Discover the joy of cooking with these five incredible, easy recipes that bring flavor and fun to your dinner table. From quick meatballs to comforting pork dishes, roasted potatoes to vibrant chicken traybakes, plus a delightful dessert, these recipes are designed to make your weeknight dinners effortless and delicious.
Quick Meatballs & Spaghetti: Rustic Italian at Its Best
Celebrate the humble pea with a simple yet stunning spaghetti and meatballs dish that comes together in just ten minutes. Start by boiling spaghetti and reserve half for the final toss. The magic lies in the quickest meatballs you’ll ever make—grab some quality sausages, pinch and pull the meat straight into a hot pan with olive oil. No fussing over perfect shapes here; rustic is the way to go.
For the sauce, slice garlic and use every part of fresh basil, including the stalks, to fry and infuse flavor. Add tinned tomatoes, a splash of balsamic vinegar for sweetness, and season well with salt and pepper. Toss your meatballs in the sauce to crisp up beautifully.
Once the pasta is cooked, toss it directly with the meatballs and their juices—not the sauce—to let the pasta soak up all those herbaceous, savory flavors. Serve with a spoonful of the rich tomato sauce and the meatballs on top.
Here’s the genius twist: crack open fresh peas and sprinkle them raw over the pasta. The sweet pop of the peas adds a delightful texture and freshness that lifts the whole dish.
Spicy Pork Shoulder with Peppers and Rice: A Hearty, Flavor-Packed Stew
This dish is a celebration of pork shoulder, a fantastic value cut that becomes tender and juicy after slow cooking. Score the meat, season with salt and pepper, and start by rendering the fat skin-side down in a pan.
Use about 700 grams of colorful, fruity peppers—not hot chilies—and prepare them by removing seeds and peeling. Chop them roughly and toss them with the pork along with paprika, caraway seeds, and red onions. Add marjoram or oregano and a tin of tomatoes for depth.
Pour in water to just cover the ingredients, then add a generous four tablespoons of red wine vinegar to give the dish a lovely tang. Cover and slow-cook in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for two and a half to three hours until the pork is fall-apart tender.
Serve this robust stew with plain steamed basmati rice to soak up the rich flavors. To brighten the dish, stir together sour cream with chopped parsley and lemon zest—no lemon juice needed—and serve alongside for a fresh, creamy contrast.
Potato Al Forno with Balsamic Vinegar: The Ultimate Roasted Side
This is no ordinary roast potato dish. Using cheap balsamic vinegar in copious amounts transforms the potatoes and onions into a caramelized, sticky, and irresistibly flavorful al forno. Start with half a pork loin, skin off, seasoned with rosemary, cracked fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Press the pork into the seasoning on a board to get a flavorful crust.
Roast the pork and potatoes together, but don’t forget to add garlic cloves, onion, and celery to the tray for moisture and flavor. Parboil and roughly crush the potatoes before roasting to get a wonderful texture.
Here’s the bold move: pour half a bottle of cheap balsamic vinegar over the potatoes and onions. It looks wet and sloppy at first, but as it cooks, the vinegar caramelizes, creating a deep, rich glaze that’s utterly addictive.
After roasting, use the pan drippings with a splash of wine and mashed garlic to make a quick, intensely flavored jus that elevates the whole dish.
Grilled Strawberries with Pimms and Vanilla: A Sweet, Summery Dessert
Turn simple strawberries into something extraordinary with a quick grilled dessert inspired by classic English flavors. Hull the strawberries and pack them snugly in a tray to concentrate their juices.
Add the magic of vanilla by scraping seeds from a vanilla pod into the syrupy mix, then drizzle with stem ginger syrup and scatter chopped candied ginger pieces for texture and zing.
Grill just until the syrup bubbles and the strawberries soften slightly, about three minutes. While they cook, crush shortbread biscuits in a tea towel for a crunchy contrast.
Serve the warm strawberries with the biscuit crumbs and a scoop of cold ice cream, then splash with Pimms for a refreshing boozy twist. The combination of hot, cold, crunchy, and sweet is simply sublime.
Chicken Traybake with Tomatoes and New Potatoes: Simple, Flavorful, and Golden
Chicken thighs are the star here for their juicy, flavorful meat. Debone the thighs for easy cooking, then pan-fry skin-side down to render the fat and get a beautiful golden crust. Season lightly with salt.
Boil new potatoes and prepare a variety of cherry and plum tomatoes by scoring their skins and blanching them briefly in boiling water to make peeling easier. Peel the tomatoes to intensify their sweetness.
Roughly crush the potatoes and lay them out with the tomatoes. For the finishing touch, smash fresh oregano or marjoram with salt and pepper, then mix with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar to make a vibrant herb oil.
Arrange the chicken, potatoes, and tomatoes in one layer on a baking tray, drizzle with the oregano oil, and roast at 180-200°C (350-400°F) for 35-40 minutes until golden and sticky.
Serve with a simple rocket salad dressed with lemon, olive oil, and a pinch of salt for a fresh, peppery finish.
A Week of Easy Recipes to Keep Cooking Fun and Delicious
These five recipes bring together simple ingredients, bold flavors, and straightforward techniques to make cooking enjoyable and stress-free. Whether you’re after a speedy pasta dinner, a slow-cooked pork stew, or a vibrant roast chicken traybake, these dishes will brighten your weeknight meals and impress your family and friends.
Enjoy the beautiful balance of rustic charm and bold flavors, and remember: sometimes the simplest tweaks—like adding raw peas to pasta or using balsamic vinegar generously—make all the difference in creating memorable, delicious food.
This article was created from the video 5 Jamie Oliver Recipes To Cook This Week with the help of AI.
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