By Christine Salins.
One of the reasons that people seem to order home-delivered meal kits is not so much to save time – some take longer to cook than you might expect – but rather because they are too tired (or can’t be bothered) to plan and shop.
I’m somewhat perplexed by that because, for me, thinking about food and shopping for it is the fun part. Clearly, however, there’s a demand for anything that takes the guesswork out of what to make for dinner.
George Georgievski answers the call with his new book, Dinner Express (Plum, $26.99). Most of the recipes in it can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less with ingredients that you already have in the pantry and fridge. Some even carry a symbol announcing that they are ‘Ridiculously fast’.
All are tasty, healthy recipes that you could happily put on the table every night of the week, easily appealing to families (the author has young daughters) and often delivered with further time-saving hacks (like using microwave rice).
Georgievski kicks the book off with his top tips for saving time and effort (like prepping ahead and loving your freezer) and he follows that up with his recommended list of essential ingredients to have on hand in your pantry and fridge so that you can create quick meals any time.
Because he’s a bit of a lunchbox guru, writing a blog called School Lunchbox and authoring best-selling books Air Fryer Express and Lunchbox Express, there’s a chapter on incorporating dinner leftovers into lunchboxes. There’s also a chapter on using supermarket roast chook with some clever suggestions for Portuguese, Asian and Mexican inspired dishes.
In the recipe here, the pastry acts like the garlic naan that everyone loves so much. Georgievski often serves rice on the side but it’s substantial enough without it. He says you can also use Thai curry paste to make this pie, adding your favourite Thai-style veg, such as spring onion and carrot, along with the chicken. Remember to check the spice level of the paste first. The secret is to thicken the sauce to make it pie-like.
Simple Butter Chicken Pie
Serves 4
40 g salted butter
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, diced
150 g butter chicken curry paste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
400 ml can coconut cream
2 tablespoons plain flour
125 ml (½ cup) iced water
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, just thawed
250 g packet of microwave basmati rice, to serve (optional)
coriander leaves, to serve (optional)
PASTRY GLAZE
2 garlic cloves
40 g salted butter
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 25 cm round baking dish.
Drop the butter, onion, garlic and chicken into a frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chicken is lightly seared, then add the butter chicken curry paste and tomato paste and stir through. Pour in the coconut cream and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
Mix the flour and iced water in a small bowl to create a smooth slurry, then stir it through the chicken mixture and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
Meanwhile, to make the pastry glaze, grate the garlic into a ramekin and add the butter. Zap it in the microwave on high in 10 second bursts until the butter has melted.
Transfer the butter chicken to the baking dish, lay the puff pastry sheet on top and trim the edges to fit (you can use the offcuts to make a pattern on top if you like). Brush the pastry with some of the melted garlic butter.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Glaze the pastry with the remaining garlic butter and let it rest for a couple of minutes. This is all the time you need to microwave the rice according to the packet instructions, if using.
Transfer the rice to a serving bowl and scatter the coriander leaves on top if desired. To serve, stick a large spoon in the pie and watch your family fight for it.
Recipe and image from: Dinner Express by George Georgievski, published by Plum, RRP $26.99, photography by Nikole Ramsay.
