What's for dinner?

Prep 12 min · Cook 25 min · main · intermediate · Equipment: saucepan, blender or stick blender, skillet, two forks

🛒 Shopping list: hot sauce 0.4 oz, olive oil 0.3 oz

1. 1.Poach the whole chicken breast gently in lightly salted water with a chunk of the onion and a clove of garlic until just cooked, then lift it out and reserve some of the cooking liquid.⏱ 14 min · 🔥 low heat · 165°F— chicken firm and opaque, 74C at the thickest point
2. 2.While it poaches, char the tomato, the rest of the onion, and the garlic in a dry skillet until blistered and blackened in spots, which gives the sauce its smoky depth.⏱ 6 min · 🔥 high heat— skins blistered with dark patches all over
3. 3.Blend the charred vegetables with the hot sauce and a splash of the poaching liquid into a smooth, pourable salsa.⏱ 2 min— even, brick-red sauce that just coats a spoon
4. 4.Shred the cooled chicken with two forks, then simmer it in the blended sauce so it absorbs the flavour and the liquid reduces around it.⏱ 6 min · 🔥 medium— saucy but not soupy, strands glistening and well coated
5. 5.Char the tortillas in a dry skillet, flipping once, until blistered and pliable.⏱ 2 min · 🔥 med-high— a few dark spots, still soft enough to fold
6. 6.Pile the tinga into the tortillas and top with sliced avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Swaps: chicken breast → jackfruit or chickpeas (vegetarian) · tortilla → lettuce cups (grain-free)

Technique: Dry-charring the aromatics for a smoky salsa, then braising shredded poached chicken to absorb it.

Poaching instead of frying keeps lean breast meat tender and gives you a flavourful broth to loosen the sauce, so nothing is wasted. The soul of tinga is the char on the tomato, onion, and garlic, those blackened patches are where the smoky, almost roasted backbone comes from, so let them blister properly rather than pulling them early. Shredding the chicken before it goes back into the sauce maximises the surface that drinks up flavour, which is why braised shreds taste so much deeper than chopped cubes. Make the saucy chicken ahead and warm it to order, it only improves as it sits.

Prep 8 min · Cook 14 min · main · beginner · Equipment: wide skillet, small bowl, spatula

🛒 Shopping list: greek yogurt 3.2 oz, olive oil 0.5 oz, milk 1.1 oz

1. 1.Dice the pepper and tomato small; whisk the yogurt with the milk and a pinch of salt until pourable; beat the eggs separately.⏱ 4 min · 🔥 no heat
2. 2.Cook the onion and pepper in olive oil until soft and sweet, then add the garlic and tomato until the tomato just collapses.⏱ 7 min · 🔥 medium— pepper tender, tomato jammy at the edges
3. 3.Wilt the spinach, pour in the eggs, and draw soft curds through the pan until just set.⏱ 4 min · 🔥 low heat— eggs glossy, not dry
4. 4.Spoon the yogurt over the eggs off the heat and fold once so cool ribbons streak the skillet.⏱ 1 min · 🔥 no heat— yogurt warm but not boiling

Swaps: bell pepper → tomato · spinach → broccoli

Technique: Cool yogurt over soft eggs — heat only from the pan, never a second boil.

Built for a stocked fridge with eggs, yogurt, pepper, tomato and milk. Keep the yogurt off direct heat or it splits. Not vegan or dairy-free.

Prep 15 min · Cook 26 min · main · intermediate · Equipment: mixing bowl, wide skillet, saucepan with lid, blender or stick blender

🛒 Shopping list: greek yogurt 2.1 oz, ginger 0.4 oz, curry powder 0.3 oz, coconut milk 2.5 oz, butter 0.4 oz

1. 1.Cut the chicken into large bite-size pieces and marinate in the yogurt with half the grated garlic and ginger, half the curry powder, and a good pinch of salt.⏱ 10 min— every piece slicked in a thick coat that clings
2. 2.Start the rice cooking, covered, on the lowest heat so it steams undisturbed while you build the sauce.⏱ 12 min · 🔥 low heat— water absorbed, grains tender and separate
3. 3.Sear the marinated chicken in a dry-ish hot skillet in batches so it catches colour rather than stewing, then lift it out still slightly underdone.⏱ 5 min · 🔥 high heat— charred edges and burnished spots, centre not yet fully cooked
4. 4.Lower the heat, melt the butter, and soften the diced onion with the remaining garlic and ginger, then bloom the rest of the curry powder in the fat until fragrant.⏱ 4 min · 🔥 medium— spices darken a shade and smell toasty, not raw
5. 5.Add the chopped tomato and a splash of water, simmer to break it down, then blend smooth and stir in the coconut milk for a glossy sauce.

Prep 8 min · Cook 1 min · main · beginner · Equipment: bowl, fork

1. 1.Drain the tuna well and flake it apart with a fork.⏱ 2 min
2. 2.Mash half the avocado with the juice of half the lemon, a pinch of salt, and pepper into a creamy dressing.⏱ 3 min— smooth but with a little texture
3. 3.Fold the tuna and spinach through the avocado dressing with the olive oil.⏱ 2 min
4. 4.Slice the remaining avocado over the top and finish with the rest of the lemon.

Technique: Mashing avocado with lemon and oil into a no-cook creamy dressing that binds the salad

Drain the tuna thoroughly and flake it fine so it absorbs the dressing instead of sitting wet on top. Mash only half the avocado with lemon, salt, and oil so it turns into a creamy binder while the rest stays in clean slices for texture and a fresh look. Taste before serving and adjust with more lemon if it reads flat; the acid is what lifts the richness of avocado and oily tuna. Eat it straightaway, because the cut avocado browns and the dressing loses its brightness as it sits.

Prep 10 min · Cook 24 min · main · beginner · Equipment: medium pot, saucepan with lid, wooden spoon

🛒 Shopping list: onion 2.5 oz, curry powder 0.2 oz

1. 1.Start the rice cooking, covered, on low so it is ready when the gravy has thickened.⏱ 12 min · 🔥 low heat— water fully absorbed, grains fluffy
2. 2.Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and ginger, then cook the onion in the oil until it takes on real colour, which builds the sweet base of the gravy.⏱ 7 min · 🔥 medium— edges golden-brown, not just translucent
3. 3.Stir in the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and toast briefly to bloom the spices in the hot oil.⏱ 1 min · 🔥 medium— fragrant and a shade darker, no raw smell
4. 4.Add the chopped tomato and a splash of water, mashing it down into a thick masala as it cooks.⏱ 6 min · 🔥 medium— oil starts to separate at the edges, sauce jammy
5. 5.Tip in the drained chickpeas with a little water and simmer so they drink up the gravy, crushing a few against the side for body.