5 easy weeknight dinners you can make in under 30 minutes

We all know the feeling. It's 6pm, you're tired, and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour in the kitchen. But takeaway three nights in a row isn't exactly the plan either.

Here are five weeknight dinners that come together in under 30 minutes — real food, not sad desk meals.

1. Garlic butter pasta with cherry tomatoes

Cook your pasta, and while it does its thing, blister a handful of cherry tomatoes in a hot pan with olive oil and a generous amount of garlic. Toss together with butter, a splash of pasta water, and fresh basil if you have it. Done in the time it takes to boil the water.

2. Sheet pan chicken thighs and vegetables

Toss chicken thighs and whatever vegetables are in your fridge — zucchini, capsicum, red onion all work great — with olive oil, salt, and your spice of choice. Into a hot oven at 200°C for 25 minutes. One pan, minimal effort, genuinely delicious.

3. Egg fried rice

This one is best with day-old rice from the fridge. High heat, a little oil, scramble in two eggs, add the rice and soy sauce, toss constantly for a few minutes. Add frozen peas or leftover veg if you have them. Ready in about 10 minutes.

4. Quesadillas

A flour tortilla, cheese, whatever filling you have — leftover chicken, black beans, roasted veg — another tortilla on top. Two minutes each side in a dry pan. Slice into wedges, add some sour cream and salsa. Feels like more effort than it is.

5. Salmon with lemon and capers

Season a salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Pan-fry skin-side down for 4 minutes, flip for 2 more. Squeeze lemon over, scatter capers, done. Serve with a simple salad or some microwaved rice. Looks impressive, took about 15 minutes.

The thing these all have in common is that the prep is minimal and the payoff is high. Cooki generates personalised dinner ideas exactly like these — tailored to what you actually like, your cooking ability, and what you have at home.