Table of contents for January 2020 in Easy Cook

January is always a tricky time of year on the cooking front. After the excess of the festive period, we’re supposed to detox and go all ‘New Year, new you’ with back-to-back healthy meals. But salads and grains don’t keep the hungry wolf from my teenage kids’ doors. In the cold, dark, dank nights of the first month of the year, they want food that cheers them up, that gives them a cuddle, which is why we’ve devoted 10 pages to warm and spicy dishes (p46) – curries and stews and casseroles. But it’s also Veganuary, so our family section this month features delicious meat-free meals (turn to page 18 – the bigger boys are my lads, getting stuck in!) Happy New Year, everyone.…

Burrito bowls with chipotle black beans • Serves 2 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 15 mins 125g basmati rice 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, chopped 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tsp honey 1 tbsp chipotle paste 100g chopped curly kale 1 avocado, halved and sliced 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 small red onion, chopped chipotle hot sauce coriander leaves and lime wedges, to serve 1 Cook the rice following pack instructions, then drain and return to the pan to keep warm. In a frying pan, heat the oil, add the garlic and fry for 2 mins or until golden. Add the beans, vinegar, honey and chipotle paste. Season and warm through for 2 mins. 2 Boil the kale for 1…

Jamaican-style chicken with rice & peas This is for spice lovers only, as it’ll blow your socks off! If you want to dial down the heat, use only one Scotch Bonnet or replace with the same quantity of a milder chilli. This recipe is very good served with some natural yogurt on the side to cool down those taste buds. • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins plus 1 hr marinating • Cook 1 hr 8 chicken thighs, skin on 2 x 250g packs pre-cooked brown rice 150ml coconut milk 300g frozen peas 2 limes, halved, to serve FOR THE JERK MARINADE 8 spring onions, roughly sliced 1 large shallot, chopped 2cm piece ginger, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 Scotch Bonnet peppers 1 tbsp thyme leaves ½ tbsp ground…

Fish tagine with saffron & almonds • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 25 mins 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped good pinch saffron 600ml hot fish or chicken stock 2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece ginger, grated 1 green chilli (deseeded if you don’t like it too hot), finely sliced 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp tomato purée 10 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tbsp ground almonds 1 orange, zested, and1/2 juiced 1 tbsp honey 700g white fish, cut into large chunks small bunch coriander, chopped handful flaked almonds, toasted couscous and natural yogurt, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for a few mins until soft. Meanwhile, put the saffron…

MIDDLE EASTERN SHARING MENU TO SERVE 6 Starters Baked feta with sumac & grapes Sesame flatbreads or crusty bread Mains Lemony lamb meatballs Chicken wings with chilli & date caramel Barley & bulgur herb salad Dessert Rhubarb tatin Baked feta with sumac & grapes • Serves 6-8 as a starter • Prep 10 mins • Cook 35 mins 1 small red onion, halved and sliced 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp golden caster sugar 350g red grapes, left on the stalk in small bunches 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp sumac (see below) 1/2 small pack dill, chopped 2 x 250g blocks vegetarian feta sesame flatbreads (right) or crusty bread, to serve (optional) 1 Put the red onion in a bowl and add the vinegar, sugar and a pinch…

Herb omelette with fried tomatoes A perfect, protein-rich brunch or breakfast. • Serves 2 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 5 mins 1 tsp rapeseed oil 3 tomatoes, halved 4 large eggs 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped basil 1 Heat the oil in a small non-stick frying pan, then cook the tomatoes cut-side down until starting to soften and colour. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the herbs and some black pepper in a small bowl. 2 Put the tomatoes on two plates. Pour the egg into the pan and stir gently with a wooden spoon to move the egg that sets on the base of the pan and allow the uncooked egg to flow into the space. Stop stirring when it’s nearly cooked to allow it to set…

Veggie toad-in-the-hole Use your favourite veggie sausages in this simple version of the classic kids’ supper. • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins plus standing • Cook 40 mins 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 8 vegetarian sausages FOR THE BATTER 4 medium eggs 325ml semi-skimmed milk 250g plain flour 1 To make the batter, beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl, add 1 tsp salt, then beat again. Tip in the plain flour and beat well with a whisk until smooth. If you can, make this 2 hrs before needed and allow to stand before pouring into the tin. 2 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pour 2 tbsp oil in a 28 x 23cm roasting tin (or a tin roughly that size), coat the sausages in the oil…

Thai-style chicken & sweet potato parcels • Serves 1 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 30 mins 25g creamed coconut (from a block) 2 tsp light brown soft sugar 2 tsp Thai green curry paste 1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes 1 small red pepper, deseeded and cut into small cubes 1 skinless chicken breast handful coriander leaves and a few lime wedges, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180Cfan/gas 6. Dissolve the coconut in 3 tbsp boiling water and mix to a smooth paste. Stir in the 2 Place a large piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet. Arrange the sweet potato and pepper on the paper, then top with the chicken breast and pour over the sauce. Fold over the top edges of…

Hot mustard lentils with beetroot & spicy sausages • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 45 mins 500g raw beetroot 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion, cut into wedges 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 tsp caraway seeds 400g pack sausages (we used lamb merguez sausages) 2 x 250g pouches ready-cooked puy lentils 75g watercress, stalks removed FOR THE DRESSING 4 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp English mustard 1 lemon, juiced 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Top and tail the beetroot, then peel and cut into wedges. Put the beetroot in a roasting tin, drizzle over the olive oil and toss with the onion, garlic and caraway seeds. Roast for 45 mins until the beetroot is tender…

“Entertaining doesn’t need to break the bank. Pile on the style with our menu for six that works out at less than £4 per head – just get your friends to bring a bottle or two for the perfect evening!” Smoked mackerel pâté with cucumber • Serves 6 • Prep 30 mins plus chilling • No cook 1 pack smoked mackerel (about 200g), skin and bones removed 250g tub cream cheese 2 lemons, 1 zested, both juiced small pack dill, half roughly chopped, plus some fronds to garnish 1 cucumber 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 1 Tip the mackerel into a blender with the cream cheese, lemon zest and half the lemon juice, and pulse to make a pâté. Add the chopped dill and pulse again to…

Matt Tebbutt’s silky celeriac soup with smoked haddock As the haddock is just flaked over to finish, you can leave it out if the kids aren’t keen. Also, if you want to make this soup vegetarian, simply omit the haddock and make the soup with vegetable stock. • Serves 6 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 40 mins 50g unsalted butter 1 onion, chopped 1 leek, finely chopped 1 garlic bulb, cut through the middle few thyme sprigs, plus extra to serve 4 bay leaves 1 celeriac, peeled and diced 2 medium potatoes, diced 1 litre chicken stock 500ml milk 2 fillets natural smoked haddock 500ml double cream 1 Heat the butter in a large saucepan until foaming, then lower the heat a little. Cook the onion and leek with…

Herb roast pork with vegetable roasties & apple gravy • Serves 6 • Prep 35 mins • Cook 1 hr 30 mins 1.25kg boneless pork leg roasting joint 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 2 tbsp each chopped parsley and thyme, plus a few extra sprigs 1 tsp chopped sage 80g pack prosciutto 4 good sprays of oil 3 carrots, halved lengthways, then cut into chunks 6 small potatoes (about 500g), halved 2 red onions, cut into wedges 1 small celeriac (about 650g), peeled and cut into 12 wedges 12 garlic cloves FOR THE GRAVY 2 tbsp cornflour 600ml chicken stock 1 small Bramley apple, diced Savoy cabbage and peas, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut all the rind and fat off the pork and discard. Spread…

MEAL ONE “ I love this way of cooking. It’s what I was brought up on – no waste, comforting family favourites ” Pot-roast chicken with stock Pot-roasting like this is a winning formula for keeping your chicken succulent and also giving you an amazing stock to use in other recipes. I’ve used a big chicken, but use whatever size suits your budget and fits in your pan, then use the other recipes as leftover inspiration. • Serves 4 with leftovers • Prep 10 mins • Cook 2 hrs 10 mins 2 tbsp olive oil 2.4kg chicken – buy the best you can afford 4 onions, peeled and cut into large wedges 1/2 bunch thyme 3 garlic cloves 6 peppercorns 175ml white wine 1.2 litres chicken stock 1 Heat the…

Pickled pineapple & sriracha grilled cheese toastie A spicy twist on the cheese toastie, using the classic combination of pineapple and cheese. It'll make more pickled pineapple than you need, but it'll keep chilled for up to two days. • Serves 1 • Prep 10 mins plus marinating • Cook 15 mins ½ pineapple, flesh cut into small cubes 2 thick slices of sourdough 1 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tsp rapeseed oil 85g cheddar, sliced 1 spring onion, finely sliced sriracha chilli sauce FOR THE PINEAPPLE PICKLE  100ml white wine vinegar 40g golden caster sugar ½ tsp coriander seeds ½ tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp black peppercorns 1 star anise 1 bay leaf 1 Bring all the pineapple pickle ingredients to the boil with 100ml water. Add…