Quick and Easy Recipes for the Return to School

With the summer holidays over and the kids heading back to school for another busy term, we know that meal planning can often take a back seat. 

To help save you time and manage those hectic weeknights, we’ve pulled together our favourite quick and easy recipes that will inspire you to try something new and keep the family well-fed! 

Each recipe is super easy to prepare, incredibly delicious and features pure Canadian maple syrup to help sweeten the back-to-school period.

Vegan Thai green curry

Bring some spice into your midweek menu with our 100% vegan Thai green curry. It’s packed full of healthy veggies hidden away in the aromatic and flavourful sauce, a perfect recipe if you’re looking for a boost of nutrition. 

The whole dish can be whipped up in under 35 minutes with minimal prep but still delivers bold flavours that will see the kids going back for more.

We’ve swapped palm sugar for maple sugar in this recipe for its unique flavour profile – it’s a versatile ingredient that’s great to have in your pantry for cakes and bakes through to glazes and marinades!

Pan-fried maple salmon

If you want to incorporate more seafood into your mid-week menus, our maple-glazed salmon is an ideal choice that’s cooked in one pan, helping to save time on washing up. 

The maple marinade is spiked with Asian flavours of chilli, garlic and ginger that turn out sticky and spicy at the table, while the veggies are tender with some bite and flavour from the pan.

Including only a handful of ingredients and super quick to cook, this recipe is great for when you’re tight on time but still looking for something to satisfy your flavour cravings.

BBQ lamb and maple burgers

Who doesn’t love a juicy burger? This lamb burgers recipe takes under 30 minutes to pull together and, by switching up beef for lamb, you get a distinctive and slightly sweet-tasting patty that goes beautifully with the homemade maple BBQ sauce. 

By making the burgers yourself, you’ll know exactly what’s in them, and can tailor seasoning to suit families of all ages – just make sure to drizzle the meat with oil before cooking so the burgers don’t stick!  

If stored in an airtight container, the BBQ sauce will last for up to two weeks and will be on hand to add a sweet and smoky element to any dish, plus you’ll be safe in the knowledge there are no preservatives or nasty stuff added.

Frozen yoghurt bark

Frozen yoghurt desserts are a great way to cool down in the summer heat with the benefit of providing a hit of calcium and protein for your family.

This yoghurt bark is easy to prepare and a healthier way to satisfy those post-meal sugar cravings, coming in at under 10 kilojoules and 4.5g of sugar per serving.

We’ve added chopped almonds and fresh berries, but you can choose any combination of your favourite fruits and nuts – why not keep a batch prepared in the freezer for dessert emergencies?

Pecan and maple syrup flapjacks

This flapjack recipe delivers the perfect bite every time – buttery, chewy in the middle and caramelised on the outside! 

Traybakes are a brilliant way to get the kids into baking and our version uses the classic combination of pecan and maple, plus they’re great for a tasty treat that travels well in lunchboxes too. 

Making use of store cupboard essentials, you’ll be heading back to this recipe for a sweet treat that doesn’t use any refined sugars.

Back to school, made simple

Don’t let cooking take a back seat while juggling the demands of a hectic midweek – enjoy the simplicity and deliciousness of our quick and easy recipes, designed to satisfy cravings without sacrificing precious time! 

Hungry for more recipe inspiration? Check out our other maple syrup recipes for more simple but delicious meals!