Simple recipes

If you’re in a hurry or stuck for ideas, try the following quick and easy cooking ideas. This handout provides instructions on how to prepare and cook some quick and easy meals.

Boiled eggs

Cooking utensils: small saucepan, spoon.

Ingredients

• water
• eggs.

Method

1. Place egg/s in a saucepan.
2. Fill saucepan with enough water to cover the egg/s.
3. Put on the stove and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for eight to 10 minutes.
4. Carefully drain the eggs.
5. Once they have cooled enough to comfortably hold, peel the egg/s.

• Tip: to cool boiled eggs more quickly, try adding them to a small bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes and leaving to sit for 10 minutes.
• Serving suggestion: mash or chop eggs and use in sandwiches or salads or enjoy with toast.

Pasta (serves one)

Cooking utensils: large saucepan and colander or sieve.
Cook for about 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients:

• half a cup of pasta or spaghetti
• three cups of water.

Method:

1. Boil water in saucepan and add pasta.
2. Boil with the lid off until the pasta is cooked to your preference.
3. Drain the water.

• Serving suggestion: add a pasta sauce. Try adding tinned tuna or leftover cooked meat and vegetables.

Boiled rice (serves two)

Cooking utensils: large saucepan

Ingredients:

• half a cup of brown or white rice
• three cups of water.

Method:

1. Rinse rice under running water until the water runs clear.
2. Boil three cups of water in a saucepan and add the rinsed rice.
3. Boil the rice and water with the lid off, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. Cook for 12 minutes if making white rice or 45 minutes if making brown rice.
5. Drain and serve with your meal.

• Tip: one cup of raw rice makes three cups of cooked rice. If you cook more than you need, put the rice in a container and store it in the fridge. Always reheat leftover rice before eating.
• Serving suggestion: use instead of potato in a meal for variety, or serve with a stew or curry.

Cheese toast (serves one)

Cooking utensils: chopping board, grill or toasted sandwich maker with grill function.

Ingredients:

• two slices of hot toast
• two slices of tasty cheese.

Method: 

1. Cover toast with cheese and place under grill until cheese starts to melt.
2. Cut into fingers and serve.

• Serving suggestion: add sardines, sliced tomato or baked beans.

See the Quick and Easy Meals page for more meal and snack ideas

View the Appetite for Life contents page

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