Give new meaning to the term ‘fast food’ with these quick, healthy and satisfying meals that the whole family will love. From light and tasty noodles, super soups and hearty curries to one-pan wonders that make great use of pantry staples and midweek heroes like salads and pasta bakes, these recipes are all ready in 30 minutes or less, giving you back some well-deserved ‘you’ time. So take a break, and let these fast, easy and healthy recipes do all the work.
"Sweet potato is deliciously meaty and sweet if you give it a good grilling. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when it starts to bead and sweat on top – just like steak. If you want to up the protein on this dish and make it more substantial, feel free to add some refried black beans. You’ll find queso fresco (soft Mexican cheese) at specialty delis, but if you can’t find it, use quark, or just add extra yoghurt to serve." – Alice Zaslavsky
Short on time and energy? This easy one-pot salmon recipe is your midweek miracle. Ready in under an hour, this simple meal perfectly balances light and aromatic flavours with hearty textures, creating the ultimate all-in-one dish. Flake off chunks of oily salmon that simmer in the salty broth and scoop up a serve of earthy lentils and peas on the way. Hearty, warming and incredibly delicious, this fast weeknight dinner is one to keep up your sleeves.
This peanut noodle salad is the perfect quick and easy lunchtime dish. Chewy soba noodles make a delicious savoury base for the crunchy vegetables that are piled onto this easy salad, topped with a ready-made dressing and crispy shallots, drawing inspiration from traditional Vietnamese flavours.
“Talk about a party in your mouth! Larb has always been a fave for me, but partnered with my favourite flat bread, fresh herbs, a good schmear of hoisin and some pork crackle to finish things off… well, I could call this one of my favourite bites of food. Feel free to sub in crumbled tofu, chicken, turkey or beef mince or even some firm white fish. It’s an everything sort of recipe; all proteins allowed.” – Sam Parish
This easy Thai-inspired stir-fry is sweet and savoury with a fresh zingy salsa, which you can make as hot as you like, depending on how much chilli you want to use! We used green beans and snow peas, but you can use whichever vegies are in season.
This summer, pick Australian grown corn with grassy green husks for a fresh addition to your BBQ.
We’ve taken one of the most popular salads and turned it into a delicious meal by adding pasta and grilled chicken. We kept the dressing traditional and the croutons because we all love a crunch and we finished this salad with some fragrant basil. This will be on repeat once you’ve tried it.
On the table in 30 minutes, this delicious dinner ticks all the boxes. Juicy, crispy chicken with a sticky chilli sauce, loads of vegies and fluffy steamed rice. We chose asparagus, broccolini and red onion, but you can throw in any you have and toss the lot through some udon or soba noodles instead of rice. But stick to thigh fillets for the chicken, as that will give you a much more tender, flavoursome meat than breast fillet.
“A highlight of summer is when mangoes are in full season. This salad is great to enjoy for those hot days, and is always a family favourite side salad on Christmas Day.” – Matt Moran
“No party in the Philippines is complete without pancit – noodle dishes. Pancit represent longevity, so the noodle threads are left long. For Lunar New Year, the dish of choice is pancit canton – wheat noodles coated in a glossy peppery umami sauce studded with pork, prawns and cabbage.” – Yasmin Newman
Turn simple ingredients like canned tuna, corn, fresh fennel and herbs into a light lunch or starter your can serve at your next dinner party.
This teriyaki salmon is the ultimate Japanese-inspired midweek meal.
This is our pasta take on a spanakopita – lemon, salty feta and fresh baby spinach. And it’s ready to serve in under 30 minutes. You’ll need a large high-sided non-stick frypan for this recipe.
“This pasta is one I love to make in spring, giving all the fresh, delicious vibes. I love packing vegies into a dish, and this pasta is a great example of this. Feel free to switch up some of the vegies here for other spring produce you have on hand.” – Tom Walton
This fresh and easy Thai chicken salad has a colourful mix of fresh veg, fragrant herbs and juicy grilled chicken and is tossed with a creamy peanut dressing. It’s a flavour-packed meal that’s both refreshing and satisfying.
If you're looking for an easy weeknight meal, this turkey stir-fry recipe is a simple and delicious option. Turkey mince is a great lean alternative to beef and pork mince while still being full of juicy flavour. The warm Japanese udon noodles make a delicious, chewy addition and the perfect thing to slurp up all that rich, sticky sauce.
