Table of contents for April 2019 in Easy Cook

Sometimes, parenting can feel like a series of losses. One minute, you’re with them on the sofa watching In the Night Garden then, before you know it, you can’t get them out of their bedrooms and off their screens. Easter is a time when these emotions sweep over me more than most. It feels like only yesterday that my 14-year-old was carrying a big basket as he hunted for eggs left by the Easter bunny, before squirrelling them away in his room to relive the experience day after day. Now six-foot tall, he just drags his knuckles along the floor and grunts. But there is hope. Just lately, he’s taken an interest in what goes on in the kitchen (especially when sweet stuff is involved), so together, we baked the…

Posh cheese on toast Mix 50g goat’s cheese with a handful chopped basil and 1 beaten egg. Slice 1 large tomato and arrange over 2 slices lightly toasted bread. Spread the goat’s cheese mixture on top of the tomato, then grill for 3-5 mins until golden. Serves 2. Goat’s cheese & beetroot salad Toss 200g watercress, spinach & rocket salad with 3 tbsp of your favourite dressing. Scatter over 250g cooked baby beetroots, sliced, goat’s cheese and a few toasted walnuts. Serves 2. Goat’s cheese & pepper dip Finely chop 1 small onion, then gently fry in a pan with a little olive oil. Leave to cool, then blend in a food processor with 50g goat’s cheese, 3 tbsp natural yogurt and 2 roasted red peppers from a jar. Serves…

Save on washing up with this simple one-pot supper Monday Spiced bulgur pilaf with fish • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 35 mins 1 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, finely sliced 3 carrots, grated 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp harissa 200g bulgur wheat 6 dried apricots, chopped 700ml weak chicken stock (made using 1 stock cube) 200g baby spinach 4 firm white fish fillets 4 thin lemon slices 1 Heat the oil in a lidded, flameproof casserole dish. Tip in the onions and cook for 10 mins until soft and golden. Add the carrots and cumin, and cook for 2 mins more. Stir through the harissa, bulgur and apricots, then pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 7 mins. 2…

ROSIE‘S MENU FOR 8 Roast rack of pork with wild garlic stuffing Butter-poached asparagus, leeks & peas Hasselback new potatoes with oregano Orange & rhubarb amaretti pots “Chining refers to cutting meat across or along the backbone. You can ask your butcher to do this for you.” Food writer, stylist and author Rosie Birkett appears regularly on Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch and has featured as a guest judge on MasterChef. JAMES‘S MENU FOR 6 Classic potted prawns Roast leg of lamb with basil & mint pesto Warm Spring vegetables and crispy layered thyme potatoes Banoffee cheesecake “Spring is my favourite time of year, when new-season produce like British lamb and early veg hits the shops. This menu is creative yet relaxed, with most of the work done ahead.” James…

Rosewater & raspberry sponge cake • Serves 10-12 • Prep 35 mins • Cook 25 mins un-iced 225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for for the tins 225g golden caster sugar 4 medium eggs, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 225g self-raising flour, sifted FOR THE ROSE CREAM FILLING 150ml double cream 1 tsp rosewater 4 tbsp raspberry jam 150g raspberries, slightly crushed FOR THE ROSE ICING 175g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting 1/2 tsp rosewater dried rose petals and a handful raspberries, to decorate 1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter two 20cm cake tins and line with baking parchment. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs a little at a time, scraping down the…

Lemon & marzipan hot cross buns • Makes 12 • Prep 45 mins plus 3 hrs proving • Cook 30 mins after baking 250ml full-fat milk 2 lemons, zested 50g butter, cubed 500g strong white flour, plus 140g for the crosses and extra for dusting 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 85g golden caster sugar 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 egg to glaze vegetable or sunflower oil, for the bowl 200g marzipan, chilled 100g mixed dried fruit 50g candied lemon peel (or use mixed peel) 1 tbsp lemon curd, to glaze, plus extra to serve salted butter, to serve 1 Warm the milk and lemon zest in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the butter, swirling the pan until it has…

Oat & pecan muesli • Toast 100g oats in a frying pan. Add 12 chopped pecans, and 2 tbsp sunflower seeds , then tip into a large bowl and toss so they cool quickly. Add 6 chopped medjool dates and 25g puffed wheat , then mix well. Serve topped with the yogurt and fresh fruit. Serves 4. Oaty soda bread • Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and butter a baking sheet. Mix 50g oats, 250g plain flour , 200g wholewheat flour , 1 tsp bicarb and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Tip 150ml yogurt into a jug, add enough water to make it up to 400ml then stir in 1 tbsp each treacle and honey. Pour onto the dry ingredients and stir with a knife until you…

'The pace of modern life calls for a different type of cooking – out of the window go complicated recipes with long lists of ingredients. My cooking requires limited equipment and affordable ingredients picked up from the corner shop – meals that can be prepared in 15 minutes, suppers that require one frying pan and recipes that take minimal prep then slow-cooking in the oven or on the hob.' DONAL SKEHAN Veggie pad Thai The paste you make for this pad Thai is key. For the best results, use a pestle and mortar or blitz in a food processor. Do try and source coriander roots, not just the stalks – they have a fresh, aromatic taste that will transport you to the streets of Bangkok. • Serves 4 • Prep…

”Quite a lot of the time I find myself reinventing classic British comfort food recipes to put my own stamp on them. Take this fish pie – as a rule, I’m not keen on mash-topped pies as I don’t think there’s enough contrast of textures. So my version gets a crispy filo pastry topping, which also makes the dish seem lighter.” Filo-crusted smoked haddock, cheese & leek pie This is the sort of dish I serve at The Coach, my pub in Marlow. Put the pie in the middle of the table with a serving spoon and large bowl of salad, then let everyone help themselves. • Serves 4-6 • Prep 20 mins plus cooling • Cook 1 hr 10 mins 600ml whole milk 3 bay leaves 1 tbsp white…

‘To achieve great flavour with no fuss, you need quality ingredients. Try to buy the best you can afford, as this will actually save you time. When something is fresh and in season, it will be full of flavour, and will only need a few other ingredients to set it off.’ King prawn & broccoli stir-fry with black bean sauce A lovely, quick dish for a midweek meal. Black bean sauce is fermented black or yellow soya beans. If you can’t find oyster mushrooms, use chestnut mushrooms instead. • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 8 mins 2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 large shallots, thinly sliced 2cm knob fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced 350g peeled raw king prawns,…

AS LITTLE AS 72P PER SERVING Smoked mackerel with orange, watercress & potato salad • Serves 2 • Prep 20 mins • Cook 10 mins 1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 medium potatoes, such as Maris Piper or Desire´e, cut into cubes ½ small red onion, thinly sliced 1 large orange 100g watercress 2 peppered smoked mackerel fillets, skin removed and each flaked into 2 pieces 1 Whisk together the sherry or vinegar, mustard and oil, and season. Boil the potatoes in salted water until easily pierced with a knife; about 10 mins. Toss in a bowl with three-quarters of the dressing and the onion slices. Set aside to cool a little. 2 Cut the peel and pith…

Speedy pepper pizza • Lay a tortilla on a baking sheet and spread with 4 tbsp pepperonata. Scatter over some olives, pepperoni and torn mozzarella. Bake for 8-10 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 until the tortilla base is crisp and the cheese has melted. Serve scattered with a small handful rocket. Makes 1. Mexican bean nachos • Brush both sides of 4 tortillas with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a few pinches of spice (try Cajun seasoning). Cut into 8-10 wedges and arrange on a large, non-stick baking sheet. Bake at 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 for 8 mins, turning halfway. Heat 200g refried beans and dollop over the crisps. Scatter with a large handful quartered cherry tomatoes, 2 sliced spring onions and top with 50g grated cheddar. Grill…

Egg-in-the-hole bacon sandwich • Serves 1 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 15 mins oil, for frying 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon 2 thick slices sourdough 1 tbsp mayonnaise 1 small egg 1 tbsp ketchup or brown sauce, to serve 1 Heat a splash of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Fry the bacon until crispy, then put on a plate covered with foil to keep warm. 2 Using a cookie cutter, cut a hole in 1 slice of bread, then spread mayonnaise on one side of both slices. Fry the bread in the same pan. When browned on one side, flip both over and crack the egg into the hole. Fry for 2-3 mins, then turn down the heat and cover the pan until the white of the…

This is my favourite fish – you can’t find it anywhere else in the world and it makes a dish feel inherently British. • For the best smoked haddock, look for cold-smoked fish from Grimsby or Scotland that is undyed – this means it will be pale rather than a bright yellow. • If you can only find yellow smoked haddock, try to buy fish that has been naturally dyed using turmeric. • A good-quality piece of smoked haddock will have a dry appearance and the flesh will have a shine. • Smoked haddock will keep for longer than fresh fish, so you can buy it a few days before, if that helps you to get ahead.…

THE MEXICAN STORECUPBOARD Get to know the ingredients and how to use them 1 DRIED ANCHO CHILLIES There are a vast number of dried Mexican chillies but anchos are the easiest to find – you can buy them in Tesco. Mildly spiced, they add depth to sauces, chilli or marinades. Just cut off the stems, deseed and soak in boiling water before using. 2 CHIPOTLE PASTE Chipotles are jalapeño peppers that have been smoked during the drying process and most often sold reconstituted and packed in a garlicky tomato sauce called adobo, but you can buy them in paste form. 3 CHILLI POWDER There is a wide range of ground chilli powders available, such as ancho or chipotle, however, Spanish pimenton, a smoked chilli powder, is just as flavourful and…

Hedgehog bread rolls Introduce the kids to the art of breadmaking with this easy starter recipe. • Makes 6 • Prep 20 mins plus 1 hr resting• Cook 15 mins 500g pack brown bread mix 25g butter plain flour, for dusting 12 raisins 6 flaked almonds 1 Make the bread mixture with the butter following pack instructions. It’s easiest to use a stand mixer but not difficult to do by hand. Leave the dough to rest in the bowl for 5 mins, then knead for 5 mins. 2 Cut the dough into six pieces. Dust a surface with flour and shape each piece into a ball by rolling it between your hand. Now make it hedgehog-shaped by pulling one side out a little and pinching it into a snout. Be…