Nearly one in four British adults consume a ready meal more than once a week. Many say they choose microwave dishes because the meals can be made quickly. But Lynne Waiien is determined to show that home cooking with fresh ingredients can be just as quick as a microwave meal, if not quicker.

"You can cook a healthy, nutritious meal from all raw ingredients in the time it takes to microwave a similar one," she said.

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At the Sheffield Hallam University Nutrition Fair 2008, held by final year students at the Faculty of Oranisation and Management, Lynne handed out recipes for fresh, home cooking that are quicker to make than similar microwavable dishes.


Recipes

Quick Prawn Pasta

Ingredients (serves 1)

75g fresh spaghetti
1/2 red onion
75 g ready to eat prawns
10 g rocket
3 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

• Dice and fry the onion for approximately 4-5 minutes over medium heat.


• Cook and drain spaghetti


• Add onion and prawns to spaghetti


• Finally, add rocket and mayonnaise. Stir well

(Cooking time 9 min. Cost 86p)


Speedy Vegetable Stir Fry Noodles

Ingredients (serves 1)

50g vegetable instant noodles
1 tsp clear honey
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
4 baby carrots
1/2 courgette
1/2 handful fresh bean sprouts
1 spring onion

Method

• Boil the noodles according to pack instructions. Mix together honey and soy sauce with 1 1/2 tbsp hot water Leave to cool


• Heat oil in a large frying pan and add baby carrots and sliced courgette and fry over medium heat for five minutes.


• Following this five minutes, tip the noodles and soy sauce mixture. Fry for a further 2 minutes


• Stir in bean sprouts and spring onions

(Cooking time 8 min 30 sec. Cost 62 p)



Tomorrow's video - How much tea is too much?