Ten 30-minute dinners for busy weeknights

Shelf-stable gnocchi can go straight into a hot skillet. Brown it while a bag of spinach wilts, then add parmesan. Keep canned beans, curry paste and jarred pesto around for nights when chopping feels like one job too many.

1. Spicy-sweet gochujang glazed salmon

Stir gochujang with a little honey and soy sauce, then brush it over the salmon. Broil until the glaze darkens in spots and the fish is cooked through. Serve with rice; if you have cooked rice ready to reheat, put it on while the salmon is under the broiler.

2. Creamy parmesan spinach gnocchi

Vegetarian

Sauté shelf-stable gnocchi until the outsides turn golden. Skip the boiling water. Add a bag of spinach and let it wilt, then stir in cream and parmesan. Turn the heat low once the cheese goes in so the sauce stays smooth.

3. 30-minute sheet pan sausage and peppers

Slice bell peppers and onions, spread them on a sheet pan with chorizo sausage, and roast at high heat. The peppers should soften and brown at the edges, picking up the chorizo drippings as they cook. Tuck everything into buns, or serve it over mashed potatoes or rice.

4. Lemony garlic butter chicken piccata

Use chicken cutlets about ½ inch (1 cm) thick so they cook evenly in a skillet. Once they're done, add lemon, butter and capers to the same pan. Scrape up the browned bits as the butter melts, then spoon the sauce over the chicken straight away.

5. Black bean tostadas with avocado crema

Mash canned black beans with lime and cumin, then spread them on crisp tostada shells. Add pico de gallo. Blend avocado with Greek yogurt for the crema and spoon it over just before eating, while the shells still crack when you bite them.

6. Deconstructed egg roll in a bowl

Bagged coleslaw mix saves the chopping. Brown ground pork or chicken in a skillet, then add the cabbage mix, ginger and garlic. Cook until the meat is done and the cabbage has softened but still crunches. For a vegetarian bowl, skip the meat and cook the cabbage the same way.

7. Pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

Put pasta on to boil. While it cooks, chop a handful of sun-dried tomatoes and drain a can of white beans or chickpeas. Toss them with the pasta and jarred pesto, adding a little pasta water if the sauce clings too thickly. Stir in spinach at the end if there's a bag in the fridge that needs using.

8. 20-minute skillet sirloin with 5-minute chimichurri

Get a cast-iron skillet hot before the sirloin goes in so the outside browns quickly. While the steak rests, stir chopped parsley and garlic with olive oil, red wine vinegar and a pinch of chili flakes. The vinegar gives the chimichurri its bite. Slice the meat across the grain and spoon the sauce over it.

9. Creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese croutons

Simmer canned tomatoes with a little cream for 10 minutes. While the soup cooks, make a grilled cheese sandwich and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Put them on each bowl at the table; those crisp edges soften fast in the soup.

10. Thai green curry chicken and rice noodles

Simmer store-bought green curry paste with coconut milk, then add bite-sized chicken pieces. Once the chicken is cooked through, add quick-cooking rice noodles to the broth. Turn off the heat as soon as the noodles are tender so they don't keep swelling in the bowls.

Use what needs using

Choose tonight's dinner around the food that needs using first. Pantry Bliss can suggest recipes from what's in your kitchen and help plan the rest of the week. Ask it for “a 30-minute dinner” and choose from five ideas, or see how it works and start for free.