Easy Cookの March 2019 の目次

Mother’s Day is going to be a particularly special day this year because it’s also my wife’s birthday (and a milestone one, at that), so I’ve been nagging our three kids, aged 17, 14 and 11, to get off their screens and pull out all the stops (with a threat to pull out the plugs on their gadgets if they don’t – it’s an amazingly motivating strategy). Poached eggs are my wife’s favourite breakfast, so the eldest is on breakfast duty, making eggs on avocado & feta toast (see recipe, right). I’ve got the younger boys on the case for afternoon tea, baking scrumptious vanilla cupcakes (p6) and then, I’ll take the reins to do what I love doing most – cooking Sunday lunch for the family. For that, I’ve…

Goat’s cheese & greens penne • Boil 400g penne and add the bean mix with 4 mins to go. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Meanwhile, fry 2 chopped garlic cloves and 1-2 finely chopped red chillies in 3 tbsp oil. Return the pasta to pan, stir in the garlic, chilli and oil , then add a little water to loosen. Stir in the goat’s cheese, this time all of it chopped. Let it melt for 1 min, then stir in a handful rocket. Season well and serve, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.…

Warming and satisfying – add as much hot pepper sauce as you like MONDAY Jamaican red bean soup • Serves 2 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 30 mins 1 tsp coconut oil or rapeseed oil 175g lean rump steak, finely diced 1 small sweet potato, cut into small chunks 2 small carrots, sliced 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into small chunks 1 celery stick, sliced 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 400g can red kidney beans in water (no need to drain) 600ml beef stock ½ tsp ground allspice hot pepper or Scotch bonnet sauce, to taste 1 Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and stir-fry the beef for 1 min until it just changes colour, then remove with a slotted spoon…

USING A WHOLE BIRD… Buying a whole chicken is great value for roasts and stews while also providing you with the carcass for a delicious and nutritious bone stock Five-spice, soy & lemon roast chicken Hoisin and soy sauce mingle with lemon juice, ginger and garlic to make a slurpable gravy for this roast with a difference. Serve family style, with rice instead of potatoes and a bowl of fresh greens. • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins plus 30 mins marinating • Cook 1 hr 40 mins thumb-sized piece ginger, thinly sliced 1 large chicken (about 1.8-2kg), untied 2 bunches spring onions 1 head garlic, halved across the middle 1 lemon, halved, plus 4 wedges 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil, to drizzle 1-2…

Smoked salmon with horseradish crème fraîche & beetroot • Serves 2 • Prep 10 mins • No cook 50g crème fraîche 2 tsp hot horseradish sauce 1 tsp vodka (optional) 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp honey 60g cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), finely diced 2 large slices smoked salmon few red chicory leaves handful baby rocket salad few snipped dill sprigs fingers of toast, to serve (optional) 1 Fold the crème fraîche with the horseradish and vodka, if using, with a little seasoning. Chill. 2 In a bowl, mix the vinegar, olive oil and honey. Toss1/2 this dressing through the beetroot and chill until ready to serve. 3 Before serving, divide the slices of salmon between two plates, top with a spoonful of the…

Asparagus mimosa These green spears look so beautiful on the table. And the combination of the roasted asparagus with the fluffy sieved (or finely chopped) hard-boiled egg flecked on top, finished with the sweet and citrussy flavours of the lemon and basil in the dressing, is so delicious! You can serve this on one or two big platters if you’re feeding a large crowd, and the eggs and dressing can be prepared the day before, so it’s quite an easy starter. I’ve also made this just as successfully using stemmed purple sprouting broccoli in place of the asparagus. • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 5-10 mins 20 asparagus spears, ends trimmed 1 tbsp olive oil 2 hard-boiled eggs FOR THE DRESSING 1 lemon, juiced 1 tbsp finely…

Noodle stir-fry with crunchy peanuts Pick out the onion from the stir-fry veg and fry it briefly first to ensure the pieces have enough time to cook through along with the rest of the veg. • Serves 3 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 10 mins 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped, plus extra to serve 300g pack ready-to-eat egg noodles 1 tbsp oil 2 eggs, lightly beaten 300g pack stir-fry vegetables sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional) 1 Mix the peanut butter with the soy sauce and 50ml water, then add the peanuts. Put the noodles in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Stir them gently so they separate, then drain. 2 Heat ½ tbsp oil in a…

1 Using kitchen or poultry scissors, cut off the ends of the wing tips. Remove any string and open out the legs. Using a large sharp knife, trim off the ends of the leg joints at the knuckle. 2 Sit the chicken, breast-side down, and use scissors to cut along one side of the backbone towards the neck. Cut down the other side of the backbone to remove it. 3 Open the bird out breast-side up. Using scissors, cut down the centre of the breast to divide the chicken in half. 4 Place one half on the board and slide your knife almost horizontally between the leg joint and the breast. Cut between the leg portion to remove. Repeat with the other chicken half. 5 Feel the leg joint to…

Traditional meals with a new twist Whisky chicken with wild mushroom & mustard sauce • Serves 6 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 40 mins 25g butter 2kg chicken, jointed into 8 portions 2 shallots, diced 1 garlic clove, chopped 50ml whisky 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp grainy mustard 200g new potatoes, halved 100g wild mushrooms 4 medium tomatoes, quartered 750ml chicken stock 75ml double cream small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped small bunch wild garlic, plus wild garlic flowers, to serve (optional) 1 Heat a large, wide, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Add the butter and heat until melted, then add the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Season, then fry for about 10 mins, until deep golden. Stir in the shallots and garlic and cook for…

Say it with flowers… bake something special for Mother’s Day 31 March Blueberry & pecan oaties • Makes 12 • Prep 20 mins plus chilling • Cook 15 mins 175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1/2 tsp baking powder 85g porridge oats 175g golden caster sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 140g butter, chopped 70g pack dried blueberries 50g pecans, roughly broken 1 egg, beaten 1 In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, oats, sugar and cinnamon with your hands. Add the butter, and rub it into the mixture until it disappears. 2 Stir in the blueberries, pecans and the egg. Mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together. Lightly flour your work surface, then roll the dough into a sausage about 6cm across. Wrap in cling film…

AS LITTLE AS 76P PER SERVING Great served with rice or piled on a baked potato with a dollop of soured cream Leek & mackerel penne bake Super-fast and filling for busy midweek nights. Great with smoked haddock, too. • Serves 2 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 20 mins 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced knob of butter 175g penne pasta 200ml pot reduced-fat crème fraîche 1 tbsp capers 2 small smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flesh flaked into large chunks 25g breadcrumbs 1 Fry the leeks in the butter until very soft, about 10-15 mins. Meanwhile, boil the pasta and heat the grill. When the leeks are soft, stir in the crème fraîche, capers and fish. Heat through for 1 min. 2 Drain the pasta and stir into…

Lemon chicken with sugar snap peas • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 20 mins 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp 3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into long strips ½ tsp five-spice powder 2 tbsp plain flour thumb-sized piece ginger, shredded 250g sugar snap peas 2 spring onions, sliced FOR THE SAUCE 3 lemons, 2 zested and juiced, the other thinly sliced 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp liquid chicken stock 2 tbsp clear honey 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1 tbsp water 1 In a small bowl, mix together all the sauce ingredients except the lemon slices, then set aside. 2 Heat a wok with the 2 tbsp oil. Season the chicken and sprinkle with the five-spice and flour. Shake off the excess, brown in batches,…

Movie night snack for two Popcorn chicken with zingy soured cream dip • Serves 2 • Prep 30 mins plus chilling • Cook 15 mins You’ll love this double bill of popcorn chicken and spicy potato skins 25g salted popcorn 85g stale bread or breadcrumbs 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 large egg 50g plain flour 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into long thin strips sunflower oil, for frying FOR THE DIP 150ml pot soured cream 1 lime, zested and juice of1/2 handful coriander, chopped 1 Put the popcorn, bread or breadcrumbs and paprika in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Tip into a wide, shallow bowl. Whisk the egg in a second bowl, and mix the flour with some seasoning in a third. 2 Dip the chicken into…

RHUBARB, RHUBARB! In the depths of March, rhubarb takes the prize for its cheery good looks and comes to the rescue when autumn fruits have run out. • Is it a fruit? Strictly speaking, rhubarb is a vegetable, although in 1947 a US Court ruled that it was a fruit as nobody could produce evidence that it was used in dishes other than desserts. Of course, today’s chefs often use it as a savoury accompaniment, particularly with oily fish. • For more than a century, cultivation of forced rhubarb has centred in Yorkshire, within the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield. The rhubarb is grown in heated forcing sheds in total darkness and harvested by candlelight which creates slim, pink and tender rhubarb with a sweeter flavour than plants…

Big beefy burgers There are hundreds of ways to make a burger, but one thing’s for sure, they always taste great when you make them at home. So, to ensure you rustle up the best juicy burgers, don’t over-handle the meat, never flatten them with a spatula and only flip them once. I like to grill the meat because it’s healthier. • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 15 mins, plus at least 10 mins resting 1 small red onion 500g minced beef 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 tbsp English mustard ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp dried rosemary 4 slices of cheese (use your favourite) 4 burger buns TO SERVE sliced tomato, lettuce, avocado, mayo and ketchup (optional) 1 Peel the onion and chop it into small…

Toffee rum bananas with ice cream • Put 4 tbsp light brown soft sugar , 2 tbsp butter and 200ml double cream in a frying pan and gently heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted. Add a dash of dark rum and 4 halved bananas and heat for a few mins more. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 4. Sticky toffee apples • Wash 8 Granny Smith apples in a bowl of boiling water, then dry them and twist off the stalks. Push a wooden lolly stick into the stalk end of each apple. Tip 400g caster sugar into a pan, add 100ml water and heat for 5 mins until the sugar dissolves. Stir in 1 tsp vinegar and 4 tbsp golden syrup , then set…