Christmas dinner for one anyone?

IF you are settling down to a solo dinner this Christmas, whether by accident or choice, you don’t have to settle for a frozen ready-made meal, pasta in a box or a curry in a packet.

In Zululand we enjoy scorching temperatures over Christmas so this selection of four quick and easy fish, chicken, lamb and prawn dinner dishes for one options won’t keep you slaving over a hot stove for hours.

Roasted chicken breast with lemony Bombay potatoes

Ingredients: 

1 large handful potatoes

salt

1 tsp turmeric

1 lemon

½ teaspoon ground cumin

5 sprigs fresh coriander

¼ red pepper

2.5 cm piece fresh ginger

1 chicken breast

olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel a large handful of potatoes, cut them into 2.5cm cubes and put them into a pan of cold, salted water.

Bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, drain and allow to steam in a colander.

Put a heaped teaspoon of turmeric into a bowl and add the zest of 1 lemon, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, 5 sprigs of chopped fresh coriander, a quarter of a red pepper, roughly chopped, and a 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks.

Cut 3 slices off the lemon and set aside.

Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the lemon into the bowl. Shake the potatoes up in the colander and add them to the bowl with the chicken breast.

Toss everything around with a splash of olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Remove the chicken, put the potatoes into the tray in one layer, and top with the lemon slices and the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

 

Prawn Briyani

Ingredients

115g prawns

1 tablespoon fresh coriander

1 lemon, 2 tablespoons juice

1-2 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons oil

1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice

1 1/4 cups liquid chicken stock

3 medium mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup frozen peas

Instructions

Place prawns in a dish and sprinkle with coriander, lemon juice and half the curry powder. Set aside to marinate.

Place onion and garlic in a microwave-proof bowl with oil. Cook on high for about 1 minute.

Add remaining curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Stir in rice with 1 cup of boiling stock. Cook on high for 4 minutes, stirring twice.

Add mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute on high, stirring halfway through. Add prawns. Cook on high for 2 minutes.

Add peas. Stir well and cook for a final 2 minutes. Serve with fresh coriander and low-fat yoghurt.

 

Spiced lamb with crispy roasted veggies andh chickpeas

Lamb

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

pepper, to season

1 teaspoon olive oil

150g lamb backstrap or tenderloins

Vegetables

1 floury potato such as Agria, washed

small chunk pumpkin, skin removed

1/4 x 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

olive oil spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C. Combine garlic, paprika, pepper and oil in a large dish. Mix well. Add lamb and rub in marinade until well coated. Set aside.

Chop potato and pumpkin in bite-sized cubes. Place in a roasting dish. Add chickpeas and stir to combine. Sprinkle over paprika and cumin. Spray with olive oil. Toss to combine and coat all vegetables. Place in oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes until vegetables are crispy. Toss once or twice during cooking.

Heat a grill pan or barbecue grill to a high heat. Cook lamb backstrap for about 4 minutes on each side (less time for tenderloins) until medium-rare. Rest meat for a few minutes then slice. Arrange lamb on a plate with vegetables and sautéed spinach, if preferred. Drizzle any pan juices from lamb over the top. Serve.

 

Indian-spiced fish with nutty rice

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup low-fat plain yoghurt

150g piece firm white fish

1/4 cup brown rice

oil spray

2 cups fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach or silver beet

1 tablespoon toasted cashew nuts

1 tablespoon mango chutney (optional)

Instructions

Combine cumin, curry powder, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and yoghurt in a shallow, non-metallic bowl. Add fish and coat well. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

Cook rice following packet directions. Set aside and keep warm.

Spray a frying pan with oil and place over a medium-high heat. Remove fish from marinade and shake off excess. Cook fish for 2 minutes each side until just cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.

Add spinach or silver beet to pan and cook until wilted.

Place fish on top of spinach with a dollop of chutney (if using). Serve with rice and a squeeze of lime juice, if preferred.