27 October 2022

Donna Hay Shares 3 New Recipes

Australian home cook and bestselling author Donna Hay is back with ‘The Fast Five’, taking the weeknight classics and re-imagining them into five fast, delicious crowd-pleasers. Containing over 145 recipes, the book puts a new twist on weeknight staples like pasta, tacos and curries, resulting in time-saving, flavourful riffs on the classics. Here, Donna shares the inspiration for her latest release, alongside three excellent recipes…

By Heather Steele

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I know how easy it is to get stuck on the same weekly repertoire of recipes – that safety net of dishes we know by heart. The Fast Five features your all-time favourites, reimagined as five instant flavour hits, thanks to my tasty shortcuts and ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ switch-ups. These recipes still live in that comfort zone of reassuring deliciousness, but with more personality, crunch and punchy flavour than ever!

With a simple change-up, weeknight dinners transform into flavour-forward crowd-pleasers. If I can add a burst of freshness and some pantry magic into a crumb, filling or patty, you can enjoy all your take-out favourites in super yum, better-for-you ways – and faster than it takes to order in! You’ll also find my ready-in-a-flash desserts – soaked in all the sticky, nostalgic dreaminess thatalways fills the house with amazing scents – but with five fast, nice-for-you twists.

Inspired? We’ve picked three of our favourite recipes from The Fast Five for you to try at home...

Photo: Chris Court

Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Skewers

Serves

Ingredients

800g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and cut into pieces

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

400g haloumi, cut into cubes

2 lemons, halved and thinly sliced into rounds

For the lemon, garlic and rosemary marinade:

⅓ cup (16g) rosemary leaves, roughly chopped

⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons shredded lemon rind

To serve:

Olive and lemon brown rice salad

Method

Step 1

To make the lemon, garlic and rosemary marinade, combine the rosemary, oil, garlic, lemon juice and lemon rind in a large bowl.

Step 2

Add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Allow to marinate for 5 minutes.

Step 3

Preheat oven grill (broiler) to high. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Step 4

Thread the chicken, haloumi and lemon onto 8 metal skewers and place on the prepared tray. Grill for 13-–15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Step 5

Serve with basil leaves, lemon wedges and olive and lemon brown rice salad.

Step 6

Serve With: Olive & Lemon Brown Rice Salad
Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 cup (60g) pitted and sliced green Sicilian olives, 2 tablespoons shredded lemon rind and ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil and cook for 3-–4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir to combine. Mix 3 cups (495g) cooked brown rice, 1 cup (20g) basil leaves and the lemon olive dressing and toss to combine.

Photo: Chris Poulos

Saucy Egg Noodles

Serves

Ingredients

400g fresh egg noodles

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 green onions (scallions), sliced

500g pork or chicken mince

2 cups (500ml) good-quality chicken stock

Extra sliced green onion (scallion), sliced long red chilli and chopped roasted salted peanuts, to serve

For the spicy peanut sauce:

¼ cup (70g) smooth natural peanut butter or hulled tahini

¼ cup (60ml) hoisin sauce

¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon store-bought chilli oil

1 tablespoon honey

Method

Step 1

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Refresh under cold water, drain and set aside.

Step 2

To make the spicy peanut sauce, place the peanut butter, hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil and honey in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 3

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Step 4

Add half the spicy peanut sauce, the garlic and green onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the mince and cook for 7-–8 minutes or until well browned.

Step 5

Place the stock in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until hot. Add the remaining spicy peanut sauce and stir until heated through and combined.

Step 6

To serve, divide the spicy peanut sauce between bowls and add the hot noodles. Top with the mince, extra green onion, red chilli and roasted peanuts.

Photo: Chris Court

Silky Parmesan Pasta With Crispy Crumb

Serves

Ingredients

400g dried spaghetti

1 cup (250ml) pure cream

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

sea salt and cracked black pepper

4 cups (100g) wild leaf rocket (arugula), chopped, plus extra to serve

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

For the crispy crumb:

2 cups (140g) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes

Method

Step 1

To make the crispy crumb, preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Step 2

Combine the breadcrumbs, oil and chilli flakes. Place on the prepared tray and bake for 5–8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Step 3

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Step 4

Whisk the cream, yolk and parmesan together in a bowl to combine.

Step 5

Return the pan over low heat. Add the parmesan cream mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring gently with a spatula, until silky and slightly thickened, but not scrambled. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Add the pasta and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it is coated in the sauce and heated through. Stir through the rocket and rind.

Step 7

Divide the pasta between serving bowls and sprinkle with the crispy crumb, the extra rocket and extra parmesan.

The Fast Five by Donna Hay (Hardback, £25) Photography: Chris Court & Con Poulos
Recipes & styling: Donna Hay

Visit DonnaHay.com.au for more inspiration.

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