Speedy suppers

Forget takeaways – you can eat fabulous home-cooked food every night, even if you're short on time. Our simple recipes not only look and taste great, they'll be on the table in 15 minutes or less. Choose from mouthwatering meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options, and relax knowing your midweek meals are sorted.

Click or scroll through this gallery to see 30 delicious dishes that won't take long to cook.

Cheat's chicken curry

There's no need to order in when you can rustle up a chicken curry in no time. Buy a good-quality curry paste – mild korma or fiery madras, the choice is yours – then fry a large onion in oil, add chunks of chicken breast and brown. Next stir in coconut cream and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in fresh coriander and serve with a pouch of pre-cooked basmati rice.

Seared soy and sesame tuna

A fillet of tuna requires such little cooking. You want to sear it in a very hot pan, then just cook for two minutes per side – otherwise it becomes really dry and tasteless. Rub with oil, then dip each side into sesame seeds on a plate. Add oil to the pan, cook then remove. Spoon over soy sauce then serve with stir-fried greens and rice, if you like.

Super-fast pea soup

We're always singing the praises of frozen peas, and they make a mean soup too. For two people, sweat a large onion in a little oil. Then add 7oz (200g) frozen peas and 10fl oz (300ml) vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for five minutes. Blend with a stick blender, season well then add 3tbsp heavy cream. You could add some fresh basil too.

Pad Thai shrimp noodles

Rustle up a noodle dish in no time. Cook 7oz (200g) rice noodles, then stir-fry 7oz (200g) shrimp, 3.5oz (100g) bean sprouts and five spring onions with the noodles. Then add 5oz (150g) frozen peas, 3tbsp peanuts, and 2tbsp each chilli sauce and soy sauce. Over a high heat, stir in two beaten eggs until cooked through. Scatter over 3tbsp peanuts and 2tbsp chopped fresh coriander. And there you have it: instant dinner.

Glazed salmon

Wondering what to do with salmon? Try this Asian-inspired glaze. For four pieces of salmon fillet (skin removed), mix together 4tbsp mirin, 3tbsp soft brown sugar and 4tbsp soy sauce. Put the salmon in a shallow dish, add the sauce and marinate for two minutes each side. Fry the salmon in a hot non-stick pan for a couple of minutes per side then remove. Add the marinade to the pan with 2tbsp rice vinegar and bubble, then pour over the fish. Serve with rice.

Spinach orecchiette

Orecchiette, meaning "little ears", are small pasta shapes which are great for scooping up sauce – like the creamy spinach one in this recipe. The dish uses frozen spinach, which has a stronger flavour than fresh and is so quick to cook. The recipe also suggests you thaw the spinach in a pan, but you could zap it in the microwave for a few minutes to speed up the process. A glug of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly grated Parmesan will take this simple meal to the next level.