What's for dinner?

It's late afternoon; I'm busy working in my office, and have no idea what I am cooking for tonight’s meal. Sound familiar?

I wish I was one of those people who spend Sunday afternoons preparing and freezing dinners for the week, but frankly, after a long week, cooking is the last thing I want to do and Sunday is my day of rest.

Now that both my children have left home, I only need to prepare dinner for two. Luckily, my husband is happy to eat whatever I put in front of him and, more importantly, he does the washing-up!

In my house, we always try to eat healthy food and keep the calories in check. I never put butter on vegetables and "fried" is a foreign word in my kitchen. Meals are straightforward and simple because it takes less time and we enjoy a glass of wine or a scoop of low-fat ice cream rather than a fancy cream sauce.

Smart shopping

My strategy for quick and easy meals starts with the shopping. The fruit and vegetable drawers in my fridge are always full. In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, I load the refrigerator with low-fat yoghurt, a variety of cheeses, houmous, eggs and skimmed milk.

Depending on what is available, I stock my freezer with items such as pork and beef fillet, salmon, and boneless chicken breasts. When I get home from the shops, I divide these foods into portions for two so I can easily defrost them a few hours before dinner. Also in my freezer is a supply of wholemeal rolls, ciabatta rolls and bags of frozen vegetables.

Staples in my cupboard include unsweetened breakfast cereals, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, tinned tomatoes, mandarin orange segments, nuts, a variety of tinned beans, soup, coffee and assorted teas (my afternoon pick-me-up).

In the kitchen

My favourite equipment for quick meals includes the grill, steamer, microwave and toasted sandwich maker. Most fresh vegetables are simply washed and lightly steamed, followed by a squeeze of fresh lemon.  The exceptions are, asparagus, red peppers and courgettes which are pure perfection when grilled. Grilling these vegetables caramelises the natural sugars so they melt in your mouth. I have converted many a veggie-hater with these grilled delights.

Meat, poultry and fish used to be considered the centrepiece of a meal, but in my house, they are treated more like side dishes. The easiest and quickest way to prepare meats and seafood is to grill them.

I am also a huge fan of ready-cooked chicken. I used to roast chickens until I discovered how inexpensive and delicious they are straight from the deli or supermarket. For just the two of us, we get at least two meals from one chicken. One night, we eat the breasts, then, I pull off the remaining chicken and either toss it into a pasta dish; serve it cold over a bed of broccoli; or make a fruity chicken salad with red grapes, slivered almonds and light mayonnaise, plus a touch of honey and tarragon.