Table of contents for September 2020 in Easy Cook

Welcome Speed and ease have always been at the heart of what we do at Easy Cook, and that duo has never been more relevant than right now. Whether you’ve had a hard day at work, have hungry kids to feed, or are a student setting off on a new adventure in your life, you want to eat great food – and you want it quickly and simply – at a price you can afford. That’s the ‘fast and fabulous’ theme of this month’s issue, which includes inspiration for quick-cook cuts (p48), moreish ways with mash (p47) and lots of effortless ideas for baking. The salmon recipe on this page is one my wife cooks for our three teenagers most Fridays. Sadly, I can’t vouch for it because I’m allergic…

AS LITTLE AS 57P PER SERVING £1.07 per serving 67p per serving Lentil & red pepper salad with a soft egg ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 6 mins VEGETARIAN 2 eggs 400g can green lentils, drained and rinsed 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar handful of rocket leaves 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Cook the eggs in a pan of boiling water for 6 mins, then quickly cool under cold running water and peel. 2 Tip the lentils into a bowl with the onion, red pepper and balsamic vinegar. Mix well. 3 Arrange the lentil salad on a serving plate, then pile the rocket on top. Drizzle with the oil, then halve the eggs and arrange…

HIGH IN FIBRE & 3 OF 5-A-DAY LOW IN FAT & CALORIES Meat-free Monday Roasted squash with pesto & mozzarella ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 40 mins VEGETARIAN 1 small butternut squash, halved and sliced into 2cm-thick slices 3 tsp olive oil 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunky pieces 50g rocket leaves ½ lemon, juiced 125g ball light mozzarella 4 tbsp pesto or vegetarian alternative 1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the squash on a large baking tray and toss with 2 tsp of the oil, the chilli flakes and some seasoning. Bake for 15 mins. 2 Remove from the oven and turn the squash. Scatter the onion and peppers…

“Blue skies, whitewashed houses, shimmering turquoise blue sea and tables laid with paper cloths… the joys of the taverna and its warm hospitality. Think feta, olives, spit-roast lamb and salads, with a chilled beer or glass of wine” OLIVES & OLIVE OIL Greek olive oil is often full bodied and fruity, and, like oils from Spain or Italy, regionality affects its flavour. Choose a few different varieties and stock up – a fruity oil for salads, bread dipping and drizzling over fish and vegetables, and a more peppery one for barbecuing and roasting lamb with lemon and oregano. Olives are an essential part of a meze, along with a glass of ouzo. Kalamatas are olive royalty, but look out for more unusual varieties, like Tsakistes, a cracked green olive used…

GET INTO A PICKLE This year, many of us have been growing veg. Now’s the time to make sure they don’t go to waste, and pickling is one of the simplest ways to preserve veg. Some need salting or brining first to stay firm and relatively crisp, while others need to be cooked. All these recipes will keep for several months in a cool, dark place. BRINED PICKLES This is a solution of salt and water, which you use to soak the veg in overnight. It draws out excess moisture from veg making them crisp and better to store. Pickled beetroot ■ Makes four 450ml jars ■ Prep 20 mins plus two weeks pickling ■ Cook 1 hr 10 mins VEGETARIAN ■ Take 1kg beetroot and rub each root with…

Easy fluffy scones These are light with a nice crust outside, and ready in under 30 minutes. Add 85g sultanas in with the sugar if you fancy it. ■ Makes 9 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 12 mins VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE 350g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp baking powder 85g cold butter, cut into cubes 4 tbsp golden caster sugar 150g natural yogurt 4 tbsp whole milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze 1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put a baking sheet inside to heat up. Put the flour, ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder in a food processor, then pulse in the butter until it disappears. Pulse in the sugar, then tip the mix…

5 WAYS WITH HONEYCOMB Homemade honeycomb ■ Butter a 20cm square tin. Heat 200g caster sugar and 5 tbsp golden syrup or 4 tbsp honey in a deep saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has melted. Don’t let the mixture bubble until the sugar grains have disappeared. Once completely melted, turn up the heat a little and simmer until you have an amber-coloured caramel (this won’t take long). As quickly as you can, remove from the heat and beat in 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda with a wooden spoon until it’s disappeared and the mix is foaming. Scrape into a tin immediately - be careful, it’ll be very hot. The mixture will continue bubbling in the tin. Leave it for 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins, then snap into…

Teriyaki salmon & green beans Buy a whole piece of salmon for this traybake and cut into adult- and children-sized portions. ON THE TABLE IN 30 MINUTES ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 20 mins 4 salmon fillets (or a 500g piece, cut up) 100g green beans, ends trimmed 1 lemon, cut into wedges 2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp mirin 1 garlic clove, crushed noodles or rice, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and lay the salmon fillets diagonally across it. 2 Boil the beans for 1 min. Drain and arrange around the salmon with the lemon wedges. Combine the soy, honey, mirin and garlic, and pour half over. 3 Cook…

Celeriac, cavolo nero & bacon mash ■ Boil 1.5kg cubed celeriac in a pan, covered, for 15-20 mins, or until tender. Meanwhile, fry 200g smoked bacon lardons until golden and crisp. Add 250g finely chopped cavolo nero or green cabbage, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 mins. Drain the celeriac and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in 50g butter and 4 tbsp double cream. When the butter has melted, add the bacon and greens and stir well. Season to taste. Serves 6. Sweet potato & chipotle mash ■ Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roast 4large sweet potatoes for 50 mins until tender when pierced with a knife. Peel, then put the flesh in a bowl and mash until smooth. Add 1 tbsp…

“British-grown tomatoes are ripe and plump now. Roasted, they make a beautifully sweet and intense soup; it takes a while but it’s worth it. Why not make a double batch to freeze, or serve it over two days to different people?” MENU FOR FOUR Roast tomato soup with potato & cheese bread John’s pot-roast chicken with herb dressing, and mushroom & watercress salad Blackberry & pear upside-down cake FOR LUNCH AT 2pm Get ahead the day before ■ Make the bread dough and chill ■ Make the soup ■ Bake the dessert ON THE MORNING ■ Bake the bread and whizz up the herb dressing ■ Prep the chicken and veg ■ Fry the shallots and mushrooms for the salad 12.15PM ■ Put the chicken in to cook JUST BEFORE…

This is a master recipe to use for all of the following pickles. ■ Makes enough for four 450ml jars ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN Put 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds, 10 cloves and a few pieces of mace blades in a medium saucepan. Toast over a low heat until they begin to smell aromatic. Add a pinch of dried chilli flakes, if you like. Add 2 bay leaves, then pour in 700ml plus 3 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar and 100g light brown soft sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a simmer. Use the hot vinegar in any of these pickling recipes.…

THREE WAYS WITH PASTA John’s truffled macaroni & smoked haddock bake I’ve never been a fan of pasta bakes, with one exception - my favourite truffle mac and cheese recipe. I’ve added a smoky hit of haddock here and the end result blew me away. This can be assembled in advance and finished in the oven the next day or even a couple of days later. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 25 mins ■ Cook 1 hr FREEZABLE FOR THE MACARONI 250g macaroni 1 tsp olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 500ml milk 300g smoked haddock 1 tbsp truffle oil, plus extra to drizzle 50g softened butter, plus extra for the dish 25g plain flour 100g gruyère, coarsely grated FOR THE BREADCRUMBS 50g white breadcrumbs small bunch each of…

Sticky sesame wings ■ Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Season 1kg chicken wings, put on a baking tray and toss in a little sesame oil. Roast for 30 mins. Combine 1 tbsp chopped oregano, the zest of 2 lemons plus the juice of ½, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 4 tbsp honey. Coat the wings all over with the sauce and roast for 20 mins more, turning and glazing again halfway throughg. Serve with some yogurt swirled with harissa paste, and lemon wedges for squeezing over. Serves 4-6. Cola wings ■ Put 1kg chicken wings in a large pan and cover with 1 litre cola. Add 4 bay leaves and 6 allspice berries. Cover and simmer for 20 mins. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Drain…

Cut out & Keep Roast fish with potatoes & lemon ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 50 mins 5 small potatoes (about 400g), cut into wedges 1 onion, halved and sliced 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped ½ tsp dried oregano or ½ tbsp chopped oregano 2 tbsp olive oil ½ lemon, cut into wedges 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges 2 skinless white fishfillets (about 200g) small handful of parsley, roughly chopped 1 Heat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Tip the potato wedges, onion, garlic, oregano and olive oil into a roasting tin. Season, then mix together with your hands to coat everything in the oil. Roast for 15 mins, then turn everything with a spatula and bake for a further 15 mins. 2 Add…

Quick meals for families Steak with chimichurri sauce ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 6-8 mins 2 garlic cloves small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped ½ tsp oregano, fresh or dried 1 shallot, chopped ½ tsp chilli flakes 2½ tbsp olive oil ½ lemon, juiced 2 tsp red wine vinegar 2 x 125g rib-eye or sirloin steaks chips and salad, to serve 1 Peel the garlic, then put in a food processor with the parsley, oregano, shallot and chilli flakes and blitz until very finely chopped, or chop by hand. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice, vinegar and some seasoning, and pulse to combine everything to a saucy consistency. 2 Rub the remaining oil and a little seasoning into the steaks. Heat a griddle or…

Smashed chickpea & sunflower seed salad Whether you serve this crunchy, tangy salad warm or cold depends on the weather. If it’s a warm day, serve it cold, or try it warm alongside curry and rice on cooler days. ■ Serves 4 VEGETARIAN 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 red onions, thinly sliced 50g sunflower seeds 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 tbsp each green chutney, and tamarind or mango chutney (find recipes at bbcgoodfood.com) a few mint leaves, finely chopped FOR THE DRESSING 150g natural yogurt ¼ tsp ground cumin 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the chickpeas onto a baking tray and crush lightly with a potato masher or fork. Add the onions, sunflower seeds, rapeseed oil, chutneys and ½ tsp salt,…

Brown sugar meringues with red wine plums The plums and meringue can be prepared ahead, making this a fuss-free dessert. ■ Makes 6 ■ Prep 25 mins plus 1 hr cooling ■ Cook 1 hr 30 mins FREEZABLE meringues only 1 tsp cornflour 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 egg whites 100g caster sugar 50g light muscovado sugar FOR THE PLUMS 200ml red wine 85g light muscovado sugar 1 cinnamon stick 9 large ripe plums, halved and stoned 400g crème fraîche 1 Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Combine the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla to make a paste. Whisk the egg whites with a clean electric whisk until stiff and glossy, then whisk in the sugar in…