BBC Easy Cook 2014-73

FromtheBBC kitchen TheUK’s BESTVALUE food magazine ISSUE73 JULY/AUGUST 2014 Five-spice beef easycook Spicychickenburger Zesty strawberries Prawn tacos...

10 downloads 29 Views 20MB Size

Download PDF

The UK’s BEST VALUE food magazine

NOW ONLY

easycook 5

mins

mins

Spicy chicken burger

Five-spice beef Zesty strawberries

£1.99

mins

Prawn tacos

kitchen

Speedy m a w eals th ho on

For

124 SUMMER RECIPES From the BBC

ISSUE 73 JULY/AUGUST 2014

15

!

30

le m

l Fresh BBQ & picnic ideas l Showstopper puds l Step-by-step paella

TV COOKS Recipes from your favourite BBC chefs

u Sesame beef

stir-fry in 15 mins page 8

Seasonal sides l Brilliant bakes l One-pan Sunday lunch

BioFresh and NoFrost – fresh kitchen thinking The kitchen is the heart of the home, and for over 60 years, innovation has been at the heart of everything Liebherr has done. Our fridge-freezers combine BioFresh and NoFrost technology, features that actually work to make your life easier and your food fresher. BioFresh helps food retain vitamins, aroma and taste for signifcantly longer, with separate humidity controls for optimum results. NoFrost technology delivers fast, effcient freezing in a frost-free environment, meaning every food item is kept in optimum condition – because Liebherr believes in fresh kitchen thinking. To discover more visit myliebherr.co.uk or call 08444 122655.

biofresh.liebherr.com

easycook From the BBC

kitchen

www.facebook.com

Easy Cook Magazine www.twitter.com

@EasyCookMag

How you can contact us BY PHONE Subscription enquiries and back issues

0844 848 1604 General enquiries

020 7150 5120 BY EMAIL Subscription enquiries and back issues [email protected]

General enquiries [email protected]

BY POST Subscription enquiries and back issues BBC Easy Cook, Building 800, Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GU

General enquiries BBC Easy Cook, Immediate Media Company London Ltd, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT EDITORIAL

EDITOR SARAH GILES Assistant Editor Sarah Sysum Art Editor Gareth Jones Chief Sub-Editor Barbara Baker PUBLISHING

Group Publishing Director, Contract and Customer Publishing Alfie Lewis Publisher Lorna East ADVERTISING

Advertising Director Jason Elson (020 7150 5030) Group Head Display and Classiﬁed Myrto Koutsia Senior Display Sales Executive Catherine Nicolson Display Sales Executives Rosie Bee, Candice Burrow Classiﬁed Sales Executive Aimee Vince Inserts Harry Rowland BRAND SOLUTIONS

Group Head Brand Solutions Nicola Shubrook Senior Brand Solutions Executive Charlie Farr Brand Solutions Executive Abigail Snelling MARKETING & READER OFFERS

Senior Marketing Executive Hayley Marsden Reader Offer Manager Liza Evans PRODUCTION & AD SERVICES

Head of Production Lifestyle, Youth & Children’s and Repro Koli Pickersgill Production Manager Food & Pre-School Kate Willey Senior Production Coordinator Leanda Holloway Senior Reprographic Technician Robert James Reprographic Technician Jonathan Shaw Head of Ad Services Sharon Thompson Ad Services Coordinator Sarah Barker SYNDICATION

Coconut-dipped strawberries

Welcome

...to the July/August issue of BBC Easy Cook. We’re celebrating summer with lots of lovely warm-weather recipes this month, including some fab picnic food (page 60), meatfree barbecue ideas (page 44), as well as our pick of the best barbecue equipment (page 52). There are also lots of delicious bakes, including the gorgeous Rose Cupcakes on page 59. The recipe includes instructions for making your own little icing roses to decorate them, and we’ve found some great ready-made alternatives too (see below): the rosebuds are from Asda, £1.50 for 10, and we also love the Edible Butterﬂy Wafers, £1.50 from Tesco – you bend them to make them 3D and they look really effective. I’ve become addicted to the coconut and white chocolate-dipped strawberries in the photo above this month. They’re really easy to make: halve the strawberries lengthways, then melt white chocolate in the microwave for 1 min (or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water). Sprinkle desiccated coconut over a tray and dip the tip of each strawberry into the chocolate, then into the coconut. Eat straightaway or leave to set in a cool place (but not in the fridge).

Head of Licensing & Syndication Joanna Marshall MANAGEMENT

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the prices displayed in BBC Easy Cook magazine. However, they can vary once we go to print. Please check with the appropriate retailers for full details. Nutritional analysis includes listed ingredients only and excludes optional ingredients such as salt, and serving suggestions.

Sarah Giles, Editor PS This issue of BBC Easy Cook is on sale for two months. Look out for our next issue, out on 1st August.

5

mins

10

mins

15

mins

20

mins

30

mins

If you’re cooking in a hurry, look out for the colour-coded timing circles on our 20 Quick Weeknight Meals, starting on page 6 BBC Easy Cook magazine is owned by BBC Worldwide and produced on its behalf by Immediate Media Company Limited. BBC Worldwide’s profits are returned to the BBC and help fund new BBC programmes. © Immediate Media Company London Limited, 2014

The BBC Easy Cook team is here to help you get healthy, nutritious, good-value meals on the table as quickly as possible. When we’re planning what to include in each issue, there are four key words we always bear in mind:

EASY: you will never need complicated techniques or special equipment to make our recipes.

QUICK: most of our recipes can be on the table in half an hour or less. Some take a little longer than that in the oven, but we always keep the prep times to a minimum.

VALUE: to help you keep

Chairman Stephen Alexander CEO Tom Bureau BBC WORLDWIDE, UK PUBLISHING Director of UK Publishing Nicholas Brett Head of UK Publishing Chris Kerwin Head of Editorial, UK Publishing Jenny Potter UK Publishing Coordinator Eva Abramik [email protected] http://www.bbcworldwide.com/uk--anz/ukpublishing.aspx

Our promise

From the BBC

kitchen

What’s so good about our recipes is that they’ve all been tested in the kitchens of our sister title, BBC Good Food magazine. So they’re easy, super-tasty and quick to make – and you can also be sure that they’ll work perfectly every time.

down the cost of your shopping bill, we make the most of good-value, seasonal produce; we keep the number of ingredients in a recipe to a minimum, and we show you how to use up leftovers. Look out for our stamp – it shows where the cost per person for a main meal recipe comes in at under £1.

LEARN: whether you’re a beginner cook or just too busy to spend ages in the kitchen, we’ll show you lots of clever shortcuts and essential skills to help speed things up.

BBC Easy Cook

3

Contents ISSUE 73 JULY/AUGUST 2014

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Relaxed but special meals to enjoy with friends and family

To make our delicious cover recipe, turn to page 8

33 ONE-POT SUNDAY LUNCH A sausage feast that’s packed with veg too

SPEEDY MEALS

Foolproof recipes for perfect results every time

Great food on the table in half an hour or less

6 20 FAST MEALS Brilliant weeknight suppers for a whole month – ready in no more than 30 minutes

24 SATURDAY SNACK A delicious take on prawn cocktail

26 GINO D’ACAMPO’S SPEEDY RECIPES

4

34 TAKE A PACK OF…MUSHROOMS Great recipes, including an easy mushroom pilaf

36 FUSS-FREE MAINS Don’t miss our delicious sticky belly of pork

38 CELEBRATE SCOTTISH FOOD Try cock-a-leekie soup with a twist

40 NOT SO SCARY! A fabulous pavlova that's a doddle to make

42 SEASONAL SPINACH Make the most of this healthy veg

44 VEGETARIAN BARBECUE Fantastic ideas for non-meat eaters

Including Lamb and Gorgonzola Pie and a pizza with a difference

46 GET OUT THE TENT…

28 10 WAYS TO USE PESTO

48 SUMMER DESSERTS

Quick and easy ideas for mains, sides and snacks

Light and fruity puds the whole family will enjoy

32 SPEEDY SIDE DISHES

51 A DELICIOUS ICE CREAM DESSERT

Perfect when you’re having a barbecue

Raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake

BBC Easy Cook

and enjoy gourmet nights under the stars!

Edd's divine raspberry ripple cake, page 73

TV COOKS GET BAKING Sweet and savoury ideas you’ll want to make again and again

54 SUPER SAVOURIES

Recipes from your favourite BBC celebrity chefs

64 JAMES MARTIN Fantastic ideas for the barbecue

66 BILL GRANGER

Perfect for a lovely summer lunch in the garden

Try his easy and delicious romantic dinner for two

56 FRUITY BAKES

68 JOHN TORODE

Including a gluten-free lemon drizzle cake

Exciting Moroccan dishes to make

58 SWEET TREATS

70 MARY BERRY

Sticky ginger & lime cake and rose cupcakes

An impressive apricot and almond galette you'll love

60 PACK UP A PICNIC

72 EDD KIMBER

Tasty bakes that are easily transportable

Two extraordinarily good cakes!

COOKS’ EXTRAS

EASY COOK COOKERY SCHOOL

REGULARS

52 OUR PICK OF THE BEST BBQ PRODUCTS Everything you need, plus recipes too

BBC Easy Cook direct to your door

74 LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS… … and how to use them up

76 HOW TO MAKE PAELLA

78 EASY EXTRAS Packed pages of ideas, tips and products

Step-by-step, to ensure it’s perfect every time

3 WELCOME 30 SUBSCRIBE! 62 GREAT READER OFFER Top-quality meat at a great price

82 RECIPE INDEX BBC Easy Cook

5

20 quick weeknight meals A whole month of tasty recipes – all ready in 30 minutes or less Spicy prawn & mango tacos l

Serves 4 Ready in 15 minutes l £2.63 a portion l 409 kcals, 17g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

300g raw, peeled prawns 1½ tbsp jerk paste 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 large mango, stoned, peeled and diced ½ red onion, sliced ½ cucumber, chopped bunch of coriander, leaves roughly chopped 8 taco shells ½ tbsp vegetable oil 2 little gem lettuces, shredded FOR THE DRESSING

165ml can coconut milk rind and juice of 1 lime 1 tsp sugar 1 Make the salad and dressing In a bowl, mix the prawns with the jerk paste. Tip in the beans, mango, onion, cucumber, most of the coriander and some seasoning and stir. Warm the taco shells. Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 2 Cook the prawns and assemble Fry the prawns in the oil for 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through. To build the tacos, start with a handful of lettuce, followed by the bean salad, then top with the prawns. Sprinkle over the remaining coriander and serve together. 6

BBC Easy Cook

Whizz leftover taco shells in a food processor and use to coat chicken nuggets instead of breadcrumbs

15

mins

SPEEDY MEALS Spicy chicken burger l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) Ready in 30 minutes l £3.52 a portion l 417 kcals, 9g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 skinless chicken breasts a few thyme sprigs (leaves only) 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp jerk seasoning juice of 1 lime 2 large bread rolls ½ small mango, stoned, peeled and sliced 1 tomato, sliced 1 little gem lettuce, shredded 2 tbsp mayonnaise and ketchup, to serve (optional)

1 Marinate the chicken Put the chicken breasts in between pieces of cling ﬁlm and bash with a rolling pin to ﬂatten. Mix together the thyme, oil, jerk seasoning and half the lime juice in a bowl. Add the chicken and leave to marinate for 5 minutes. 2 Cook the chicken Heat a griddle pan until hot and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from the heat. Toast the cut sides of the buns for 1-2 mins. 3 Assemble the burgers Put the chicken in the buns with the mango, tomato and lettuce. Squeeze over the rest of the lime and top with mayo and ketchup (optional).

theeasyway To make your own Jerk Seasoning: Toast 2 tbsp black peppercorns and 2 tsp allspice berries until a shade darker. Finely crush with a pestle and mortar along with 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp nutmeg, grated. Keeps in a sealed jar for 6 months

30

mins

BBC Easy Cook

7

SPEEDY MEALS

Broccoli, walnut and blue cheese pasta l Serves

4 l Ready in 10 mins l 87p a portion l 758 kcals, 38g fat, 12g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

400g penne 400g broccoli ﬂorets 2 tbsp olive oil a good handful of chopped walnuts 200g blue cheese (or vegetarian alternative), cubed juice of 1 lemon

10

mins

1 Cook the pasta and broccoli Cook the pasta in boiling water according to pack instructions, adding the broccoli 4 minutes

before the end of the stated cooking time. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add a handful chopped walnuts and fry gently for 1 minute. 2 Add the cheese Drain the pasta and broccoli, adding 4 tbsp cooking water to the walnuts. Return the pasta and broccoli to the pan, add the walnuts and the blue cheese and stir gently until the cheese just melts. Squeeze over some lemon juice to serve.

Crab noodle salad l l

theeasyway Make an oriental salad dressing: Mix together 2 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 4 tsp sesame oil and 2 tsp fresh coriander, chopped. Serves 2

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 15 mins l £2.41 a portion 249 kcals, 11g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

100g ﬁne rice noodles ½ courgette, coarsely grated 100g canned white crabmeat ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and thinly sliced 1 small red chilli, deseeded and ﬁnely chopped 4 spring onions, thinly sliced handful of coriander leaves handful of mint leaves, torn if large FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 2 tbsp tamari 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp soft brown sugar rind and juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve

1 Make the dressing Mix the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl, and add seasoning to taste. 2 Cook the noodles Cover the noodles in freshly boiled water and leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse under the cold tap and add to the bowl with the dressing. Stir in the courgette and leave to cool completely. 3 Add the crabmeat Stir in the crabmeat and the rest of the ingredients. Pile the mixture onto plates, drizzling with any dressing left in the bowl. Serve with lime wedges.

Honey and balsamic steak stir-fry l Serves l 401

15

mins

2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 15 mins l £1.28 a portion kcals, 20g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, plus 1 tsp extra 150ml red wine 1 steak, thinly sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 100g green beans, trimmed 1 carrot, cut into batons 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tbsp clear honey 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 Make the glaze Heat 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

8

BBC Easy Cook

with the wine and simmer until reduced by half and sticky. 2 Stir-fry the steak Fry the steak in the oil in a wok for 2 mins, until browned. Add the beans and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, honey and 1 tsp balsamic and stir-fry for 2 mins more, until the veg is tender. Stir in the seeds. Pour the sauce over the stir-fry just before serving.

Tasty and healthy

15

mins

BBC Easy Cook

9

SPEEDY MEALS Salmon and ginger ﬁshcakes l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) Ready in 20 minutes l £2.14 a portion l 375 kcals, 15g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 x 140g skinless salmon ﬁllets thumbnail-sized piece of ginger, grated rind of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve 3 tsp olive oil ½ bunch spring onions, ﬁnely chopped

20

mins

10 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the ﬁshcakes Chop the salmon as ﬁnely as you can and put into a bowl with the ginger, lime rind and seasoning. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan and soften the spring onions for 2 minutes. Stir into the salmon, mix well and shape into 4 patties. 2 Cook the ﬁshcakes Heat the remaining oil in the pan and cook the patties for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and cooked through. Cover with a lid and leave to rest for a few mins. Serve 2 patties per person with sweet potato chips (see recipe, right), mayo and lime wedges for squeezing.

theeasyway Serve with Sweet Potato Chips: Turn oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Toss 1 large sweet potato, cut into chips, in a roasting tin with 1 tsp olive oil. Season and bake for 20-25 mins

20

mins

Spanish ham and tomato salad l

Serves 4 Ready in 20 minutes l £1.53 a portion l 406 kcals, 31g fat, 9g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1.25kg tomatoes, sliced 1½ tsp caster sugar small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped 2 tbsp sherry vinegar 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 small clove of garlic

50g toasted ﬂaked almonds 6 slices serrano ham 75g manchego cheese, shaved ½ red onion, very thinly sliced 1 Prepare the tomatoes Arrange the tomatoes on a platter with the onion. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and ½ tsp of the sugar. Leave to stand for 10 mins. 2 Make the dressing Meanwhile, put the parsley, vinegar, olive

oil, the remaining sugar, garlic, half the almonds and a good pinch of salt into the small bowl of a food processor. Whizz to a pesto consistency, adding a drizzle of water if it needs loosening a little. 3 Add the ham and cheese Put the slices of ham between the tomatoes and onion. Drizzle over the dressing, scatter with the remaining almonds and shavings of manchego. Drizzle over a little extra olive oil and serve. BBC Easy Cook 11

SPEEDY MEALS 30

mins

Stuffed summer tomatoes

Don’t waste the pulp you remove from the tomatoes. Whizz, then press through a sieve. Season and serve with ice (and vodka if you like!)

l

Serves 2 l Ready in 30 mins l £1.62 a portion l 375 kcals, 15g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l 250g pouch microwave rice with mushrooms 3 tbsp pesto 4 large tomatoes 2 courgettes, sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Make the stufﬁng Turn oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5. Mix the rice with 2 tbsp of the

pesto. Slice off the tomato tops, scoop out the insides and ﬁll with the rice, pressing it down lightly, then replace the lids. 2 Roast the tomatoes Toss the courgettes with the remaining pesto and the oil. Put into a roasting tin with the tomatoes and bake for 20 mins, until tender.

Thai steaks l Serves l 328

4 l Ready in 30 minutes l 87p a portion kcals, 16g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

4 x 200g sirloin steaks FOR THE MARINADE

juice of 2 limes 1 tsp golden caster sugar pinch of ground coriander splash of soy sauce FOR THE DRESSING

theeasyway Serve the kebabs with Minty Dip: Stir 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and seasoning into 150ml Greek yogurt. Scatter with extra mint

juice of 2 limes 1 tbsp ﬁsh sauce 2 tsp brown sugar 1-2 green Thai chillies, sliced bunch of coriander (stalks ﬁnely chopped, leaves reserved) FOR THE SALAD

½ cucumber (halved lengthways, thinly sliced) 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, quartered handful each of mint, basil and coriander, leaves only

1 shallot, sliced into thin rings ½ small white cabbage, very ﬁnely sliced large bunch of ﬁne green beans, very ﬁnely sliced 1 Make the marinade and the dressing Mix together all the marinade ingredients, pour over the steaks and leave to marinate. Mix the dressing ingredients together. 2 Make the salad and cook the steaks Toss the salad ingredients with half the dressing and set aside. Heat a griddle pan and griddle the steaks for 3-4 mins on each side for medium-rare, then leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Moroccan lamb kebabs l Serves l 679

4 l Ready in 30 minutes l £2.21 a portion kcals, 40g fat, 13g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

750g boneless lamb, cubed 1 tbsp harissa 6 tbsp olive oil 8 apricots (4 quartered, the rest chopped) 200g couscous 4 spring onions, chopped 25g toasted pine nuts 300ml hot vegetable stock 2 tbsp chopped mint juice of 2 lemons

30

mins 12 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the kebabs Mix the lamb with the harissa and 1 tbsp oil. Stir in the quartered apricots. Season. Thread the

lamb and apricots alternately onto 8 skewers. 2 Flavour the couscous and cook the meat Put the remaining apricots into a bowl with the couscous, spring onions and pine nuts. Pour the stock over the couscous, cover and leave for 10 mins. Fluff up with a fork and stir in half the mint, the lemon juice, remaining oil and seasoning. Grill the skewers for 6-8 mins, turning, until browned. Serve the kebabs with the couscous.

theeasyway Serve the steaks with the salad and drizzle over the remaining dressing

30

mins

BBC Easy Cook 13

SPEEDY MEALS

Ring the changes with the sauce by adding walnuts or pumpkin seeds when you whizz it in the processor

15

mins

Spinach pesto pasta l

Serves 4 Ready in 15 minutes l 83p a portion l 549 kcals, 18g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (sauce only) l

3 tbsp green pesto 150ml pot single cream 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus a little extra to serve basil leaves, to serve (optional)

l

400g spaghetti 100g baby spinach 140g frozen peas small bunch of basil, leaves only, plus a few extra to serve 14 BBC Easy Cook

1 Cook the pasta and veg Cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, boil the kettle, put the spinach and peas in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Leave for about 3 minutes until the peas are tender, then drain well. Tip the

veg into a food processor, add the basil, pesto, cream and parmesan, and whizz to make a smooth sauce. 2 Add the sauce to the pasta Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and return to the pan. Add the sauce and return to a low heat to cook for a few mins, until the sauce clings to the spaghetti. Add a little pasta water if it looks dry, season to taste and serve with extra parmesan and scattered with basil, if using.

Halloumi with broccoli tabbouleh l

Serves 4 Ready in 15 minutes l £2.48 a portion l 682 kcals, 44g fat, 22g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

15

mins

l

l

140g couscous 300g broccoli ﬂorets 6 spring onions, ﬁnely sliced 150g cherry tomatoes, quartered a large bunch of parsley, ﬁnely chopped small bunch of mint, ﬁnely chopped juice of 2 lemons, rind of ½ lemon 2½ tbsp olive oil 1½ tbsp harissa 1 tbsp clear honey 2 x 250g packs halloumi, cut into 1cm-thick slices 25g toasted ﬂaked almonds 1 Cook the couscous Put the couscous into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with cling ﬁlm and set aside for 5 minutes. 2 Boil the broccoli Blanch the broccoli for 2 minutes, then drain well and chop into small pieces. Stir the broccoli, spring onions, tomatoes, herbs, half the lemon juice, all the rind and 2 tbsp oil into the couscous. Season and mix well. 3 Make the dressing Combine the harissa, honey, remaining lemon juice and oil, and some seasoning. 4 Fry the cheese Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the halloumi for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Divide the couscous between the plates, top with the halloumi slices and dressing, then scatter over the ﬂaked almonds.

theeasyway Use up some of the harissa in Moroccan Houmous: Stir 1 tsp harissa paste through a 300g tub of houmous, then top with a few leftover ﬂaked almonds BBC Easy Cook 15

SPEEDY MEALS

20

mins

Green curry fried rice l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) Ready in 20 minutes l £3.14 a portion l 457 kcals, 17g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1 tbsp sunﬂower oil 1 red pepper, deseeded, quartered and cut into diagonal strips 5 spring onions (whites roughly chopped, greens ﬁnely chopped) 100g broccoli, cut into small ﬂorets 2 tbsp green curry paste 200g raw king prawns, thawed if frozen 250g pack microwave coconut basmati rice 16 BBC Easy Cook

100g frozen peas 100g beansprouts handful of chopped basil ﬁsh sauce, to taste 1 Stir fry the prawns Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the pepper, whites of the onions, and broccoli for a few minutes to soften. Stir in the curry paste and prawns, and cook for 1 minute more. 2 Add the rice Add a splash of water, then crumble in the rice. Tip in the peas, beansprouts and greens of the onions, and stir-fry until heated through. Add the basil and ﬁsh sauce to taste.

theeasyway Use up leftover beansprouts in Pickled Beansprouts: Heat 1 tsp rice wine vinegar 2 tsp brown sugar. Pour over the beansprouts and leave to cool. Lovely served with grilled tuna. Serves 4

SPEEDY MEALS

Turkey chilli jacket potatoes l Serves

4 l Ready in 30 mins l 82p a portion l 410 kcals, 5g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (chilli only) 4 large baking potatoes 2 tsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove of garlic, crushed 300g turkey mince 1 tbsp each smoked paprika and ground cumin 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tbsp light soft brown sugar 350ml passata reduced-fat red leicester cheese, grated, to serve 4 spring onions, chopped, to serve

1 Microwave the potatoes Microwave on full power (100%) for 8 mins, or until they are soft. 2 Make the chilli Meanwhile, fry the onion and garlic in the oil for 5 mins. Add the turkey mince, season, and cook on a high heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the spices, vinegar, sugar and passata. Simmer on a medium heat for 10 mins. Serve the jackets topped with the chilli, cheese and spring onions.

30

mins

Falafels with lemony yogurt l

Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.86 a portion l 478 kcals, 25g fat, 4g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

theeasyway We've topped this with pea shoots, which you'll ﬁnd with the bagged salads in supermarkets. They have a delicate pea ﬂavour and are rich in vitamins A and C

16 ready-made falafels 200g couscous 2 lemons (rind of 1, juice of 2) 3 tbsp olive oil a bunch of spring onions, ﬁnely sliced 1 cucumber, halved & sliced small bunch of mint, leaves roughly chopped large bunch of parsley, leaves roughly chopped 150ml tub natural yogurt 1 Make the falafels Cook the falafels according to pack instructions and boil the kettle. Tip the couscous into a large bowl, pour over 325ml

boiling water, cover, then leave to stand for 5 mins until all the water is absorbed. 2 Make the salad Fluff up the couscous with a fork, then stir through the lemon rind, juice from 1½ lemons, olive oil, spring onions, cucumber, mint, ¾ of the parsley and some seasoning. Tip onto a platter. 3 Make the lemony yogurt Mix the remaining lemon juice and parsley into the yogurt and spoon into a small bowl. Arrange the falafels on the couscous salad, and serve with the yogurt.

Summer ham and pea broth l l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 15 minutes l £2.95 a portion 436 kcals, 14g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

250g pouch ready-to-eat mixed grains 200g frozen peas a bunch of mint, leaves only 2 spring onions (whites and greens sliced separately) 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp golden caster sugar ½ vegetable stock cube 140g ham, shredded a few pea shoots (optional)

15

mins 18 BBC Easy Cook

1 Cook the grains Microwave the grains according to pack instructions. Pour boiling water over the peas in a sieve.

2 Make the broth Whizz 50g of the peas, most of the mint leaves, the onion whites, vinegar, sugar and stock cube to a smooth paste, adding a little water if you need to. Divide between 2 bowls. Divide the remaining peas, hot grains and ham between the bowls and pour over enough boiling water to almost ﬁll the bowls. Stir and leave for 2 mins to heat through. 3 Add the garnishes Stir in the spring onion greens and remaining mint leaves.

For Tabbouleh Chicken: Make the salad and dip as in the falafel recipe, left. Rub a whole chicken with 50g soft butter mashed with 2 tsp harissa, 1 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds and seasoning. Roast for 20 mins at fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6, then for 20 mins per 450g at fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4

20

mins

BBC Easy Cook 19

SPEEDY MEALS Lamb steaks with crispy potatoes and minted beans Serves 1 (easily multiplied) Ready in 30 minutes l £2.83 a portion l 500 kcals, 27g fat, 9g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1 Marinate the meat Mix the balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil and the rosemary together in a bowl. Add the lamb steak, and cover it completely in the marinade. Set aside for a few minutes.

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil 1 rosemary sprig, leaves chopped 1 lamb leg steak 3 new potatoes, cut in half lengthways 1 clove of garlic, slightly bashed 75ml lamb or beef stock 1½ tsp redcurrant jelly 100g pack sliced runner beans a small knob of butter 2 tsp ﬁnely chopped mint

2 Cook the potatoes Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender. Lift out of the pan with a slotted spoon, keeping the pan of water simmering. Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the potatoes and garlic, and fry gently until golden.

l l

3 Cook the lamb Sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes, then push to the side of the pan. Remove the garlic. Season the lamb and fry alongside the potatoes

for 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on its thickness. Remove the lamb and potatoes and leave to rest in a warm place. 4 Make the sauce Keep the pan on the heat and add the stock. Bring to the boil, scraping any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it bubble until reduced by half. Stir through the redcurrant jelly until melted. Taste and season, adding a dash of balsamic vinegar if it is too sweet. 5 Cook the beans and dish up Meanwhile, blanch the beans in the simmering water for 3 minutes, then drain. Return to the pan and stir through the butter, mint and seasoning. Serve the lamb with the potatoes.

30

mins

theeasyway Use up the redcurrant jelly in Fruity Dressing to serve with grilled meat or pork sausages: Melt 1 tbsp leftover redcurrant jelly over a low heat, then pour into a bowl and whisk in 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and ½ tsp dijon mustard. Serves 4 20 BBC Easy Cook

SPLENDID

A dish for all seasons, ﬁnd your perfect Pyrex dish at stockists nationwide.

R

Trusted in kitchens since 1915 For more details visit www.pyrexuk.com Facebook Pyrex UK (Ofﬁcial)

Twitter @PyrexUKOfﬁcial

Pyrex is a trademark of Corning Inc, used by permission

SPRING CREATIONS

SPEEDY MEALS

Turkey kiev l Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.48 a portion

theeasyway If you don’t like your food spicy, replace the chilli ﬂakes with the grated rind of half a lemon

l 788 kcals, 49g fat, 28g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

100g soft butter pinch of dried chilli ﬂakes 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 turkey breast steaks, ﬂattened out and halved widthways 25g plain ﬂour 1 egg, beaten 85g breadcrumbs 1 Roll up the kievs Turn oven to fan 200C/ conventional 220C/gas 7. Mash together the butter, chilli and parsley in a bowl. Put a little of

the mixture into the centre of each turkey breast. Roll up and secure with a cocktail stick. 2 Coat and bake Put the ﬂour, egg and breadcrumbs onto separate plates. Dip the turkey into the ﬂour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs, so the chicken is coated and the ﬁlling is well covered. Put on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, then bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and browned. Serve with broccoli, peas and carrots.

Tomato and tamarind ﬁsh curry l Serves 4 l Ready in 30 minutes l £2.07 a portion l 224 kcals, 7g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

20

mins

Filling and tasty

15

mins

6 cloves of garlic 1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and chopped 1 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 200g green beans, trimmed and halved 1 tbsp tamarind paste 4 ﬁrm white ﬁsh ﬁllets handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped cooked basmati rice, to serve

1 Make the spice paste Whizz together the garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric and coriander with 3 tbsp water. Heat the oil in a pan and sizzle the cumin and fennel seeds until aromatic. Add the ginger paste and fry for 3 mins. 2 Finish the curry Add the tomatoes plus a can of water to the pan. Add the beans, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Stir in the tamarind. Add the ﬁsh, season, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Remove the lid, turn the ﬁllets, then bubble the sauce until the ﬁsh is cooked. Sprinkle over the coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Spicy bean and sausage casserole l Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 15 minutes l £1.36 a portion l 581 kcals, 40g fat, 11g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

3 tbsp olive oil 3 pork and chilli sausages, snipped into chunks 1 onion, ﬁnely chopped 1 clove of garlic, chopped 1 rasher smoked bacon, chopped 250ml chicken stock 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 can mixed beans, drained 1 tbsp each chopped fresh parsley, basil and chives 22 BBC Easy Cook

1 Fry the sausages Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a pan, then fry the sausage chunks until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and bacon to the pan and fry for 4 mins, until golden brown. 2 Add the stock Return the sausages to the pan, pour in the stock, tomato purée, beans and seasoning, then simmer for 5 mins. Stir in the chopped herbs and serve.

theeasyway Choose roughly equal-sized ﬁsh ﬁllets so they all cook at the same rate. Serve with rice

30

mins

BBC Easy Cook 23

SPEEDY MEALS

Saturday

snack

Turn this retro favourite into a great sandwich filling which takes just minutes to make

Prawn cocktail sub l l

Serves 2 l Ready in 5 minutes l £2.72 a portion 338 kcals, 15g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

2 soft sub or hot dog rolls 200g ready-made prawn cocktail small handful of cress ½ avocado, peeled, stoned and chopped juice of 1 lemon 1 little gem lettuce, shredded ﬁnger-length chunk of cucumber, ﬁnely chopped small bag of crisps, to serve (optional)

1 Make up the sub Slice the rolls as for a hot dog and spoon in the prawn cocktail and a little of the cress to garnish. 2 Assemble the salad Mix the avocado with a little lemon juice, then mix with the lettuce, cucumber, remaining cress and a little more lemon juice. Serve with the subs and some crisps (optional).

More ﬁllings to try Tuna and pepper Mix 120g canned tuna, drained, with 1 red pepper, diced, 1 onion, diced, one third of a cucumber, halved, deseeded and diced, juice of ½ lemon and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Season and spoon into 2 rolls. Serves 2. Classic egg mayonnaise Put a layer of lettuce on one side of 2 rolls. Chop up 2 hard-boiled eggs, mix with 1 tbsp mayo and pile into the rolls. Serves 2.

theeasyway Make your own Prawn Cocktail: Mix together 50g mayonnaise and 2 tbsp ketchup. Add a good splash of Tabasco and some seasoning, and stir through 200g cooked, peeled prawns 24 BBC Easy Cook

The beneﬁts stack up! Calories Sugars

Fat Sat Fat

✔ Low in fat, less than 2% ✔ Good source of ﬁbre

Salt

✔ Dairy free ✔ Lactose free ✔ Nut free ✔ Low in sugar ✔ Low in salt

Visit www.rakusens.co.uk for stockists

Italian express Gino D’Acampo, who appears on BBC1’s Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, cooks up some speedy Italian treats

Pizza-style ciabatta bread l

Serves 4 Ready in 20 minutes l 98p a portion l 672 kcals, 29g fat, 11g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

l

2 medium ciabattas, sliced horizontally 120ml passata 2 x 125g mozzarella balls, thinly sliced 4 tbsp green pesto 150g artichoke hearts in oil, drained and quartered 60g black pitted olives in brine or oil, drained and halved 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 Make the pizzas Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Put the ciabatta slices on a baking tray, cut-side up. Spread the passata evenly over each ciabatta half, then top with slices of mozzarella. Spread the pesto over the mozzarella. Scatter the remaining ingredients on top, season, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

‘I’ve used olives, pesto and artichoke hearts, as the combination is amazing – artichokes are often underestimated, but we Italians love them!’ says Gino 26 BBC Easy Cook

SPEEDY MEALS

Serve hot with salad Lamb and gorgonzola pie l

Serves 4 Takes 20 mins, plus 10 mins in the oven l £2.10 a portion l 711 kcals, 50g fat, 25g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l

‘Buy good-quality canned beans and give them a thorough rinse under cold water to remove the water that they have been canned in, for freshness and ﬂavour,’ says Gino

Pork chops with sage and cannellini beans l

Serves 4 Ready in 25 minutes l £1.78 a portion l 758 kcals, 56g fat, 24g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

4 tbsp olive oil 4 pork loin chops 4 sprigs of thyme 2 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 x 400g cans of cannellini beans, drained 50ml white wine 1 tsp vegetable stock powder 100ml double cream 50g unsalted butter 16 small sage leaves 1 Cook the chops and make the stew Heat half the oil in a frying pan and cook the chops with the thyme for 4 mins on each side. Meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into a second frying pan. Grate in the garlic, stir in the beans and cook for 2 mins. Pour in the wine and cook for 2 mins more, stirring

regularly. Sprinkle over the stock powder, add 100ml water and gently cook for a few minutes. Add the cream and simmer for 3 minutes. 2 Fry the sage leaves Transfer the cooked pork to a plate. Season, and cover with foil. Melt the butter in the chop pan. Add 12 of the sage leaves and fry for 1 minute until crisp. Set aside.

3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, ﬁnely chopped 500g minced lamb 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and ﬁnely chopped 400g baby spinach leaves 4 large sheets of ﬁlo pastry 50g salted butter, melted 200g gorgonzola cheese, chilled 1 Make the ﬁlling Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Heat the oil in a large frying pan with the rosemary, add the mince and cook for 3 mins, stirring occasionally to break it up. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season and set aside.

3 Serve Shred the remaining sage leaves and stir into the beans. Season. Divide the beans between plates. Put the chops on the beans and drizzle over the sage butter. Top with the crispy leaves.

2 Butter the ﬁlo Lay one sheet of ﬁlo pastry on a chopping board. Brush with a little melted butter and put into a 20cm cake tin, letting the edges of the pastry hang over the sides. Repeat with the remaining sheets until the base and sides are covered and there is plenty of overhang.

These recipes are adapted from Pronto! by Gino D’Acampo, published by Kyle Books, £19.99, photography by Matt Russell. BBC Easy Cook readers can buy it for just £17.99 with free p&p. Call 01326 569444 or visit www.sparkledirect.co.uk

3 Assemble the pie and bake Spoon the mince and spinach mixture into the middle of the tin and crumble over the cheese. Cover with the overhanging pastry. Brush the top with melted butter and grind over some black pepper. Bake the pie for 10 minutes. BBC Easy Cook 27

SPEEDY MEALS

easy ways to

perk up pesto There’s more to pesto than a quick sauce for pasta... Here are some clever ideas to use up that jar lurking in the fridge Italian beans

Tomato toasts

In a pan, soften 1 onion, chopped, and 1 clove of garlic, crushed, in 2 tsp olive oil. Add a 400g can cannellini beans, drained, warm through, then stir in 1 tbsp pesto. Serve instead of potatoes with chicken. Serves 2.

Halve 2 medium tomatoes. Thin 1 tbsp pesto with a little water and brush half on the tomatoes. Cook under a hot grill for 5-7 mins until softened. At the same time, toast a slice of bread, then spread with the remaining pesto mixture. Top with the hot tomatoes, squashing them slightly. Serves 1.

Pesto and potato tart Turn oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Bring 400g new potatoes to the boil and simmer for 2 mins, cool and thinly slice. Spread 3 tbsp pesto in a thin layer over 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, with the edges folded in to make a border, and sprinkle over 3 tbsp grated parmesan. Season and arrange the potatoes on top. Glaze the borders with beaten egg. Bake for 25 mins, until the pastry is golden and the potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with basil. Serves 4.

Lemony potatoes Boil 800g new potatoes for about 15 mins, or until tender. Drain, then return to the pan and roughly crush with a fork. Tip in 1 small red onion, halved and sliced, and 200g spinach leaves. Pour over 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp pesto and the juice of 1 lemon, How to make season to taste and toss to coat everything in the Homemade Pesto: dressing. Serve warm with Whizz 50g pine sausages. Serves 4.

Salmon with lemon pesto crust Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Press a handful of white breadcrumbs, mixed with the rind of ½ lemon and 2 tbsp pesto all over one side of 2 skinless salmon fillets. Bake for 10-12 mins, until the crust is starting to turn golden and the salmon is just cooked. Serve with steamed broccoli and lemon wedges. Serves 2.

Chicken and pesto cream Heat a griddle pan. Slice 2 skinless chicken breasts, in half horizontally (but don’t cut them all the way through) then open them out like a book and gently roll to flatten them.Brush with 2 tsp olive oil and season well. Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes until 28 BBC Easy Cook

cooked through. Serve with salad and a pesto cream: mix 2 tbsp pesto with about 3 tbsp half-fat crème fraiche. Serves 2.

nuts with 80g basil, 50g parmesan, 2 cloves 10-minute couscous Tip 100g couscous of garlic and 150ml into a large bowl, pour olive oil. Makes over 200ml hot veg stock. 250ml Cover, then leave for 10 mins,

Spinach palmiers

Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Spread 2 tbsp pesto on 100g puff pastry, rolled out to the thickness of a 20p piece. This traditional Top with 2 large handfuls favourite pesto contains of wilted spinach. Roll up lots of basil and the pastry from both ends has a lovely cheesy aftertaste. to meet in the middle. It’s slightly thicker than Pinch the ends lightly to some we tested but seal. Slice the rolled pastry it’s not too garlicky, into 1cm thick slices and so great for kids. put onto a baking sheet. Sainsbury’s green Bake for 10-15 mins, until pesto, 190g, £1.30 golden and cooked through. Makes around 10.

easycook

until fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. Meanwhile, slice 2 spring onions and 1 red pepper and dice ½ cucumber. Add to the couscous, fork through 2 tbsp pesto, crumble in 50g feta, then sprinkle over 2 tbsp pine nuts. Serves 2.

No-cook pizza Slice 1 ciabatta in half to make 2 round or long bases. Drain 200g roasted peppers (from a jar – reserve the oil). Spread 1 tbsp pesto over the cut-sides of each ciabatta base. Scatter on the peppers and 85g watercress and crumble over 100g soft goat’s cheese. Mix 2 tbsp pesto with 1 tbsp of the oil from the peppers and drizzle over the pizzas. Cut each pizza into wedges. Serves 4.

easycook

Subscription order form

1

ECP7314

A great saving

YOUR DETAILS – Yes, I would like to subscribe to BBC Easy Cook For £8.60 every 6 months by Direct Debit – SAVING 25% For £19.50 for 10 issues by credit/debit card/cheque – SAVING 15% Title

Forename

ENTERTAINING

Surname

MADE EASY

Address Postcode Daytime telephone number Mobile telephone number** Email address**

2

GIFT RECIPIENT DETAILS – Yes, I would like to send a gift of a subscription to BBC Easy Cook For £8.60 every 6 months by Direct Debit – SAVING 25% For £19.50 for 10 issues by credit/debit card/cheque – SAVING 15% To: Title

Forename

Surname

Address Postcode

SPEEDY MEALS

Daytime telephone number Email address

3

TV COOKS

PAYMENT DETAILS – I would like to pay £8.60 every 6 months by Direct Debit (please complete the mandate below) by cheque for £19.50 (10 issues) made payable to Immediate Media Co. Ltd. Please debit £19.50 from my: Visa Mastercard Switch/Maestro (If your credit card address is different from the delivery address, please use the order hotline)

Card no Valid from

/

Expiry from

Issue number

/

Signature

Date

Instructions to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit. Originator’s reference 242553 This is not part of the instruction to your bank or building society. For Immediate Media Co. Ltd. official use only Ref no

Name of bank

GET BAKING

Address Postcode Account name Signature

Date

Sort code Account number Instructions to your bank or building society: Pay Immediate Media Co. Ltd. Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that the instruction may remain with Immediate Media Co. Ltd., and if so details will be passed electronically to my bank or building society. Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions from some types of account.

SEND TO: BBC

Easy Cook magazine, PO Box 279, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8DF TERMS & CONDITIONS: This offer is valid for UK delivery addresses only. Full UK subscription price for 10 issues is £23; Europe/Eire £39; rest of the world £47. All savings are calculated as a percentage of the basic annual rate. Should the magazine ordered change in frequency, we will honour the number of issues and not the term of the subscription. Calls to 0844 numbers from a BT landline will cost no more than 5p per minute. Calls from mobiles and other providers may vary. Offer closes Thurs 31st July 2014. BBC Worldwide Limited and Immediate Media Company Limited (Publishers of BBC Easy Cook magazine) would love to keep you informed by post or telephone of their special offers and promotions. Please tick if you’d prefer not to receive these from BBC Worldwide or Immediate Media Co. Ltd. . ** Please enter this information so that BBC Easy Cook may keep you informed of newsletters, special offers and other promotions by email or text message. You may unsubscribe from these at any time.

Speedy food for busy cooks Each issue of BBC Easy Cook is packed with mouthwatering recipes for busy cooks looking for inspiration. There’s a great choice of speedy recipes for the month ahead, with lots of delicious new ideas, sections on easy entertaining and perfect-results baking – plus step-by-step instructions for learning new techniques and skills and tips from the BBC’s talented TV cooks. Don’t miss all these quick and tasty recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

L IA EC FER SP OF

for cooks in a hurry!

Subscribe today and SAVE 25% 5 great reasons to subscribe l Get the next 10 issues for just £1.72 per issue when you pay by Direct Debit – saving 25% off the cover price l Free delivery to your door

£2.30

JUST £1.72

l Fantastic time-saving family recipes

PER ISSUE!

l Lots of tips, ideas, and techniques to try l PLUS recipes from your favourite BBC chefs

Subscribing to BBC Easy Cook is simple! Call the hotline now on 0844 848 1104 and quote ECP7314

Order online at buysubscriptions.com/easycook

and enter code ECP7314

Complete the order form and send it to BBC Easy Cook, PO Box 279, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8DF

BBC Easy Cook 31

SPEEDY MEALS

Speedy sides

These lovely side dishes are great to serve at a barbecue – or even with meals indoors if it rains Spinach with raisins, pıne nuts & breadcrumbs l

Serves 4 Ready in 10 minutes l 31p a portion l 197 kcals, 10g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1 tbsp olive oil 1 thick slice of bread, whizzed to crumbs 1 clove of garlic, crushed 25g toasted pine nuts 50g raisins 250g spinach 1 Make the crunchy crumbs Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic and some seasoning. Cook, stirring, until the crumbs are golden and crunchy, then remove from the pan to a bowl. 2 Finish the dish Add the pine nuts and raisins to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until they are warmed through. Tip in the spinach and allow the heat of the pan to wilt it. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle over the crispy crumbs.

Zingy carrot and sugar snap salad l l

Serves 4 l Ready in 10 minutes l 64p a portion 44 kcals, 0g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1 tbsp hoisin sauce juice of ½ lime 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated 200g sugar snap peas, thinly sliced 3 carrots, coarsely grated ½ small bunch coriander, roughly chopped 32 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the dressing Whisk the hoisin, lime juice and ginger with 2 tbsp cold water. 2 Add the salad ingredients In a large bowl, mix the sugar snap peas, carrots and coriander. Pour over the dressing and mix to coat.

Tomato, watermelon & feta salad with mint l

Serves 4 Ready in 10 minutes l 98p a portion l 230 kcals, 16g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp red wine vinegar ¼ tsp chilli ﬂakes 2 tbsp chopped mint 4 tomatoes, chopped 500g watermelon, cut into chunks 200g feta, crumbled 1 Make the dressing In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, chilli ﬂakes and mint with some seasoning. 2 Make the salad Put the tomatoes and watermelon in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and leave to stand for a few mins. Gently stir through the feta to serve.

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Sunday lunch (without the washing up!) This is much lighter than most casseroles and it’s packed with lots of green veg – a lovely alternative to a weekend roast when the weather’s hot Sausage and veg one-pot l

Serves 6 Takes 10 minutes, plus 55 mins cooking time l £2.06 a portion l 373 kcals, 24g fat, 9g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (without the greens) l

1 tbsp olive oil 12 sausages 1 small onion, chopped 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, then sliced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 red chilli, ﬁnely chopped 2 tsp fennel seeds 2 tbsp plain ﬂour 150ml white wine 500ml chicken stock

200g pack green beans, halved 300g broad beans, podded (unpodded weight) 300g peas 200g half-fat crème fraiche rind of 1 lemon, juice of ½ handful of parsley, chopped handful of basil, chopped crusty bread, to serve

minutes more, stirring now and then to prevent the garlic from burning.

1 Brown the sausages Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the sausages, cook for a few minutes until browned all over, then transfer them to a plate. Tip the onion and fennel into the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, half the chopped chilli, and the fennel seeds. Cook for a few

3 Stir in the greens Add the green beans, broad beans and peas, then cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes more. Stir in the crème fraiche, lemon rind and juice, and herbs. Season to taste, sprinkle with the remaining chilli, then serve with plenty of bread for soaking up the juices.

2 Add the wine and simmer Stir the ﬂour into the vegetables, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, let it bubble for 1 minute, stir well, then add the stock and return the sausages to the pan, seasoning well. Cover, then gently simmer for 30 minutes.

BBC Easy Cook 33

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Take a pack of...

mushrooms There’s more to mushrooms than a pizza topping! Try these tasty ideas next time you have some left in the fridge

Mushroom rarebit l Serves

FOR THE GRAVY

l Ready

2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra to serve 2 tbsp plain ﬂour 125ml white wine 300ml vegetable stock ½ tsp Marmite

4 in 35 minutes l £1.46 a portion l 624 kcals, 33g fat, 16g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

FOR THE MASH

1kg ﬂoury potatoes, chopped into chunks 25g butter 100ml milk FOR THE MUSHROOMS

4 large ﬂat mushrooms, stems removed olive oil, for brushing 25g butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tbsp plain ﬂour 75ml Guinness (or other stout) 140g mature cheddar, grated (or vegetarian alternative) 1 tsp English mustard 2 eggs, beaten 34 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the mash Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 6. Boil the potatoes until tender (about 15 mins). Drain, return the potatoes to the pan and put over a low heat. Add the butter and milk, then mash until smooth. Remove from the heat and season with salt. Keep warm. 2 Assemble the rarebits Meanwhile, brush the mushrooms all over with oil, put them stem-side up in a baking dish, bake for 15 mins, then remove from the oven. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the

onion for 10-15 mins until soft. Add the ﬂour and cook for 1 min. Reduce the heat, then add the Guinness, cheese, mustard and seasoning, stirring until the cheese has melted. Add the eggs and stir constantly until the mixture thickens (about 5 mins). Spoon the rarebit mixture into the mushroom caps and set aside. 3 Make the gravy Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and thyme for 10-15 mins until the onion is soft. Add the ﬂour and stir for 2 mins. Add the wine, stock and Marmite, then stir until thick. Simmer for 5 minutes. 4 Grill the rarebits Just before serving, heat the grill to High. Grill the rarebit for a few minutes until it is puffed and golden. Reheat the mash in the pan if you need to, put a spoonful on each plate along with a mushroom. Spoon some gravy over the mash, scatter with thyme and serve.

Posh mushroom soup l Serves l 347

4 l Ready in 45 minutes l £1.78 a portion kcals, 27g fat, 16g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

l

25g dried mushrooms 50g butter 1 onion, ﬁnely chopped 1 clove of garlic, sliced a few thyme sprigs 400g mixed fresh mushrooms 850ml vegetable stock 200ml crème fraiche 4 slices of white bread, cubed chives, and olive oil (optional), to serve 1 Make the soup Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms to cover. Heat half the butter in a pan, then gently sizzle the onion, garlic and thyme for 5 minutes until starting to brown. Drain the cooked mushrooms, reserving the juice, then add to the onion with the fresh mushrooms. Cook for 5 mins until soft. Pour over the stock and the reserved juices, boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the crème fraiche, then simmer 3 mins. Whizz the soup with a hand blender, pass through a sieve, then set aside.

theeasyway Froth up again with a hand blender just before serving 2 Fry the croutons Fry the bread cubes in the remaining butter until golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Top the soup with chives, drizzle with olive oil (optional), and serve with the croutons.

Lemony mushroom pilaf l Serves l 249

4 l Takes 10 mins, plus 30 mins cooking l £1.21 a portion kcals, 4g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

500ml vegetable stock 1 onion, sliced 300g mixed mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 200g mixed basmati rice and wild rice rind and juice of 1 lemon small bunch of snipped chives 6 tbsp light soft cheese with garlic & herbs

1 Make the pilaf Put 2 tbsp of the stock in a non-stick pan, then cook the onion for 5 mins until soft – add a little more stock if it looks dry. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 2 mins, then mix in the rice and lemon rind and juice. Pour in the remaining stock and season. Bring to the boil, then turn down, cover and simmer for 25-30 mins until the rice is tender. Stir in half the chives and soft cheese, then top with the remaining chives and soft cheese.

Serve with a green salad

BBQ drumsticks l Serves

4 10 minutes, plus 45 minutes in the oven l £1.31 a portion l 515 kcals, 26g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

8 chicken drumsticks 150ml ready-made barbecue sauce crusty bread, to serve (optional) 1 Roast the chicken Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Slash the chicken with a sharp knife and toss with the barbecue sauce in a roasting tray. Season with black pepper and roast for 45 mins, basting every 15 mins with the sauce from the tray, until sticky and cooked through. Serve with homemade coleslaw (see below) and crusty bread too, if you like.

Serve with Homemade coleslaw

One-pan

Toss 1 grated carrot with ½ grated white cabbage, 1 thinly sliced red onion, 6 tbsp salad cream and some seasoning. Serves 4

wonders

These fuss-free mains cook in one dish so couldn't be easier to put together Sticky belly of pork l Serves l 427

8 l Takes 10 minutes, plus 4 hours in the oven l 93p a portion kcals, 28g fat, 11g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1.6kg pork belly 3 tbsp light muscovado sugar 3 tbsp treacle 3 tbsp tomato purée 1 onion, whizzed in a food processor 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp crushed dried chillies 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice 36 BBC Easy Cook

1 Slow-roast the pork Turn oven to fan 130C/conventional 150C/ gas 2, then sit the pork belly in a deep roasting dish. Mix the remaining ingredients with 1 tsp salt, then rub all over the pork. Cover, roast for 3 hours, then uncover, and slice the pork into 16 short, fat strips. Spoon over the sauce from the dish, then roast, uncovered, for 1 hour more, turning the strips halfway until cooked through and sticky. Serve with a sweetcorn salad, if you like.

Serve with a salad

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Baked aubergines with cannellini beans l Serves l 377

8 l Takes 20 minutes, plus 40 mins in the oven l £1.83 a portion kcals, 17g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 aubergines, halved lengthways (stem on) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, ﬁnely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, ﬁnely chopped 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked 400g can chopped tomatoes 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 25g grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

1 Bake the aubergines Heat oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Using the tip of a knife, score the cut-side of the aubergines with a criss-cross pattern. Put in a snug roasting dish or tin. Rub with half the oil, season and bake for 30 mins or until tender. 2 Make the saucy beans Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 8 minutes until soft. Add the thyme leaves, tomatoes, cannellini beans and half a can of water. Simmer down for about 8 minutes until thick, then season. 3 Finish the dish Spoon the beans under and around the aubergine halves. Scatter with the parmesan and bake for 10 minutes more until golden.

theeasyway To speed things up even more, omit step 2 and serve the aubergines with hot baked beans

LIVE BETTER with

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL For more information visit

www.oliveoilworld.eu

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, 23rd July - 3rd August

A flavour of

Scotland

The Commonwealth Games are coming to Glasgow this summer, so we’ve put together a few recipes with a twist on Scottish flavours Extra-special cock-a-leekie soup l Serves

6 15 minutes, plus 1 hour 15 minutes cooking time l £1.24 a portion l 337 kcals, 16g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l Takes

1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 medium chicken, jointed into pieces (or 1.2kg chicken pieces) 180g smoked bacon lardons 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery sticks, chopped 1-2 leeks, washed and cut into thick rounds (tops reserved) a splash of white wine 2 bay leaves ½ bunch thyme sprigs 15-20 stoned prunes 1 Fry the chicken and bacon Heat the oil in pan. Fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden, then remove and set aside. Add the bacon, carrots, celery and leek tops, and fry for 5 minutes until everything starts to brown. Pour off any excess fat.

Try this too… Neeps & tatties soup Bring 1 litre chicken stock to the boil in a large pan, then add 500g swede, 500g potato and 1 carrot, all peeled and chopped, then season. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Transfer to a blender and liquidise. Serves 2.

38 BBC Easy Cook

2 Add the wine Add the splash of wine and boil rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan so you get all the tasty bits. Return the chicken pieces to the pan with the bay leaves and thyme sprigs and add enough cold water to cover. Slowly bring the soup to the boil, then leave to simmer with the lid off for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

3 Finish the soup Remove the chicken to a plate, cover with foil and leave to cool slightly. Strain the soup into a clean pan and discard all the other ingredients. Leave to stand for 5 mins and skim off any fat that rises to the top. Pull off the meat and tear into chunks. Simmer with the chicken, leeks and prunes for 20-30 mins more. Season and serve with bread.

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Ring the changes by topping with 1 tsp pomegranate seeds or passion fruit seeds for extra crunch

Orange cranachan l Serves

4 in 20 minutes l 57p a portion l 318 kcals, 20g fat, 12g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Ready

4 oranges 50g pinhead rolled oats or oatmeal 150ml pot whipping cream 2 tbsp whisky 150g Greek yogurt 2 tbsp clear honey, plus an extra drizzle to serve (optional) 1 Prepare the oranges Slice the top and bottom off each orange and sit them on a board. Using a sharp knife, cut down between the peel and ﬂesh until all the peel and pith have been removed. Cut between each membrane to remove all the segments. Roughly chop and set aside. 2 Toast the oatmeal Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Dry-fry the oats or oatmeal, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes. It should start to smell nutty, but don’t let it burn. Tip onto a plate to cool. 3 Make the cranachan Whisk the cream and whisky together to soft peaks. Carefully fold in the yogurt, oatmeal and honey until just combined. Spoon half the mixture into 4 serving glasses and top with half the orange. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients and serve drizzled with extra honey, if you like.

theeasyway If serving this to children, omit the whisky and whip 2 tsp cinnamon with the cream Kipper ﬁshcakes l Serves

2 20 minutes, plus 25 minutes cooking and chilling time l £1.84 a portion l 708 kcals, 41g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l Takes

300g potatoes, cubed 2 spring onions, ﬁnely chopped 2 tbsp chopped parsley 200g skinless and boneless kipper ﬁllets, chopped into small pieces 1 egg, beaten 85g breadcrumbs 3 tbsp mayonnaise 85g bag watercress 2 tsp capers, chopped sunﬂower oil, for frying lemon wedges, to serve (optional)

1 Make the mash Boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly, then roughly mash. 2 Make the ﬁshcakes Mix the potatoes, spring onions, parsley and ﬁsh. Season with a little black pepper, then shape into 4 ﬁsh cakes. Dip each ﬁshcake into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs to cover. Chill for at least 10 minutes. 3 Fry the ﬁshcakes Whizz the mayo with a small handful of watercress. Season and stir in the capers. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan. Fry the ﬁsh cakes for 1 minute on a high heat until crisp and brown, lower the heat and cook for 4 mins more. Repeat on the other side, ensuring the ﬁsh is cooked all the way through. Serve with the remaining watercress and the mayo.

Serve with lemon BBC Easy Cook 39

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Showstopper! A pavlova is a real wow-factor pudding – but ours is actually a doddle to make Tropical pavlova l l

Serves 6 l Takes 30 minutes, plus 1 hour in the oven l 81p a portion 659 kcals, 35g fat, 21g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (meringue base only)

FOR THE TOPPING

1 Make the meringue base Turn oven to fan 120C/conventional 140C/ gas 1. Put the egg whites into a clean bowl and add half the sugar. Whisk for 2 minutes with an electric whisk until soft peaks appear. Combine the vanilla, vinegar and cornﬂour to make a paste, stir into the whites with the coconut and remaining sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.

284ml pot double cream 100ml crème fraiche 100g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 passion fruit, pulp only 1 mango, peeled and sliced 2 bananas, peeled and sliced (tossed with a little lemon juice to stop them going brown)

2 Bake, then cool Put a piece of parchment paper or silicone paper on a baking sheet. Spoon the meringue mixture onto the sheet and smooth out to form a circle about 20-25cm wide, swirling with a knife to make peaks around the edges. Cook in the oven for 1 hour until the meringue is crisp and lightly browned, then turn off the oven and

FOR THE BASE

5 egg whites 300g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp cornﬂour 25g desiccated coconut

40 BBC Easy Cook

Also try... Strawberry pavlova Make the base as in the recipe. For the topping, mix 100g strawberries, hulled and chopped, with 100g redcurrants, stalks removed, and 2 tbsp icing sugar. Whizz in a food processor until smooth, then push the fruit mixture through a sieve. Whip 350ml double cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar and spread it over the meringue. Put 500g strawberries, hulled and chopped, onto the cream and top with the strawberry and redcurrant sauce.

leave to cool. Gently peel away the paper. (It can be made up to 2 days ahead and carefully stored in an airtight container.) 3 To serve Whip the cream, crème fraiche, sugar and vanilla extract together until soft peaks form, spread over the centre of the meringue. Top with the fruit and serve.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

WORLDLY WINES Go on a voyage of discovery with The Venturer Series wines from Aldi: boasting great quality and excellent value, they’re specially selected from wineries around the globe If you’re looking for something special to serve with your summer recipes, you can impress friends and family by getting a little adventurous with your wine selection. But you won’t have to journey too far, Aldi has launched a sixstrong collection, hand-picked from exclusive vineyards around Europe. Why not take a tour of The Venturer Series from Aldi for yourself? Whatever you fancy, there’s a specially selected bottle in the collection that’s ready to whisk you away on a taste adventure. And at just £4.99 each, you can enjoy a quality wine, without breaking the bank.

WIN A CASE OF WINE WITH ALDI To be in with a chance of winning one of five cases of The Venturer Series wines and a selection of Mediterranean treats from Aldi, simply answer the following question: Vermentino in Aldi’s The Venturer Series is from Sicily. Which European country is Sicily a region of? To enter, send your answer to [email protected] along with your name, home address, email and phone number. Terms and conditions: Competition closes at midnight on 30th June 2014. Competition open to UK residents aged 18 and over only. Promoter: Clarion Communications, Consumer, Trade, Corporate & Digital PR, The Griffin Building, 83 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5AR.

SPAIN Rueda Verdejo From the stunning vineyards of Rueda, Rueda Verdejo (£4.99, 75cl) bursts with Sauvignon-like freshness, given extra depth by flavours of greengage, balanced by an aromatic and light freshness.

SPAIN Old Vines Garnacha In the high vineyards of the Spanish Carinena region, you’ll find the full-bodied Old Vines Garnacha (£4.99, 75cl), laden with aromas of strawberry compote and an enticing hint of vanilla oak.

SICILY Vermentino Bursting with flavours of fresh lemon and boasting gentle floral and pine nut aromas, this delicious white is perfect enjoyed with seafood (£4.99, 75cl).

SICILY Nero D’Avola Relax and indulge in the earthy, smoky flavours of the rich, dark Nero D’Avola (£4.99, 75cl). This robust red has layers of dark fruit and red cherry, with a hint of liquorice.

PORTUGAL Vinho Verde Transport yourself to the beautiful beaches of Portugal with this crisp, fresh white (£4.99, 75cl). Cool ocean influences give light flavours of citrus and green apple perfect for drinking whilst lapping up the sunshine.

SOUTH OF FRANCE Costières de Nîmes Discover the warm climate of the South of France with this deep red (£4.99, 75cl), rich in dynamic flavours of lustrous black cherries, finished with superb notes of exotic Mediterranean herbs and a hint of pepper.

Inspired by The Big Allotment Challenge

Simply seasonal Make the most of fresh spinach while it’s at its best in these delicious dishes Bulghar & spinach fritters l Serves

4 20 minutes, plus 20 mins cooking l 72p a portion l 465 kcals, 16g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

l

100g bulghar wheat 250g spinach 2 tsp ground cumin 1 onion, ﬁnely chopped 1 clove of garlic, chopped 85g fresh breadcrumbs 5 eggs (1 beaten) 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little extra salad leaves, to serve 1 Shape the fritters Cook the bulghar wheat in boiling water until tender (about 5 mins). Drain well and tip into a bowl. Put the spinach in a colander and pour over boiling water from the kettle to wilt. Cool under the cold tap, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop the spinach and add it to the bulghar with the cumin, onion, garlic and breadcrumbs. Tip half into a food processor and whizz until it forms a chunky paste, then tip it into the remaining half with the beaten egg and some seasoning. Mix, then shape into 8 patties and chill until ready to cook. 2 Bake the eggs and fry the fritters Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6 and lightly oil a 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tin. Fry the fritters in the oil in two batches until crisp on both sides. Crack the remaining eggs into the Yorkshire tin, then bake for 3-4 mins until cooked to your liking. Lift out the eggs and serve with the fritters, chutney (see recipe, right) and some salad leaves. 42 BBC Easy Cook

Serve the fritters with... Homemade tomato chutney Heat 5 tbsp sugar in a small pan with 50ml white wine vinegar and some salt. Boil for 1 minute, then add 2 tbsp finely chopped onion and 250g halved cherry tomatoes. Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Creamy lentil and spinach soup with bacon l Serves

4 in 10 minutes, plus 50 minutes cooking time l 85p a portion l 479 kcals, 32g fat, 14g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Ready

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying 2 onions, ﬁnely chopped 2 carrots, ﬁnely chopped 2 celery sticks, ﬁnely chopped 140g green lentils 1.5 litres weak vegetable stock 200g baby spinach 4 tbsp double cream, plus a drizzle to serve 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon 1 Soften the veg Put the oil, onions, carrots and celery in a large pan, and cook for about 10 minutes to soften.

2 Add the lentils and spinach Stir in the lentils and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils are soft, topping up with water if the mixture begins to dry out. Add the spinach and cook for a few mins more, until wilted. Whizz the soup until smooth, then stir through the cream and season. Keep the soup warm over a low heat. 3 Fry the bacon Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the streaky bacon and fry until crisp and golden. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with a little cream and crumble over the crispy bacon.

theeasyway Leave out the bacon if you’re serving this to vegetarians, and serve with slices of buttered bread instead

LIVE BETTER with

THE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL GREECE’S NO 1 FIRST PRESS

“ Great all-rounder, best value for money ” Rose Prince,

READERS OFFER Two 3 Litre cans for the price of one £27.99 (£13.99 each) with FREE nationwide delivery with CALL our 24 hour orderline while stocks last 01865 58 9978 or visit www.Elanthy.com Valid until 31st July 2014. One offer per household. Subject to availability.

Focaccia stacks l

Serves 6 Ready in 30 minutes l £1.19 a portion l 589 kcals, 41g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (uncooked) l

l

6 focaccia rolls 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil 12 whole roasted peppers (from a jar) 8 tbsp olive tapenade 3 courgettes, roasted and cut into chunks handful of basil leaves 6 tbsp toasted pine nuts

MEAT-FREE RECIPES

with a difference! Barbecues can sometimes feel like a no-go area for vegetarians. But not any more! Carrot & sesame burgers l

Serves 6 l Takes 30 minutes, plus 20 mins cooking l 51p a portion l 284 kcals, 16g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (uncooked) l

750g carrots, peeled and grated 410g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 small onion, roughly chopped 2 tbsp tahini, plus 1 tsp to serve 1 tsp ground cumin 1 egg 3 tbsp olive oil 100g breadcrumbs rind of 1 lemon, plus 1 tsp juice 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 150ml pot natural yogurt 6 buns, sliced avocado, sliced red onion, rocket leaves and chilli sauce, to serve 44 BBC Easy Cook

1 Assemble the stacks Halve the rolls through the middle, then drizzle the cut sides with a little balsamic and oil. Brush 6 large squares of foil with a little more oil, then sit a focaccia base in the middle of each. Top each with a slice of pepper, roughly the same size as the bread, then spread each with 4 tbsp of the tapenade. Layer half the roasted courgettes between the rolls, and scatter with a few basil leaves and half the pine nuts. Repeat the layers, then ﬁnish with a third layer of roasted pepper. Top with the other bread half, then wrap tightly in the foil. Make up to a day ahead (or freeze now). 2 Cook Put the wrapped stacks directly on the coals (or on the rack if you are using a gas barbecue), then bake for 10 minutes on each side (or 15 minutes each side from frozen).

1 Make the mixture Put a third of the grated carrots in a food processor with the chickpeas, onion, 2 tbsp tahini, cumin and egg. Whizz to a paste, then scrape into a bowl. Fry the remaining carrots in 1 tbsp oil for 8-10 mins, stirring until softened, then add to the paste with the breadcrumbs, lemon rind and sesame seeds. Season, then mix together with your hands. 2 Shape and cook the burgers Divide the mixture into 6, then shape into burgers. Cover and chill until ready to cook. Mix the yogurt with the remaining tahini and lemon juice. Fire up the barbecue. Brush the burgers with the remaining oil and cook for 5 mins on each side, until golden. Warm the buns. When the burgers are ready, spread each bun with some of the lemony yogurt, add the avocado, top with a burger, onion and rocket. Finish with a drizzle of chilli sauce.

theeasyway You could cook the courgettes on the barbecue rather than roasting them ﬁrst

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Tikka skewers l

Serves 6 l Takes 35 minutes, plus 25 minutes cooking and marinating time l £1.04 a portion l 561 kcals, 23g fat, 10g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

3 tbsp tikka paste 500ml plain yogurt 2 tsp cumin seeds thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, ﬁnely grated 250g small new potatoes 300g paneer cheese, cut into chunks 3 red onions, peeled and sliced into wedges through the root 2 red peppers, deseeded & cut into chunks 5 tbsp mango chutney small pack of mint leaves, leaves picked 250g bag of salad leaves 12 chapattis

1 Marinate the potatoes and cheese Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 mins (to stop them burning). In a bowl, mix together the tikka paste with half the yogurt, the cumin, ginger and seasoning. Boil the potatoes for 7 minutes, then drain well and tip into the tikka mixture with the paneer. Gently mix, then chill for at least 2 hours. 2 Assemble the kebabs Alternately thread the marinated potatoes and paneer onto the skewers with the onions and peppers, then cover on a tray until you are ready to barbecue. 3 Heat the barbecue Mix the chutney into the remaining yogurt, and mix the mint leaves with the salad leaves. Barbecue or grill the kebabs for 10-15 mins, turning, until the vegetables are charred and soft. With a few minutes to go, warm the chapattis on the barbecue. Serve the kebabs with the salad, mango yogurt and chapattis.

Turn to page 52 for more great BBQ ideas

Paneer is an unsalted, white cheese used a lot in Indian cookery. It has a fresh taste and a crumbly texture BBC Easy Cook 45

Listen to coverage from the UK’s music festivals on BBC radio

Campside catering

If you’re going to a music festival, chances are you’ll be camping. But nights under canvas don’t have to mean eating nothing but baked beans! Have a go at these tasty recipes on the campfire or barbecue

Marshmallow skewers l Serves

4 in 10 minutes l 76p a portion l 212 kcals, 7g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Ready

20 large marshmallows 16 strawberries, washed and hulled pinch of salt ½ x 397g can Carnation Caramel toasted chopped hazelnuts or crumbled biscuits, to serve (optional) 1 Make the skewers Thread 4 long metal skewers with 5 large marshmallows and 4 hulled strawberries Serve with Hot each. Carefully hold over a campﬁre Caramel Milk: heat or gas stove, turning slowly, until 750ml whole milk with ½ x the marshmallows are toasted. Stir a pinch of salt into the tinned 397g can Carnation Caramel caramel and drizzle over the top. (use the rest in the skewers, left), Sprinkle with toasted chopped whisk until smooth and heat until hazelnuts or crumbled biscuits, if steaming. Spoon 1 tbsp malted you like. The marshmallows will be very hot, so allow to cool for a milk powder into 4 mugs and minute or so before eating. pour the hot caramel milk

on top, stirring. Serves 4

46 BBC Easy Cook

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Cowboy chicken and bean stew l Serves

4 30 minutes, plus 1 hour 20 minutes cooking time l £1.93 a portion l 614 kcals, 29g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l Takes

drizzle of oil 1 large onion, chopped 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped 8 chicken portions (we used thighs and drumsticks), skin removed 1 tbsp smoked paprika 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes with garlic 200g barbecue sauce 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 2 x 400g cans pinto beans grated cheddar and tortilla chips, to serve (optional)

theeasyway For a child-friendly version, use apple juice instead of cider

1 Brown the meat Heat the oil in a ﬂameproof pot with a lid. Add the onion and bacon, and cook over a medium heat for 15 mins, until the onion is soft and the bacon is crisp. Push to the side of the pan, increase the heat and add the chicken pieces. Cook for a few minutes until the meat is browned. Add the paprika, tomatoes, half a can of water (200ml), the barbecue sauce, herbs, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover with a lid, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 mins - 1 hour until tender, stirring occasionally. 2 Finish the dish Add the beans and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Serve in bowls topped with grated cheddar and tortilla chips, if you like.

Sticky cider and mustard sausage wheel l Serves

4 in 30 minutes l 67p a portion l 535 kcals, 32g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Ready

12 linked chipolatas drizzle of oil 250ml cider 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard, plus extra to serve (optional) 2 tbsp clear honey

One-pot meal

1 Assemble the sausage wheel Untwist the chipolatas links and squeeze the meat along the sausage skin so you have 1 long sausage. Roll the sausage into a cartwheel and push 2 wooden skewers through at right angles to secure. Heat a large pan with a drizzle of oil. Put the sausage wheel in the pan and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until browned on

the underside. Flip over and cook for 8-10 mins more, until browned all over. 2 Add the sticky cider glaze Whisk the cider, mustard and honey until smooth and pour it over the sausage. Turn up the heat and bubble for 10-15 mins until reduced to a sticky glaze. Cut the sausage into chunks and serve with the salad (below).

Serve with Box grater salad Whisk the rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp runny honey and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Season. Grate ½ peeled celeriac, 2 peeled carrots, 2 peeled, raw beetroots and 1 apple, add 100g mixed seeds and toss everything together with the dressing. Serves 4.

BBC Easy Cook 47

Sunshine puddings It’s always great to Zesty strawberries 6 have a few puds you Serves Takes 5 minutes, plus soaking time a portion can quickly rustle 56p 296 kcals, 0g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion up when the sun Not suitable for freezing shines and you’ve 500g strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered, depending on size got friends or 3 tbsp Cointreau rind of 1 orange family coming over 4 tbsp icing sugar l l l l l

mint leaves, roughly torn, to serve

If serving this to kids, leave out the alcohol and mix the juice from the orange with the strawberries and sugar

48 BBC Easy Cook

1 Soak the strawberries in the alcohol Tip the strawberries into a large bowl. Splash over the Cointreau, add the orange rind and sift in the icing sugar, then stir gently. Cover, then leave for 1 hour (or longer if you have time) for the juices to become syrupy and the strawberries to soak up some of the alcohol. 2 Serve Scatter the mint leaves over the alcohol-soaked strawberries, stir gently, then divide the fruit between individual glass dishes to serve.

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Passion fruit soufﬂés 4 15 mins, plus 15 mins in the oven l 96p each l 226 kcals, 8g fat, 3g sat. fat each l Not suitable for freezing

1 Get everything ready Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Put a baking tray on the top shelf to heat up. Grease 4 x 150ml ramekins with butter and dust the insides with caster sugar to coat.

a knob of butter, plus extra for greasing 75g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting 4 medium egg whites 6 ripe passion fruits, halved 150ml ready-made custard

2 Mix and bake the soufﬂés Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff. Add 1 tbsp of the sugar and whisk for 30 seconds more until the mixture is thick and glossy. In a separate bowl, scoop the pulp from 1 passion fruit into the custard, then fold in the

l Serves l Takes

whisked egg whites. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and put on the hot baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes, until risen and golden on top. 3 Make the sauce Meanwhile, scoop the remaining passion fruit pulp into a pan, add the remaining sugar and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add a knob of butter and stir until melted. Pass through a sieve and serve in a jug with the hot soufﬂés. Let your guests break a hole in the centre of their soufﬂé, then pour in the sauce.

theeasyway If you prefer, serve the soufﬂés with a ready-made chocolate sauce (you’ll only need 1 passion fruit for the soufﬂé if you do this)

Try this too... Lemon creams Put 600ml double cream in a large pan with 200g caster sugar and gently heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted. Bring to a simmer and bubble for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the finely grated rind of 3 lemons and 75ml lemon juice. Divide between pots, cool to room temperature, then carefully cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours. Serves 6.

BBC Easy Cook 49

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

A new way with

Decorate the top with fresh raspberries and drizzle with melted white chocolate

ice cream

This new take on a cheesecake is the perfect end to a summer meal Frozen raspberry & white chocolate cheesecake l

Cuts into 15 squares Takes 40 minutes, plus overnight freezing l 47p a square l 502 kcals, 40g fat, 25g sat. fat a square l Suitable for freezing l

200ml pot double cream 200g bar white chocolate, broken into chunks, plus extra to serve 300g raspberries, plus extra to serve 500g cream cheese 50g golden caster sugar 300g smooth vanilla ice cream FOR THE BASE

175g crunchy butter biscuits 140g ginger nuts 140g butter, melted

1 Prepare the base Brush a 20 x 30cm baking tin with a little oil, then line well with two layers of cling ﬁlm, leaving an overhang for lifting out (or use a tin with a loose bottom). Put all the biscuits into a food processor and whizz to crumbs, then tip in the melted butter and mix again. Press the crumbs ﬁrmly into the base of the prepared tin, then leave it to chill while you make the raspberry and chocolate ﬁlling. 2 Make the ﬁlling Put the cream and chocolate in a small pan. Melt very gently, stirring, until no lumps of chocolate remain. Clean out the food processor and add the raspberries and creamy chocolate mixture. Whizz together until very smooth (if

you like, you can rub the raspberries through a sieve to get rid of the seeds). 3 Finish making the cheesecake layer Put the cream cheese into a bowl with the sugar and raspberry mixture. Beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Let the ice cream soften, but not melt, in a big bowl, then fold in the cream cheese mixture a little at a time until well mixed and no lumps of ice cream remain. Scrape into the prepared tin and level the top. Cover with cling ﬁlm, not letting it touch the top of the cheesecake, then freeze overnight (or for up to 2 months if making ahead) before serving. To serve, remove the cling ﬁlm, lift out the cheesecake (or slide it out if in a loose-bottomed tin). Decorate (see above). BBC Easy Cook 51

We love

BBQs What’s better on a summer’s day than a BBQ with family and friends? Here’s our guide to the best barbecues and gadgets, plus our favourite supermarket buys for the grill, and a few easy side dishes to make too

To get the heat right using a charcoal barbecue, put lots of coals on one side, graduating to none on the other to give you a range of temperatures

Our favourite barbecues for £20 or less

Tried and liked

Disposable barbecues are great because they’re easy to light and there’s no clearing up afterwards. This instant barbecue is much larger than average, lights immediately, is ready to cook on after just 20 minutes and burns for nearly 2 hours. Bar-Be-Quick Disposable Party Charcoal BBQ ñ Twin Pack, £12.99, Argos

easycook favourite

Encona Limited Edition Brazilian BBQ Sauce, 142ml, £1.59, Sainsbury’s Made from tomatoes, red peppers and chilli, this fruity and spicy sauce is a nice change from ketchup. It’s quite tangy and makes a lovely marinade for chicken as well.

If space is at a premium, this freestanding BBQ is a great option as it has enough room to cook for 4 (you can get 4 large burgers on it easily). It gets to the right temperature quickly and the domed lid and controllable ventilation means meat cooks through without drying out. Tesco Red Portable Kettle BBQ, £20

Our top 3 BBQ gadgets These stainless steel bristles get between the grill racks brilliantly. The brush cleans up well too. Sainsbury’s Home BBQ Brush, £4 52 BBC Easy Cook

The handles are easy to grip and the flat tips can be used as a spatula. OXO Silicone Flexible Tongs, £8.99, amazon.co.uk

Make the marinade in the pot; the lid’s handle doubles as a brush. Bodum Bistro Sauce Pot and Basting Brush, 0.25 litre, £10, John Lewis

Taste the Difference Beef Burgers With Caramelised Onion, pack of 2, £3.29, Sainsbury’s It’s worth paying more for good burgers – not only do you know where the meat has come from, you get less gristle and a better flavour too. These are delicious, with just a few added herbs and some onion relish which adds a lovely sweetness. They keep their shape when grilled too.

theeasyway Don’t turn the food too often. Too much turning stops the food cooking properly, and piercing with a fork makes the juices ﬂow out of meat or chicken, leaving it dry and tough

COOKS’ EXTRAS Try these great sides to serve alongside Summer stew Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and cook for about 10 mins until softened and starting to go golden brown. Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and cook for 5 mins more. Add 3 courgettes, quartered lengthways and cut into chunks, and cook for about 5 mins until starting to soften. Tip in 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes and give everything a good stir. Simmer for 35-40 mins, or until tomatoes are reduced and courgettes are soft, then stir in a bunch of torn basil and 25g fresh parmesan. Serves 4.

Sweetcorn salsa Boil 4 fresh corn on the cobs for about 5 mins, or until tender. Run under cold water and drain thoroughly. Cut the corn off the cob and put in a large serving bowl. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, ½ chopped red onion, 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped, 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and chopped, 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and finely chopped, a handful of coriander, roughly chopped, the juice of 3 limes and some seasoning, and mix well. Crumble over 75g feta to serve. Serves 4.

Fruity quinoa

Cedar Bay Frozen Maple BBQ Salmon On Cedar Plank, 670g, £13.99, ocado.com Cooking from frozen lets you rustle up a BBQ meal at the last minute. Just put the salmon on the pre-soaked plank directly over the BBQ grill, cover, and cook for 15 mins. The salmon goes lovely and sticky and the cedar plank subtly flavours the fish. Best of all, the plank acts as a serving platter – there’s less washing up! 4 Pork Kebabs With Apricot, Chilli & Yogurt, £5, M&S Kebabs are always a BBQ favourite and these have a Middle Eastern flavour with the marinated pork chunks interspersed with apricots and green pepper. The chilli adds a bit of a kick too.

Put 100g quinoa in a medium pan and cover with 300ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins, or until the quinoa is tender. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside to cool. Add 3 diced stones and peeled peaches, 50g toasted chopped hazelnuts, a handful each mint and parsley, roughly chopped, and some seasoning to the cooled quinoa. Whisk together 2 tbsp olive oil, with the rind and juice of 1 lemon. Pour over the salad and mix thoroughly. Serves 4.

theeasyway Clean up while the barbecue is still warm. Use scrunched-up foil and a pair of tongs; the foil gets into the grooves of the bars and scrapes away the burnt food BBC Easy Cook 53

Lunch in the sun Have a go at these easy tart recipes. They’re perfect for a lunch in the garden with friends, or why not mix and match them with our picnic recipes – page 60?

Smoked salmon soufﬂé tart l

Serves 6 Takes 25 mins, plus 55 mins in the oven l 79p a portion l 396 kcals, 27g fat, 13g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

½ x 375g pack shortcrust pastry 50g plain ﬂour, plus extra for dusting 50g butter 300ml milk 3 large eggs, separated rind of ½ lemon 1 tbsp chopped dill, plus a little extra 100g pack smoked salmon slices 150g pack crumbly goat's cheese, diced 54 BBC Easy Cook

1 Bake the pastry cases Turn oven fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a ﬂour-dusted surface and use to line a 22cm tart tin, leaving the excess pastry overhanging the edge. Line the tart with baking parchment and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and bake for 10 minutes more, until the pastry is cooked and lightly golden. 2 Make the soufﬂé sauce Put the butter, ﬂour and milk in a pan. Heat, stirring, until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Stir in the egg yolks, lemon rind, chopped dill and some seasoning.

3 Add the egg whites to the sauce Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric hand whisk until they hold their shape, then fold carefully into the sauce. 4 Bake the tart Tear the salmon into large pieces and arrange half over the base of the tart, then top with half the goat’s cheese. Pour the sauce over the salmon and goat's cheese, then arrange the remaining salmon and cheese on top with extra dill and a grinding of black pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until puffed up and golden. Serve the tart with new potatoes and some green beans.

GET BAKING Tomato tarts l

Makes 4 tarts Takes 20 minutes, plus 1 hour 20 minutes in the oven l £1.24 each l 591 kcals, 40g fat, 19g sat. fat each l Not suitable for freezing

l

l

3 whole garlic bulbs 2 tbsp olive oil 375g block ready-made puff pastry 2 tsp dijon mustard a squeeze of honey 325g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 egg, beaten 150g soft goat’s cheese (or vegetarian equivalent) handful of basil leaves 1 Roast the garlic Turn oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5. Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs and sit on a sheet of foil. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of the oil, season and wrap into a parcel. Roast for 50 minutes or until soft, then leave to cool – this can be done the day before. 2 Prepare the tart cases Use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into quarters. Roll out each piece and cut into a 14cm-diameter circle (use a saucer as a guide if you don’t have a cutter). Put the circles on a baking tray and score a 1cm border around the edge of each, being careful not to cut all the way through. Avoiding the border, prick the pastry all over with a fork, then chill. 3 Add the ﬁlling Increase oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the ﬂesh from the bulbs into a bowl. Add the mustard, honey, remaining oil and some seasoning, and use a fork to mash to a paste. Spread this over the pastry, leaving the border clear, then top with the tomato halves, skin-side down, and season well. 4 Crumble over the cheese Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg, crumble over the goat’s cheese and bake for 25-30 mins, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the tomatoes are starting to shrivel. Remove from the tray and leave to cool to room temperature. Scatter over the basil. Serve with a green salad, if you like.

Serve warm or cold

BBC Easy Cook 55

Fruity bakes

Make the most of all the lovely seasonal summer fruit in these delicious recipes

For Orange & Ginger Shortbread: Replace the dried apricots and conserve with 4 tbsp orange & ginger marmalade, the rind of ½ orange and 200g chopped stem ginger. Make the filling as in step 1 Apricot shortbread l

Makes 16 squares Takes 15 minutes, plus 30 mins in the oven l 19p a square l 260 kcals, 13g fat, 8g sat. fat a square l Suitable for freezing l

200g dried apricots, ﬁnely chopped 4 tbsp apricot conserve 250g butter, chopped 100g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 1 tsp vanilla extract 250g plain ﬂour 140g ground rice 56 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the apricot ﬁlling Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm-square, shallow cake tin with baking parchment. Put the apricots and conserve in a small pan with 4 tbsp water, simmer over a medium heat until thick, then mash the apricots a little with a fork and set aside to cool. 2 Mix the shortbread dough Tip the butter, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until pale and ﬂuffy. Add the ﬂour and ground rice, stir, and then use your hands to bring the mixture together as a dough. Divide into 2 pieces.

3 Assemble and bake Use your ﬁngers to spread 1 piece of shortbread dough over the bottom of the tin. Spread the apricots over the top, leaving a small border around the edge. Roll out the remaining dough to a 20cm square and put on top of the apricot ﬁlling. Use your ﬁnger to make an indent all around the edges of the shortbread, then prick the top of the shortbread all over with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then sprinkle with a little caster sugar and cut into 16 squares to serve.

GET BAKING Gluten-free lemon drizzle cake

Strawberry cheesecakes

l

l

Serves 10 l Takes 30 mins, plus 45 mins in the oven l 54p a portion l 514 kcals, 36g fat, 15g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (without the drizzle) 200g butter, softened 200g golden caster sugar 4 eggs 175g ground almonds 250g cold mashed potatoes rind of 3 lemons 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder FOR THE DRIZZLE

4 tbsp granulated sugar juice and rind of 1 lemon 1 Mix the cake batter Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Butter and line a deep, 20cm-round cake tin. Beat the sugar and butter together until ﬂuffy, then gradually add the egg, beating after each addition. Fold in the almonds, mash, lemon rind and baking powder.

l

Makes 8 Ready in 20 minutes l 50p each l 413 kcals, 30g fat, 18g sat. fat each l Not suitable for freezing

softly whipped. Put half the strawberries and the remaining sugar in a separate bowl and crush with a fork to a purée.

200g shortbread biscuits 200g cream cheese 200ml double cream 6 tbsp icing sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 500g strawberries, halved or quartered 1 Make the biscuit layer Whizz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor or bash with the end of a rolling pin. Divide the crumbs between 8 clean, lidded jam jars or small Kilner jars. 2 Sweeten the cream cheese Whisk the cream cheese, double cream, 5 tbsp icing sugar and the vanilla extract until

3 Add the purée Ripple the purée through the cream and then divide the mixture between the jars. Top each with the remaining strawberries, add the lids and chill until ready to eat (or pack ready to transport in a cool bag for a picnic).

Turn this into... Apricot cheesecakes Replace the shortbread with soft amaretto biscuits and use 500g peeled, chopped and stoned apricots instead of strawberries and 2 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla. Use the method as in the recipe. Makes 8.

2 Bake the cake Tip into the tin, level the top, then bake for 40-45 mins, or until golden and cooked. Cool for 10 mins, then turn onto a wire rack. Mix the sugar with the lemon juice, then spoon over the the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Leave to cool completely. Decorate with rind.

theeasyway To make this nut-free, as well as wheat-free, swap the ground almonds for polenta or wheat-free ﬂour

Perfect for a picnic BBC Easy Cook 57

Keep them

sweet If you hate bland cakes, do try one of these. They hit the spot for sweetness and they’re full of flavour too

Sticky treacle, ginger and lime cake l

FOR THE ICING

l

rind of 2 limes, juice of 1 140g icing sugar 5 sugar cubes

Serves 12 Takes 45 mins, plus 1¼ hours in the oven l 47p a slice l 442 kcals, 16g fat, 10g sat. fat a slice l Suitable for freezing (without icing) 200g butter 200g dark muscovado sugar 175g black treacle 2 tbsp ginger syrup 200ml full-fat milk 2 large eggs, beaten 325g plain ﬂour 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp ground ginger 75g stem ginger, chopped rind of 2 limes 4 tbsp lime marmalade or lime curd 58 BBC Easy Cook

To ice the cake, put the icing in a sandwich bag, squeeze it into one corner, twist shut, then snip off the corner, ready to fill

1 Melt the treacle and butter together Put the butter, muscovado, treacle and ginger syrup in a pan. Heat for a few mins, stirring, until the butter has melted. Cool for 5 mins. Turn oven to fan 140C/conventional 140C/ gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm-deep cake tin with baking parchment. 2 Add the milk Whisk the milk into the butter mixture, then add the eggs and beat well. In a bowl, mix the ﬂour, bicarb and ground ginger. Pour in the butter mixture and mix well. Add the stem ginger and lime rind and stir again.

3 Cook the cake Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1¼ hours, or until cooked through. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 4 Add the ﬁlling and decorate Split the cake into 2 or 3 layers with a long, serrated knife. Spread the lime marmalade or curd between the layers, then reassemble. 5 Make the icing In a bowl, mix the lime juice and icing sugar until thick and smooth, adding extra icing sugar if it’s too runny. Drizzle in stripes over the cake. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the sugar cubes with half the lime rind and scatter over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining rind.

GET BAKING Rose cupcakes l

Makes 12 Takes 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes in the oven and cooling time l 35p each l 525 kcals, 32g fat, 16g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing (without frosting)

l

150ml pot natural yogurt 3 eggs, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 175g caster sugar 140g self-raising ﬂour 1 tsp baking powder 100g ground almonds 175g unsalted butter, melted FOR THE FROSTING

100g white chocolate 140g unsalted butter 140g icing sugar 1 Make the yogurt dough Line a 12-hole mufﬁn tin with paper cases and turn oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/ gas 5. In a jug, mix the yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract. Put the dry ingredients and a pinch of salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the yogurt mixture and melted butter and quickly fold in with a spatula or metal spoon – don’t overwork it. 2 Bake the cakes Spoon into the cases (they will be quite full) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool for a few mins, then lift onto a wire rack to cool. 3 Mix the frosting and decorate Melt the chocolate in the microwave on full power (100%) for 1½ mins, stirring halfway. Leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a bowl until creamy, then beat in the chocolate. Cover and chill. Spread onto the cakes. Decorate with sugar roses (see below), if you like.

Make your own rose decorations Knead a little pink food colouring gel into 150g white ready-to-roll icing until pale and even. Break into three balls, then add a little more pink colouring to two, to give three different depths of colour. Cover with cling film. Rub a thin layer of solid white vegetable fat over a work surface.

Roll out one of the balls thinly (about 1-2mm), then trim into a rectangle about 8 x 20cm. Cut off a 1cm strip of icing widthways, keeping the rest covered. Carefully roll the icing up and around itself. For a realistic look, start rolling slightly skewwhiff so that the outside

edge of the finished rose sticks out further than the middle. With 2cm to go, start to guide the end of the icing down and under to make a rosebud. Pinch to shape, then cut or pinch off the bottom. Set aside for at least 1 hour until firm. Repeat with the rest of the icing.

BBC Easy Cook 59

Perfect for a

pıcnic

Turn a picnic into a proper alfresco meal in the sun with these tasty bakes

Mini spinach and cottage cheese frittatas l

Makes 6 Ready in 30 minutes l 26p a frittata l 59 kcals, 3g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

l

butter, for greasing 85g baby spinach 3 large eggs 90g low-fat cottage cheese 3 spring onions, sliced a few sprigs of dill, roughly chopped fresh nutmeg, for grating 1 Grease the tin Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Lightly grease a 6-hole mufﬁn tin and line with squares of baking parchment. 2 Wilt the spinach Put the spinach in a colander in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water, then leave to drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the spinach, then roughly chop.

theeasyway These can be made ahead – they’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days

60 BBC Easy Cook

3 Make the frittatas Beat the eggs and season well. Mix with the spinach, cottage cheese, spring onions, dill and a grating of nutmeg. Divide the mixture between the cases. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until just set. Cool a little before removing.

GET BAKING Ploughman’s cheese and tomato pockets l

Makes 6 Takes 20 mins, plus 25 mins in the oven and rising time l 54p a pocket l 479 kcals, 19g fat, 10g sat. fat a pocket l Suitable for freezing l

l

Great idea

Pitta crisps with yogurt dip l

Serves 6 Ready in 40 minutes l 51p a portion l 355 kcals, 14g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

300ml semi-skimmed milk 25g butter 500g granary ﬂour, plus extra for rolling 7g sachet fast-action yeast a little oil, for the bowl 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard 200g extra-mature cheddar, grated 225g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 Make and knead the dough Put the milk and butter into a pan and heat until the butter melts. Set aside for 5 mins. Mix the ﬂour, yeast and 1 tsp salt in a bowl, then stir in the milk. Set aside for 10 mins. Turn the dough onto a ﬂoured surface and brieﬂy knead until springy and smooth. Put

into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling ﬁlm and leave to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. 2 Roll out the dough, leave to rise again On a ﬂoured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle about 40cm wide x 30cm long. Spread the mustard all over the dough, then evenly scatter with two-thirds of the cheese. Fold the top third of the dough down, then the bottom third up, to make a long, thin envelope. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 30 minutes. 3 Bake the pockets Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Trim the ends, then cut the dough into 6 equal slices. Lift onto a ﬂoured baking sheet, cut-sides down. Tuck the bottom edges under a little, so that the ﬁlling won’t escape underneath and the top opens like a purse. Push the tomatoes and the rest of the cheese into the tops, then bake for 25 mins or until golden and the cheese is bubbling. Cool.

l

3 tbsp olive oil 2 large onions, ﬁnely sliced 2 cloves of garlic, ﬁnely chopped 6 white pitta breads 300g fresh spinach, washed and chopped 400g Greek yogurt 1 Soften the onion and pepper Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan, then caramelise the onions and garlic with some salt and pepper for 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the heat, scrape into a bowl, then leave to cool in the fridge. 2 Bake the pitta crisps Cut the pitta bread into large triangles and separate into pieces. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 6-7 minutes until golden. Remove, cool, then pack into a sealable container. 3 Cook the spinach Wilt the spinach in a lidded pan for about 5 mins. Rinse in cold water, then squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop and set aside. 4 Make the dip In a mixing bowl, combine the onions, yogurt and spinach. Pour into a separate, sealable container and refrigerate until you're ready to pack them up. Serve with the crisp pittas.

theeasyway Serve with apples, ham and pickle. The pockets will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge BBC Easy Cook 61

EASY OFFERS

ONLY £2 9 includin g FREE* deliver y

FREE GIFT for readers of

easycook

Save over 50% on top quality meat

2 FREE LASAGNES worth £10.50 with every order

This fantastic Traditional Steak selection from Donald Russell is only £29 (rrp £67.50), including FREE* delivery Donald Russell takes pride in producing deliciously tender meat. The award-winning online butcher, based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, specialises in grass-fed, traditionally matured beef and lamb, reared by farmers who care

about their animals’ welfare. At Donald Russell, traditional methods are used to mature beef and lamb for up to 21 days, allowing time for the rich flavours to develop and for the meat to become incredibly tender.

Ordering is easy!

Call the hotline, quoting EC1406 †

THE TRADITIONAL STEAK SELECTION INCLUDES: 2 Sirloin Steaks individually packed (pack weight 190g) 2 Ribeye Steaks individually packed (pack weight 190g) 4 Pavé Rump Medallions in pack of 4 (pack weight 200g) 1 Pavé Rump Steak (pack weight 150g) 6 Mini Steak Burgers in pack of 6 (pack weight 270g) 4 Pork Sausages in pack of 4 (pack weight 280g) + FREE Meat Perfection booklet, worth £8! 62 BBC Easy Cook

01467 629666 or visit donaldrussell.com/ec1406

TERMS & CONDITIONS We will professionally shock-freeze your order, at no extra charge, to help preserve the quality. Donald Russell Ltd, Harlaw Road, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB51 4FR. †Lines open Monday – Friday 8am – 8pm, Saturday 9am – 4pm and Sunday 10am – 4 pm. Strictly limited to 1 per household. *Free delivery is available for UK mainland only. Additional surcharges are as follows: Guaranteed AM delivery £4 (Tuesday – Friday); Saturday delivery £4; Northern Ireland £7 (Tuesday – Friday). Jersey & Guernsey £7 (Tuesday – Friday). Selected EU countries – call us to discuss. If in doubt please call first to check. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other Donald Russell offer. Offer expires 30th July 2014. DATA PROTECTION BBC Worldwide Limited and Immediate Media Company Limited (publishers of BBC Easy Cook) would love to keep you informed by post, telephone or email of their special offers and promotions. Please state at time of ordering if you do not wish to receive these from BBC Worldwide or Immediate Media Company.

James Martin

Bill Granger

John Torode

Mary Berry

Edd Kimber

TV cooks

16 delicious ideas from your favourite chefs

Easy recipes

Mary’s easy coffee cupcakes, page 70

clever tips, shortcuts and ideas BBC Easy Cook 63

TV COOKS

James is the presenter of Saturday Kitchen

Saturday Kitchen’s

James Martin

‘Cooking over the coals Pork and thyme cheeseburgers Makes 4 burgers then cool. Tip the pork into a large bowl and is a great way to relax Ready in 30 minutes add the onion, egg yolks and thyme. Season £1.69 a burger well and mix together with your hands – don’t with friends. There’s no 508 kcals, 28g fat, 13g sat. fat a burger handle the mixture too much or you will make Suitable for freezing (uncooked burgers) the burgers tough. Divide the mixture into need to rely on prime 4 pieces and shape into burgers. Chill for cuts like steak to 25g butter 30 minutes to firm up. 1 onion, grated impress – these recipes 500g pack lean pork mince 2 Cook the burgers 2 egg yolks Heat the barbecue and cook the burgers for use cheaper options, 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme 10 minutes on each side. Top each burger with TO SERVE a slice of cheese, followed by 1 tbsp apple like pork mince. It’s 4 slices cheddar sauce, then return to the barbecue and close what you do with 4 tbsp chunky apple sauce the lid, cooking for a further 5 minutes to allow 4 soft burger buns, split the cheese to melt. If your barbecue doesn’t them that counts!’ a handful of salad leaves have a lid, loosely cover with foil. says James 1 Make the burgers 3 Load into buns l l l l l

Melt the butter in a small frying pan, add the onion and cook on a medium heat until soft,

64 BBC Easy Cook

Quickly toast the buns, then serve with the burgers and some salad leaves inside.

Bang bang chicken l

Serves 4 l Takes 25 minutes, plus 40 minutes cooking time and marinating time l £2.83 a portion l 603 kcals, 43g fat, 9g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing 1kg pack chicken drumsticks and thighs 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Chinese five-spice FOR THE SAUCE

140g chunky peanut butter 100ml low-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp granulated sugar 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 1 Barbecue the chicken Put the chicken in a bowl and rub in the oil and five-spice, then leave for an hour if you have time. Cook on the barbecue, turning regularly, for 35-40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. 2 Make the sauce Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth, adding water if needed. Serve with the chicken and the salad (see right).

Serve with James’ Sichuan salad Fry 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns until they begin to darken. Remove and cool, then crush with a large pinch of salt (in a pestle and mortar). Mix in a bowl with 1 large cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into matchsticks. Set aside. Drain the cucumber and stir in 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks, 1 bunch spring onions, shredded, 1 tbsp sesame oil, juice of ½ lime and a handful of chopped coriander. Serves 4.

The peanut butter sauce and the Sichuan salad both work well with barbecued salmon pieces too

BBC Easy Cook 65

TV COOKS

Saturday Kitchen’s

Bill Granger ‘Occasionally, my wife and I will try to get the kids to bed early so we can have a romantic dinner like this – the chance to cook a meal for each other is a great treat’

66 BBC Easy Cook

Bill is a regular guest chef on Saturday Kitchen

Lamb cutlets with pistachio & herb dressing l

Serves 2 Ready in 20 minutes l £3.72 a portion l 368 kcals, 29g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

4 lamb cutlets (look for chops labelled ‘French-trimmed’ on the butcher’s counter) 2 tsp olive oil ½ tsp chilli ﬂakes FOR THE DRESSING

25g pistachios, shelled 1½ tbsp olive oil handful of ﬂat-leaf parsley leaves, torn 2 dill sprigs, roughly torn 1 Make the dressing Put the pistachios in a frying pan over a lowmedium heat, and toss them around until they’re golden and toasted. Roughly chop the nuts, then tip them into a bowl with the olive oi, parsley and dill. Season lightly with salt and set aside while you cook the meat.

theeasyway If you don’t want to use wine, use peach juice instead

2 Griddle the lamb Rub the lamb with the oil. Bash the chilli and a little salt to a rough powder, then sprinkle over the lamb. Heat a barbecue to hot (or a griddle pan over a high heat), and cook the cutlets for 2 minutes on each side for medium, or longer if you prefer your meat well-done. Transfer the cutlets to a serving plate and spoon over the pistachio and herb dressing. Serve with the courgette salad below.

Try these too... Caramelised peaches Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Heat 2 tbsp runny honey, 15g butter and 55g caster sugar in a non-stick frying pan for 5 mins. Add 4 peach halves (peeled and stoned) and caramelise for a few mins. Transfer to the oven and heat for 8-10 mins. Remove to a serving plate and serve with slices of stilton. Serves 2.

Red wine peaches Slice 3 peaches and divide between 4 stemmed glasses, sprinkling them with 100g caster sugar and shredded basil leaves as you go. Pour over ½ bottle chilled red wine (such as beaujolais) and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Give everything a stir and serve. Serves 4.

Bill’s courgette and anchovy salad Toast ½ tsp fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a low-medium heat for 1 minute, or until they release their aroma. Bash them lightly using a pestle and mortar. Mix the juice of ½ lemon, the fennel seeds, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 crushed clove of garlic in a large bowl, then stir in 1 large courgette, thinly sliced on the diagonal. Season and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Toss through 50g rocket and transfer to a platter. Top with 2 halved anchovy fillets. Scatter with the grated rind of ½ lemon and serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serves 2.

Bellini granita Serves 2 Takes 10 minutes, plus freezing time l £1.93 a portion l 201 kcals, 0g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

1 Make the granita mix Whizz the peaches in a blender with the lemon rind and juice, white wine and sugar. Pour into a shallow, freezeable dish and freeze for 4-5 hours, or until ﬁrm.

450g fresh peaches, stoned weight (about 4), peeled, plus 1 peach to serve rind and juice of 1 lemon 125ml sweet sparkling white wine 2 tbsp caster sugar

2 Serve the granitas Scrape the frozen peach mixture into ﬂakes with a fork and divide between two longstemmed glasses or bowls and serve with chunks of freshly cut, ripe peach.

l l

BBC Easy Cook 67

TV COOKS

MasterChef’s

John Torode ‘This month I’m going to show you how to cook some exciting dishes from Morocco. Aromatic spices like cumin, coriander and paprika all celebrate Middle Eastern flavours’

John is a judge on MasterChef

Fish with Moroccan spiced tomatoes l

Serves 4 Takes 30 minutes, plus 15 mins cooking time l £2.34 a portion l 308 kcals, 18g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

50ml olive oil 3 large cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tbsp ground paprika 2 tsp ground cumin pinch of cayenne ¼ tsp ground black pepper 6 ripe large tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and cut into small pieces 3 large roasted red peppers, drained and cut into small pieces 4 skinless firm white fish fillets (about 140g each) small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped 1 Make the sauce Heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic, spices and the black pepper, then cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and peppers and continue cooking over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are very soft. Smash the softened tomatoes with the back of a spoon and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to a sauce. 2 Add the fish Turn the grill to high. Put the fish on a baking tray lined with lightly oiled foil. Season, and grill for 4-5 mins until cooked through. Divide the sauce between plates, put the fish on top and serve scattered with the chopped herbs.

68 BBC Easy Cook

theeasyway This is great with any ﬁrm white ﬁsh ﬁllet, such as pollock, haddock, sea bream or another sustainable ﬁsh

Vegetable couscous with preserved lemons l

Serves 8 l Takes 40 minutes, plus 25 mins cooking l 99p a portion l 418 kcals, 13g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

FOR THE BROTH

2 litres vegetable stock 3 tbsp harissa 3 carrots, chopped 3 large parsnips, chopped 2 red onions, cut into wedges through the root 2 large potatoes, chopped into chunks ½ butternut squash, chopped into chunks 4 leeks, sliced into rings 12 dried figs, halved 2 preserved lemons, rinsed, pulp scooped out and discarded and shells halved small bunch of mint, chopped FOR THE COUSCOUS

Make your own Moroccan ingredients You can buy these in jars in all larger supermarkets, but if you have time why not have a go at making your own? Preserved lemons Juice 6 lemons and set aside. Quarter 4 unwaxed lemons and pack into a sterilised jar in layers with 250g sea salt, 10 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 tsp coriander seeds. Pour in the juice and top with water to just cover, then seal. Store in a dark, cool place for 1 month before use. Scoop out the pulp and discard. Rinse before use. Keeps for 6 months. Makes 1 litre.

Harissa Roast 5 tbsp each coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in a dry pan for a couple mins until fragrant, then grind in a blender to a fine powder and tip into a bowl. Whizz 22 cloves of garlic, 1 chopped red onion, 20 deseeded and chopped red chillies, 1 chopped red pepper and 100ml olive oil to a paste. Tip into a pan and cook for 15 mins stirring, until it’s a jammy consistence. Add the spices and 2 tsp salt, then remove from heat. Keeps chilled for 1 week or freeze for 2 months. Makes 450g.

You can finely slice some of the preserved lemon rind to use as a garnish too, if you like

200g couscous 400g can chickpeas, drained 25g butter 1 red onion, finely diced 3 spring onions, sliced 2 tbsp harissa 50ml olive oil juice of 1 lemon bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

1 Make the broth Bring the stock to a simmer in a large pan. Add the harissa and all the vegetables, then bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the figs and cook for 5 minutes more, until the veg is tender. 2 Cook the couscous Meanwhile, put the couscous and half the chickpeas into a bowl, add the butter, and season. Pour 350ml boiling water over the couscous, cover with cling film, leave for 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. 3 Finish making the dish In a serving dish, mix the onion, spring onions, harissa, oil, remaining chickpeas, lemon juice and coriander. and stir in the couscous. Ladle over the vegetables and broth, and sprinkle with the preserved lemons and chopped mint.

BBC Easy Cook 69

TV COOKS

‘The cupcakes can be made and iced up to a day ahead. Freeze without the icing for up to a month,’ says Mary

The Great British Bake Off’s

Mary Berry

The queen of bakes shows you how to make two really easy recipes, and as they both freeze really well they can be made ahead too

Mary is a judge on The Great British Bake Off

Coffee and walnut cupcakes l

Makes 12 Takes 20 minutes, plus 25 mins in the oven l 26p each l 345 kcals, 20g fat, 10g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing (un-iced) l

1 tbsp instant coffee granules 1 tbsp boiling water 115g butter, softened 140g self-raising ﬂour 140g caster sugar 2 tbsp milk 2 large eggs 25g walnuts, chopped FOR THE COFFEE ICING

2 tsp instant coffee granules

70 BBC Easy Cook

2 tsp boiling water 100g butter, at room temperature 225g icing sugar 12 walnut halves, to decorate 1 Mix the cake batter Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Put the coffee granules and water into a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Add the butter, ﬂour, sugar, milk, and eggs and mix with an electric whisk until smooth. Stir in the walnuts, then spoon into the mufﬁn cases. 2 Bake the cupcakes Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack until cold.

3 Ice the cakes Put the coffee granules and boiling water into a bowl and stir until smooth. Add the butter, sift in the icing sugar and stir until smooth and free of streaks. Spoon onto the cupcakes, then decorate each one with a walnut half.

Softening butter Cut the butter into small cubes and put into a bowl of lukewarm water. After 10 minutes, squeeze one of the cubes to ensure it’s soft. Drain the butter cubes and use them in the recipe.

Apricot and almond galette Serves 6 (make more than one for a party) Takes 20 minutes, plus 20 mins in the oven l 33p a portion l 235 kcals, 11g fat, 4g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

1 Roll out the pastry Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Put a baking sheet in to heat. Lightly ﬂour a piece of baking parchment and roll the pastry out to a 12.5 x 30cm rectangle.

½ x 375g pack ready-made puff pastry a little milk 400g can apricots in natural juice, drained 150g golden marzipan, coarsely grated 1 tbsp apricot jam 1 tsp water

2 Make the galette With a knife, score a 1cm border around the pastry rectangle, taking care not to cut all the way through – this allows the strip to rise around the apricots and stops any liquid or fruit leaking out. Brush the border with a little milk. Slice each apricot into four slices

l l

and arrange them in rows inside the border. Sprinkle over the marzipan. 3 Bake Slide the tart on the paper onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Check halfway through cooking and if it’s getting too brown, cover loosely with foil. 4 Glaze the tart Heat the apricot jam in a pan with the water, whisking until smooth. Brush the apricots with a thin layer to glaze them. Serve warm.

Use the pastry and marzipan straight from the fridge as they’re easier to handle when cold. If you’re not using all the pastry immediately, freeze any left over for another time

These recipes are adapted from Cook Up A Feast by Mary Berry & Lucy Young, published by DK, £14.99, dk.com. BBC Easy Cook readers can buy it for just £12.99 with free p&p. Call 01326 569444 or visit www.sparkledirect.co.uk

BBC Easy Cook 71

TV COOKS

The Great British Bake Off’s

Edd Kimber These irresistible delights deliver all our sweet favourites – chocolate, nuts, ice cream and meringue – in the shape of two deliciously unusual and impressive cakes! Chocolate meringue cake l

Serves 12 l Takes 20 minutes, plus freezing and 2 hours cooking l 31p a portion l 279 kcals, 19g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

3 large egg whites 150g caster sugar 125g hazelnuts, ﬁnely chopped 350g vanilla or chocolate ice cream, softened 100g plain chocolate (at least 60-70% cocoa solids) 140ml double cream

Edd is a previous winner of The Great British Bake Off

1 Make a paper template Turn oven to fan 90C/conventional 110C/ gas ¼. Line two baking trays with baking parchment and use a 23cm round cake tin as a template to draw a circle on each tray of baking parchment. Invert the paper so the marks are on the underside. 2 Whisk the egg whites Put the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk to soft peaks. With the mixer on high, slowly add the sugar and beat to stiff and glossy peaks. Gently fold in 100g of the hazelnuts. Fill a piping bag, ﬁtted with a large plain nozzle, with the meringue and pipe a spiral onto each parchment tray, starting at the centre of the template and ﬁnishing just within the line. 3 Bake the meringues Bake for 2 hours or until the meringues are pale and crisp. Remove from the oven and put onto wire racks to cool completely. 4 Assemble the cake Put one of the meringues into a cake tin and spread the softened ice cream in an even layer, reaching all the way to the edges. Top with the second meringue and gently press into the ice cream. Wrap the cake tin with cling ﬁlm and freeze for 2 hours, or until the ice cream is ﬁrm.

theeasyway If you don’t want to pipe the meringues, you can use a palette knife (or a cutlery knife) to spread the mixture evenly inside the paper circles instead

72 BBC Easy Cook

5 Make the glaze and decorate Remove the cake from the freezer. Put the chocolate into a medium-sized bowl and the cream in a small pan set over medium heat. Bring the cream just to the boil, remove from the heat and pour slowly over the chocolate, then stir to thoroughly combine. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and pour the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the cake with the remaining chopped hazelnuts and serve immediately.

Using a sugar thermometer makes it much easier to know when to add the sugar to the egg whites. From cook shops or www.amazon.co.uk for around £6 Raspberry ripple cake l

Serves 12 l Takes 50 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooking l 72p a portion l 912 kcals, 60g fat, 36 sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (sponges only) 335g butter, plus extra for greasing 335g plain ﬂour 3 tsp baking powder 400g caster sugar 6 large eggs, separated 2 tsp vanilla extract 185ml whole milk 80g raspberry jam, for coating the layers

2 Make the cake batter Sift the ﬂour and baking powder into a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 300g of the sugar until ﬂuffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then the vanilla. Mix in a third of the ﬂour mixture and half the milk. Repeat. Add the ﬁnal third of the ﬂour mixture. 3 Whisk the egg whites Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar to stiff peaks. Fold the egg mixture into the cake batter. Divide between the tins, level, and bake for 30-35 mins or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.

FOR THE FROSTING

80g white chocolate 250g granulated sugar 5 large egg whites 450g unsalted butter 80g raspberry jam, sieved 1 Line the cake tins Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Grease 3 x 20cm round cake tins and line with greased baking parchment.

4 Make the frosting Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Leave to cool. Put 160ml water and the sugar into a pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and have a sugar thermometer ready. Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites on medium. As the syrup reaches 115C, start whisking the egg whites on high. When the syrup reaches 121C, remove it

from the heat. With the mixer running, slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl of whisked egg whites (avoid the whisk). Continue whisking on high until the meringue cools to room temperature. With the mixer on medium, gradually add the butter until smooth and ﬂuffy. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls, mix the chocolate into one and the jam into the other. 5 Decorate and assemble the cake Put one cake layer on a plate or cake board and spread with half the raspberry jam, then top with a third of the white chocolate frosting. Repeat with the second cake layer, then top with the ﬁnal layer of cake. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the raspberry frosting. Spread the remaining white chocolate frosting across the cake for a swirl effect. These recipes are adapted from The Boy Who Bakes by Edd Kimber, photographs by Yuki Sugiura, £16.99, Kyle Books. BBC Easy Cook readers can buy it for just £13.99 with free p&p. Call 01326 569444 or visit www.sparkledirect.co.uk

BBC Easy Cook 73

COOKS’ EXTRAS

Use up your

leftovers If you have ingredients left over from the recipes in this issue of BBC Easy Cook, here are some great ways to use them up PEANUT BUTTER from Bang bang chicken, page 65

theeasyway Try apricot jam on scones too – delicious!

Peanut butter and banana on toast Toast 2 slices granary bread. Layer 1 small banana, sliced, on one slice of toast, and dust with ½ tsp cinnamon. Spread the second slice with 1 tbsp peanut butter, then sandwich together. Serves 1.

APRICOT JAM from Apricot and almond galette, page 71

Choc chip, peanut butter and banana pancakes Heat 4 ready-made pancakes.

Apple ﬂapjack crumble Turn oven to fan

Mix 6 tbsp peanut butter with 2 tbsp icing sugar, 2 tbsp milk and 50g chocolate chips. Spread over the pancakes. Top each with ½ sliced banana. Serves 4.

170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Peel, core and thinly slice 1.1 kg eating apples. Mix with 4 tbsp apricot jam and the juice of 1 orange. Spread over a buttered 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Mix 140g oats, 100g plain flour and 1 tsp cinnamon. Rub in 100g butter in chunks

3-ingredients peanut butter cookies Turn oven to fan 170/conventional 190C/ gas 5. Mix 140g peanut butter, 125g golden caster sugar and 1 egg until smooth. Roll into ping- pong sized balls and put on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Squash the balls down a little. Bake for 12 mins. Cool. Makes 10.

READY-MADE CUSTARD from Passion fruit soufﬂés, page 49 Banoffee custard splits Tip 3 tbsp cream in a pan with 1 Mars Bar, chopped, and a knob of butter. Heat gently, stirring, to make a sauce. Put 3 tbsp ready-made custard into each of 2 bowls. Peel and split 2 small bananas and put 2 halves into each bowl. Drizzle over the warm sauce. Serves 2. Rhubarb and custard crunch Turn oven to fan 130C/conventional 150C/gas 2. Arrange 450g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into chunks, in a roasting tin in one layer. Top with 85g caster sugar and cover with foil. Bake for 15-20 mins until just tender. Cool. Spoon a little rhubarb into each of 6 glasses, top each with 2 tbsp ready-made custard. Bash 8 ginger biscuits to rough crumbs and sprinkle over the puds. Serves 6.

74 BBC Easy Cook

TREACLE from Sticky belly of pork, page 36 Treacle icing Beat together 100g soft butter, 50g dark soft brown sugar, 1 tbsp treacle and 200g soft cheese. Use to sandwich a sponge cake together and ice the top. Enough for 1 cake. Parkin Turn oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Grease and line a 22cm-square cake tin. Beat 1 egg with 4 tbsp milk. Melt 200g golden syrup with 85g treacle, 85g light soft brown sugar and 200g butter in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Mix 100g oatmeal, 250g self-raising flour and 1 tbsp ground ginger and stir into the syrup; stir in the egg and milk. Pour into the tin and bake for 50 mins-1 hour until cooked. Makes 16 squares.

FROZEN PEAS from Spinach pesto pasta, page 14 Pea risotto Melt 50g butter in a pan, add 1 onion, finely chopped, and cook for 10 mins. Meanwhile, make up 1.7 litres hot vegetable stock. Whizz 100g frozen peas with a ladleful of the stock until puréed. Stir 350g risotto rice into the onion, turn up the heat and sizzle for 1 min. Pour in 200ml white wine, bubble and stir until absorbed. Continue, adding a ladleful of stock at a time and stirring continuously, until the rice is tender and creamy (about 25 mins). Stir in the peas, 25g parmesan and seasoning. Turn off the heat and stand for 3 mins. Stir again and serve with a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 4. Pea, mint and chilli dip Whizz 200g frozen peas, defrosted, with 50g fat-free yogurt, the juice of ½ lemon, ½ tsp ground cumin, a few mint leaves and ½ small red chilli, chopped. Serve with toasted pittas. Serves 2.

and 100g light muscovado. Drizzle over 1 tbsp golden syrup, and mix to form small clumps. Sprinkle over and bake for 30-35 mins. Serves 6. Apricot tarts Roll out 500g sweet shortcrust pastry, stamp out 20 x 5cm circles and use to line 2 mini muffin tins. Prick with a fork and spoon 1 tsp apricot jam into each. Bake at fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6 for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Makes 20.

CARROTS from Extra-special cock-a-leekie soup, page 38 Gluten-free carrot cake Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Beat 140g unsalted butter and 200g caster sugar until creamy, stir in 250g carrots, grated, and 140g sultanas. Gradually mix in 2 beaten eggs. Add 200g gluten-free, self-raising flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder and 50g mixed chopped nuts. Tip into the tin, and bake for 50-55 mins, or until cooked. Cool, then cool on a wire rack. For the icing, beat 75g butter with 175g icing sugar and 3 tsp cinnamon. Spread the icing on the cake and sprinkle with cinnamon and a few chopped nuts. Serves 8. Thai carrot slaw Combine 4 carrots, coarsely grated, 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced, and 2 small red onions, finely sliced, with 100g beansprouts. Mix 1 small red chilli, finely chopped, with 3 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp caster sugar. Pour the dressing over the slaw and stir through a handful of chopped coriander. Serves 4.

USING THESE FOR THE FIRST TIME? JERK PASTE Used in Spicy prawn and mango tacos, page 6 Often used in Caribbean recipes, this is a warming, fruity seasoning that contains ingredients such as chilli, thyme, pimento, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Perfect for coating chicken, pork or lamb on the BBQ or any meat when you want to add a bit of a kick.

ANCHOVIES Used in Courgette and anchovy salad, page 67 Fresh anchovies are hard to find in the UK, but widely available canned or in jars and very good value. Drain well before using and try soaking them in milk first if you find them too salty. Whizz with butter and serve with fish or vegetables, or spread on toast for a super-speedy snack, if you like.

ALLSPICE Used in Sticky belly of pork, page 36 An aromatic spice that looks like a large, smooth peppercorn, allspice is the dried berry of the West Indian allspice tree. It tastes like a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper and is used in both sweet and savoury dishes including marinades. Perfect for adding to biscuits for a spicy hit, and essential in Jamaican jerk chicken.

BBC Easy Cook 75

easycook

cookery school

NEW TECHNIQUES TO LEARN

How to make

paella Follow our step-by-step guide and cook an authentic Spanish dish to be proud of!

STEP 1 Brown the chicken Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add 400g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, together with some seasoning, and cook for 10-12 minutes until browned all over. Remove and set aside on a large plate lined with a double layer of kitchen paper.

Easy paella l

Serves 4 l Ready in 1 hour 20 minutes £3.35 a portion l 736 kcals, 22g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

STEP 4 Add the veg Put the chorizo slices in the pan, followed by 400g canned chopped tomatoes and 125g French beans, sliced, and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice is al dente. Do not be tempted to stir the mixture or the rice will become sticky. 76 BBC Easy Cook

COOKERY SCHOOL

STEP 2 Coat the rice in the oil

After step 4, it’s best not to stir the paella or the rice will stick to the pan – though you can shake the pan gently, if necessary

Cook 150g sliced cooking chorizo for 1–2 minutes on each side until browned. Remove and set aside. Add 1 large onion, diced, and 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced, to the pan and cook for 5-7 mins until soft. Add 400g paella rice and stir, so all the grains are coated in the oniony oil, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 3 Stir in the stock

Stir in 900ml water, then 3 cloves of garlic, ﬁnely chopped, 2 large pinches of saffron threads, soaked in 100ml hot water for 10 minutes (make sure you add the soaking water too), and plenty of seasoning. Push the chicken pieces down into the rice, so they’re covered.

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT PAELLA USE THE RIGHT KIND OF RICE Paella rice, now available in most supermarkets, is a short-grain rice – it's ideal as the stock is absorbed quickly and evenly. Or use risotto rice (such as arborio) instead.

meats. The fire needs to remain hot enough to bring the liquid to a boil when you add the rice (and if you throw sprigs of herbs on the coals, their smoke will flavour the seafood as it cooks too). The heat can then die down slowly while the rice cooks.

CHOOSE A PROPER PAN A paella pan is a large, shallow pan with a handle on each side. Tesco stocks a really good one (38cm paella pan, £15). Or use a large non-stick wok or frying pan.

ON THE BARBECUE

STEP 5 Cook the seafood Add 300g small mussels, scrubbed and debearded, and 300g raw, unpeeled king prawns, deveined and legs removed, for the last 15 minutes, then cover, and cook until the mussels open and the prawns turn pink. Remove from the heat and discard any unopened mussels. Cover with kitchen towel and leave for 5 mins. Sprinkle over 2 tbsp chopped ﬂat-leaf parsley before serving.

FLAVOURING A smoky flavour is key to a successful paella. It normally comes from chorizo, but 150g of any other meat plus 1 tsp smoked paprika (add before adding the rice in step 2) will work too.

Once you have established a good, hot bed of coals, brown the chicken and any other

These recipes are adapted from Mediterranean Cookbook, Editor-in-Chief Marie-Pierre Moine, published by DK, £20, www.dk.com. BBC Easy Cook readers can buy it for just £18, with free p&p. Call 01326 569444 or visit www.sparkledirect.co.uk

easycook favourite

BBC Easy Cook 77

Sarah Sysum’s monthly round-up of the best new products and ideas

extras

theeasyway

CORDIAL This has a sophisticated ﬂavour of sweet raspberries followed by a slight tartness from the grapefruit to stop it being too sweet. Serve with sparkling water, or add to sparkling wine as a twist on the classic kir cocktail. Bottlegreen Raspberry & Grapefruit Cordial, 500ml, £3.15, Waitrose

Chicken skewers BEER It’s rare to ﬁnd an excellent lower alcohol beer, but this has a really good malt, hop ﬂavour and a nice citrussy kick. Goes really well with barbecued ﬁsh. Southwold Low Alcohol Beer, £1.49 per bottle, Marks and Spencer

JUICE Made from a mix of cranberry, blackberry and raspberry juice, this is very refreshing and not too sweet. It’s got a deep fruit ﬂavour (not unlike red wine), and goes well with barbecued burgers and sausages. Ocean Spray Berry Blend Juice Drink Less Sugar, 1 litre, £1.39, Tesco

RED WINE A Chilean wine with hints of black cherry and chocolate. Serve with spag bol or chilli. Casillero del Diablo Devil’s Collection Red, £8.99. Tesco

Summer drinks Perfect to serve with summer meals on hot summer days

WHITE WINE There are apple, pear and citrus ﬂavours in this lovely, light wine, making it ideal with a salad or pasta dish. Gallo Summer White, £7, Sainsbury’s

78 BBC Easy Cook

It’s easy to make chicken kebabs that cook evenly every time – you’ll save a fortune on buying them ready-made!

OUR PICKS!

STEP 1 Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 20 mins to prevent burning. Slice a chicken breast into long strips.

STEP 2 Weave a strip onto a skewer, bending it round each time to make ‘S’ shapes, pulling it down as you go.

SUMMER LIQUEUR This luxurious blackcurrant mixer is a British take on the French crème de cassis. Serve it as an apèritif or add to Champagne – or pour over ice cream for a decadent dessert. Buy it online at www.britishcassis. co.uk, £15

STEP 3 Finish the skewer by securing the tip of the chicken strip. The skewer is now ready to be marinated & cooked.

COOKS’ EXTRAS

Trend alert Bubbles Amanzi Tea (www.amanzitea.co.uk), a modern tea house, offers a drink which we reckon will be the ‘next big thing’: bubble tea. It contains little bubbles – bite into one and flavour floods out. And Belazu make tiny pearls filled with balsamic vinegar (Balsamic Pearls, 55g, £4.99, Ocado). Add to a tomato and mozzarella salad for unexpected flavour bursts and that cheffy finish!

What to buy if you fancy… A change from a pizza This ﬂatbread is loaded with shredded duck, spring onions and hoisin sauce. It comes with pickled cucumber relish. Aromatic Hoisin Duck Firebread £3.50, M&S

Find Edd Kimber’s recipe for Cherry Plum Crumble With Cobnuts (above) at www. jordanscereals.co.uk

Wild food extravaganza Foraging for food is all the rage at the moment and picking up on the trend this July, Jordans Cereals will be unveiling an edible garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The Jordans Wildlife Garden (see illustration above) will include everything from edible wild ﬂowers to nuts and vegetables. The Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber has been so inspired by what he’s seen, that he’s created recipes featuring ingredients that will be used in the garden – see www. jordanscereals.co.uk. Watch highlights of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (8th-13th July 2014), on BBC 2.

theeasyway Grate lemon rind directly into hot oil to ﬂavour meat or vegetables. This works well with ﬁnely chopped garlic too

Something ﬁshy We love this fun terracota platter. It’s big enough for nibbles for 4 out in the garden, and the shape just makes us think we’re by the sea! Wilko fish platter, £7, Wilkinson’s

easycook

BEST BUY

Posh snacking

Something sweet This meringue

There’s enough in this pack for 2 people – chilli-ﬂavoured olives, ﬂavoursome and spicy, chunks of chorizo and crunchy mini ﬂatbreads. Super-delicious. Unearthed Spicy Snack Selection Pack, £3.49, Waitrose

roulade with a lime and mint ﬁlling is zesty and not overly sweet. ASDA Chosen by You Mojito Roulade, £4

Cookbook of the month Former MasterChef winner and Mexican cooking guru Thomasina Miers should know a thing or two about chillies and this book is devoted to them. There’s everything from speedy burittos and tacos to a yummy chilli chocolate tart.

Chilli Notes by Thomasina Miers Hodder & Stoughton, £25

Paul’s toptip

Master baker and BBC1’s The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood always has great breadmaking tips: ‘When adding milk to dough, warm it a little first. This is because the fat in the milk can slow down the action of the yeast slightly, and warming it balances this out,’ he says. ‘To check if the dough is kneaded enough, pull a piece out between your hands. It should be able to stretch to 20cm without breaking.’ BBC Easy Cook 79

COOKS’ EXTRAS The easycook interview

We meet ... Rachel Allen

The Saturday Kitchen regular, cake queen and busy mum reveals her favourite quick meal, her tips to encourage kids to try new ingredients and why she’s never eating fermented shark again! What inspired you to get into cooking? I have always enjoyed creating food in the kitchen but when I was very young it was always baking that I wanted to do. Biscuits, cakes, meringues: my sister and I loved making them all. We used to have such fun in the kitchen pretending we were presenting a cookery show! When I was 18 I decided to do a cookery course. I went to Ballymaloe Cookery School – and realised it was something I absolutely loved and wanted to make a career out of. When you ﬁlmed your TV series Home Cooking, and Bake!, you met lots of famous chefs. What tips did you pick up? Lots! The wonderful thing about food is that you never stop learning. I did ﬁnd it interesting that the chefs who create quite involved food at their restaurants are often the ones who cook simple food at home.

What’s your favourite quick meal that saves on the washing up too? It’s got to be an omelette. I love eggs. They are the ultimate fast food and an omelette is the perfect one-pan meal.

Do you have any ingredients you can’t live without? Garlic and salt – garlic just adds so much depth of ﬂavour to vegetables and meat,

WEIGHT

As a busy mum, do you have any tips for other parents when it comes to cooking for kids? It is really important to all sit at the table together for a meal, every day if possible. Everyone eats the same thing, I don’t offer a choice – it’s not a restaurant! I will ask our children regularly what they love and what they don’t like to eat and try to cook things that they’ll enjoy, but I think it’s good to introduce them to new things too. It sounds like I’m very strict food wise, but I’m not militant about it. We love baking desserts and I try to regularly put some time aside to cook with my children. I always ﬁnd that if they’ve had a hand in preparing the food, they’ll be more enthusiastic about it. You’ve worked on the Community Cookbook with Kerrygold, which gave you the chance to share recipes you’d received from other cooks. Tell us a little more about it It was a great experience – and a real pleasure trying out all the recipes that people sent in. In fact, there were so many lovely recipes, we could have created a book three times the size! To see the Community Cookbook recipes, visit www.kerrygold.co.uk

AMERICAN CUP CONVERSIONS American Metric

Metric

Imperial

25g

1oz

1 cup flour

150g

50g

2oz

225g

85g

3oz

1 cup caster and granulated sugar

100g

4oz

1 cup brown sugar

175g

140g

5oz

1 cup icing sugar

125g

150g

5hoz

225g

175g

6oz

1 cup butter/ margarine/lard

185g

6hoz

1 cup sultanas/raisins

200g

200 or 225g

8oz

1 cup currants

150g

250g

9oz

1 cup chopped nuts

100g

280 or 300g

10oz

1 cup ground almonds

100g

1 cup golden syrup/ treacle/clear honey

350g

350g

12oz

375g

13oz

400g

14oz

1 cup uncooked rice

200g

425g

15oz

1 cup cooked and drained rice

165g

450g

1lb

1 cup grated cheese

100g

500g

1lb 2oz

1 cup lentils

225g

550g

1lb 4oz

1 cup chopped onions

100g

600g

1lb 5oz

1 stick butter

100g

650g

1lb 7oz

700g

1lb 9oz

750g

1lb 10oz

800g

1lb 12oz

850g

1lb 14oz

900g

2lb

950g

2lb 2oz

1kg

2lb 4oz

1.25 kg

2lb 12oz

1.3kg

3lb

1.5kg

3lb 5oz

1.6kg

3lb 8oz

1.7kg

3lb 12oz VOLUME

It’s important to all sit at a table together for a meal, every day if possible

What are the worst things you’ve ever eaten…and the best? My mum is from Iceland so we have been there a lot over the years and I’ve always loved the food there... apart from the fermented shark! I was only about 12 when I tried it. Maybe I would appreciate it more now, but I’m not so sure. I remember thinking I’d never eaten anything more disgusting in my life! The best thing I’ve eaten might be something as simple as new season’s potatoes at the beginning of summer, boiled and served with lots of butter and a sprinkling of salt.

80 BBC Easy Cook

and salt is so clever because it enhances each ingredient’s natural ﬂavour.

Your easy conversion chart

Not everyone is used to cooking in metric – use this if you’d prefer to cook with ounces, pounds and inches

LIQUID CONVERSIONS American

Metric

h fl oz

15ml

h cup

50ml

h cup plus 2 tablespoons

150ml

1 cup

225ml

1 pint/16 fl oz

450ml

2 pints/5 cups

1.2 litres

OVEN TEMPERATURES °F

°C (conventional oven)

275F

140C

300F

150C

325F

170C

50ml

2 fl oz

75ml

2h fl oz

85ml

3 fl oz

350F

180C

100ml

3h fl oz

375F

190C

125ml

4 fl oz

400F

200C

150ml

h pint

425F

220C

175ml

6 fl oz

450F

230C

200ml

7 fl oz

475F

240C

225ml

8 fl oz

250ml

9 fl oz

300ml

10 fl oz

450ml

16 fl oz

600ml

1 pint

850ml

1h pints

1 litre

1h pints

1.2 litres

2 pints

MEASUREMENTS 2cm hin 2.5cm

1in

5.5cm

2hin

10cm

4in

20cm

8in

23cm

9in

28cm

11in

38cm

15in

Microwave cooking Where our recipes use a microwave, they were tested using an 850W model – you may need to adjust times slightly if yours has a different wattage.

easycook interactive Why not join our Facebook page and become a fan of your favourite cookery magazine? Ask us a cookery question, share your tips and recipes with other readers and tell us what you like best from each issue. Go to www.facebook.com and search for ‘Easy Cook Magazine’. BBC Easy Cook is now on Twitter – go to www.twitter.com and follow us by searching for @EasyCookMag then click on ‘follow’. Tell us what you think! Take part in regular surveys and questionnaires to help shape BBC Easy Cook features. Go to www.immediateinsiders.com/home to sign up.

Chicken arrabiata

Recipe index MEAT & POULTRY

NEXT TIME IN

Bang bang chicken ........................................... 65 BBQ drumsticks with slaw ................................ 36 Chicken and pesto cream ................................. 28 Cowboy chicken and bean stew ........................ 47 Creamy lentil and spinach soup with bacon ...... 43 Extra-special cock-a-leekie soup ....................... 38 Honey and balsamic steak stir-fry....................... 8 Lamb and gorgonzola pie ................................. 27 Lamb cutlets with pistachio and herb dressing .. 67 Lamb steaks with crispy potatoes and minted beans................................................ 20 Moroccan lamb kebabs .................................... 12 Pork and thyme cheeseburgers......................... 64 Pork chops with sage and cannellini beans ....... 27 Sausage and veg one-pot.................................. 33 Spanish ham and tomato salad ........................ 11 Spicy bean and sausage casserole ................... 22 Spicy chicken burger .......................................... 7 Sticky belly of pork .......................................... 36 Sticky cider and mustard sausage wheel .......... 47 Summer ham and pea broth ............................ 18 Tabbouleh chicken ............................................ 19 Thai steaks ....................................................... 12 Turkey chilli jacket potatoes .............................. 18 Turkey kiev........................................................ 22

FISH & SEAFOOD

Orchard crumble

Hazelnut meringues PLUS lots more speedy ideas!

September issue N ON SALE £O.NOLWY 1st August 30 Don’t miss out, subscribe today – see page 30 for more details 82 BBC Easy Cook

Crab noodle salad .............................................. 8 Easy paella ....................................................... 76 Fish with Moroccan spiced tomatoes................ 68 Green curry fried rice ....................................... 16 Kipper fishcakes ............................................... 39 Prawn cocktail .................................................. 24 Prawn cocktail sub ........................................... 24 Salmon and ginger fishcakes ............................ 10 Salmon with lemon pesto crust ........................ 28 Smoked salmon soufflé tart ............................. 54 Spicy prawn and mango tacos ............................ 6 Tomato and tamarind fish curry ....................... 22 Tuna and pepper sub ........................................ 24

VEGETARIAN

Baked aubergines with cannellini beans ........... 37 Broccoli, walnut and blue cheese pasta .............. 8 Bulghar and spinach fritters ............................. 42 Carrot and sesame burgers .............................. 44 Classic egg mayo sub ....................................... 24 Falafels with lemony yogurt .............................. 18 Focaccia stacks ................................................ 44 Fruity quinoa .................................................... 53 Halloumi with broccoli tabbouleh ..................... 15 Lemony mushroom pilaf .................................. 35 Mini spinach and cottage cheese frittatas......... 60 Mushroom rarebit............................................. 34 Neeps and tatties soup..................................... 38 No-cook pizza................................................... 28 Pea risotto ........................................................ 75 Pesto and potato tart........................................ 28 Pitta crisps with yogurt dip .............................. 61 Pizza-style ciabatta bread ................................ 26 Ploughman’s cheese and tomato pockets ......... 61 Posh mushroom soup....................................... 35 Spinach palmiers ............................................. 28 Spinach pesto pasta ......................................... 14 Stuffed summer tomatoes ................................ 12 Summer stew ................................................... 53 Sweetcorn salsa ............................................... 53

ISSUE 73 JULY/AUGUST 2014

Tikka skewers ................................................... 45 Tomato tarts..................................................... 55 Tomato toasts................................................... 28 Vegetable couscous with preserved lemons ...... 69

SIDES & EXTRAS

10-minute couscous ......................................... 28 Box grater salad ............................................... 47 Carrot and sugar snap salad ............................ 32 Courgette and anchovy salad ............................ 67 Fruity dressing .................................................. 20 Harissa ............................................................. 69 Homemade coleslaw ........................................ 36 Homemade pesto ............................................. 28 Homemade tomato chutney ............................. 42 Hot caramel milk .............................................. 46 Italian beans..................................................... 28 Jerk seasoning.................................................... 7 Lemony potatoes .............................................. 28 Minty dip .......................................................... 12 Moroccan houmous .......................................... 15 Oriental dressing ................................................ 8 Pea, mint and chilli dip ..................................... 75 Peanut butter and banana on toast .................. 74 Pickled beansprouts ......................................... 16 Preserved lemons ............................................. 69 Sichuan salad ................................................... 65 Spinach with raisins, pine nuts & breadcrumbs .. 32 Sweet potato chips ........................................... 10 Thai carrot slaw ................................................ 75 Tomato, watermelon & feta salad with mint...... 32 Treacle icing ..................................................... 75

DESSERTS

Apple flapjack crumble ..................................... 74 Apricot tarts ..................................................... 75 Banoffee custard splits ..................................... 74 Bellini granita ................................................... 67 Caramelised peaches ....................................... 67 Choc chip, peanut butter and banana pancakes. 74 Chocolate meringue cake ................................. 72 Coconut-dipped strawberries .............................. 3 Frozen raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake ................................................... 51 Lemon creams ................................................. 49 Marshmallow skewers ...................................... 46 Orange cranachan ............................................ 39 Passion fruit soufflés ........................................ 49 Raspberry ripple cake....................................... 73 Red wine peaches ............................................. 67 Rhubarb and custard crunch ............................ 74 Strawberry pavlova ........................................... 40 Tropical pavlova ................................................ 40 Zesty strawberries ............................................ 48

CAKES & BAKES

3-ingredients peanut butter cookies ................. 74 Apricot and almond galette .............................. 71 Apricot cheesecakes ......................................... 57 Apricot shortbread ........................................... 56 Coffee and walnut cupcakes ............................. 70 Gluten-free carrot cake ..................................... 75 Gluten-free lemon drizzle cake ......................... 57 Orange and ginger shortbread .......................... 56 Parkin............................................................... 75 Rose cupcakes.................................................. 59 Sticky treacle, ginger and lime cake.................. 58 Strawberry cheesecakes ................................... 57

This magazine is owned by BBC Worldwide and produced on its behalf by Immediate Media Company London Limited. BBC Worldwide’s profits are returned to the BBC for the benefit of the licence-fee payer. ISSN 17439175. Reprographics by Immediate Media Company London Limited. Printed by Polestar Chantry. © Immediate Media Company London Limited 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without permission. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors in advertisements, articles, photographs or illustrations. BBC Worldwide Ltd is a registered data user whose entries in the Data Protection Register contain descriptions of sources and disclosures of personal data. The text paper for BBC Easy Cook is printed on 65gsm Graphocote produced by SCA. It is elementally chlorine free and coated with kaolin from Brazil. The cover is printed on 150gsm Royal Roto produced by Sappi Paper at their Nijmegen mill in Holland. It is elementally chlorine free and coated with china clay produced in the UK. Immediate Media is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well-managed forests. This magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified paper. This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please remove any gifts, samples or wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point. With thanks to BBC Good Food magazine, where some recipes have previously appeared.

y b a b r u o y e v i g o t g n i p Hel e f i l n i t r the best sta Every issue of Prima Baby brings you the very latest news, views and features all designed to make your parenting journey easier and more fun. We know you’re trying to be the best you can be and we vow to support you every step of the way

Food for thought

r e f f o n o i t p i r c s Sub

3 ISSUES FOR £1

Prima Baby is packed with information on how to nourish your child – from breastfeeding to weaning – with simple recipes from nutrition expert Annabel Karmel

...THEN SAVE A HUGE 44% ON THE SHOP PRICE

TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 0844 249 0273* Please quote PBEC714 www.buysubscriptions.com/primababy/PBEC714 OFFER MUST END 24 JULY, 2014 THIS OFFER IS OPEN TO NEW UK DIRECT DEBIT CUSTOMERS SUBSCRIBING TO PRIMA BABY MAGAZINE. AFTER YOUR FIRST THREE ISSUES YOU WILL GO ON TO PAY £10 EVERY SIX ISSUES BY DIRECT DEBIT, SAVING OVER 44%. OFFER MUST END 26 JULY 2014 *CALLS TO 0844 NUMBERS FROM A BT LANDLINE WILL COST NO MORE THAN 5P PER MINUTE. CALLS FROM MOBILES AND OTHER PROVIDERS MAY VARY

Useful isn’t the word. Essential is. Thaw tiger prawns in cool fltered water to lock in favour and freshness, just one of the ways the iconic Zip HydroTap could become an essential tool for busy kitchens. Providing you with instant boiling, chilled and even sparkling fltered water on tap – it will revolutionise the way you cook.

Visit nowzipit.co.uk to see for yourself. Or call 0845 6 005 005 for further information.