Meal of the moment

Every so often I try a new dish hoping it will become one of my Weeknight Wonders (a meal with ingredients that are always on hand, which takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and provides leftovers for lunch the next day). As of this week there is a new dish in my Weeknight Wonder repertoire.

Its hero ingredient is a bag of frozen vegies. Much has been written about how they are just as healthy, if not healthier, than fresh vegies because they are frozen fresh. Good news.

The bad news is I sometimes find them unpleasant to eat - it's difficult not to overcook them and can taste frostbitten even if they've only been in my freezer for a week. Despite this I tend to always have a bag of frozen veg on hand (especially peas which I seem to put in everything) for those just in case moments.

But I'm pleased to report that Birds Eye Country Harvest Spring Greens are better than your average bag of frozen veg.

They don't have that icy, frozen taste, they present well and are a mix of green vegies I happen to like a lot. Consequently they form part of my current meal of the moment – a vegie and pesto pasta which I make it with:

Rigatoni (or any pasta you like)
Store-bought pesto
Some good quality goat's cheese
Pine nuts (toasted)
Spring greens mix

The pine nuts add crunch and toasty flavour, the cheese provides creaminess and a tart kick to the dish, while the pasta and pesto do their always-amazing thing. Coating the veg in pesto-y, cheese goodness does a lot to increase their appeal and adding them means you eat less pasta. The addition of some lean protein (grilled chicken breast = perfect fit) would also be awesome.

The result? A dish which....
Takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare
Is filling and satisfying
Includes a couple of serves of vegies
And tastes damn good

This is one of my Weeknight Wonders - what are yours?