon rind in a large bowl.
Step 2
Add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Allow to marinate for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat oven grill (broiler) to high. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Step 4
Thread the chicken, haloumi and lemon onto 8 metal skewers and place on the prepared tray. Grill for 13-–15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
Step 5
Serve with basil leaves, lemon wedges and olive and lemon brown rice salad.
Step 6
Serve With: Olive & Lemon Brown Rice Salad
Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 cup (60g) pitted and sliced green Sicilian olives, 2 tablespoons shredded lemon rind and ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil and cook for 3-–4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir to combine. Mix 3 cups (495g) cooked brown rice, 1 cup (20g) basil leaves and the lemon olive dressing and toss to combine.
Photo: Chris Poulos
Saucy Egg Noodles
Serves
4
Ingredients
400g fresh egg noodles
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 green onions (scallions), sliced
500g pork or chicken mince
2 cups (500ml) good-quality chicken stock
Extra sliced green onion (scallion), sliced long red chilli and chopped roasted salted peanuts, to serve
For the spicy peanut sauce:
¼ cup (70g) smooth natural peanut butter or hulled tahini
¼ cup (60ml) hoisin sauce
¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon store-bought chilli oil
1 tablespoon honey
Method
Step 1
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Refresh under cold water, drain and set aside.
Step 2
To make the spicy peanut sauce, place the peanut butter, hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil and honey in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Step 4
Add half the spicy peanut sauce, the garlic and green onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the mince and cook for 7-–8 minutes or until well browned.
Step 5
Place the stock in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until hot. Add the remaining spicy peanut sauce and stir until heated through and combined.
Step 6
To serve, divide the spicy peanut sauce between bowls and add the hot noodles. Top with the mince, extra green onion, red chilli and roasted peanuts.
Photo: Chris Court
Silky Parmesan Pasta With Crispy Crumb
Serves
4
Ingredients
400g dried spaghetti
1 cup (250ml) pure cream
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 cups (100g) wild leaf rocket (arugula), chopped, plus extra to serve
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
For the crispy crumb:
2 cups (140g) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
Method
Step 1
To make the crispy crumb, preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Step 2
Combine the breadcrumbs, oil and chilli flakes. Place on the prepared tray and bake for 5–8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Step 3
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Step 4
Whisk the cream, yolk and parmesan together in a bowl to combine.
Step 5
Return the pan over low heat. Add the parmesan cream mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring gently with a spatula, until silky and slightly thickened, but not scrambled. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 6
Add the pasta and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it is coated in the sauce and heated through. Stir through the rocket and rind.
Step 7
Divide the pasta between serving bowls and sprinkle with the crispy crumb, the extra rocket and extra parmesan.
The Fast Fiveby Donna Hay (Hardback,£25) Photography: Chris Court & Con Poulos
Recipes & styling: Donna Hay
Visit DonnaHay.com.au for more inspiration.
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