Indice dei contenuti per May 2021 in Easy Cook

What’s your cooking routine? During the months of lockdown, I got mine down to an obsessive art, drawing a weekly grid in a notepad and filling in the squares with ideas for lunches; kids’ dinners, mum and dad’s dinners (because our permanently-hungry teenagers require feeding a lot earlier than us), then weekends spent eating together. My imagination only stretches so far, so to keep everyone interested, Easy Cook is my most valuable planning tool: 100+ recipes to inspire and satisfy. Quick, simple and budgeted solutions in every issue. The recipe on this page, for example, has been devoured many times by my family. I hope you find as much inspiration in the magazine as I do.…

Smoked trout, beetroot & horseradish flatbread ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 8 mins 4 flatbreads olive oil, for brushing 2 tbsp creamed horseradish 2 tbsp crème fraîche small bunch of dill, ½ chopped, ½ picked into small fronds squeeze of lemon juice, plus a pinch of zest 3 cooked beetroots (not in vinegar), very thinly sliced 4 smoked trout fillets, broken into large flakes mixed salad leaves, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Brush the flatbreads with olive oil. Put on a large baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 8 mins until crisp around the edges. 2 Meanwhile, mix the horseradish, crème fraîche, chopped dill, lemon juice and zest, and some seasoning in a small bowl. Add a…

Meat-free Monday Veggie okonomiyaki ◼ Serves 2 ◼ Prep 15 mins ◼ Cook 20 mins VEGETARIAN 3 large eggs 50g plain flour 50ml milk 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 1 pak choi, sliced 200g Savoy cabbage, shredded 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, plus extra to serve ½ tbsp low-salt soy sauce ½ tbsp rapeseed oil 1 heaped tbsp light mayonnaise ½ lime, juiced sushi ginger, to serve (optional) wasabi, to serve (optional) 1 In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour and milk until smooth. Add half the spring onions, the pak choi, cabbage, chilli and soy sauce. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and pour in the batter. Cook, covered, over a medium heat for 7-8 mins. Flip the okonomiyaki into a second…

BBQ roast chicken & chunky chips ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 1 hr 40 mins 2 tbsp paprika ½ tsp dried thyme 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar 4 large baking potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunky wedges 3 tbsp sunflower oil 1 free-range chicken, about 1.5kg 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. In a bowl, mix the paprika, thyme and sugar with a couple of generous pinches of salt. Tip the potato wedges into a large roasting tin, add 2 tbsp oil and turn to coat, then season with some of the paprika mix. Rub the chicken with the rest of the oil, season inside and out, then rub all over with the rest of the paprika mix. Push the potatoes to the sides of…

This menu is perfect for sharing, taking inspiration from Japanese street food and using ingredients that are all readily-available. If some sound unfamiliar, turn to page 67 for descriptions about what they are and how to use them. Menu for 4 Yakitori ★ Tonkatsu ★ Fluffy rice ★ Sesame greens ★ Shredded cabbage Yakitori The secret to the sticky chicken is to keep turning the skewers to continually baste it in the sauce. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 25 mins 100ml soy sauce 100ml mirin 50ml sake 2 tbsp caster sugar 500g boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm chunks 4 spring onions, each cut into three YOU WILL NEED 4 bamboo skewers 1 Soak the skewers in a bowl of water to prevent them…

Classic meringues ■ Makes about 18 ■ Prep 25 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 1 hr VERGETARIAN FREEZABLE 4 egg whites 225g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract YOU WILL NEED piping bag medium-size star piping nozzle 1 Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. 2 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until very stiff - the whites should stand in stiff, not floppy, peaks when the beaters are lifted out (see picture A). Once you have reached this point, pour in roughly half the sugar and the vanilla extract and whisk again until the mixture becomes very thick, firm and shiny (see picture B). Add the remaining sugar and whisk again until thick, firm and shiny. 3 Spoon the meringue…

■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 10 mins 250g long-stem broccoli, halved 2 balls stem ginger, finely chopped, plus syrup from the jar 3 tbsp low-salt soy sauce, plus extra to taste (optional) 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 red chilli, a little thinly sliced, the rest deseeded and finely chopped 2 tsp sesame seeds ½ tbsp sesame oil 200g raw king prawns 100g beansprouts cooked rice or noodles, to serve 1 Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the broccoli for 1 min. Meanwhile, mix together the stem ginger and 2 tbsp syrup, soy sauce, garlic and finely chopped chilli. 2 Toast the sesame seeds in a dry wok. When toasted, turn up the heat and add the oil, prawns and broccoli. Stir-fry…

Creamy penne with salmon & capers ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 15 mins 400g penne 2 skinless salmon fillets 100g frozen peas 75g cream cheese 50g capers, drained and rinsed ½ lemon, zested and juiced ½ small pack dill, chopped 1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, season the salmon fillets and put in a steamer on top of the pasta, covered, for the final 5-7 mins. (Alternatively, cook the salmon in the microwave on high, covered, for 2 mins.) Add the frozen peas to the pasta for the final minute of cooking. 2 Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a splash of the water in the pan. Return the pasta and peas to…

Cannelloni with sausage ragu & tomato sauce Cannelloni can be hard to find unless you go to a good Italian deli. You can make your own using fresh pasta, but I love the texture of the dried tubes, especially when they have gone a bit crispy on the outside. Italian sausagemeat is beautifully seasoned and tends to have some cured meat as well as herbs and dried chilli in it. As a result, any sauce made with it becomes really tasty and is far more interesting than it would be if you used just minced beef or pork. You’ll need a piping bag to fill the cannelloni; and, no matter how hungry you are, let the dish cool for a few minutes before you serve – the pasta needs that…

James Martin’s carrot cake with cinnamon frosting This is baking at its best - no silly ingredients or fancy colours - it’s just classic and delicious. ■ Cuts into 8-10 slices ■ Prep 20 mins plus overnight soaking ■ Cook 1 hr VERGETARIAN FREEZABLE before icing 1 orange, zested and juiced 50g sultanas 150ml sunflower oil, plus extra for the tin 2 eggs 140g light brown soft sugar 85g wholemeal self-raising flour 85g self-raising flour 2 tsp ground mixed spice 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 140g carrots, coarsely grated 50g walnuts, chopped, plus a few halves to decorate FOR THE ICING 200g soft cheese 50g butter, softened 85g icing sugar, sifted pinch of ground cinnamon 1 If you have time to do it the night before, put…

Spiced mushroom & lentil hotpot A satisfying vegan dish that’s great for the whole family. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 40 VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE before baking 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced 300g mini portobello or chestnut mushrooms, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 x 400g cans green lentils, drained and rinsed 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced 1 large potato, very thinly sliced 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan. Fry the onion for 3 mins, then add the mushrooms. Cook for another 3 mins, then increase the heat and add the…

This simple recipe is a Greek twist on the classic British roast. Lamb shoulder is not the leanest cut, but by cooking it ‘low and slow’, all the fat melts away, leaving you with a tender, lean joint. Also, as it’s baked in its own sauce, there’s no need for extras, like gravy. Just serve it with roasties and greens, then finish with our tasty fruity almond tart LUNCH FOR 4 Herby baked lamb in tomato sauce Oregano & lemon roasties Garlicky greens Apricot & almond Bakewell Herby baked lamb in tomato sauce This is so easy to prepare and the flavour-packed dish almost looks after itself as it cooks. ■ Serves 4 with leftovers ■ Prep 5 mins plus resting ■ Cook 4 hrs FREEZABLE 1.8kg shoulder of lamb…