BBC Easy Cook 2014-75

FromtheBBC kitchen TheUK’s BESTVALUE food magazine ISSUE75 OCTOBER 2014 Five-spice beef easycook ‘Try two of my favourite recipes’ says MasterChef’s J...

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The UK’s BEST VALUE food magazine

NOW ONLY

easycook ‘Try two of my favourite recipes’

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says MasterChef’s John Torode

Five-spice beef Japanese noodles

ISSUE 75 OCTOBER 2014

£1.99

From the BBC

Reclaim your evenings Family meals in under 30 mins

What to cook

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Charred salmon

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Chop

chop! Rosemary traybake lamb page 35

tonight Your kids will you!

Food for

friends

Let your oven do the work

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DINNEsRh! in a f la

Try our showstopper cake...

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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 With thanks to Todd Slaughter PUBLISHING

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Welcome

.. to the October issue of BBC Easy Cook. If your son or daughter is off to university for the ﬁrst time this year and they’ll be cooking for themselves, we’ve got some great recipes on page 40 that are easy to make, need very little kitchen equipment and are great for sharing – so why not pack them off with a copy of this issue in their bags? Or, better still, buy them a subscription to BBC Easy Cook! See page 30 for details of our current great-value offer. We've been talking in the ofﬁce about useful ingredients that are worth keeping in the fridge because they’re so versatile. Pesto is an obvious one (use it on pasta, to stuff chicken breasts and to make salad dressings), and even humble tomato ketchup can be pressed into action to add ﬂavour to sauces and casseroles instead of more expensive tomato purée. But a big tub of crème fraiche came out as our favourite must-have. It makes an instant sauce for lasagne and moussaka – no need to make a cheese sauce, just take a couple of spoonfuls from the tub. And we love it in Sausage Pot Pies too (photo above): Squeeze the meat from some pork sausages and form into balls. Fry with chopped onions and halved mushrooms. Stir in some crème fraiche and mustard, then put into small pie dishes and top with bread cubes. Bake in a hot oven for 20 mins. Sarah Giles, Editor PS Look out for the next issue of BBC Easy Cook, which will be on sale on Wednesday, 1 October.

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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

From the BBC

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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.

Our promise 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 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

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Contents ISSUE 75 OCTOBER 2014

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

To make our delicious cover recipe, turn to page 35

35 ALL IN ONE POT Rosemary traybake lamb – perfect for a fuss-free meal with the family

Foolproof recipes for perfect results every time

Everyone will love our scampi and chips!

38 STRICTLY FAB-U-LOUS! It’s back! Celebrate with our glittering TV dinner

SPEEDY MEALS

40 STUDENT SPECIAL

Weeknight suppers for a month – in 30 minutes or less

Easy ideas so your kids don’t starve on campus!

6 20 FAST MEALS

42 FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

Quick and delicious weeknight meals for a month

Friends coming over? Cook up a posh Chinese meal that is quick to prepare and cook

24 MAKE THE MOST OF A ROAST Leftover chicken from Sunday lunch? Try these ideas

26 BRILLIANT SIDE DISHES …including sticky sesame glazed carrots

29 SPEEDY PUD Bruschetta – but with a sweet twist!

33 SATURDAY SNACK 4

36 WEEKEND MEALS

BBC Easy Cook

44 SEASONAL FOOD Make the most of pumpkins and squash with these delicious recipes

46 TAKE A PACK OF… PEARS Including a yummy tart

48 FRUITY PUDDINGS You’ll love our plum and amaretti semifreddo

Simple scallops with ﬂavoured greens, page 68

TV COOKS Recipes from your favourite BBC cooks

GET BAKING

62 JOHN TORODE

Sweet and savoury ideas you’ll want to make again and again

64 JAMES MARTIN

Japanese-style chicken noodles, plus ideas for fennel Chutney, pickle and jam recipes to try

50 SAVOURY BAKES Muffins, pasties and a superb Mediterranean tart

66 MARIA ELIA A special meal for two (the pavlovas are stunning!)

52 SWEET TREATS A fabulous cheesecake and two tempting cakes

68 TOM KERRIDGE Lovely scallop dish – ready in just 20 minutes

54 BAKE A SHOWSTOPPER! If The Great British Bake Off has you gripped, try one of our simple but impressive ideas

69 BILL GRANGER

58 SPOOKY BAKES

70 SABRINA GHAYOUR

Scary Halloween biscuits and cupcakes to make

Never tried Persian food before? Prepare to be inspired!

COOKS’ EXTRAS 34 GREAT IDEAS FOR SPICES 72 LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS …and how to use them up 76 EASY EXTRAS 4 packed pages of ideas, tips, products and more

Easy idea for a smart lunch

EASY COOK COOKERY SCHOOL

REGULARS

74 HOW TO ICE BISCUITS

BBC Easy Cook direct to your door

It’s easier than you think to create stunning designs

3 WELCOME 30 SUBSCRIBE! 60 GREAT READER OFFER Choose from two knifeblock sets

82 INDEX BBC Easy Cook

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20 quick weeknight meals

A whole month of tasty recipes – all ready in 30 minutes or less

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Fish in Thai sauce l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) Ready in 15 minutes l £2.62 a portion l 328 kcals, 14g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

4 ﬁrm white ﬁsh ﬁllets 2 tbsp cornﬂour 2 tbsp sunﬂower oil 4 spring onions, sliced 6

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2 cloves of garlic, crushed a small piece of fresh ginger, ﬁnely chopped 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime chopped into wedges, to serve 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced a handful of basil leaves or coriander leaves

1 Cook the ﬁsh Coat the ﬁsh ﬁllets in the cornﬂour, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, then sizzle the ﬁllets for 2-3 mins on each side until crisp, remove and keep warm. In the same pan, brieﬂy fry the spring onions, garlic and ginger, then add the soy sauce, sugar and lime juice and simmer until slightly syrupy. Spoon the sauce over the ﬁsh, scatter with the chilli and herbs and serve with lime wedges.

SPEEDY MEALS

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Tomato and chorizo rice l

Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.34 a portion l 494 kcals, 18g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing 250g pack small cooking chorizo sausages, halved lengthways 1 onion, halved and sliced 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika 250g basmati rice 500ml hot chicken stock 2 roasted peppers from a jar, chopped 395g can cherry tomatoes 85g pitted green olives

1 Fry the chorizo Heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the sliced chorizo halves, cut-side down, and cook until the oil starts to come out and they begin to crisp at the edges. 2 Add the onions and rice Tip the onion and garlic into the pan with the chorizo slices, and cook for a few minutes more. Stir in the paprika and rice, mix well so that all the grains are coated, then pour in the hot chicken stock and add the roasted peppers. Stir everything, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. 3 Add the tomatoes and olives Stir in the tomatoes and olives and cook for 8-10 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

theeasyway If you don’t like olives, you can leave them out

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SPEEDY MEALS Quinoa-crusted salmon l l

Serves 4 l Ready in 15 minutes l 361 kcals, 20g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion

85g quinoa grated rind and juice of ½ lemon 4 skinless, boneless salmon ﬁllets, defrosted if frozen 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Coat the salmon Mix the quinoa and lemon rind on a plate. Roll the salmon ﬁllets

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in the mixture, pressing it ﬁrmly to coat all over. 2 Fry the ﬁsh Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the salmon for 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and the quinoa crust is golden brown. Pour over most of the lemon juice.

theeasyway Serve with mange tout, a lemon wedge and Quick parsley sauce: Heat 100ml crème fraiche in a pan with a squeeze of lemon juice. Season, then stir in 1 tbsp chopped, fresh ﬂat-leaf parsley

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Crispy pork tacos with pineapple salsa

theeasyway Serve with Fennel slaw: Mix 1 chopped cucumber and 1 shredded fennel bulb with 200g reduced-fat Greek yogurt, 1 clove of garlic, crushed, 1 mild red chilli, deseeded and chopped, and salt and pepper to taste

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Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.46 a portion 320 kcals, 13g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

500g lean pork mince 1 small onion, chopped 2 tsp each ground cumin and smoked paprika 2 tbsp soft brown sugar 2 tbsp cider vinegar 200ml passata ½ small pineapple, peeled, cored and diced 1 red onion, diced ½ small pack coriander, chopped crisp taco shells, salsa, chilli sauce and soured cream, to serve 1 Cook the pork Heat a non-stick frying pan, and

fry the mince and onion with some seasoning until brown and cooked through (about 5 minutes). Drain off the excess fat. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, sugar, vinegar and passata. Cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat, and then season to taste. 2 Assemble the tacos Mix the pineapple, onion and coriander together. Heat the tacos according to pack instructions. Serve the mince in the taco shells with the salsa, chilli sauce and soured cream.

Lamb kebabs l l

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Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l 202 kcals, 8g fat, 4g sat. fat a portion

400g can green lentils, rinsed and drained 250g pack lean lamb mince 1 tsp ground coriander 1 Assemble and grill Heat grill to high. Put the lentils into the bowl of a food processor, then whizz to a

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rough paste. Tip into a bowl, add the mince, coriander and plenty of seasoning, then mix well. Roll into 16 balls, thread onto 4 skewers, then grill for 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden, cooked through, but still juicy in the middle.

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To make a vegetarian version, use veggie mince instead of the pork; the cooking times remain the same BBC Easy Cook

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SPEEDY MEALS Hot mustard tuna with herby couscous l

Serves 4 Ready in 20 minutes l £2.11 a portion l 386 kcals, 11g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1 red onion, halved and ﬁnely sliced ﬁnely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing 400ml hot vegetable stock 250g couscous 4 tuna steaks, about 140g each 2 tsp English mustard powder a bunch of ﬂat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 2 tbsp capers

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1 Start cooking the couscous Put the onion, lemon rind and juice and the oil into a bowl, season, then leave to soak for 5 minutes until the onion has softened a little. Pour the hot stock over the couscous in a large bowl, cover with cling ﬁlm and leave for 10 minutes, until the stock has been absorbed. 2 Grill the tuna Season the tuna steaks, brush with oil, then pat the mustard powder over both sides with the back of a spoon. When the couscous is ready, add the parsley and capers to the onion mixture, stir well, then mix into the couscous with a fork. Heat a griddle pan and sear the tuna for 1 minute on each side for mediumrare. Serve with the couscous and wedges.

Try this with tuna too Tangy salad relish Peel ½ cucumber, halve lengthways, scoop out the seeds and discard, then chop the flesh into a small dice. Mix the cucumber with 2 spring onions, finely chopped, 1 medium tomato, finely chopped, ½ large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp chopped parsley and 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice. Season to taste. Serves 4.

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Chicken with mushrooms l

Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes l £1.18 a portion l 260 kcals, 13g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l

2 tbsp olive oil 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs ﬂour, for dusting 50g smoked bacon lardons 300g small button mushrooms 2 large shallots, chopped 250ml chicken stock 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 50g frozen peas a small handful of parsley, ﬁnely chopped

1 Start cooking the chicken Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan. Season and dust the chicken with ﬂour, then brown on all sides. Remove. Fry the bacon and mushrooms until soft, then remove to a plate. 2 Add the stock and vinegar Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook the shallots for 5 minutes. Add the stock and vinegar and bubble for 1-2 minutes. Return the chicken, bacon and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for 2 minutes more, then serve. BBC Easy Cook 11

SPEEDY MEALS Cheesy polenta with sausage ragu

theeasyway If you have leftover polenta, chill it then cut into small pieces, fry in a little oil and serve instead of potatoes

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Serves 4 l Ready in 30 minutes l £1.16 a portion 910 kcals, 41g fat, 16g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 8 pork sausages, skins removed 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 400ml chicken stock 1½ tbsp tomato purée 4 rosemary sprigs, ﬁnely chopped 400g instant polenta 150g smoked cheese, coarsely grated 1 Make the ragu Heat the oil in a large, ﬂameproof casserole dish over a medium heat and cook the onions and

garlic for a few minutes, without browning. Stir in the sausages, breaking them up into small pieces, and cook for 8 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock, tomato purée and most of the rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes more, or until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste. 2 Make the cheesy polenta Meanwhile, make up the polenta according to pack instructions. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, with some seasoning. Spoon the polenta onto 4 plates, then top with the ragu and the remaining rosemary.

Spiced broccoli with paneer l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 20 minutes £1.53 a portion l 529 kcals, 40g fat, 21g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l l

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Serve the chicken with the dip and a green salad

1 large head of broccoli, broken into ﬂorets 1 tbsp olive oil 225g pack paneer, sliced 1 tsp garam masala 1 clove of garlic, ﬁnely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and ﬁnely chopped ﬁnely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon naan bread, to serve 1 Boil the broccoli Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water for 3-4 mins. Save a

little of the cooking water, then drain and set aside 2 Fry the cheese Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Season, then fry the paneer for 2-3 mins on each side until golden. Move the paneer to the edge of the pan and add the garam masala, garlic, chilli and reserved cooking water. Cook for 2 mins, then return the broccoli to the pan with the lemon rind and juice. Toss together, heat through and serve with warm naan.

Crunchy chicken strips l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 15 minutes 98p a portion l 559 kcals, 33g fat, 9g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (uncooked) l

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200g skinless chicken breasts 1 egg, lightly beaten 85g polenta sunﬂower oil, for frying 3 tbsp half-fat crème fraiche 2 tsp piri-piri sauce

each piece of chicken, ﬁrst in the egg, then the polenta. Heat about 2cm oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry for 5-7 minutes until the coating is crisp. Drain well on kitchen paper.

1 Cook the chicken strips Cut each chicken breast into ﬁve strips. Season the egg, then coat

2 Make the dip Put the crème fraiche into a bowl and swirl in the piri-piri sauce.

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Another way with paneer... Veggie tikka cubes Put 30g plain flour, 2 tsp turmeric and 2 tsp curry powder into a bowl, add 200g cubed paneer to the bowl and mix until coated. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the cheese until golden brown. Drain the cheese on kitchen paper and season. Serves 2.

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SPEEDY MEALS Thai-spiced turkey patties l

Serves 4 Ready in 20 minutes l £1.13 a portion l 173 kcals, 2g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

400g turkey breast, chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, ﬁnely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, crushed ﬁnely grated rind of 1 lime 4 tsp low-salt soy sauce ½ small bunch coriander, chopped ½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 Make the patties Heat the grill to medium. Put the turkey in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add the lemongrass, garlic and lime rind, and the soy sauce, coriander and chilli, then pulse again until combined. Tip the mixture into a bowl and add some black pepper. Shape into 8 patties, then transfer to a non-stick baking tray and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Serve with some sweet chilli sauce for dipping, if you like, and a noodle salad (see recipe, below)

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Serve with... Noodle salad Soak 2 nests medium wheat noodles according to pack instructions, then drain and add a 300g pack mixed pepper stir-fry vegetables, 4 tsp low-salt soy sauce and the juice of 1 lime. Toss well and divide between the 4 plates. Sprinkle with x small bunch coriander, chopped and x red chilli, deseeded and chopped. Top with the patties. 14 BBC Easy Cook

theeasyway Slice the chicken and serve it with the corn chips, guacamole and more lime wedges for squeezing over

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Grilled chicken with spicy guacamole and corn chips l

Serves 6 Ready in 30 minutes l £1.99 a portion l 439 kcals, 21g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

4 tbsp olive oil 6 chicken breasts, skin on 6 corn tortillas 4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 2cm chunks 1 small red onion, ﬁnely chopped 1 long red chilli, deseeded and ﬁnely diced ½ tsp Tabasco juice of 2 limes, plus extra limes cut into wedges, to serve

2 large ripe avocados, peeled and stoned (squeeze some lemon juice over them to stop them from going brown) 80g pack of coriander, leaves only, chopped 20g pack of basil, leaves only, chopped a handful of ﬂat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped 1 Cook the chicken Heat a griddle or frying pan on a medium heat, rub 1 tbsp oil all over the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so until the skin is golden and the ﬂesh is juicy and cooked through. Lift onto a plate to rest while you make the corn chips.

2 Make the corn chips Meanwhile, turn oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4. Brush the tortillas with 1 tbsp oil, then cut each into 6 triangles. Spread over a large baking sheet, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp. 3 Make the tomato mix Put the tomatoes and onion in a mixing bowl, then add a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, chilli, Tabasco and the juice of 1 lime. 4 Finish the guacamole Chop and gently mash the avocados. Stir in the remaining lime juice and the tomato mixture, then fold through the herbs. BBC Easy Cook 15

SPEEDY MEALS Japanese-style beef bowl l l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 15 minutes l £2.96 a portion 488 kcals, 14g fat, 4g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, thickly sliced 250g thin-cut steak or frying steak, thinly sliced 4 tbsp teriyaki sauce 1 tbsp ﬁnely grated ginger 1 clove of garlic, ﬁnely grated 250g pouch microwave long-grain rice 2 spring onions, sliced

1 Make the sauce Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes over a medium heat until soft. Turn up the heat and add the steak to the pan. Stir-fry with the onion for 2 minutes. Mix together the teriyaki sauce, ginger and garlic, and stir into the meat with 1 tbsp water. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, then remove from the heat. 2 Serve Meanwhile, cook the rice according to pack instructions, then divide between bowls. Spoon over the meat, then top with the spring onions.

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theeasyway Use up teriyaki sauce as a marinade for chicken or salmon, or mix with a little white wine vinegar, and stir through fried rice

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SPEEDY MEALS Meatballs in tomato sauce l l

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Serves 2 l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.51 a portion 652 kcals, 39g fat, 13g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

300g minced beef 2 cloves of garlic, ﬁnely chopped 1 egg, beaten 2 tbsp plain ﬂour 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, ﬁnely chopped 4 tomatoes, chopped 4 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 Shape the meatballs Put the mince, half the garlic, the egg and ﬂour into a bowl and mix well with your hands to combine. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into small meatballs.

2 Brown the meat Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meatballs for 5-6 mins, turning frequently, until browned and cooked through. (You may need to do this in batches.) Remove from the pan and set aside. 3 Make the sauce Fry the onion and remaining garlic in the pan for 2 minutes, or until soft, then stir in the tomatoes and ketchup. Season, then simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and softened. Stir in the parsley. Add the meatballs to the pan to heat through, then serve.

Sausage and lentil traybake

theeasyway Toss through 50g toasted pine nuts and serve with extra parmesan (optional)

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Serves 3 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 30 mins l £2.57 a portion 645 kcals, 30g fat, 10g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

3 small onions 6 sausages 2 x 250g pouches puy lentils 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 3 tbsp maple syrup 1 Brown the sausages Turn oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Quarter the onions, leaving the root intact so they don’t fall apart during cooking. Heat a griddle pan to high. Griddle the onions to char them, then remove and set aside. Repeat

with the sausages – you don’t need to cook them completely through at this point, just until they are browned. 2 Add the lentils and cook Tip the lentils into a roasting tin and add any juices from the griddle pan, the vinegar and seasoning, then toss together. Put the onion wedges and sausages on top and brush the sausages with the maple syrup. Season. Cook for 20 minutes, then serve.

Spaghetti with artichokes & pesto l

Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.22 a portion l 565 kcals, 24g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l 350g spaghetti 2 eggs 2 tbsp milk 4 tbsp green pesto 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated 390g can artichokes, drained, quartered and dried 1 Cook the pasta and make the sauce Cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or jug, beat the eggs 18 BBC Easy Cook

together with the milk, pesto, parmesan, artichokes and some seasoning. 2 Add the sauce to the pasta When the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and tip back into the pan. Put the pan onto a low heat and pour over the egg and pesto mixture, tossing together to coat all the pasta in the sauce – take care not to heat it for too long or it will start to scramble. Serve immediately.

theeasyway You could serve the sticky sausages and onions with mash instead of lentils

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SPEEDY MEALS Baked potatoes with spicy dhal l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) Ready in 30 minutes l £1.89 a portion l 556 kcals, 8g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

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1 tbsp sunﬂower oil ½ tsp each cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and turmeric 1 onion, thinly sliced 3 cloves of garlic, sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced 85g canned red lentils, drained 1 tomato, chopped 400ml vegetable stock 210g can chickpeas, drained a good handful of chopped coriander 2 frozen jacket potatoes, from a pack chutney or lime pickle, to serve

1 Make the dhal Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and turmeric to release their ﬂavours. As soon as the seeds start to crackle, tip in the onion, garlic and chilli, with a splash of water to stop the spices from burning, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens. 2 Finish making the topping Add the lentils, tomato and stock, then cover and cook for 10 mins. Tip in the chickpeas, cover and cook until tender (about 5 minutes more). Season, then stir in the coriander. 3 Microwave the frozen jackets Meanwhile, cook the potatoes according to pack instructions. Leave to stand for 2 minutes before serving. Spoon over the dhal and serve with mango chutney or lime pickle.

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theeasyway Another time, swap the dhal for Red wine lentils: put 200g canned lentils, drained, into a pan with 400ml red wine and 1 bay leaf and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stir in 100g butter and season. Serves 2 20 BBC Easy Cook

SPEEDY MEALS

Lemon chicken l

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Serves 4 l Ready in 30 minutes l £1.98 a portion 382 kcals, 25g fat, 4g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1 lemon 6-7 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, bashed to bruise 1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs 2 bay leaves 4 x 160g skin-on boneless chicken breasts 1 medium aubergine 1 Flavour the chicken Squeeze the lemon juice from half the lemon and cut the other half into 4 slices. Mix the lemon juice, 4 tbsp of oil, the garlic, thyme, bay and some pepper in a shallow dish. Add the chicken, skin-side up, and the lemon slices and coat the chicken well.

Serve with... Tomato salsa Halve 450g cherry tomatoes and mix them with 2 sliced cloves of garlic in a shallow dish. Drizzle over 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tsp white wine vinegar and gently toss with a good handful of fresh chopped oregano and some black pepper. You can make this up to 8 hours ahead. Serves 4.

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2 Cook the aubergine Cut the aubergine into just under 1cm thick slices – you should get 16-20 slices. Put them on a baking sheet and brush both sides with the remaining 2-3 tbsp oil. Cook the aubergine slices over a medium-high heat in a griddle or frying pan for 8 mins, turning halfway through. Drain on kitchen paper and keep at room temperature. 3 Grill the chicken In the same pan, cook the chicken, skin-side down to start, for 12 minutes, turning now and then until cooked through. Brown the lemon slices in the pan. Serve with the aubergines.

Roast pork with sage and red onion chutney l l

Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l £2.21 a portion 452 kcals, 21g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1kg pork ﬁllet, cut into 12 medallions 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage 3 cloves of garlic, skin on, crushed 4 whole cloves knob of butter 2 red onions, ﬁnely chopped 1½ tbsp wholegrain mustard 1½ tbsp caster sugar juice of ½ lemon 1 Cook the pork Turn the oven to fan 200C/ conventional 220C/gas 7. Season the pork. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in an ovenproof frying

pan, sear the meat on all sides for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sage, garlic and cloves over the pork, then roast for 10 mins, or until cooked through. 2 Make the chutney Heat the butter and remaining oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 4 mins, until soft. Stir in the mustard and sugar and cook for 5 mins, until the sugar melts. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and scrape up the caramelised bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Pea pasta l l

Serves 2 (easily multiplied) l Ready in 10 mins l £1.31 a portion 472 kcals, 19g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

250g pack frozen ricotta & spinach tortellini 50g frozen peas 50g frozen broad beans 1 tbsp olive oil ﬁnely grated rind of 1 lemon 50g ricotta 22 BBC Easy Cook

1 Cook the pasta Cook the pasta for 3-4 mins in boiling water. Add the frozen peas and beans, then cook for 1 min more to heat. Drain well, toss through the olive oil and lemon rind. Spoon onto plates and top with the ricotta.

20

mins

BBC Easy Cook 23

Make the most of

your roast

If, like us, you always have some chicken left over from Sunday lunch, use it up in one of these great recipes

Vietnamese lunchbox baguette l

Serves 1 Ready in 15 minutes l £1.97 a portion l 439 kcals, 7g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1 tsp rice vinegar ½ tsp caster sugar juice of ½ lime ½ small carrot, peeled and grated 2 spring onions, thinly sliced 2½cm piece cucumber, sliced ½ red chilli, thinly sliced into rounds 1 sandwich baguette 3-4 little gem leaves 120g cooked chicken, shredded 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1 Make the baguette Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar and lime juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the carrot, spring onions, cucumber and chilli. Split the baguette along the top. Stuff with the lettuce and pile on the carrot mixture and chicken. Put the chilli sauce in a small, portable pot and pour it over the ﬁlling before eating.

To transport, wrap well or pack into a lunchbox

24 BBC Easy Cook

SPEEDY MEALS Chicken and pea risotto l

Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes l £1.68 a portion l 641 kcals, 20g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

Chicken noodle laksa

1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove of garlic, crushed 350g risotto rice 1 small glass of white wine 1 litre hot stock 300g cooked chicken, chopped 1 tbsp thyme leaves 200g frozen peas 1 tbsp crème fraiche 2 tbsp grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

1 Coat the rice in the oil Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute more, until it starts to look transparent. Pour in the wine and keep stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. 2 Add the stock and chicken Add the stock and simmer until the rice is just tender and the liquid is completely absorbed. Stir through the chicken, thyme and peas, then cook for 2 minutes more, or until the chicken is warmed through. Add the crème fraiche and parmesan with some seasoning, then remove from the heat. Cover with a lid and leave to stand for 2 minutes before serving, with extra parmesan, on the side if you like.

l

Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes l £2.08 a portion l 382 kcals, 14g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

650ml chicken stock 2 tsp coriander seeds 2cm piece of ginger, sliced 1 lemongrass stalk, crushed ﬁnely grated rind and juice of ½ lime 4 tsp ﬁsh sauce 2 tsp low-salt soy sauce 140ml light coconut milk 2 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced small handful of coriander, chopped (leaves and stalks separated) 600g cooked chicken small bunch of spring onions, sliced 200g cooked rice noodles handful of mint leaves, chopped 1 Flavour the stock Put the chicken stock in a large pan with the coriander seeds, ginger, lemongrass, lime rind and a little salt. Slowly bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. 2 Add the chicken Bring the stock back to the boil, then add the ﬁsh sauce, soy, coconut milk, garlic, chillies and coriander stalks. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes until warm. Add the spring onions and lime juice to taste. 3 Pour over the stock and serve Divide the noodles between bowls, then use a slotted spoon to lift the chicken and veg into each. Season, then pour over the stock. Scatter with coriander and mint leaves to serve.

More ideas to try Mustard chicken on toast Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan, add 1 tbsp plain flour then gradually stir in 150ml milk. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Add 2 tbsp crème fraiche, 1 tsp dijon or grainy mustard and 150g cooked chicken and heat through. Season with black pepper. Spoon the mustardy sauce over 2 slices of toast and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Chicken and pea pasta Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and 350g pasta and cook for 10-12 mins, or according to pack instructions, until the pasta is al dente. Two mins before the pasta is ready, add 175g frozen peas. Drain, and return to the pan. Add 175g cooked chicken, shredded, 1 tbsp horseradish sauce and a handful of chopped parsley. Stir, season with freshly ground black pepper, then heat through. Serves 4. BBC Easy Cook 25

easysides SPEEDY MEALS

Fed up with peas? Try one of these super-tasty side dishes for a change

Lemon and parsley butter beans l

Serves 4 Ready in 25 minutes l 53p a portion l 134 kcals, 4g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, sliced 1 clove of garlic, crushed 2 x 400g cans butter beans, rinsed and drained ﬁnely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 1 large or 2 small bunches of parsley, chopped

Sticky sesame glazed carrots l

Serves 6 Takes 5 minutes, plus 40 mins in the oven l 34p a portion l 203 kcals, 7g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

1 Cook and ﬂavour the beans Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic for the ﬁnal minute, then stir in the beans to heat through. Add the lemon rind and juice. Stir in the parsley to serve.

Celeriac champ

800g carrots, cut into long wedges 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp clear honey ½ tbsp sesame seeds

l

Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes l 69p a portion l 308 kcals, 13g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

900g potatoes, cut into chunks 1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks 1 clove of garlic, peeled but left whole 50ml double cream 25g butter, plus extra to serve 5 spring onions, sliced 1 Make the mash Put the potato, celeriac and garlic in a pan of cold water and cook for 20-25 minutes on a medium heat, until tender. Drain, mash, then stir in the double cream and butter. Season to taste, then stir through the spring onions and top with a knob of butter to serve. 26 BBC Easy Cook

1 Glaze the carrots Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Toss the carrots in a baking tray with the oil. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring in the honey halfway through cooking, and sprinkle over the seeds for the ﬁnal 10 minutes.

You can use cannellini, haricot beans or chickpeas in this instead of butter beans

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Mexican piñata baked potatoes

l Makes 4 l Takes 15 mins, plus 1 hr 5 mins in the oven 4 baking potatoes 4 rashers smoked back bacon 25g Gold from Flora 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated 100g cooked sweetcorn 4 spring onions, chopped 1 tsp mild chilli powder or paprika FOR THE AVOCADO SALSA

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered 4 spring onions, chopped juice of ½ lime 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Bake the potatoes Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Prick the potatoes several times with a fork and place in the oven for 45-60 mins until they are cooked through and have crisp skins.

Let TV chef Jo Pratt help your midweek meals shine with this tasty recipe using new Gold from Flora When it comes to rustling up homemade meals the whole family will love, inspiration can sometimes be hard to come by. Mum of two and author of four recipe books, Jo Pratt knows all about that – that’s why she’s created a host of easy family recipes like this delicious one for Mexican piñata baked potatoes, using new rich and creamy Gold from Flora. “In terms of family cooking, baked potatoes are a classic. They’re not expensive, everybody loves them and they provide a blank canvas for adding all sorts of ﬂavours, depending on what your kids like,” Jo explains. “This recipe takes on a Mexican theme and is packed full of Latin ﬂavour, without any of the heat. It’s a great way to give youngsters a gentle introduction to the wonderful world of

spice, and they’ll love getting their hands messy in the preparation too.” Gold from Flora is the perfect ingredient for a family favourite like this. An irresistible blend of butter and Flora – but with 40% less saturated fat than normal butter, it is incredibly versatile and can be used to enhance a range of tasty and easy-to-make dishes. Whether you spread it on your toast in the morning, use it to create even tastier sandwiches at lunch, or add it to dinner veg for extra ﬂavour, you can use it for all meal occasions. Made for people who love food but want to ensure a balanced diet, you can enjoy Gold from Flora without losing taste or quality. Try it for yourself in Jo’s great baked potatoes recipe.

DISCOVER NEW GOLD FROM FLORA Gold from Flora is available in 400g (RRP £2.49) and 225g (RRP £1.49) tubs from all leading supermarkets and independent retailers.

2. Cook the bacon When the potatoes are near the end of cooking, put the bacon on a wire rack over a baking tray and put in the oven for 10-12 mins until golden. Remove and cut into small pieces.

3. Stuff the potatoes When the potatoes are cooked, remove and switch the oven to the grill and turn on high. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop the potato ﬂesh out into a large bowl. Add the Gold from Flora and mash with a fork. Mix in the bacon pieces, half of the cheese, corn, onions and chilli powder. Spoon back into the potato skins and scatter over the remaining cheese.

5. Finish with salsa Sit the ﬁlled potatoes on a baking tray and put under the hot grill for about 5 mins until the cheese has melted. Meanwhile, this dish is delicious with an avocado salsa, so to make the salsa, simply mix together all the salsa ingredients and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the potatoes immediately with the salsa on the side. Follow us @Flora #discovergold

To see Jo make this recipe and more mealtime inspiration, visit goldfromﬂora.com

For nutritional information, visit goldfromﬂora.com

GOLD STANDARD

Di M of ag gi th az tal e in Ye e ar

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October 2014

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WHAT TO COOK WHEN FRIENDS COME OVER Spanish chicken with chorizo, lemon, potatoes & chickpeas • Butternut squash cannelloni • One-pan lentil dahl with curried fsh BUDGET SUPPERS FOR £1 OR LESS Great for families & students MARY BERRY’S DOUBLE MASTERCLASS Salmon en route & chocolate roulade PLUS Chef Tom Kerridge reinvents the weekend roast

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SPEEDY MEALS

Quick pud This lovely pudding only takes half an hour and looks really special – the perfect excuse to treat yourself midweek!

theeasyway Serve with crème fraiche

Roasted ﬁg bruschetta l

More easy dessert ideas to try

l

Easy banoffee pies Sprinkle 85g pecan

Griddled pineapple Peel and slice

nuts with icing sugar and toast in a dry pan. On each of 4 plates, put 2 round shortbread biscuits, thickly drizzled with tinned caramel (about 1 tbsp per plate). Put slices of banana on top of each, then finish with a spoonful of whipped cream and some of the toasted pecans. Serves 4.

1 pineapple into large wedges, then, on a medium heat, griddle or fry until caramelised on both sides. Mix a 400g pot natural yogurt with 1 tsp vanilla extract, pour into 4 small glasses and sprinkle the top of each with 1 tbsp brown sugar. Leave to stand for 10 mins so that the sugar melts. Serve with the pineapple. Serves 4.

Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes l £1.14 a portion l 401 kcals, 19g fat, 11g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing 85g butter 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 4 thick slices of white bread 3 tbsp caster sugar 8 ﬁgs, cut in half 1 Make the bruschetta Mix the butter with the cinnamon, spread it on both sides of the bread, then put the bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle over 1½ tbsp sugar. Top with the ﬁgs, sprinkle over the remaining sugar and bake for 20 minutes at fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Serve warm.

Spiced orange pancakes Heat 12 ready-made scotch pancakes in the microwave according to pack instructions. Pile 3 pancakes onto each of 4 plates, then drizzle each stack with 3 tbsp orange curd mixed with x tsp mixed spice and x tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle with grated orange rind and toasted flaked almonds. Serves 4.

Instant lime rice pudding Put 100ml reduced-fat coconut milk into a pan with the finely grated rind of 2 limes, 1 tsp vanilla pasta and 50g caster sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 100g cooked basmati rice to the pan and stir well. Serves 1. BBC Easy Cook 29

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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.

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75

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE...

BRANDNEW RECIPES

Great-value cooking Easy one-pots Student suppers

Make weekends special Mary Berry’s chocolate roulade

DISCOVER NEW FLAVOURS Get creative with chillies Tuscan dinner menu

ON SALE NOW! One-pot pork stew with easy corn dumplings

PLUS Free recipe book inside 40 quick and easy recipes for you to try

SPEEDY MEALS Add the leftover half of pepper to a pizza or salad, or chop and stir into pasta sauce

Saturday

snack

This posh snack for one, with melting cheese and tasty veg, can easily be multiplied to serve more people

Mushroom and pepper melts l

Serves 1 Ready in 30 minutes l £1.52 a portion l 431 kcals, 29g fat, 12g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

l

1 tbsp olive oil ½ red pepper, sliced 1 large, ﬂat mushroom, thickly sliced 1 clove of garlic, ﬁnely chopped 1 tsp thyme leaves 1-2 slices crusty bread 75g brie (or vegetarian alternative), sliced

1 Cook the veg until soft Heat the grill to high. Put the oil, pepper, mushroom, garlic and thyme leaves in a bowl. Season well, then toss together. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, and cook the pepper and mushroom slices for 10-12 minutes, turning now and then, until softened and charred. 2 Top with cheese Meanwhile, toast the bread on one side until golden. Pile the griddled vegetables and the remaining ﬂavoured oil from the bowl onto the untoasted sides of the bread. Top with the brie and grill for 3-5 minutes until melted, bubbling and golden.

More tasty toast ideas Seedy spread Toast 1 slice of bread and spread with 1 tbsp soft cheese. Spread ½ tsp Marmite onto the cheese to give a marbled effect and sprinkle over 1 tsp mixed seeds. Serves 1. Tuna melt Mix together 100g canned tuna, drained and flaked, with 2 finely chopped spring onions and 2 tbsp mayonnaise. Season. Toast 1 slice of bread until browned on both sides, then spread the tuna mixture on top. Scatter over 25g cheddar and grill until the cheese is bubbling. Serves 1.

BBC Easy Cook 33

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Our top10 spices Cupboard full of half-used jars? Give these ideas a go! GROUND GINGER

remaining spices and the other half of the chilli over 2 white fish fillets, put the fish on the fennel and top with 1 sliced lemon. Scrunch the foil to seal. Bake the parcels for 10 minutes, then unwrap and scatter with coriander leaves. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 2.

Its spicy flavour with a sweet hint of lemon is really good in bakes.

Try this… Ginger shortcake Turn oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Grease a 20cmsquare baking tray. Beat 175g butter and 85g caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in 200g plain flour and 2 tsp ground ginger. Mix together with a knife then bring together to form a dough with lightly floured hands. Spread it into the tray. Bake for 30 mins, until golden. Makes 16 squares.

CINNAMON Very fragrant and warming, it's perfect in spiced cakes or with poached fruit. It's also good in savoury dishes like tagines too.

ALLSPICE

CUMIN SEEDS A slightly bitter but warming spice. Fantastic in curries, Mexican and Moroccan dishes.

Crush fresh ginger and garlic together, then freeze teaspoonfuls ready to add to curries and stir-fries

These berries have the flavour of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Sold as a crushed powder, it can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, including pickles, mulled drinks and jerk chicken. Try this… Baked apples Mix 80g mixed dried fruit with 55ml brandy and leave to soak for 2 hours. Stir in 30g light brown sugar, ½ tsp allspice and 100g very soft butter. Spoon and press the fruit into the holes of 6 cored eating apples. Bake in an ovenproof dish, covered with foil, for 40 mins at fan 130C/conventional 150C/gas 2. Serve with Greek yogurt. Serves 6.

CHINESE FIVE SPICE A fragrant, spicy and slightly sweet mix that includes star anise and cinnamon. Perfect in Chinese or Vietnamese dishes.

to coat the chicken. Heat the grill to high, lift the chicken out of the marinade, shake off the excess, then grill for 20 minutes spooning over marinade every few minutes. Serves 4.

CHILLI FLAKES These are chillies that have been chopped and dried. Try tossing parsnips in a few chilli flakes and 1 tsp turmeric before roasting.

FENNEL SEEDS These have a warm, aniseed flavour and are best ground or dry-fried to bring out the lovely warming flavour.

Try this… Lemon and ﬁve spice chicken

Try this… White ﬁsh with fennel, lemon and spices Turn oven to fan 200C/

Put the juice of 1 lemon in a large food bag with 1 more lemon, sliced. Add 3 tbsp muscovado sugar, a thumb-sized piece shredded ginger, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 5 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp five spice, a splash of dry sherry or dry white wine and 8 chicken thighs. Seal and squish the bag

conventional 220C/gas 7. Mix 1 tsp each fennel seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds with ½ tsp turmeric. Brush a large square of foil with 2 tsp olive oil. Scatter 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced, over the foil. Sprinkle with a third of the spices, ½ a chopped red chilli and seasoning. Rub the

34 BBC Easy Cook

GARAM MASALA Widely used in North Indian cookery, it usually includes black pepper, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, nutmeg and cassia.

Try this… Super-quick Indian rice Cook 200g basmati rice according to pack instructions. Drain, and return to the pan. Stir in 1 tbsp garam masala and cook for 1 minute over a low heat. Stir in 100g frozen peas, defrosted, and 50g toasted flaked almonds. Season, then cook for 2-3 minutes more. Serve with chicken or lamb curry. Serves 4.

CAYENNE PEPPER This is similar to paprika but fierier. A pinch goes a long way! Try it mixed with breadcrumbs, then dip slices of halloumi in egg, then in the spicy crumbs and fry until golden.

SMOKED PAPRIKA Made from dried sweet peppers ground to a rich red powder, it’s milder than chilli or cayenne and used to add flavour and colour rather than heat. Spanish smoked paprika is wood-smoked for extra flavour. Try this… Paprika potatoes Heat oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Boil 12-16 medium new potatoes for 10 mins, then drain. Put on a baking sheet then crush each lightly with a potato masher. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 tbsp smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 mins, until cooked and crisp. Serves 2.

Make our cover recipe!

For a veggie version, swap the lamb for a a peeled butternut squash, chopped into chunks in step 1

Fuss-free roast Take the stress out of a roast with this easy one-pan dish Rosemary traybake lamb l Serves l £3.13

4 l Takes 15 minutes, plus 35 minutes in the oven and marinating time a portion l 473 kcals, 24g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

1½ lemons (rind and juice of 1 lemon and ½ thinly sliced in rounds) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 6 rosemary sprigs (leaves picked from 4 and chopped, sprigs reserved) 8 lamb cutlets, trimmed of excess fat 500g new potatoes, thinly sliced 2 red peppers, deseeded and thickly sliced 4 small tomatoes, halved 50g black olives 3 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

1 Marinate the meat Whisk the lemon rind and juice with 1 tbsp olive oil, the garlic, chopped rosemary leaves and seasoning. Add the lamb cutlets, toss to coat, then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes (if you have time). Heat oven to fan 200C/ conventional 220C/gas 7. 2 Start cooking the potatoes Toss the potatoes with ½ tbsp olive oil and some seasoning. Tip into a large, shallow roasting dish and cook in the oven for 15 mins.

3 Add the tomatoes and peppers Remove the dish and shake to loosen the potatoes, then top with the peppers, lemon slices, rosemary sprigs and tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. 4 Add the lamb Put the lamb cutlets on top of the vegetables. Scatter over the olives and capers. Cook for 10-12 minutes, turning the lamb halfway, until it is just pink. Serve straight from the dish. BBC Easy Cook 35

Weekend

meals

Cold days are perfect for long weekend lunches and these three recipes fit the bill perfectly

Chard-stuffed roast lamb l Serves

6 20 minutes, plus 1 hour in the oven and resting time l £2.64 a portion l 543 kcals, 39g fat, 14g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

Let the oven do the work!

500g chard, leaves and stalks separated 4 tbsp olive oil 25g pine nuts a large handful of raisins 2 handfuls of large green olives, chopped 200ml white wine 1 boned shoulder of lamb (about 1.5kg boned weight), rolled and loosely tied 1 Make the stufﬁng Turn oven to fan 200C/ conventional 220C/gas 7. Shred the chard leaves, cut the stalks into batons and set the stalks aside. Heat half the oil in a frying pan, add the leaves and cook for 2 minutes until completely wilted, then tip into a bowl. Add the pine nuts, raisins and olives, a tiny drizzle of olive oil, a small splash of the wine and some seasoning. Mix well. 2 Stuff the meat Put the lamb on a board and push as much of the stufﬁng as you can into the cavity along the meat. Save any stufﬁng that falls out to cook alongside the meat. Scatter the stalks over the bottom of a shallow roasting tin and add the saved stufﬁng to the tin. Sit the lamb among the stalks and pour the remaining wine over everything. Rub the lamb with the remaining olive oil, season with sea salt and ground black pepper, then put in the oven for 1 hour. Remove and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Serve in thick slices with the braised stalks, and with roast or mashed potatoes, if you like. 36 BBC Easy Cook

theeasyway Buy boned shoulder unrolled for this, then stuff, roll and tie it yourself. Or buy it already tied and push the chard in between the gaps. It doesn’t need to be too neat and stufﬁng that won't ﬁt into the meat is cooked alongside

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Scampi and chips

theeasyway

l Serves

2 in 30 minutes l £3.62 a portion l 991 kcals, 40g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Ready

You can swap the thighs for wings and drumsticks, if you like

vegetable or sunﬂower oil, for frying 140g plain ﬂour 85g cornﬂour 150ml beer 100ml sparkling water 15-20 large raw prawns, peeled lemon wedges, tartare sauce and chips, to serve 1 Heat the oil Heat the oil in a large pan – you'll need enough to come about 5-6 cm up the side of the pan. 2 Make the batter Put the ﬂour and cornﬂour in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the beer and sparkling water and whisk to a smooth batter. 3 Batter the prawns and fry To test if the oil is hot enough, put a drop of batter into the pan – it should crisp and brown within 30 secs. Dip each prawn tail into the batter, then carefully drop it into the oil. Drizzle a little extra batter over each one while they are cooking – this will give you a really crispy coating. Cook them in batches, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. When golden and ﬂoating to the surface, scoop out and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the scampi with salt and serve with the lemon wedges, tartare sauce and chips.

Sticky citrus chicken with carrots and cashews l Serves l 550

4 l Takes 15 minutes, plus 1 hour in the oven l £1.81 a portion kcals, 30g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

8 chicken thighs 300-400g baby carrots 2 onions, cut into thick, round slices 1 tbsp sunﬂower oil 50g roasted cashews a small pack of coriander leaves boiled jasmine rice, to serve FOR THE GLAZE

100g clear honey 4 tbsp hot chilli sauce 2 limes, grated rind of 1, plus 4 tbsp juice grated rind of ½ orange, plus 2 tbsp juice 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp tomato purée 2 balls stem ginger, ﬁnely chopped, plus 1 tbsp syrup

1 Start roasting the chicken Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Toss the chicken thighs, carrots, onions and oil in a large, shallow roasting tin with some seasoning. Roast for 30 minutes. 2 Make the glaze Meanwhile, whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Drizzle all over the chicken and veg, then roast for another 15 mins. 3 Add the glaze and ﬁnish roasting Scatter over the cashews, mix well, then roast for 15 minutes more, until the chicken is browned, tender and sticky. Scatter over some coriander and serve with the boiled rice. BBC Easy Cook 37

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Watch the new series of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday nights

girls’ night in Strictly is back on our screens and with Claudia Winkleman now co-hosting with Tess Daly, it’s become an all-girl affair. So get your friends round for a glittering night and serve up our tempting, help-yourself recipes

Tropical punch In a large bowl or jug, mix ½ fresh pineapple, cut into chunks, 2 mangoes, peeled and cut into chunks, 2 starfruit, sliced (or 1 papaya, peeled, deseeded and sliced, if you prefer) with 150ml tropical fruit juice. Chill until ready to serve. At the last minute, pour over 50ml ginger beer. Makes 8. 38 BBC Easy Cook

Chicken cups l

Makes 8 Ready in 30 minutes l 64p each l 176 kcals, 10g fat, 3g sat. fat each l Not suitable for freezing l

100g smooth peanut butter 140g full-fat coconut yogurt (or natural yogurt mixed with 2 tbsp desiccated coconut) 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce 2 tsp soy sauce 2-3 spring onions, ﬁnely shredded 3 cooked, skinless chicken breasts, roughly shredded 2 baby gem lettuces, leaves separated ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds removed, cut into matchsticks toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Serve with Mango slaw: Mix finely sliced mango, white cabbage, chilli, spring onions and coriander with olive oil, lime juice and rice wine vinegar

1 Make the sauce In a small pan, gently warm the peanut butter, yogurt, 3 tbsp water and the sweet chilli and soy sauces, until melted together into a smooth sauce. Set aside and leave to cool. 2 Mix together the chicken mixture Mix the spring onions and chicken into the sauce and season. Chill until ready to use (keep the lettuce leaves and cucumber under damp kitchen paper until the last minute). 3 Assemble Add some cucumber matchsticks to each lettuce leaf cup, plus a spoon of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sit them on a big platter for everyone to dig in. Or serve a pile of lettuce leaves alongside bowls of chicken and cucumber.

Brilliant ﬁnger food

Sticky duck-dogs with Chinese crisps l

Serves 6 Takes 15 minutes, plus 1 hour cooking time l £2.16 a portion l 646 kcals, 24g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 x packs of half a crispy duck with pancakes and hoisin sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp Chinese ﬁve spice powder 6 tbsp tomato ketchup 5 tbsp clear honey 4 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp grated ginger or ginger purée 1 egg yolk 6 hot dog rolls 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1 Roast the duck and cook the crisps Cook the duck according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, sandwich pairs of the pancakes together by brushing with a little of the oil. Brush both sides of the rounds with a touch more oil, sprinkle with a little ﬁve spice powder and salt, then slice into triangular ‘crisps’ (like pizza wedges). Space on the baking sheets and put into the oven with the duck. Check after 5 mins, then

every 2 mins – when they're golden and crisp, remove from the oven and leave to cool while the duck continues cooking. 2 Make the sauce and prepare the rolls In a pan, mix the tomato ketchup, 4 tbsp of the honey, the soy sauce, ginger and the hoisin sauce from the duck. Bubble for 2-3 mins until slightly thickened. Set aside. When the duck is nearly cooked, mix the egg yolk and remaining 1 tbsp honey with a pinch of salt. Brush it all over the hot dog rolls, scatter with sesame seeds, then slice partly down the middle, ready to ﬁll, and sit the rolls on a baking sheet. 3 Fill the rolls and serve When the duck comes out of the oven, put the rolls in and bake at fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6 for 5-8 mins, until golden. Use 2 forks to shred the meat and crispy skin from the duck (discard the bones and fat), mix with one-third to one-half of the hoisin sauce. Divide the hot duck ﬁlling between the rolls and squiggle over the remaining sauce. To serve, carefully put the crisps in a serving bowl and serve with the hot duck-dogs. BBC Easy Cook 39

If you’re heading off to university, these recipes are really easy to prepare and don’t need any fancy ingredients (and they’re great for busy families too!)

Cheese and onion ﬁsh with potato wedges l

Serves 4 Takes 20 minutes, plus 40 mins in the oven l £2.86 a portion l 456 kcals, 21g fat, 11g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

3 medium potatoes, cut into wedges 1 tbsp olive oil 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped 50g mature cheddar, grated 100g soft cheese 2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs 1 tbsp dijon mustard 4 ﬁrm, white ﬁsh ﬁllets, such as pollock (about 175g each) 2 tbsp onion chutney salad, to serve (optional) 1 Start baking the potato wedges Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Put the potato wedges, olive oil and thyme in a large baking tray, season and toss everything well to coat. Bake for 25 minutes. 2 Make the topping Mash together the cheddar, soft cheese, breadcrumbs and mustard in a bowl. Remove the tray from the oven and push the potato wedges to the edges. Put the ﬁsh ﬁllets in the centre and season. Top each with ½ tbsp chutney, and some of the cheese mixture. 3 Cook the ﬁsh Return the tray to the oven for 15 minutes, until the ﬁsh is cooked through and the topping is bubbling and golden. Serve the ﬁsh and wedges with salad (optional). 40 BBC Easy Cook

Pollock is a great fish to use as it’s sustainable and cheap. It’s available in most supermarkets now. Alternatively, use haddock

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Sausage ragu and spinach pasta bake l

Serves 4-6 Takes 20 mins, plus 45 mins in the oven l £2.14 a portion l 1176 kcals, 55g fat, 25g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l

6 pork sausages (about 400g), skinned 680g jar passata with garlic and herbs 1 tsp dried oregano 500g pack pasta shapes 2 x 350g tubs ready-made cheese sauce 400g pack spinach freshly grated nutmeg 100g parmesan, grated 1 egg, beaten, to glaze 1 Make the meat sauce Heat a frying pan and brown the sausages, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Pour off the fat, stir in the passata, bring to the boil, then add the oregano. Season. Simmer for 10 minutes. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the pack instructions suggest. Reserve some cooking water, then drain. Mix the pasta with the cheese sauce and enough water to loosen. Season.

Super-easy pizzas

Veggie pizzas l

Makes 4 pizzas l Takes 15 minutes, plus 25 mins cooking time l £1.32 a pizza l 546 kcals, 26g fat, 15g sat. fat a pizza l Not suitable for freezing l

200g passata 4 large ﬂatbreads ½ x 750g bag frozen spinach, defrosted 1 clove of garlic, chopped 3 balls mozzarella (or vegetarian alternative), patted dry and torn 4 medium eggs freshly grated nutmeg a small bunch of basil shaved parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), to serve

1 Make the pizzas Heat the oven to as high as it will go. Spread 1-2 tbsp passata over each ﬂatbread. Squeeze as much water as you can from the spinach (to prevent the pizzas becoming soggy), then scatter it over the top of the pizzas, leaving a gap in the centre. Divide the garlic and torn mozzarella between the pizzas, seasoning with freshly ground black pepper as you go.

2 Layer up and bake Pour the meat sauce into a large baking dish, followed by the spinach, some nutmeg and seasoning. Add a third of the parmesan, the cheesy pasta, more nutmeg and then the rest of the parmesan. Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden.

2 Bake the pizzas Put two pizzas on one baking tray, then carefully crack an egg into the middle of each one, and season with nutmeg and some of the basil. Repeat with the other two pizzas on a second baking tray. Bake the pizzas for 7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the eggs are cooked to your liking. To serve, garnish with a little more of the basil and some extra parmesan.

theeasyway Add cooked, crispy bacon for meat eaters to make a great all-day breakfast pizza BBC Easy Cook 41

Try our menu!

express Chinese food is great for entertaining and these dishes are perfect for a Friday night get-together Everyone loves a Chinese takeaway, but it’s surprisingly easy to put together your own Chinese meal – it’s good value and really tasty!

Ready in 10 minutes Start with... Hot and sour soup with prawns l l

Serves 4 l Ready in 10 minutes l £1.24 a portion 93 kcals, 1g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

3 tbsp white wine vinegar 500ml chicken stock 1 tbsp soy sauce 1-2 tbsp caster sugar thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 2 small hot red chillies, thinly sliced 3 spring onions, thinly sliced 300g raw, peeled prawns (defrosted, if frozen) 42 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the broth Put the white wine vinegar, chicken stock, soy sauce, caster sugar (it's best to start with 1 tbsp and add the second at the end if you want the soup to be sweeter), ginger, chillies and spring onions in a pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, then add the prawns to heat through. Serve immediately in small bowls or cups.

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli and spring onions l

Serves 4 l Ready in 15 minutes l £2.15 a portion l 202 kcals, 9g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing 4 x sea bass ﬁllets (about 140g each), skin-on and scaled about 2 tbsp sunﬂower oil knob of ginger, peeled and shredded into matchsticks 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 2 fat, fresh red chillies, deseeded and thinly shredded a small bunch spring onions, shredded lengthwise 2 tsp soy sauce

Green tea frozen yogurt

1 Cook the ﬁsh Season the ﬁsh with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times. Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp of the oil. Once hot, fry the ﬁsh, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, or until the skin is very crisp and golden. Turn the ﬁsh over and cook for 30 seconds-1 minute, then transfer to a plate and keep warm. (You may need to fry the ﬁsh in 2 batches.)

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2 Stir-fry the chilli and ginger Heat the remaining oil, then fry the ginger, garlic and chillies for about 2 minutes, until golden. Take off the heat and add the spring onions. Splash with the soy sauce and spoon over the ﬁsh.

1 Make the ice cream In a mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, sugar and tea powder until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Pour into an icecream machine following the manufacturer's instructions, then scrape into a freezable container and freeze for 4-5 hours until ﬁrm. To make by hand, pour the cooled mixture into a large freezable container. Cover tightly with cling ﬁlm, then freeze for about 90 mins, until frozen at the edges. Remove, then beat using electric beaters until smooth. Freeze again for about 90 mins, beat again and repeat 3 times.

Serves 4 Takes 15 minutes, plus freezing time l 48p a portion l 333 kcals, 7g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l

500g 2% Greek style yogurt 100g caster sugar 1 tbsp green tea powder (look for matcha green tea powder in the supermarket)

2 Serve Remove the frozen yogurt from the freezer about 1 hour or so before serving, to soften slightly. Spoon into small bowls and scatter over some sesame brittle (see recipe, below).

Top with... Sesame brittle

theeasyway

Stir-fry 1 head broccoli cut into ﬂorets with 1 tsp veg oil, then add a splash of water and 2 tbsp oyster sauce. Scatter over a handful toasted toasted cashews. Serve with the sea bass

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Heat 100g caster sugar in a pan. Leave to melt without stirring for 5 mins, until bubbling and golden. Stir in 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, boil for a few seconds, then pour onto the baking sheet, spreading it thinly. Once hardened, bash the brittle into pieces. Can be made 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight tin.

BBC Easy Cook 43

Inspired by Gardeners’ World – back on the BBC this autumn

Pumpkins &squash Now in season, these are great value and really versatile – as these fantastic recipes show

Roast pumpkin with cream, thyme and parmesan l Serves

6 15 mins, plus 1¾ hours in the oven l 71p a portion l 342 kcals, 32g fat, 18g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

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1.5kg pumpkin 300ml pot double cream 150ml milk 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 tsp thyme leaves 85g grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

44 BBC Easy Cook

1 Make the cream ﬁlling Turn oven to fan 130C/conventional 150C/ gas 2. Cut the lid off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and strands. Put the pumpkin on a baking tray. Meanwhile, heat the cream, milk, garlic and most of the thyme, with plenty of seasoning. When hot, pour into the pumpkin and stir in 50g of the parmesan. Put on the lid. 2 Bake the pumpkin Bake for 1½ hours, remove from the oven, then turn up the heat to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Remove the lid, sprinkle with pepper and the rest of the cheese, then bake for 15 minutes more until golden. Scatter over the remaining thyme leaves. Scoop the pumpkin ﬂesh into bowls with the cheesy cream and serve with crusty bread.

For a posh starter, make this with 6 small squash and serve each guest their own one. Bake for 45 mins at the start of step 2

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY Roasted squash with pesto and mozzarella l Serves

4 15 mins, plus 40 mins cooking l 89p a portion l 277 kcals, 14g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

1 Start roasting the squash Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Put the squash on a large baking tray. Toss with 2 tsp of the oil, the chillies and seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes.

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1 small butternut squash, halved and sliced into 2cm-thick slices 3 tsp olive oil 1 tsp dried, crushed chillies 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges 2 red peppers, cut into chunky pieces 50g bag of rocket leaves juice of ½ lemon 125g ball light mozzarella (or vegetarian alternative), torn 4 tbsp fresh pesto

2 Add the peppers and onions Take the tray out of the oven and turn the squash. Scatter the onion and peppers over the top and bake for 25 mins more, or until vegetables are tender and lightly charred. 3 Top with the mozzarella and pesto Toss the rocket with the remaining oil, lemon juice and some pepper. Pile onto plates and divide the vegetables on top. Top with the mozzarella and pesto. Serve warm.

Stem ginger and squash steamed pudding l Serves

10 25 mins, plus 1 hour 30 mins cooking l 28p a portion l 230 kcals, 5g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l Takes

butter, for greasing 3 balls of stem ginger from a jar, ﬁnely chopped, plus 4-6 tbsp of the syrup 3 large eggs 200g golden caster sugar 200g peeled and grated butternut squash grated rind of 1 large lemon 175g rice ﬂour 50g ground almonds 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp baking powder 1 Grease the pudding basin Lightly butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin. Put one-third of the stem ginger and all the ginger syrup in the bottom. Set aside. 2 Mix together the sponge mixture In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and ﬂuffy. Fold in the squash, lemon rind and the remaining stem ginger. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture with a metal spoon until combined.

More ideas to try Japanese-style squash

Roast pumpkin seeds

Put 1 peeled and chopped squash in a pan with 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic, crushed, 2 tsp soy sauce, 300ml chicken stock and 2 tsp sesame oil. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down the heat and simmer for 8 mins, or until softened. Remove the lid and finish cooking on high for 1-2 mins, or until the squash has a glazed appearance. Serves 2.

Brush a frying pan with a very small amount of oil and put over a medium heat. Add 100g pumpkin seeds, stirring frequently. They will expand and brown fairly quickly, and when this is done, put them in a bowl and add ¼ tsp celery salt, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ¼ paprika. Serves 4. (This is a really delicious way of using up the seeds from a fresh pumpkin.)

3 Steam the pudding Fill the basin with the sponge mixture. Cover with a layer of buttered baking parchment and foil, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie on securely with string, then put in a steamer or large pan with an upturned bowl in the bottom. Add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin, cover with a lid and simmer for 1½ hours. Check the water level every now and then and top up if you need to. 4 Serve To test if the sponge is ready, insert a skewer into the centre of the sponge. It should come out clean with no trace of raw mixture. Unwrap and serve hot. BBC Easy Cook 45

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Take a pack of Pears are in season now, so grab a bargain bag and try these delicious ideas

pears Pear and cardamom tart l Serves

8 35 mins, plus 1 hour 15 mins in the oven and chilling time l 71p a portion l 833 kcals, 55g fat, 21g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

500g sweet shortcrust pastry plain ﬂour, for dusting 4 small ripe pears a squeeze of lemon juice a drizzle of honey FOR THE CARDAMOM FRANGIPANE

200g butter, softened 200g caster sugar 140g ground almonds 100g self-raising ﬂour 50g toasted ﬂaked almonds, plus a few extra for sprinkling 1 tsp ground cardamom 2 large eggs 1 Prepare the pastry case Roll out the pastry on a lightly ﬂoured surface until big enough to line an 18 x 28cm tart tin or a 23cm-round tart tin. Carefully lift the pastry into the tin, leaving any extra hanging over the sides. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, then chill for 30 minutes. 2 Bake the case Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Line the pastry with baking parchment and ﬁll with baking beans. Put in the oven and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for 10 minutes more. Turn the oven down to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3, and trim the pastry edges.

Serve with cream or clotted cream 46 BBC Easy Cook

3 Make the cardamom frangipane Whisk together all the frangipane ingredients. Spoon into the tin and spread evenly. Peel, halve and core the pears, brush them with a little lemon juice, then arrange in the tin, cut-side up, pushing them a little into the frangipane. Scatter with ﬂaked almonds and bake for 50 minutes until the ﬁlling is risen, golden and ﬁrm to the touch. Serve warm or cold, drizzled with a little honey.

Lemon creams with caramelised pears l Serves

6 20 minutes, plus overnight setting time l 39p a portion l 437 kcals, 27g fat, 16g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

FOR THE LEMON CREAMS

400ml whipping cream 100g caster sugar 75ml lemon juice FOR THE PEARS

140g caster sugar 3 ripe pears, peeled and quartered 3 tbsp pear liqueur, brandy or Calvados (optional) shortbread, to serve (optional) 1 Make the lemon creams Heat the cream in a large pan, but do not boil. Scatter in the sugar, then bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 mins. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice to the pan. Strain the mixture through a ﬁne sieve into a jug, then divide between 6 ramekins, ﬁlling them just three-quarters of the way full. Leave to set in the fridge overnight. 2 Cook the pears and serve Tip the sugar and a little water into a frying pan and boil, without stirring, until it starts to caramelise. Add the pears, cook for about 4 minutes, until just starting to soften, then remove from the heat and add the liqueur, if using. Leave to cool. To serve, arrange two wedges of pear on top of each lemon cream and drizzle with a little of the syrup. Serve shortbread alongside, if you like.

Sticky pears l Serves

6 in 15 minutes l 14p a portion l 95 kcals, 0g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing uncooked l Ready

6 pears 2 tbsp icing sugar 1 Coat and cook the pears Peel and halve the pears. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the cores, then cut the pears into quarters. In a bowl, toss the pears in the icing sugar until completely coated. Heat a large frying pan over a high ﬂame and add the pears to the pan. Cook for 1 minute or so, tossing constantly, until they're really well caramelised and slightly burnt around the edges. Serve with ice cream or cream.

Try something savoury Roast pork with pear sauce Pears make a lovely change to apples with pork. Turn oven to fan 220C/conventional 240C/gas 9. Dry the skin of a 2kg loin of pork on the bone with kitchen paper, then rub with 2 tbsp vegetable oil and season with salt. Put the pork into a roasting tin, then roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5 and continue to roast the pork for a further 1 hour 20 minutes, until cooked and the skin has turned to crisp crackling. If the skin isn’t crisp enough, turn the oven back up to fan 220C/ conventional 240C/gas 9 and cook for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, heat 25g butter in a pan and sizzle 4 ripe pears, peeled and cut into chunks, and 1 tbsp fennel seeds together, until they start to brown. Add 150ml cider and 2 tbsp caster sugar. Bubble until the cider has reduced and caramelised, and the pear is tender and starting to collapse. If the pears don’t break down, use a potato masher to mash to a rough purée. Serve the sauce with the pork. Serves 6.

Autumn

puddings These puds are bursting with fruity flavours – the perfect way to round off a meal

Plum and amaretti semifreddo l Serves

8 25 minutes, plus 15 minutes cooking time and freezing l 47p a portion l 435 kcals, 22g fat, 13g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l Takes

450g ripe purple plums, halved & stoned 350g caster sugar 2 large egg whites 300ml double cream 1 tbsp Disaronno 85g soft amaretti biscuits, roughly broken up 1 Stew the plums Line a 30 x 20cm tray with cling ﬁlm. Put the plums in a pan with 2 tbsp water and 110g of the sugar. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until soft. Leave to cool slightly, then whizz with a hand blender. Pass through a sieve to remove the plum skins. Leave to cool. 2 Make the meringue Put the remaining sugar in a pan with 150ml water and dissolve over a low heat. Boil for 5 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 120C on a cooking thermometer. To make the meringue base, whisk the egg whites until stiff. With the beaters running, carefully pour the sugar mixture onto the egg white, whisking until thick. 3 Fold together and freeze In another bowl, softly whip the cream, then gently fold in the liqueur, plum pulp, biscuits and the meringue. Pour into the tin, cover with cling ﬁlm and freeze until set. To serve, remove from the freezer 5 minutes before scooping into balls.

theeasyway Disarrano liqueur gives the semifreddo a lovely almond ﬂavour 48 BBC Easy Cook

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

Baked apple and toffee crumble l Serves

6 20 minutes, plus 1 hour in the oven l 82p a portion l 485 kcals, 20g fat, 11g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing l Takes

FOR THE APPLE LAYER

100g raisins 100g pitted soft dates, snipped into small pieces with scissors 85g light muscovado sugar 3 tbsp dark rum (or use orange juice) 25g unsalted butter 1 tsp mixed spice ﬁnely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 4 bramley apples (about 800g), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm rings FOR THE CRUMBLE

125g plain ﬂour 100g unsalted butter 50g light muscovado sugar 3 tbsp jumbo oats 25g ﬂaked almonds 1 Cook the apple layer Turn oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/ gas 5. Put the apple layer ingredients, except the lemon juice and apples, into a bowl and microwave on full power (100%) for 1½ mins until the butter has melted and the sugar is syrupy. Toss in the apples and lemon juice, then spoon into a medium baking dish.

theeasyway If you’re serving this dish to children, replace the rum and raisin syrup with some ready-made fruit compote instead

2 Add the topping and bake Rub the ﬂour and butter together, ﬁrst into ﬁne crumbs, then keep going until the mixture forms bigger clumps. Stir in the sugar, oats and almonds. Scatter over the fruit, then cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, removing the foil for the ﬁnal 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Chilled rum and raisin rice pudding l Serves

6 10 minutes, plus 50 minutes cooking l 66p a portion l 533 kcals, 25g fat, 16g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l Takes

600ml whole milk 200ml double cream 100g pudding rice 1 tsp vanilla extract 85g caster sugar ﬁnely grated rind of 1 lemon, pared with a vegetable peeler single cream, to serve FOR THE RUM AND RAISIN SYRUP

100g raisins 100g light brown muscovado sugar 100ml dark rum 25g butter

1 Make the rice pudding Combine the milk, cream, rice, vanilla, sugar and lemon rind in a heavy-based pan. Bring gently to a boil, stirring continuously. Once bubbling, turn the heat to low and gently simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently to stop it sticking, until the rice is just tender. Lay a sheet of cling ﬁlm directly on the surface of the rice, cool to room temperature, then chill until cold. 2 Make the rum and raisin syrup Combine the syrup ingredients in a small pan. Melt together, then bubble until syrupy for 4-5 minutes. Cool for a few minutes while you loosen the chilled rice pudding with a little single cream (it will have become more solid) – just gently stir in a splash at a time until it’s spoonable. Divide between serving bowls and top with some warm rum and raisin syrup. BBC Easy Cook 49

For Cheese and bacon muffins: add 4 rashers of cooked, chopped, crisp streaky bacon in step 1

Super savourıes These three bakes all freeze really well, so they’re great to stash away for a special midweek lunch Triple cheese and onion mufﬁns l

Makes 12 Takes 15 mins, plus 25 mins in the oven l 42p each l 375 kcals, 24g fat, 8g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing l

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150ml sunﬂower oil, plus extra for greasing 1 large egg 284ml buttermilk, made up to 350ml with milk

50 BBC Easy Cook

500g self-raising ﬂour 1 tsp English mustard powder 140g mature cheddar (or vegetarian alternative), grated 1 bunch of spring onions, sliced a small bunch of chives, snipped 25g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated 200g full-fat soft cheese, diced 1 Mix the dry ingredients together Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional

200C/gas 6 and grease a 12-hole mufﬁn tin. Whisk the oil, egg and buttermilk. In a bowl, mix the ﬂour, 1 tsp salt and mustard powder, then stir in the cheddar, spring onions, chives and half the parmesan. 2 Bake the mufﬁns Fold the wet ingredients into the ﬂour mixture until just combined. Mix in the soft cheese. Divide the mixture between the mufﬁn tin holes, scatter with the remaining parmesan and bake for 25 minutes.

GET BAKING Potato, cheddar and red onion pasties l

Makes 8 Takes 30 mins, plus 30 mins in the oven l £1.23 each l 474 kcals, 26g fat, 10g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing l

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1 large potato, cut into 1cm dice 2 carrots, cut into 1cm dice 300g caramelised red onion chutney 1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped 1 tbsp dijon mustard 140g mature cheddar (or vegetarian alternative), grated 500g block shortcrust pastry beaten egg, for brushing poppy seeds, for sprinkling 1 Make the ﬁlling Turn oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/ gas 5. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Boil the potato and carrots in salted water until tender. Drain and tip into a bowl. Add the chutney, thyme, mustard and cheese, season and mix. Chill in the fridge. 2 Assemble and bake the pasties Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin, then cut out 8 x 13cm squares. Divide the ﬁlling between the squares and brush the pastry edges with the egg. Bring the corners of each square to the middle, then press the seams together to make a square envelope. Brush with egg and sprinkle over the seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden.

Perfect for a picnic Mediterranean tuna, pepper and courgette tart l

Serves 4 Takes 10 mins, plus 30 mins in the oven l £2.63 a portion l 546 kcals, 38g fat, 10g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

sheet lined with baking parchment. Score a 1cm border around the edge with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut through the pastry. Prick the area inside the border with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes.

320g pack ready-rolled puff pastry 2 courgettes, coarsely grated 1 tbsp olive oil 150g pack garlic & herb soft cheese 185g can tuna in spring water, drained and ﬂaked 140g roasted peppers from a jar, drained and sliced into strips 1 tbsp capers in brine, drained 8 pitted black olives

2 Mix the courgettes with the cheese Meanwhile, fry the courgettes in the oil until tender and the mixture is quite dry. Cool, then mix with the soft cheese.

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1 Bake the base Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Unroll the pastry onto a large baking

3 Finish making the tart Remove the pastry base from the oven and press down any puffed-up areas within the border with the back of a spoon. Spread over the courgette mixture, then scatter with the tuna, lay over the pepper strips and sprinkle on the capers. Dot with the olives and bake for 15 minutes more, until the pastry is golden, puffed up and cooked through. BBC Easy Cook 51

any

Sweet and simple

There’s something for everyone with these three delicious bakes

The alcohol evaporates when you bake the cheesecake, but use 2 tbsp orange juice instead of the liqueur, if you prefer

Amaretti and sultana cheesecake l l

Serves 8 l Takes 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes in the oven and soaking time 70p a portion l 724 kcals, 52g fat, 31g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

100g sultanas 3 tbsp Disaronno, plus extra to serve (optional) 60g butter, plus extra for greasing 12 digestive biscuits and 8 amaretti biscuits, crushed to crumbs 600g full-fat soft cheese 3 eggs 170ml soured cream 3 tbsp self-raising ﬂour 1 tsp vanilla extract 175g golden caster sugar icing sugar and roughly broken amaretti biscuits, to serve 52 BBC Easy Cook

1 Soak the sultanas Tip the sultanas into a bowl, add the liqueur (if using) and set aside to soak for about 1 hour. Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4 and lightly grease a 23cm-round, loose-bottomed cake tin. Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs. Mix well, tip into the base of the tin and push down to compress it. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool. 2 Make the cheesecake layer Meanwhile, beat the soft cheese with the eggs,

soured cream, ﬂour, vanilla and caster sugar (it’s best to use electric beaters for this). Stir in the soaked sultanas (and any liqueur left in the bowl), then pour onto the base. Bake the cheesecake for 30-35 minutes until set, but so it still has a slight wobble in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin. (Can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.) 3 Decorate To serve, carefully turn the cheesecake out onto a plate, dust with icing sugar and top with some broken amaretti biscuits. Serve with chilled glasses of liqueur, if you like.

GET BAKING Gingery plum cake l

Cuts into 16 squares Takes 25 minutes, plus 55 minutes in the oven and cooling time l 28p a square l 252 kcals, 11g fat, 6g sat. fat a square l Suitable for freezing

theeasyway Serve sliced, drizzled with the extra honey

l

butter, for greasing 2 tbsp demerara sugar 500g plums FOR THE CAKE

175g butter 175g dark muscovado sugar 140g golden syrup 2 eggs, beaten 200ml milk 300g self-raising ﬂour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp mixed spice 1 Arrange the plum base Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cmsquare cake tin with baking parchment. Butter the paper and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Halve the plums and arrange in the base of the tin in one layer, cut-sides down. 2 Mix the batter together Melt the butter, muscovado sugar and syrup in a large pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool for 10 mins, then stir in the eggs and milk. Sift in the ﬂour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then mix to a smooth batter.

Honey cake with honeyed almond crunch Serves 8 Takes 15 minutes, plus 1 hour in the oven and cooling time l 54p a portion l 485 kcals, 32g fat, 13g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing

2 Start making the cake batter Put the butter, honey, caster sugar, ground almonds, ﬂour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and yogurt into a large mixing bowl with one whole egg and one egg yolk. Put the three egg whites into another bowl.

175g salted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 85g clear honey, plus 4 tbsp for drizzling 85g caster sugar 85g ground almonds 200g plain ﬂour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate soda 100ml natural yogurt 2 large eggs, one separated, plus 1 extra egg white 85g ﬂaked almonds

3 Add the egg whites and bake Whisk the whites with electric beaters until stiff, then put the beaters into the honey and ﬂour mixture and beat until just smooth. Stir a third of the whipped whites into the honey and ﬂour mixture, then gently fold in the rest of the whites with a wooden spoon. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, scatter over the ﬂaked almonds and bake for 55 minutes on the middle-lower shelf of the oven until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

l

3 Bake the cake Pour the batter over the plums, and bake for 45-55 minutes, until ﬁrm to the touch. Leave in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. (Keeps in the fridge, wrapped in baking parchment and foil, for up to 5 days.)

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1 Get everything ready Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with a strip of baking parchment that overhangs at each end (this will help you lift the cake out when it is cooked).

4 Finish the cake Remove the cake from the oven. Quickly drizzle with 2 tbsp honey and scatter with a small pinch of ﬁne salt. Bake for 5 mins more. Remove from the oven, drizzle with 2 more tbsp honey, then cool in the tin on a wire rack. Release almonds from around the edge with a knife, then lift the cake from the tin (use the overhang to help you). BBC Easy Cook 53

GETInspired BAKING by The Great British Bake Off – watch the latest series on BBC One

Bake a

showstopper! Mini éclairs l

Makes 30 Takes 40 minutes, plus 25 mins in the oven l 19p each l 182 kcals, 8g fat, 4g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing (unﬁlled and un-iced) l

theeasyway

Poking three holes along the bun to pipe in the ﬁlling is the best way to make sure that it’s evenly spread

FOR THE BUNS

150ml milk 100g butter, diced 200g plain ﬂour, sieved 4 large eggs, beaten FOR THE FILLING

200ml milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 large egg yolks 4 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp plain ﬂour 1 tsp cornﬂour 200ml double cream TO DECORATE

500g pack fondant icing sugar, sifted food colouring (we used pinks and purple) sprinkles and decorations, such as Smarties 1 Start making the pastry Heat the milk, butter and 150ml water very gently in a medium-sized pan until the butter has melted, then increase the heat and bring the liquid to the boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove from the heat and beat in the ﬂour and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon. Keep beating until the mixture is smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan. Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes. 2 Add the eggs Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, to a smooth, shiny dough. Spoon into a piping bag with a 1.5cm plain nozzle and set aside until you're ready to bake. 3 Make the ﬁlling Bring the milk just to the boil in a pan with the vanilla extract. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, ﬂour and cornﬂour in 54 BBC Easy Cook

GET BAKING

Just like the ‘Showstopper’ round on The Great British Bake Off, these recipes will wow your guests. They take a bit of time, but they’re really not hard to make a mixing bowl. Pour on the hot milk while continuously whisking the egg mixture. Return the mixture to a wiped-out pan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the mix is thicker than a custard – it will be lumpy, but just carry on stirring and beat out the lumps. Transfer to another mixing bowl and lay cling ﬁlm directly on the surface. Leave to cool, then chill. 4 Shape and bake the éclairs Turn oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment. Pipe on 30 x 8-10cm long lengths of the dough, each about 2cm wide, leaving space to expand between them. Put in the oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 6 and bake for 10 minutes more until golden, puffed and crisp. Using a skewer, poke 3 small holes along the base of each bun. Put back on the baking sheets, base up, and bake for 8-10 minutes more, until slightly crisper. Cool. Can be frozen at this point for up to a month, or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days – just crisp up in a hot oven again when ready to ﬁll. 5 Fill the éclairs Add the cream to the thick custard ﬁlling and beat with an electric whisk until it holds its own shape again. Put into a piping bag with a tiny nozzle, then pipe some ﬁlling into the bottom of the éclairs using the skewer holes you made earlier. When it squirts back out, that section is probably full. 6 Make the icing and decorate the éclairs Stir just enough water into the icing sugar to make a fairly thick icing. Divide among as many bowls as you want colours, and colour each batch as you like. (Depending on your colouring, you may need to add a drop more water to the icings so that they are thick, but runny.) Dip the top of each éclair in icing to cover, or use a teaspoon to spread a little on – use less at ﬁrst and wait for it to spread and settle. Add sprinkles and decorations. Put on wire racks to set. (These are best eaten on the day they are ﬁlled and decorated).

Pineapple upside-down cake l

Serves 10 Takes 50 minutes, plus 30 minutes in the oven and cooling time l 48p a portion l 610 kcals, 37g fat, 22g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (sponges only) l

250g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 250g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp 1 can (approx 430g) pineapple rings 3 glacé cherries, halved 300g plain ﬂour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp vanilla extract 4 large eggs a little icing sugar, for dusting FOR THE FILLING

6 tbsp cherry jam 250ml double cream 1 tbsp caster sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 Get everything ready Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm-round cake tins and line

the bases and sides with baking parchment. Scatter 2 tbsp caster sugar in the base of one tin. Drain the pineapple rings over a bowl to catch the juices. Measure 100ml of juice into a large mixing bowl. Pat dry 3 pineapple rings with kitchen paper and halve to make semicircles. Arrange in the sugared tin and add the glacé cherries. 2 Make the sponges Add the melted butter, sugar, ﬂour, baking powder, vanilla and eggs to the pineapple juice, and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and runny enough to pour. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and ensure the pineapple is covered. Bake for 30 mins, or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Leave for 5 mins, then turn out the cakes onto a wire rack (pineapple-side up), peel off the parchment and leave the sponges to cool. 3 Add the ﬁlling Spread the jam on the plain sponge. Whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla until thick, then spoon over the jam. Top with the pineapple sponge, and dust with icing sugar. Eat within 48 hours. BBC Easy Cook 55

GET BAKING Vanilla custard slices l

Makes 8 l Takes 50 minutes, plus 1 hour 15 minutes cooking time, and cooling and setting l 53p a slice l 658 kcals, 41g fat, 21g sat. fat a slice l Not suitable for freezing 500g pack puff pastry 50g ﬂaked almonds 3 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting, plus extra to serve

FOR THE CUSTARD FILLING

1 gelatine leaf 750ml whole milk 250ml double cream 1tsp vanilla paste 100g cornﬂour 25g custard powder 3 egg yolks 140g caster sugar

1 Bake the ﬁrst pastry sheet Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Roll out half the pastry on a sheet of baking parchment to a 25cm x 25cm square. Scatter over half the almonds, press them in gently, dust with half the icing sugar and lay a second sheet of baking parchment on top. Lift onto a baking sheet, and put another baking sheet on top. Fill a few ovenproof containers (eg small cans or baking dishes) with baking beans or uncooked rice and sit these on the second baking sheet to weigh it down. Bake for 30-35 mins, until brown and crisp all over. 2 Bake the second pastry sheet When the ﬁrst pastry sheet is cooked, remove from the oven, take off the weights and the top baking tray, then carefully lift off the top sheet of parchment and leave to cool. Repeat with the remaining pastry. (You can do both sheets at once if you have enough baking sheets and tins, but they might not cook as evenly.) Cool both completely. 3 Make the custard Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften, then put the remaining custard ingredients into a large pan. Set over a low heat to start, whisking continuously to mix well, then increase the heat a little until the custard is gently boiling. Whisk continuously – the custard might be lumpy but keep cooking and whisking until it is smooth and very thick. Squeeze out the water from the gelatine, then stir it into the custard until it has dissolved. 4 Assemble Line the base and sides of a 20cm-square tin with baking parchment (criss-crossing 2 big strips will give you the neatest corners). Using a sharp knife and a ruler (or the base of your tin if it is removable), trim one pastry sheet to just under a 20cm-square. Sit the trimmed pastry square inside the tin, almond-side down. Spread over the custard as evenly as you can. Trim the second sheet in the same way, but cut it into eight 10 x 5cm rectangles (this will make it easier to cut the slices later). Sit them on top of the custard, almond-side up, putting them back together like a jigsaw puzzle. Gently press down on the pastry so it doesn’t break but sticks to the custard. Cover and chill for 4 hours, or overnight if you have time.

theeasyway For perfectly-shaped slices, use a

20cm-square brownie tin with a removable bottom and straight sides. The Silverwood 20cm Square Brownie Tray, £20, www.amazon.co.uk, is ideal

56 BBC Easy Cook

5 Cut and serve To serve from the tin, slice all the way through where the pastry top is already cut into portions. Dust with a little icing sugar. Best eaten within 24 hours.

Bake a showstopper Thanks to Wilton’s Easy Layer Cake Pan Set, you can bake 5 sponges at once to create layer upon layer of loveliness. Only £14.99, exclusively from Lakeland.

Visit lakeland.co.uk/showstopper to get started or pop into one of our 68 stores nationwide

GET BAKING

Spooky bakes

Let your ‘little horrors’ help you make these scary treats for Halloween

Malloween ghosts

Scary skull biscuits

Monster cupcakes

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l

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Makes 18 ghosts l Takes 35 mins, plus cooling l 17p each l 233 kcals, 10g fat, 6g sat. fat each l Not suitable for freezing 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for the tin 300g marshmallows 200g Rice Krispies 300g white chocolate, melted, for coating a little melted plain chocolate or black writing icing, to decorate wooden lolly sticks 1 Melt the marshmallows Butter and line a 30 x 20cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the marshmallows, then melt gently for 10 mins, stirring regularly so they don’t stick, until smooth. 2 Add the Rice Krispies Stir in the cereal to coat well, then spoon into the tin. Press down to ﬂatten and smooth. Chill until set. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead.) 3 Shape the ghosts To make zig zag ghosts, cut the cake into rectangles, then use a knife to round off the tops and zig zag the bottoms. To make ﬂying ghosts, stamp out 9cm circles and cut into teardrop-shapes. Cut pieces of leftover cake to make the arms. (Or make half of each type.) Carefully push a lolly stick into the bottom of each ghost, transfer to a cooling rack. Stick on the ﬂying ghost arms with melted white chocolate. 4 Ice the ghosts Spoon on the remaining white chocolate and paint it over and down the sides of all the ghosts with a pastry brush. Leave to set. Pipe on eyes with the plain chocolate or icing. 58 BBC Easy Cook

Makes 16 l Takes 30 mins, plus cooling and decorating l 12p each l 249 kcals, 11g fat, 7g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing 200g unsalted butter, very soft 140g golden caster sugar 1 large egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla extract 300g plain ﬂour, plus extra for rolling about 100g raspberry jam (or use lemon curd or chocolate spread) FOR THE ICING

140g icing sugar, sifted food colourings (optional) 1 Mix the biscuit dough Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4 and line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt into a bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in the ﬂour to make a stiff dough, then shape into 2 discs, cover with cling ﬁlm and chill for 10 mins. 2 Make the biscuits Flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to a £1 coin thickness. Stamp out 7cm rounds. In half the rounds, stamp out 2 eye sockets with an apple corer, then use ﬂoured ﬁngers to pinch the jaw shapes. Bake on the sheets for 15 mins, or until pale golden. Cool for 2 mins, then lift onto a wire rack 3 Sandwich together and decorate Sandwich the cold biscuits together with the jam. Mix the icing sugar with 4 tsp water until smooth, divide into 3, then colour as you like. Put into piping bags, snip off the tips, then pipe spooky patterns and faces onto the skulls.

Makes 12 cakes Takes 30 mins, plus cooling and decorating l 22p each l 389 kcals, 19g fat, 9g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing (without decoration) l

250g self-raising ﬂour 25g cocoa powder 175g light muscovado sugar 85g unsalted butter, melted 5 tbsp vegetable or sunﬂower oil 150g pot fat-free natural yogurt 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 large eggs FOR THE FROSTING AND DECORATION

85g unsalted butter, softened 1 tbsp milk ½ tsp vanilla extract 200g icing sugar, sifted food colourings (optional) sweets and sprinkles, to decorate 1 Bake the cakes Turn oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/ gas 5 and line a 12-hole mufﬁn tin with deep cake cases. Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl and beat with electric hand beaters until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container, or frozen for 1 month.) 2 Mix the icing Work the butter, milk and vanilla into the icing sugar until creamy and pale. Colour with food colouring, if using, then create your own monster faces using sweets and sprinkles.

You can stick on round sweets or pipe on eyes once they’re baked instead of stamping them out, if you prefer

BBC Easy Cook 59

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60 BBC Easy Cook

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John Torode

James Martin

Maria Elia

Tom Kerridge

Bill Granger

Sabrina Ghayour

TV cooks

19 delicious ideas from your favourite BBC chefs

Easy recipes clever tips, shortcuts and ideas

Find Maria Elia’s wonderful Spiced Pavlovas, on page 67

BBC Easy Cook 61

TV COOKS

MasterChef’s

John Torode ‘When judging MasterChef, I’m looking for cooks who really deliver on taste and whose food excites my palate. Here are two of my favourite recipes to deliver on bold flavours’

John is a judge on MasterChef

Japanese-style chicken noodles l l

Serves 4 l Ready in 20 minutes l £2.61 a portion 533 kcals, 17g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

3 boneless chicken breasts a small knob of fresh root ginger a bunch of spring onions 4 cloves of garlic 3 tbsp vegetable oil 200ml sake 2 x 300g packs straight-to-wok udon noodles 3 eggs, beaten 3 tbsp soy sauce

62 BBC Easy Cook

1 Get the ingredients ready Slice the chicken into long, thin strips about 2cm wide and set aside. Slice the ginger into small slivers. Cut the spring onions into thumb-sized pieces, separating the white and the green parts. Peel the garlic and slice as ﬁnely as you can. 2 Stir-fry the chicken Heat the wok and add the oil. Once it’s hot, add the chicken followed by the ginger and

the garlic, then stir well. Cook for 2 minutes, until just coloured. Add the whites of the spring onions and cook for 1-2 mins more until softened. Pour in the sake and bring to the boil, then let it bubble for 1-2 mins before adding the noodles and the rest of the spring onions. Toss together to heat the noodles through. Pour over the beaten eggs and soy sauce and stir well until the egg just starts to cook. Take off the heat and keep stirring until the egg is just cooked through, then serve immediately.

Charred salmon with fennel salad l l

Serves 4 l Ready in 30 minutes l £2.63 a portion 446 kcals, 32g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing

More ways with fennel Fennel and lime salad

2 large fennel bulbs 6 ripe tomatoes ﬁnely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve 100g black olives, pitted 1 tbsp capers, drained 4 x 150g salmon ﬁllets, skin-on 1 tbsp vegetable oil 40g ﬂat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped 1 Blanch the fennel If you are lucky enough to get a fennel bulb with fronds, pick them off and reserve. Trim the fennel, then, using a very sharp knife, slice it as thinly as possible. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and have a bowl of iced water ready. Tip the fennel into the boiling water, leave for 30 seconds, then lift into the iced water with a slotted spoon. 2 Make the salad Roughly chop the tomatoes. Put a sieve over a large bowl and squeeze the seeds and juice from the tomatoes with your hands. Discard

the seeds but keep the juices ready to make the dressing. Add the lemon rind and juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt to the tomato juices and stir well. Drain the fennel well and add to the bowl along with the olives, capers and the tomato ﬂesh. Mix well, then set aside. 3 Cook the ﬁsh Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Rub the salmon well with the vegetable oil and season. Heat a griddle or frying pan with an ovenproof handle, then cook the salmon, skin-side down, over a medium heat for 7 mins. There may be some smoke, but what is important is that the salmon is well-charred so it has a bitter, crisp bottom and the ﬂesh is sweet, soft and almost translucent inside. Put the salmon, still skin-side down in the pan, into the oven, then roast for 3 minutes until just cooked through. 4 Finish the dish Roughly chop the parsley and mix through the salad. Serve the salad on plates, then carefully lift the salmon from the pan and sit it on top, skin-side up. Drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve.

Put 4 tbsp olive oil and the finely grated rind and juice of 2 limes into a bowl and whisk together. Add 1 finely sliced fennel bulb and leave to marinate for 5 minutes. Serves 2.

Fennel dip Put ¼ fennel bulb, finely chopped, 100g Greek yogurt, ¼ lemon, juice only, and 1 tbsp olive oil into a bowl, mix well and season to taste. Serves 1.

Creamy fennel sauce Heat 200g butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 finely sliced fennel bulb and dry until soft and golden. Add 120ml white wine and 20ml white wine vinegar and cook until reduced by half. Add 200ml double cream and continue to reduce until thickened. Add ½ a small bunch of chopped chives, stir well and season, to taste. Serves 4.

‘What really makes this dish come alive is the sweetness of the salmon flesh against the bitter charred skin, plus the two textures of the fish work really well with the crunch of the aniseedy fennel salad,’ says John

BBC Easy Cook 63

TV COOKS

Saturday Kitchen’s

James Martin ‘This time of year is great for produce bursting with flavour. Before it disappears for another year, I make big batches of jams and pickles to see me through the winter,’ says James

James is the presenter of Saturday Kitchen

Mustard pickle l

Makes 2 large jars Takes 50 minutes, plus overnight salting l £2.04 each jar l 34 kcals, 2g fat, 1g sat. fat a tbsp l Not suitable for freezing l

225g table salt 450g shallots, peeled and quartered 225g cherry tomatoes 450g cauliﬂower ﬂorets 450g cucumber, deseeded and diced 1 tbsp capers 125g butter 25g plain ﬂour 500ml malt vinegar 100g caster sugar 1 tbsp turmeric 2½ tsp mustard powder 1 Salt the vegetables Dissolve the salt in about 4 litres of water. Put the shallots, tomatoes and cauliﬂower in a large bowl and cover with the salted water. Cover with cling ﬁlm and keep in the fridge or a cool place for 24 hours. 2 Cook the veg Drain the vegetables in a colander and tip them into a large preserving pan or ﬂameproof dish. Add the cucumber and capers, and cover with 2 litres of fresh water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables and tip into a large bowl. 3 Make the mustard sauce Melt the butter in a pan, then add the ﬂour and stir well to make a roux. Slowly add the vinegar, stirring all the time, and cook for a few minutes until thickened. Add the sugar, turmeric and mustard powder, and season with black pepper. Pour over the vegetables and stir

64 BBC Easy Cook

to combine. Pack the vegetables into sterilised jars and seal. 4 Leave to mature Leave in the fridge for at least 5 days before eating, so that the vegetables can absorb all the mustardy ﬂavours. Will keep in the fridge for six weeks.

Just before you start cooking the pickle, you’ll need to sterilise the jars. Either wash them in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely, or put through the dishwasher on a hot setting

‘Try my marrow chutney too,’ says James Cut a 1.5kg marrow, peeled and deseeded, into small pieces, put in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tbsp salt. Cover and leave for 12 hours. Rinse and drain the marrow, then put in a preserving pan or large pan with 225g peeled and sliced shallots, 225g apples, peeled, cored and sliced, 225g sultanas, a 2cm-piece ginger, finely chopped, 225g demerara sugar and 850ml malt vinegar. Tie 12 black peppercorns in muslin (or put into a small enclosed tea strainer) and put into the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, until the consistency is thick. Leave to settle for 10 minutes, then spoon into sterilised jars, put on the lids and label. Will keep for a year in a cool, dark place. Makes about 4 x 450g jars.

Plum and raspberry jam l

Makes 3 small jars Ready in 45 minutes l £3.21 each jar l 46 kcals, 0g fat, 0g sat. fat a tbsp l Not suitable for freezing l

1kg jam sugar 500g plums, stoned and roughly chopped juice of 1 lemon 500g raspberries

1 Dissolve the sugar Tip the sugar into a heavy preserving pan or ﬂameproof dish with the plums, lemon juice and half the raspberries. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until the plums are tender. Add the rest of the raspberries to the pan. 2 Finish cooking the jam Put a jam thermometer in the pan, bring to the boil, then cook over a high heat until the temperature reaches 104C. Alternatively, put a small plate in the fridge or freezer until very

cold. Once the jam has been boiling for 10 minutes and looks thick and syrupy, turn off the heat and pour a spoonful onto the plate. The jam is ready when it wrinkles as you push it with your ﬁnger (be careful not to burn yourself). If it isn’t ready, boil for 3 minutes more, then repeat as above until it wrinkles. 3 Pour into jars Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Skim the surface of any scum and pack into warm sterilised jars (see tip, left). Cover with wax discs and lids. Will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.

BBC Easy Cook 65

TV COOKS

Saturday Kitchen’s

Maria Elia ‘This menu takes a little effort but it’s worth it and it’s ideal for a special meal when there’s just the two of you,’ says Maria

Maria is a guest chef on Saturday Kitchen

Venison with pears l

Serves 2 Takes 20 minutes, plus marinating and 2 hours cooking l £2.74 a portion l 521 kcals, 32g fat, 15g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 small venison steaks 1 rosemary sprig 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus regular olive oil for frying 2 tsp butter FOR THE PEARS

1 large (or 2 small) slighlty under-ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths (reserve trimmings & pips) 1 rosemary sprig 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp butter FOR THE SAUCE

25g butter 30ml red wine 200ml chicken stock 1 tbsp quince paste 1 Marinate the meat Marinate the venison with the rosemary, oil and 1 tsp black pepper for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have time. 2 Cook the pears Heat oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4. Put the pear pieces and rosemary in the middle of a sheet of foil, sprinkle with sugar, dot with butter, then scrunch the foil to seal in a parcel. Bake for 1-1½ hours until tender. Keep warm. 3 Make the sauce Cook the reserved pear trimmings and pips in 25g butter for 5 minutes. Add the red wine

66 BBC Easy Cook

and boil until reduced by half, then pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, return to the pan with the quince paste until melted, then keep warm until you’re ready to serve. 4 Fry the venison Just before serving, turn up oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Heat a frying pan with a dash of olive oil and 2 tsp butter. Season the steaks with salt, then brown on both sides for 1-2 mins. Transfer to a baking sheet and ﬁnish in the oven for 4 mins. Remove and rest for 10 mins. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Slice the steaks and serve with the roasted pear.

Serve with... Rosemary mash Boil 500g potatoes, cubed, for 10-15 mins, until tender. Put 75ml double cream, 2 tbsp milk and 1 rosemary sprig in a pan and gently heat. Just before it reaches boiling point, remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse. Drain the potatoes, return to the pan on a low heat for 1 min to dry out, strain in the cream mixture and 50g butter. Season and mash. Serves 2.

Spiced pavlovas l l

Serves 2 l Takes 25 minutes, plus cooling and 1 hour cooking l £3.13 a portion 692 kcals, 18g fat, 10g sat. fat a portion l Suitable for freezing (meringue only)

FOR THE MERINGUES

seeds from 1 cardamom pod 1 clove ½ tsp each ground allspice and ground cinnamon 1 egg white 50g caster sugar ½ tsp cornﬂour ¼ tsp white wine vinegar ¼ tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp ﬁnely grated orange rind 2 heaped tbsp crème fraiche, to serve FOR THE MULLED WINE

300ml red wine 85g caster sugar 2 cloves 2 allspice berries 1 small cinnamon stick, broken in half 4 cardamom pods ﬁnely grated rind of ½ lemon and ½ orange 1 vanilla pod, split 1 bay leaf 6 dried ﬁgs FOR THE SAUCE

125ml ﬁg liquid (reserved from the ﬁgs in step 3) 50g caster sugar 3 tbsp cocoa powder 25g plain chocolate, broken into small pieces

2 Bake the meringues Divide the mixture into 2 on the prepared baking sheet and use the back of a spoon to make a slight hollow in the centre of each. Bake for 50 minutes until crisp, then turn off the heat and leave the meringues to cool in the oven for 30 mins. Finish cooling on a wire rack. If making ahead, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. 3 Make the mulled wine Put the wine, sugar, cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick, cardmom, lemon and orange rind, vanilla and bay into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 mins. Reheat the liquid, pour over the ﬁgs, then leave overnight or at least until cool. Drain the ﬁgs, reserving the liquid, then thickly slice each into 2-3 pieces.

theeasyway ‘Mulled wine is perfect for a cold night, and the traditional ﬂavours of cloves, spices and orange work well in these fabulous pavlovas topped with boozy mulled ﬁgs. If you’ve any ﬁgs left over, add them to a glass of mulled wine for a hot toddy!’ says Maria

4 Make the sauce Put 125ml of the reserved ﬁg liquid and sugar in a pan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then whisk in the cocoa and chocolate. The mixture will thicken as the chocolate melts. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. 5 Assemble Spoon a little crème fraiche onto each pavlova, top with the ﬁg slices and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve extra sauce on the side.

1 Make the meringues Heat oven to fan 120C/conventional 140C/gas 1. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, ﬁnely grind the cardamom seeds, clove, allspice and cinnamon together. Whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form, then gradually whisk in the sugar, a tbsp at a time, until you have a stiff, shiny mixture. Fold in the cornﬂour, vinegar, vanilla, spice mix and orange rind.

BBC Easy Cook 67

TV COOKS

Great British Menu’s

Tom Kerridge ‘Scallops vary in size. If quite small, you’ll need three per serving or you can halve large ones horizontally so you will only need one and a half per person’

Tom is a veteran chef on the Great British Menu

Simple scallops with ﬂavoured greens l

Serves 6 Ready in 20 minutes l £1.15 a portion l 146 kcals, 8g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 tbsp vegetable oil 3 shallots, diced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed ﬁnely grated rind and juice of 2 lemons 300g dark greens, such as cavalo nero, stalks discarded and leaves shredded 50g anchovies, chopped 18 small scallops a knob of butter 1 Cook the ﬂavoured greens Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots, garlic and lemon rind, and fry gently until soft. Add the greens and anchovies, and cook for 5 mins until the leaves have wilted. 2 Fry the scallops and serve Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a nonstick pan, add the scallops and fry for 1-2 mins on each side. Add the butter and lemon juice to the pan and swirl until the butter melts and you have a glossy sauce. Divide the cabbage and scallops between 6 plates and serve with the pan juices spooned over.

Tom’s top tip Choose a stainless steel, non-stick frying pan as it can provide even heating and withstand high temperatures. Don’t crowd the scallops in the pan or they will steam. Cook a few at a time, if necessary.

68 BBC Easy Cook

Saturday Kitchen’s

Bill Granger

Bill is a guest chef on Saturday Kitchen

‘This recipe clicks your brain into relax mode! If you’ve got a little parmesan in your fridge, it will work just as well as the pecorino’ Artichoke and pecorino bruschetta l

Serves 2 l Ready in 20 minutes l £1.59 a portion l 320 kcals, 19g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

140g artichokes in olive oil, drained a pinch of chilli ﬂakes a small handful of mint leaves ﬁnely grated rind of ½ lemon 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 large or 4 small slices of crusty bread 1 clove of garlic, sliced 50g pecorino, thinly sliced (or vegetarian alternative)

1 Marinate the artichokes Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Halve or quarter the artichokes, if whole, and put them in a bowl with the chilli ﬂakes, mint, lemon rind and oil. Season lightly with salt and set aside. 2 Make the bruschetta Put the bread on a baking sheet and scatter over the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Bake for 10 mins, or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool. 3 Add the cheese Fold the pecorino through the artichokes and spoon over the bruschetta just before eating.

More ways with artichokes Lentil salad with salsa verde Put 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 tsp mustard, 50g rocket, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 4 tbsp olive oil in a blender. Whizz until smooth, then season. Pour ¾ of the salsa verde over 400g green drained canned lentils, add 50g diced chorizo and 100g artichokes in olive oil, drained, and toss. Divide the lentil salad between plates. Crumble 100g feta over, then drizzle the remaining salsa verde over and serve. Serves 4.

BBC Easy Cook 69

TV COOKS

Saturday Kitchen’s

Sabrina Ghayour ‘There aren’t really ‘courses’ with Persian dining. I usually bring out three dishes and serve them with bread, but leave them on the table to serve with chicken and rice.’

Sabrina is a guest chef on Saturday Kitchen

Sabrina likes to serve the cake with Rose cream: ‘Tip 300ml double cream, 30g icing sugar and a few drops of rose water into a large bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Serve with the cake’

Carrot, pistachio and coconut cake l

Serves 10 Takes 25 minutes, plus cooling time and 1 hour in the oven l 63p a portion l 457 kcals, 35g fat, 15g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

3 large eggs 200g golden caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 200g ground almonds 100g desiccated coconut 2 tsp ground cinnamon

70 BBC Easy Cook

140g unsalted butter, melted 2 large carrots, coarsely grated 100g pistachios, roughly chopped or pulsed in a mini chopper icing sugar, for dusting dried rose petals and ground pistachios for decorating (optional)

almonds, coconut and cinnamon, and stir before adding the butter. Mix thoroughly, add the grated carrots and pistachios, then mix again until well combined. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour, checking at 40 mins to ensure it’s cooking evenly. (If not, turn the tin.)

1 Prepare the tin Turn oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Line the base and sides of a 24cmspringform cake tin with baking parchment.

3 Cool the cake Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to develop the ﬂavours. I keep the cake on a plate covered with cling ﬁlm and it lasts all week.

2 Make the cake In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together. Add the ground

4 When you want to serve Dust with a little icing sugar, then scatter with rose petals and pistachios, if you like.

Cucumber and mint dip l

Serves 6 Ready in 20 minutes l 33p a portion l 138 kcals, 9g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

You can make this dip up to a couple of hours ahead of time

l

1 large cucumber 2 tsp dried mint a large handful of golden raisins 500ml thick Greek yogurt drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil fresh mint leaves and rose petals, to serve (optional) 1 Mix the dip Wash and coarsely grate the cucumber into a bowl, then squeeze the excess water out of the pulp and discard it (you can also do this using a sieve). Mix the cucumber with the dried mint, most of the raisins, the yogurt and seasoning. Drizzle with oil and scatter with the remaining raisins, mint leaves and rose petals, if you like.

Shirazi salad l

Serves 6 Ready in 10 minutes l 87p a portion l 28 kcals, 1g fat, 0g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

l

1 cucumber, seeds removed and cut into small dice 6 ripe tomatoes, cut into small dice 1 large red onion, chopped drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon, plus slices to serve 2 heaped tsp ground sumac 200g fresh pomegranate seeds mint leaves and chopped dill, to serve 1 Make the salad Mix together the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion. Add a good drizzle of olive oil just before serving. Season, pour over the lemon juice and mix well. Sprinkle over the sumac and pomegranate seeds, then scatter over the mint and dill.

theeasyway ‘This salad is a Persian staple and a favourite among Iranians. I’ve added pomegranate seeds to give bursts of refreshing ﬂavour’

Persian aubergines l

Serves 6 l Takes 10 minutes, plus 45 minutes cooking l 49p a portion l 110 kcals, 7g fat, 2g sat. fat a portion l Not suitable for freezing l

2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 onions, thinly sliced 4 large aubergines, peeled and chopped into 2.5cm chunks 5 tbsp Greek yogurt a little olive oil a handful of mint leaves 1 Fry the onions Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onions until golden brown and crispy (this will

take 15-20 mins). Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with 2 sheets of kitchen paper. 2 Cook and mash the aubergines Add the aubergines to the same pan (add 1 tbsp more oil if needed), and fry until soft and cooked through – you may need to cook the aubergines in batches. Using a potato masher, mash the aubergines lightly until you break down the pieces and get a rustic texture. 3 Mix everything together Stir in most of the fried onions and mix well, then add 4 tbsp of the yogurt. Mix everything together, allowing the yogurt to cook into the aubergines. Season and transfer to a serving dish. Swirl through the remaining yogurt, drizzle with a little oil, then top with the reserved onions and the mint leaves.

BBC Easy Cook 71

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 CHARD from Chard-stuffed roast lamb, page 36

PLUMS from Plum and amaretti semifreddo, page 48

Quick-braised chard & lentils Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add 300g chard stalks (reserve the leaves), 1 clove of garlic, 1 chopped red chilli and a splash of water. Cook over a low heat for 8-10 mins until soft, then add the chard leaves and cook until wilted. Heat a 250g pouch ready-cooked puy lentils according to pack instructions. Take the chard off the heat and stir through the lentils. Season, dress with more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serves 4 as a starter. Cheesy chard gratin Turn oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Strip the leaves from a bunch of chard, then cut the stalks into sticks. Boil the stalks for 4 mins, until starting to soften. Add the leaves to just wilt. Drain. Mix 150ml double cream with 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard and toss through the chard with most of 140g gruyère, coarsely grated. Grease a gratin dish, spread over the chard mix, scatter with the remaining gruyère and 2 tbsp parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden. Serves 4.

Crunchy spiced plums Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Mix 2 tbsp sugar with 2 tbsp water in a baking dish, then add 2 whole star anise. Add 8 plums, halved. Dot with a knob of butter. Roast for 5 mins, until the plums start to soften, then turn them over. Roast for 5 mins more, until tender. Roughly crush 4 Hob Nob biscuits and spoon some crumbs on top of each plum half. Bake for a few minutes more until golden. Serve with custard or ice cream (try Speedy Ginger Ice Cream, see recipe below right). Serves 4.

theeasyway Stem ginger and squash steamed pudding, page 45 COURGETTES from Meditteraneam tuna, pepper and courgette tart, page 51 Cheesy courgette pizza Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Tip 1 pizza base mix into a bowl and add water. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to make 1 large pizza, stretching it as you roll. Lift it onto a baking sheet and spread it out flat. Spoon 6 tbsp tomato-based pasta sauce into the middle and spread it around. Arrange 1 courgette, thinly sliced, on top. Grate over some cheddar and dot on 1 ball mozzarella, torn. Bake for 25 minutes. Serves 4.

72 BBC Easy Cook

JUMBO OATS from Baked apple and toffee crumble, page 49 Cinnamon porridge with banana In a pan, mix 100g jumbo oats, 8 tsp cinnamon, 4 tsp demerara sugar, 450ml skimmed milk and 8 banana, sliced. Bring to the boil, stirring. Lower the heat and stir for 5 mins. Divide between bowls, top with sliced bananas, strawberries, yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serves 4. Honey muesli Mix 225g jumbo oats with 125ml freshly squeezed orange juice and 300ml cold water. Chill overnight. Stir in 225ml yogurt, 3 tbsp honey, and the finely grated rind of 1 lemon. Stir in 2 red apples, grated, 250g raspberries and 50g toasted and chopped hazelnuts. Serves 6.

ROASTED CASHEWS from Sticky citrus chicken with carrots, page 37 Asian chicken, mandarin and cashew salad Mix 1 tbsp oil, 4 tbsp mandarin juice from a 295g can mandarin segments in juice, and 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar. In a bowl, layer cooked shredded chicken with the mandarin segments, 100g roasted cashews, 1 red onion, sliced, 1 red pepper, chopped, 1 chunk red cabbage, shredded, 60g watercress, rocket & spinach salad and 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss. Serves 5. Cashew, chilli and lime-crusted ﬁsh Mix 1 tbsp veg oil with 2 tbsp lime juice and 1 grated clove of garlic and rub over 4 skinless white fish fillets. Turn oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Whizz together 100g roasted cashews, 4 mild red chillies, 6 cloves of garlic, a thumb tip-sized piece fresh root ginger, 1 tbsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp veg oil and 3 tbsp lime juice. Press 8 of the crust onto each fillet. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until cooked. Serves 4.

Sticky plum ﬂapjacks Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Tip 450g fresh plums into a bowl and toss with 8 tsp mixed spice, 50g light muscovado sugar and a tiny pinch of salt and set aside. Melt 350g butter in a pan. In a bowl, mix 300g rolled porridge oats (not jumbo), 140g plain flour, 50g chopped walnut pieces and 250g light muscovado sugar, then stir in the butter and 3 tbsp golden syrup. Press half the mixture over the base of a greased, 20cm-square baking tin. Tip over the plums and press on the remaining oats to cover completely. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until dark golden. Cool completely. Cuts into 18 bars.

STEM GINGER from Stem ginger and squash steamed pudding, page 45 Pear and ginger mufﬁns Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Grease 9 deep muffin tins. Put 75g butter and 75g light muscovado sugar in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 eggs, stir in 2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks, a 28cm-piece of stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped and the finely grated rind of 1 lemon. Mix 4 tbsp semi-skimmed milk into 175g natural yogurt. Mix 175g self-raising flour with 1 tbsp ground ginger. Stir a little of the milk mixture into the pear mixture, then stir in a little of the flour. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined, but don’t over-mix. Divide between the tins. Bake for 40 mins, until golden. Makes 9. Speedy ginger ice cream Stir 75g stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped, and 3 tbsp of the syrup from the jar, through 1 litre vanilla ice cream, softened. Return to the freezer to firm up for at least 1 hour. Serves 10.

USING THESE FOR THE FIRST TIME? SAKE from Japanese-style chicken noodles, page 62 This Japanese staple is an alcoholic drink made from fermented rice and is brewed in a similar way to beer. Sake, like wine, can have many flavours, eg fruits, flowers, herbs & spices. A sweet sake will go well with creamy dishes while bitter sake goes well with veg dishes.

LEMONGRASS from Chicken noodle laksa, page 25 This is a tropical variety of grass with a sweet, lemony scent and widely used in Thai and South East Asian cooking. You can add the thick bulb whole or peel, crush or chop it. It can be bought dried or powdered too (or use lemon rind instead). Try using the stalks as BBQ skewers.

CARDAMOM SEEDS from Spiced pavlovas, page 67 Cardamom is an aromatic spice used in southern Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. The seeds inside the pods can be used whole in curries or ground in a pestle and mortar and used in sweet dishes such as cakes.

BBC Easy Cook 73

easycook

Former winner of BBC One’s The Great British Bake Off, Edd Kimber, shows how easy it is to master piping and ‘flood icing’ to create lovely designs on biscuits

cookery school How to NEW TECHNIQUES TO LEARN

ice biscuits Make the biscuits ﬁrst

Line trays with baking parchment and heat oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Mix together 300g plain ﬂour, ¼ tsp salt, 150g golden caster sugar and the ﬁnely grated rind of 3 limes (keep the lime juice for the icing). Add 150g unsalted butter and rub together until the mixture resembles ﬁne breadcrumbs. Beat 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla paste together with a fork, then mix into the other ingredients. Knead until even. Chill until ﬁrm, then roll on a lightly ﬂoured surface until about 4-5mm thick. Stamp out 20 x 8cm-rounds, transfer to baking trays. Chill again for 15 mins. Bake for 15-17 mins, until golden. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before decorating.

EDD’S TOP TIPS For perfect results every time

Lime and vanilla iced biscuits l

Makes 20 l Takes 1 hour, plus 17 minutes in the oven and chilling and setting time l 17p each l 210 kcals, 7g fat, 4g sat. fat each l Suitable for freezing (un-iced)

74 BBC Easy Cook

Use gel food colours rather than liquid colouring It’s easier to control the intensity of shade and they also stop the icing from becoming too runny. Ensure the flood icing has a flat surface If the surface of the icing isn’t flat, gently shake the biscuit back and forth until you have a smooth covering. Icing consistency Check your consistency by piping out a little and running a cocktail stick through the middle of the icing and see if it fills back in before 10 seconds passes. If it doesn’t, the icing is too thick; if it fills in straight away, the icing is too runny. Practice first Always practice your piping on a clean plate to get the right pressure before starting to pipe the traced outline onto the cookies.

COOKERY SCHOOL

STEP 1 Make the outline icing Put 400g royal icing sugar into a bowl, add about 65ml lime juice and beat until it is fairly thick and glossy (not too thick, or it will be hard to pipe). Take a quarter of the icing, put into a piping bag ﬁtted with a very small round piping nozzle and set aside.

STEP 4 Use the stiff icing to pipe an outline

STEP 2 Mix and colour the ﬂood icing

STEP 3 Put the coloured icing into piping bags

Add another 10ml lime juice to the remaining thick icing, a few drops at a time, until it is pourable. Now divide this icing into three (or more) bowls as you like and colour each by mixing in a little gel food colouring.

Put each of the coloured icings into separate piping bags. Twist the bags like a sweetwrapper to keep all the icing inside the bag ready for decorating.

‘These handiced biscuits look impressive, but are a doddle to make. Here, I’ve kept it simple and just drawn around the outside of the biscuit. Once STEP 5 Add the you’ve got the hang of ﬂood icing this, you can add Pipe enough ﬂood icing to any design’ cover the entire biscuit inside

To decorate the biscuits, use the thicker icing (made in step 1) to draw your outline or design onto the biscuits. Let the icing set for a few minutes.

the outline – don’t worry about it being neat at this point. Use a cocktail stick to spread it evenly inside the outline.

STEP 6 Finish decorating To add a simple dot decoration, while the icing is still wet use the icing remaining in the piping bag to pipe dots – these will sink in, leaving a smooth effect. Put the biscuits onto a baking tray and put into an oven at its lowest setting for about 30 mins to allow the icing to set hard. BBC Easy Cook 75

extras

Sarah Sysum’s monthly round-up of top tips, best supermarket buys and useful info

Our favourite buys for

Great wines to try

Halloween Toffee Apple, 75p each, and Milk Chocolate Apple, £1 each, Waitrose

Wilton Halloween Cookie Cutter Set, £3.99, amazon.co.uk

Kids’ Halloween Apron, £4, Sainsbury’s

Silicone Pumpkin Cake Mould, £11.50, sous-chef.co.uk

Giant Pumpkin Competition, seed kit, £3.55, suttons.co.uk

Dark Chocolate Tiddly Vampires, £6, Hotel Chocolat

What to buy if you fancy… A topping with a twist Pilgrims Choice Crumbles with Breadcrumbs And Herbs, £2.79, Sainsbury’s These readymixed herbs with breadcrumbs and cheddar are great if you want to add a crunchy topping to a shepherd’s pie or a flavoured crust to fish. The topping melts well and the cheese has a lovely flavour.

76 BBC Easy Cook

Fuss-free crumble Marks and Spencer Rhubarb Compote, £2, and Oaty Crumble Mix, £1.70 Just tip the compote into a dish, add melted butter to the crumble mix, top the fruit and cook for about 20 minutes. This is so quick to prepare, and it tastes and looks homemade. You can use the topping to make flapjacks too, if you like.

Something quick for lunch John West Steam Pot, 150g, £1.69, Tesco All you do is add boiling water to the pot of couscous, wait 5 mins for it to ‘fluff’, and then mix in the pot of flavoured tuna. There's plenty for one and the five flavours are all lovely – our favourite is Mushroom Couscous with Ginger Tuna.

Lugana £9.99, Waitrose A sweet-ish white wine from the shores of Lake Garda in Italy that’s great with seafood and pasta, and also lovely on its own as an apéritif. Bradshaw Cabernet Sauvignon, £6.50, Asda Blackcurrant and blackberry ﬂavours make this Romanian red taste as good with the Sunday roast as with a weeknight lasagne. Truly Irresitible Viognier Pays d’Oc, £8.99, Co-operative Peaches and vanilla in a glass! This goes beautfully with strongly ﬂavoured dishes, especially anything with a cheesy topping.

theeasyway To make a piping bag

1 If you're having a go at making Edd’s biscuits on page 74, instead of buying a piping bag, why not make your own? STEP 1 Unroll a length of baking paper and fold one corner down to meet the bottom edge. Mark the crease, then cut along it to create a triangle. STEP 2 With the longest edge nearest to you, take the righthand corner and fold it so it meets the top tip of the triangle, forming a cone. STEP 3 Holding the two top points together, wrap the left-hand corner right around the cone until its pointed end joins up with the first two points. STEP 4 Three points should now be aligned and the bottom of the cone should be completely closed (or pull and tweak the tips until it is). STEP 5 Fold the points over several times to secure the piping bag – you could use a stapler to reinforce it. Fill with icing, then roll over the top to seal it in. STEP 6 Snip off the tip and pipe. Or, for precise icing, you can snip the tip off before adding the icing, and drop in a nozzle.

2

COOKS’ EXTRAS

I Can Cook! Multi-Purpose Grater With Measuring Jug, £16.99, Lakeland This range has been designed with little hands in mind (although it does need adult supervision, especially when changing the grating barrels). The pusher means kids can push the food down while turning the wheel and it all gets collected neatly in the jug. It has suction cups to stop it moving on the work surface, and the whole thing comes apart easily for cleaning. As you can see, our young kitchen tester Alfie is a real pro!

3

Cookbook of the month 4

5

Bake Me A Cake As Fast As You Can by Miranda Gore Brown £14.99, Ebury The idea of this book from The Great British Bake Off ﬁnalist Miranda is to show how, with a few clever shortcuts, baking can be ﬁtted around a normal busy day. It’s great for beginner bakers as the recipes are easy to follow and don’t require any specialist equipment. Everything is covered, from afternoon tea to impressive pudding cakes – and make sure you try the clever pizza cake!

Mary’s top tip

6

‘When I’m doing a smart tea for lots of friends, it’s such a help if you can make the sandwiches the day before. The trick is to choose the right fillings like ham or egg mayo. Use really fresh bread, cut the crusts off, slice into finger sandwiches and then pack really tightly on a tray so they all keep each other moist. Cover with a damp (but not wet) clean tea towel and tuck in all the way around. Wrap tightly with cling film and tuck this in too and pop in the fridge until you need them.’ Mary Berry is a judge on The Great British Bake Off. BBC Easy Cook 77

HOME COOKING SERIES

Create something special with our Bakes & cakes collection

Pear & blackberry crostata

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Special collection of tested recipes from the BBC kitchen

on no sa w le

Bacon & blue cheese tart

Impress friends and family with our stunning selection of delicious bakes. With over 100 irresistible recipes including breads, cakes and fruity puds, there’s something for everyone!

3 of the best aprons I Can Cook! Children’s PVC Icing Apron, £8.99, Lakeland

COOKS’ EXTRAS

Cooking with chervil

Chervil looks like a tiny flat-leaved parsley and has a mild, sweet aniseed flavour. If you fancy growing it, as Raymond Blanc likes to do (see our interview with Raymond over the page), here’s a smart lunch recipe to try it out in.

Herby mushrooms on toast Tip 1 tbsp white wine vinegar into a shallow pan of boiling water. Poach 4 eggs, then set aside in a bowl of iced water. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, fry 4 chunky slices of bread until golden on each side, then rub with a whole clove of garlic. Reheat the pan until really hot, add 2 tbsp olive oil, 300g mixed mushrooms, then fry for 2-3 mins. Add 1 chopped clove of garlic, 200g baby broad beans and the juice of 1 lemon, then set aside. Reheat the eggs briefly in the cooking water, toss in a large handful of chopped chervil and the mushrooms. To serve, put a slice of toast on each plate, spoon over the mushrooms and top with an egg. Serves 4.

Weber Apron With Bottle Opener, £25.19, www. wowbbq. co.uk

C’est Ca Woodland Folk Owl Panelled Apron, £22.95, www. broadwaycookshop.co.uk

‘Chervil only takes 3 weeks to germinate from seed. It’s not very well-known but goes with everything’

says Raymond Blanc

Did you know?

Portion caution

It might sound tedious, but do make sure you measure out dry rice and pasta before you cook them. As a rule, you need about half a mug of rice (60g) and 100g pasta per person. Why is this so important? Well, pasta and rice are the two ingredients we commonly cook too much of… UK households waste a staggering £111 million a year on these two items alone! It’s worth keeping a set of mini scales out on the work surface just for this. We like Jane Asher Mini Kitchen Scales, £1, Poundland BBC Easy Cook 79

COOKS’ EXTRAS The easycook interview

We meet ... Raymond Blanc He's one of Britain’s most respected chefs, famous for the celebrated two-star Michelin hotel and restaurant Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons (and The Raymond Blanc Cookery School) in Oxfordshire. Even a top chef like you must throw together a quick supper now and again! What’s your favourite speedy dinner? I cook simple dishes all the time and you can’t beat an omelette – it’s the ultimate one-pan dish in less than 3 minutes. I sometimes cook extra potatoes the day before to add them to an omelette the next day. You can use up anything you have in the fridge really, like half a red pepper and chopped, cooked bacon. Are there ingredients you can’t live without? Proper crusty bread. With a slice of ham it’s a meal in itself, or make into breadcrumbs and you have a crunchy coating for a soufflé.

What's the best thing you've ever eaten? It’s anything that reminds me of my mother’s cooking – the lovely sauce made from the roasting juices of a chicken, or a delicious cherry tart. Smell and nostalgia are so important to food.

I believe in having a very open relationship with all my chefs. It stems from my strong belief in family

You have trained many famous chefs in your time, including Michael Caines. Do you feel quite fatherly towards them? Definitely – they refer to me as Papa Blanc! I firmly believe in having a very open relationship with all my chefs. It stems from my strong belief in family and sharing what you know. We need to create knowledge and the only way of doing that is to pass on that knowledge, however small. For example, I take new chefs into the kitchen garden at my restaurant and show them a carrot, we then discuss how different cooking and cutting techniques affect the taste.

If you could only grow three herbs or vegetables, what would you choose? I’d say to everyone to try and grow at least one herb. You don’t even need a garden, just a windowsill – and hopefully a bit of sun! My top choice is chervil – it 80 BBC Easy Cook

only takes 3 weeks to germinate from seed and goes with everything. Garlic chives are fast growers and can be used instead of onions, and radishes grow in six weeks.

Do you think British cooking has come on a lot in the last 30 years? So much! People in this country are really open to trying new things and as we become even more multicultural, lots of different cuisines and ideas seep into British cooking. Not just in restaurants (where we have some great, young creative chefs) but also with the food and ingredients you can buy. People are experimenting more in their own kitchens too. What’s your guilty food pleasure? A Kit-Kat (but only the dark chocolate variety!) with a cup of coffee. You're an ambassador for the new Kenwood ChefSense mixer – does having the right equipment at home make cooking easier and more fun? Even the very best chefs can't do everything themselves and gadgets save a lot of time and often you get a better result too. For example, egg whites always fluff up more in a mixer.

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 WEIGHT

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

5½oz

225g

175g

6oz

1 cup butter/ margarine/lard

185g

6½oz

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

LIQUID CONVERSIONS American

Metric

½ fl oz

15ml

¼ cup

50ml

½ 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

2½ fl oz

85ml

3 fl oz

350F

180C

100ml

3½ fl oz

375F

190C

125ml

4 fl oz

400F

200C

150ml

¼ 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

1½ pints

1 litre

1¾ pints

1.2 litres

2 pints

MEASUREMENTS 2cm ¾in 2.5cm

1in

5.5cm

2½in

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.

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SPEEDY

Recipe index MEAT & POULTRY

Pittas with a twist

NEXT TIME IN TASTY

Try a Full English Pizza!

A GOOD CAUSE

Asian chicken, mandarin and cashew salad ...... 73 Chard-stuffed roast lamb.................................. 36 Cheese and bacon muffins ............................... 50 Cheesy polenta with sausage ragu .................... 12 Chicken and pea pasta ..................................... 25 Chicken and pea risotto .................................... 25 Chicken cups .................................................... 39 Chicken noodle laksa ........................................ 25 Chicken with mushrooms ................................. 11 Crispy pork tacos with pineapple salsa ............... 8 Crunchy chicken strips ..................................... 12 Grilled chicken with spicy guacamole and corn chips..................................................... 15 Japanese-style chicken noodles ........................ 62 Japanese-style glazed squash........................... 45 Lamb kebabs...................................................... 8 Lemon and five spice chicken ........................... 34 Lemon chicken ................................................. 22 Lentil salad with salsa verde ............................. 69 Meatballs in tomato sauce ............................... 18 Mustard chicken on toast ................................. 25 Oriental beef bowl ............................................ 16 Roast pork with pear sauce .............................. 47 Roast pork with sage and red onion chutney..... 22 Rosemary traybake lamb .................................. 35 Sausage and lentil traybake.............................. 18 Sausage pie pots ................................................ 3 Sausage ragu and spinach pasta bake.............. 41 Sticky citrus chicken with carrots and cashews 37 Sticky duck-dogs with Chinese crisps ............... 39 Thai-spiced turkey patties................................. 14 Tomato and chorizo rice ..................................... 7 Venison with pears ........................................... 66 Vietnamese lunchbox baguette ......................... 24

Triple cheese and onion muffins ....................... 50 Veggie pizzas.................................................... 41 Veggie tikka cubes ............................................ 13

FISH & SEAFOOD

Amaretti and sultana cheesecake ..................... 52 Baked apples.................................................... 34 Baked apple and toffee crumble ....................... 49 Chilled rum and raisin rice pudding.................. 49 Crunchy spiced plums ...................................... 72 Easy banoffee pies............................................ 29 Green tea frozen yogurt .................................... 43 Griddled pineapple ........................................... 29 Instant lime rice pudding ................................. 29 Lemon creams with caramelised pears ............ 47 Pear and cardamom tart .................................. 46 Plum and amaretti semifreddo ......................... 48 Roasted fig bruschetta...................................... 29 Speedy ginger ice cream .................................. 73 Spiced orange pancakes ................................... 29 Spiced pavlovas ................................................ 67 Stem ginger and squash steamed pudding ...... 45 Sticky pears...................................................... 47

Cashew, chilli and lime-crusted fish .................. 73 Charred salmon with fennel salad..................... 63 Cheese and onion fish with potato wedges ....... 40 Fish in Thai sauce............................................... 6 Hot and sour soup with prawns ........................ 42 Hot mustard tuna with herby couscous ............ 10 Mediterranean tuna, pepper and courgette tart 51 Quinoa-crusted salmon ...................................... 8 Scampi and chips............................................. 37 Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions 43 Simple scallops with flavoured greens .............. 68 Spaghetti with artichokes and pesto................. 18 White fish with fennel, lemon and spices .......... 34

VEGETARIAN

Easy and delicious PLUS lots more brilliant ideas!

November issueN ON SALE £O.NOLWY 30 1 October Don’t miss out, subscribe today – see page 30 for more details 82 BBC Easy Cook

ISSUE 75 OCTOBER 2014

Artichoke and pecorino bruschetta ................... 69 Baked potatoes with spicy dhal ........................ 20 Cheesy chard gratin.......................................... 72 Cheesy courgette pizza..................................... 72 Herby mushrooms on toast .............................. 79 Mushroom and pepper melts ........................... 33 Pea pasta ......................................................... 22 Persian aubergines ........................................... 71 Potato, cheddar and red onion pasties ............. 51 Quick-braised chard and lentils ........................ 72 Red wine lentils ................................................ 20 Roasted squash with pesto and mozzarella ..... 45 Roast pumpkin with cream, thyme & parmesan .. 44 Shirazi salad..................................................... 71 Spaghetti with artichokes and pesto................. 18 Spiced broccoli with paneer ............................. 12

SIDES & EXTRAS

Celeriac champ ................................................ 26 Cinnamon porridge with banana....................... 73 Creamy fennel sauce ........................................ 63 Cucumber and mint dip ................................... 71 Fennel and lime salad ....................................... 63 Fennel dip......................................................... 63 Fennel slaw ......................................................... 8 Honey muesli.................................................... 73 Lemon and parsley butter beans ...................... 26 Mango slaw ...................................................... 39 Marrow chutney................................................ 65 Mustard pickle.................................................. 64 Noodle salad .................................................... 14 Paprika potatoes .............................................. 34 Plum and raspberry jam................................... 65 Quick parsley sauce............................................ 8 Roast pumpkin seeds ....................................... 45 Rose cream ...................................................... 70 Rosemary mash ............................................... 66 Seedy spread.................................................... 33 Sesame brittle .................................................. 43 Sticky sesame glazed carrots ........................... 26 Super-quick Indian rice..................................... 34 Tangy salad relish............................................. 10 Tomato salsa .................................................... 22 Tropical punch.................................................. 38 Tuna melt ......................................................... 33

DESSERTS

CAKES & BAKES

Carrot, pistachio and coconut cake .................. 70 Ginger shortcake .............................................. 34 Gingery plum cake............................................ 53 Honey cake with honeyed almond crunch ......... 53 Lime and vanilla iced biscuits........................... 74 Malloween ghosts ............................................. 58 Mini éclairs....................................................... 54 Monster cupcakes ............................................ 58 Pear and ginger muffins ................................... 73 Pineapple upside-down cake ............................ 55 Scary skull biscuits .......................................... 58 Sticky plum flapjacks ....................................... 73 Vanilla custard slices ........................................ 56

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.

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