Easy Cookの June 2020 の目次

This has been the hardest time many of us have faced. My wife and I have been working from home while our three teenagers do their bit by applying themselves to schoolwork and helping with the chores. There have been frayed tempers, of course, because we live in a flat. Still, what’s kept us motivated and good-humoured is having a nice meal to look forward to at the end of the day, using recipes from Easy Cook. I’m smacking my lips in anticipation of Father’s Day on 21 June, when I’ll (yes, I don’t trust anyone else to do this!) be cooking a magnificent steak. There are so many brilliant home delivery services now, it’s easy to obtain quality ingredients. So, go on, treat the man in your life –…

Sausages with apple mash Reinvent bangers and mash with this fruity twist. • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 55-60 mins 700g floury potatoes, cut into chunks 8 Cumberland sausages 25g butter 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 tsp plain flour 250ml beef stock 2 apples (about 280g), peeled and chopped into small chunks 3 tbsp milk 1 Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 mins until tender. Meanwhile, cook the sausages in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 15-20 mins, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Remove from the pan and keep warm. 2 Add a knob of the butter and the onion to the pan, then cook for 15-20 mins until soft. Stir in the flour, then gradually add the…

Meat-free Monday Aubergine & tomato grill  • Serves 2 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 15 mins 2 medium aubergines 4 tsp olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 400g can chopped tomatoes 85g low-fat garlic & herb soft cheese 3 tbsp fresh or dried breadcrumbs salad, to serve 1 Heat the grill. Trim the stalks from the aubergines, then cut each into six slices lengthways. Lay on a baking tray and brush with a little of the oil and some seasoning. Grill until lightly browned, turn, brush with a little oil again, then grill until browned and tender. Leave to cool. 2 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan, and fry the onion until softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins. Spread half the aubergine…

The better quality the pork, the better the crackling. Intensively-reared pork can be injected with water to increase the weight, which is released as it cooks and stops the skin from crackling. • Salt the pork skin as soon as you can, up to 48 hours ahead. Salting draws out the moisture, which is the enemy of crackling. • Get your butcher to deep-score the skin – this will give it lots of exposed edges that help the crackling blister. • ›, › ›>ÃÌ››}›>Ì›>›››Ü›Ìi›«iÀ>ÌÕÀi]›Ì›i››w››Ã›››}›>Ì› a high one gives great results. Watch closely, as there’s a few minutes between perfect and burnt.…

No-fuss cottage pie • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 1 hr once assembled 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 large onion, chopped 2-3 medium carrots, chopped 500g frozen free-flowing beef mince 2 tbsp tomato purée large splash of Worcestershire sauce 500ml beef stock 900g potatoes, cut into chunks 85g butter 3 tbsp milk 1 Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onion and carrots for a few minutes to soften. Turn up the heat, crumble in the frozen mince and brown, tipping off any excess fat. Add the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, then fry for a few minutes more. Pour over the stock, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 40 mins, uncovering halfway. 2 Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/ 160C…

John Torode’s cheese, spinach & mushroom stuffed chicken It’s great to try new things and push yourself in the kitchen – but when you’re after a proper hit, you can’t beat a bit of nostalgic cooking like this. • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 30 mins 40g dried porcini mushrooms 3 tbsp olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 100g baby leaf spinach 150g ricotta 50g firm mozzarella, coarsely grated 20g parmesan, finely grated 4 skinless chicken breasts 4 slices prosciutto 1 Tip the mushrooms into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, then leave to soak for 15 mins. Drain and squeeze out any excess liquid (save and freeze the liquid to make a base for a gravy) and roughly chop. 2…

• Serves 2 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 12 mins Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat an ovenproof griddle pan over a high heat. Season a 700g T-bone steak on both sides, then rub both sides with 2 bashed garlic cloves, 1/2 small pack of thyme and 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Put the steak in the hot pan and char for 2 mins, or until griddle lines appear. Turn over to brown the other side, rub the top with the thyme, then lay the thyme and garlic on top of the meat. Once evenly browned with griddle lines, put the thyme and garlic to one side, and hold the steak with a pair of tongs to render its fatty side so it’s soft rather than gristly. This…

Roast cauliflower cheese pizza Serve with plenty of salad for a wholesome family meal. • Serves 4 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 1 hr 10 mins 1 tbsp oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 large cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets, stalk chopped 4 tbsp mascarpone 1 thin 25cm pizza base, or 2 small pizza bases 50g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Mix the oil and garlic together and toss with the cauliflower. Roast on a baking sheet for 30-45 mins until the cauliflower is tender. 2 Spread half the mascarpone on the pizza base and season well. Top with the cauliflower and dot over the remaining mascarpone, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 20 mins, then leave to cool…

Lamb chops with smoky heritage tomato relish Grill the chops with cherry wood on the barbecue for added flavour. You can use any mixture of tomatoes; beef tomatoes add a lovely, rich taste. • Serves 2 2 long red chillies 2 long green chillies 2 banana shallots, unpeeled 500g mixed heritage tomatoes ½ garlic bulb, broken into cloves, unpeeled vegetable oil, for drizzling 3 tbsp fish sauce 3 tbsp tamarind paste 2 tbsp palm or dark brown soft sugar 2 tbsp butter, softened 4 lamb chops small handful of coriander, to serve (optional) 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve cooked sticky rice, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. 2 Put the chillies, shallots, tomatoes and garlic on a non-stick baking tray. Drizzle with some…

Asian lamb & grapefruit noodle salad with ginger dressing • Serves 6 • Prep 20 mins • Cook 10 mins sunflower oil, for frying and drizzling 3 banana shallots, peeled, thinly sliced, then divided into rings 3 lamb leg steaks (about 400g total), fat trimmed 2 large pink grapefruits 1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons, seeded core discarded 1 red chilli, thinly sliced small bunch each of mint and coriander, leaves picked 200g rice noodles, cooked FOR THE GINGER DRESSING thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely grated 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 Heat a pan no more than two-thirds full of oil – it’s ready when a shallot ring sizzles and browns within 30 seconds.…

“ Although I’ve loved the food of Italy for a long time, marrying into an Italian family has increased my knowledge and heightened my appreciation for it. Anna is a fabulous cook just like her mamma and papa, Rina and Massimo, and they’ve all taught me a lot. Get the family involved, tuck in your napkin, slurp your spaghetti, enjoy another glass of wine, play some opera and, above all, enjoy! Gregg ” Serve up an Italian-inspired summer spread for your loved ones with this menu from Gregg and Anna Wallace Mozzarella & tomato salad As a child, I spent the summer with my nonna in Italy. We’d visit the buffalo mozzarella shop every day. The mozzarella was in a clear plastic bag filled with salt water, and I couldn’t…

• Frozen fruit and veg can be healthier than fresh, as most are frozen the day they’re picked. They retain their vitamins for longer than stored produce. • Freezing is a natural preservative and most items will keep for a long time without losing nutritional benefits - the teste and texture may change a little though. • Freezing can be greener. Local seasonal fruit and vegetables can be frozen and kept year round. Freezing staple veg will also reduce wastage.…

Ham, mushroom & spinach frittata If you’re cooking for one, save half in the fridge for breakfast the next day. • Serves 2 • Prep 4 mins • Cook 9 mins 1 tsp oil 80g chestnut mushrooms, sliced 50g ham, chopped 80g spinach 4 medium eggs, beaten 1 tbsp grated cheddar 1 Heat the grill to high. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the mushrooms for 2 mins until mostly softened. Stir in the ham and spinach and cook for 1 min more until the spinach has wilted. Season well with black pepper and a pinch of salt. 2 Reduce the heat and pour over the eggs. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 mins until the eggs are mostly set. Sprinkle over the cheese…

Home hog roast with chilli pig sauce We’ve roasted a chilli sauce to go with the hog at the same time, but you can buy one to make this even easier. • Serves 10 • Prep 40 mins plus up to 48 hrs chilling • Cook 4 hrs 3kg boneless, skin-on pork belly, skin well scored (see tip) 4 garlic cloves small bunch of thyme, leaves picked 8 bay leaves 1 tbsp sunflower oil soft bread rolls to serve FOR THE CHILLI PIG SAUCE 2 red peppers, roughly chopped 4 red chillies, deseeded if you like, tops removed 2 banana shallots, peeled and roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole 1 ripe tomato, quartered 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tsp honey 1 Up to 48 hrs before,…

Smoked mackerel pâté with French bread & horseradish Smoked mackerel packs plenty of flavour and is sold boneless and ready to use. Unlike cold-smoked kippers, it’s preserved by hot-smoking, so the flesh is cooked. • Serves 2 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 3 mins FOR THE PÂTÉ 25g unsalted butter, melted 1/2 lemon, zested 160g smoked mackerel (split fillets), skinned 1 spring onion, chopped FOR THE TOPPING 15g unsalted butter, plus extra to serve 1 tsp hot horseradish sauce, plus extra to serve 1 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus a few leaves French bread, to serve 1 To make the pâté, tip the butter, lemon zest, mackerel and spring onion into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Spoon into a ramekin and smooth the top. 2 For…

Raspberry honey flapjacks Flapjacks with a fruity twist. • Makes 9-12 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 25 mins 150g butter 150g light brown soft sugar 4 tbsp honey 300g porridge oats 100g frozen raspberries 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter, sugar, honey and a pinch of salt in a pan. Once the mix is bubbling and combined, stir in the oats. 2 Tip the oat mixture into the prepared baking tin and press down with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Scatter over the raspberries, then lightly press them into the oat mixture. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool, then cut into pieces. PER FLAPJACK (12) 265…