Fresh Mob: 3 easy 30-minute meals that are made for weeknights

Fresh Mob: 3 easy 30-minute meals that are made for weeknights

Credit: Copyright © David Loftus 2022

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Fresh Mob: 3 easy 30-minute meals that are made for weeknights

By Annie Simpson

3 years ago

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3 min read

In need of some weeknight dinner inspiration? These three recipes from Mob’s latest book are easy, affordable and nutritious – and can be on your table in 30 minutes.

One of the most common dilemmas in adulthood has got to be choosing between switching off and enjoying your weekend, or spending your days off catching up with all the things you don’t have time for during the week. And (spoiler alert), more often than not, having a life wins out over grocery shopping and food prep for the week ahead. 

Which is why, at 7pm on any given weeknight, you can usually find us stood staring at an empty fridge, hoping for a meal to magically appear in front of our eyes. And while we can’t quite promise to make your dinner out of thin air, we are here to make your after-work meals a little easier – all with the help of Mob

Fresh Mob: Over 100 tasty healthy-ish recipes by Mob Kitchen

Credit: Copyright © David Loftus 2022

With over 980,000 Instagram followers and six cookbooks under their belt, founder Ben Lebus and team are back with a brand-new book: Fresh Mob. Delivering over 100 new recipes, the book is filled with inspiration for every day of the week, with each recipe packed with protein and vegetables to make for nutritious, achievable and affordable meals. 

Because we’re always strapped for time, especially after work, we’re sharing three recipes from the book which can all be on the table in less than half an hour.

Bursting with fresh flavours and plenty of spice, Mob’s ras el hanout salmon with bean hummus is a speedy supper that won’t have you reaching for a packet of crisps 30 minutes after eating.

For an easy veggie meal, the sweet potato and halloumi sandwich has Friday night fakeaway written all over it, while being simple enough to throw together on any day of the week. And Mob’s garlicky chicken and egg rice bowl is what comfort food dreams are made of – with the one-bowl dish packed with tender chicken, garlic and chilli to fight off any seasonal colds.     

Mob's Ras El Hanout Salmon with Bean Hummus

Ras El Hanout Salmon with Bean Hummus

Mob says: “One for the cumin lovers out there, this speedy salmon is going to be a regular on your dinner table. We love the contrast between the fibre-filled silky tahini bean hummus and crunchy, spice-infused carrot salad.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 × 400g tins of butter beans 
  • 4 spring onions
  • A small bunch of coriander
  • 4 medium carrots
  • 60g rocket
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lemons
  • 4 skin-on salmon fillets
  • 4 tsp ras el hanout
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Flatbreads, to serve (if you’re extra hungry)

Gluten-Free: Serve with gluten-free flatbreads, if using.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with foil or baking paper.

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until smelling amazing. Set aside to cool.

Salad time. Drain and rinse 1 tin of butter beans, then shake off any excess water and tip into your largest salad bowl.

Thinly slice the spring onions (both green and white parts) and roughly chop the coriander (stalks and all). Add these to the bowl. Peel and grate the carrots and add too, along with the rocket, three-quarters of the toasted cumin seeds and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Finely grate in the zest of both lemons. Toss together, then season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.

Next, lay the salmon fillets, skin-side down, on a cold frying pan and rub 1 teaspoon of ras el hanout over each one. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and fry for 7 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes until the salmon is just cooked and flakes easily.

Meanwhile, make the hummus. Drain the second tin of butter beans over a bowl, saving the liquid. Tip the beans into a food processor or blender and add the garlic, tahini, remaining cumin seeds and the juice of half a lemon. Blitz until completely smooth, adding in some of the bean water until it’s at your desired consistency – you’ll need about half. Season to taste.

Scrape the hummus into a saucepan and place over a low heat, stirring occasionally to warm through.

Spread the warmed hummus onto four plates. Put a piece of salmon on top, drizzle over any oil from the pan, then pile the salad next to it. If you’re really hungry, serve with flatbreads. 


Mob's Sweet Potato and Halloumi Sandwich

Sweet Potato and Halloumi Sandwich

Mob says: “This has all the makings of the perfect veggie sandwich. Softened, caramelized shallots and hearty chunks of sweet potato get along famously with salty halloumi, crunchy lettuce and the chilli tang of chimichurri. Top of its class.” 

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 2½ banana shallots
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • ½-1 red chilli (depending on how spicy you like it)
  • A small bunch of parsley
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar (depending on how sharp you like it) 
  • 250g pack of halloumi 
  • 1 baby gem lettuce
  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • Salt and black pepper

Gluten-Free: Make sure you use gluten-free bread.

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.

Leaving the skin on, cut the potatoes into roughly 1cm (½in) rounds. Peel and halve 2 of the shallots lengthways. Put the potatoes and shallots into a large roasting tin, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, the cumin seeds and plenty of seasoning, then spread roughly into a single layer so that everything roasts evenly. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until soft and a little caramelised.

Meanwhile, make the chimichurri. Finely chop the remaining shallot half and the red chilli and scrape into a small bowl. Finely chop the parsley (stalks and all), add to the bowl, then crush in the garlic clove. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir and season to taste.

Once the veg is roasted, set aside to cool a little while you fry the halloumi. Cut the halloumi into thick slices and get a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the halloumi and fry until deeply golden, about 2 minutes on each side.

Assembly time. Roughly tear the lettuce leaves. Halve the ciabatta rolls and spread the bottom of each roll with a little chimichurri. Layer in the roasted veg, halloumi and torn lettuce leaves, then spoon over any remaining chimichurri and sandwich together. A veggie sandwich dream. 


Mob's Garlicky Chicken and Egg Rice Bowls

Garlicky Chicken and Egg Rice Bowls

Mob says: “Inspired by the beloved Japanese dish of oyakodon, this one-bowl meal gets its flavour from juicy chicken thighs and lots of garlic and spring onion. And when we say lots, we mean lots.” 

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 2 green chillies
  • 10 garlic cloves
  • 500g skinless chicken thigh fillets
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 6 eggs
  • A bunch of spring onions 
  • Steamed short grain rice, to serve

Gluten-Free: If you’re cooking gluten-free, substitute the soy sauce for tamari and check your stock is gluten-free.

Method

Thinly slice the onion, green chillies and garlic. Thinly slice the chicken thighs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and green chillies and fry over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the sliced chicken, chicken stock, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Bring to a bubble and cook for 10 minutes over a medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and very gently mix a few times – you don’t want the whites and eggs to be completely mixed. Thinly slice the spring onions (both green and white parts).

Pour the eggs over the chicken and gently swirl in with a wooden spoon and then sprinkle over three-quarters of the spring onions. Pop a lid on the pan and cook for 3 minutes until the eggs have set.

Spoon the chicken and eggs over bowls of steamed rice and then pour over any remaining liquid for the rice to absorb.

Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions and enjoy. 

Fresh Mob: Over 100 Tasty Healthy-ish Recipes by Mob Kitchen (£20, Hodder & Stoughton) is out now


Photography: Copyright © David Loftus 2022

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