Tasty meal ideas to inspire your new years' resolutions.
Looking for inspiration for your new years’ resolutions? Our readers share their goals for the year, plus recipe ideas that'll help them succeed. From going meat-free to socialising more often, these 3 mouth-watering dishes will help get you started.
Slow cooker beef ragu
Serves: 2, plus leftovers
Ready in: 7 hours, including slow cook time
Faff factor: 1 out of 5
Price per serving: £1.64
Recipe info: Freezable, 1 of your 5-a-day
View slow cooker beef ragu recipe
Our first reader, Emily, has a new years' resolution to reduce energy usage.
‘Our New Year’s resolution is to try to save energy, so this slow cooker meal ticks that box in lots of ways. It’s a recipe that makes enough for two dinners and could help to save electric energy*. Cooking pasta in a slow cooker is a game changer.
When it comes to dinner, Mark and I love Italian food and, in winter, having something warm and hearty to come home to – especially a dish that reminds us of holidays or special meals out – is just what we want. This is delicious. I love how the beef just melts into the sauce after several hours of cooking, coating the pasta in that indulgent way. Pass the red wine!’
Air fryer Greek loaded fries
Serves: 4
Ready in: 35 mins
Faff factor: 1 out of 5
Price per serving: £1.21
Recipe info: Vegan, Gluten-free
View air fryer Greek loaded fries recipe
Ayeisha's new year's resolution is to host at home more.
‘This year, I’ve made a resolution to plan some mates dates at home. One of my favourite things to do in winter is to head out to the cinema to catch the latest movie with friends at the weekend, but January is always a bit of a hard month when it comes to budgeting and being able to do those nice things. A film night at mine means I won’t miss out on the activities I love, and I can beat those winter blues.
Win win! You’ve got to try this recipe for Greek loaded fries. Great for sharing, they taste amazing cooked in the air fryer and a heap of these makes the perfect platter for a movie night in with the girls. Chunks of crispy halloumi on top of herby chips plus the garlic sauce – I’m all in. I just love halloumi, can’t get enough of it. I’m vegetarian but, if you’re a meat-eater, you could definitely add some already-cooked chicken to this dish, if you wanted, or other veggies instead too. I like to make my chips from scratch, but a stack of oven chips will work just as well.’
Thai spiced rice and fridge raid fritters
Serves: 4
Ready in: 35 mins
Faff factor: 2 out of 5
Price per serving: £0.96
Recipe info: Vegan, Milk-free
View Thai spiced rice and fridge raid fritters recipe
Our final reader, Amy, has a new years' resolution to eat less meat.
‘We consider ourselves to be flexitarian, but this January, we’ve given ourselves the new year’s challenge to eat less meat. It’s tricky trying to get everyone in the family to eat the same dinner but we think we’ve cracked it with this recipe.
What we love about this dinner is that it uses microwave rice, so we don’t have to spend lots of time cooking. We add a little bit of curry paste – choose the one you like – we always seem to have an open jar in the fridge, and then a few greens.
The rice isn’t too spicy but has a lovely crisp texture on the outside which the kids seem to love. The veggie side salad has something for everyone. My son Otis loves crunchy veg so the carrot and radishes are great for him, and my husband loves the Thai-inspired dressing, you could leave that on the side for the kids if you want. It’s quick and really satisfying – I hope you give it a try!’
Tell us about your foodie gatherings
We want to know what you’re cooking up in the kitchen with friends or family. Email your story, along with a selfie, to asdamagazineeditor@asda.co.uk.
Feeling inspired to give some of these delicious recipes a go? Make sure to stock up on everything you need at Asda or pop into your local store.
*Visit BBC Food and Which to learn more about saving electricity while cooking.