Table of contents for Septemebr 2021 in Easy Cook

Never have I looked forward to the end of summer as I have this year. With no holidays abroad and three teenagers eating everything in the fridge and cupboards moments after I’ve stockpiled them, it’s been quite crowded, and often tetchy, in our flat. The two oldest are off to uni and college, and I know they can’t wait to leave as much as we (with great fondness) can’t wait to wave them off. Growing up, moving on: it’s the natural order of things. But I won’t see them starve, so we’ve put together a very special collection of recipes specifically for students in this issue (p46). Easy, quick and nutritious, but also dishes to share with their new friends. Why not gift it to a young person you know?…

Italian tuna balls ■ Serves 4 (easily halved or doubled) ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 15 mins FREEZABLE uncooked 2 x 160g cans tuna in sunflower or olive oil, drained (reserve a little oil) small handful of pine nuts 1 lemon, finely zested small handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped 50g fresh breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten 400g spaghetti 500g jar tomato pasta sauce 1 Flake the tuna into a bowl, then tip in the pine nuts, lemon zest, parsley, breadcrumbs and egg. Season and mix together with your hands until completely combined. Roll the mix into 12 walnut-size balls. 2 Put a large pan of salted water on to boil, then cook the spaghetti following pack instructions. Drain well. 3 Heat a little of the tuna oil in a large…

Mediterranean bean stew with chorizo, p24 “In Italy, a simple pasta dish like this would be served with a sprinkling of seasoned fried breadcrumbs” Anchovy & lemon spaghetti, p24 Mediterranean bean stew with chorizo Canned ratatouille is a great go-to storecupboard ingredient as it adds aubergine, peppers and courgettes all in one go! Here, I’ve combined it with cannellini beans and chorizo to make a smoky Mediterranean-style stew. Serve with plenty of crusty bread. ■ Serves 4 1 onion, thickly sliced 30ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 2 garlic cloves, sliced 100g cooking chorizo, sliced 1 tbsp tomato puree 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed 2 x 400g cans ratatouille pinch of chilli flakes few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped crusty…

Ricotta, blackberry & pine nuts ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 5 mins VEGETARIAN 2 tbsp maple syrup 150g pack blackberries 4 slices of bread 100g soft ricotta 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts few mint leaves 1 Warm the maple syrup in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the blackberries and cook for 4-5 mins, squashing some of the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon to soften it and create a fruity syrup. 2 Meanwhile, toast the bread. To serve, spread some ricotta over each slice, spoon over the warm fruit and juices and top with the pine nuts and mint. PER SERVING 486 kcals, fat 13g, saturates 4g, carbs 72g, sugars 19g, fibre 6g, protein 18g, salt 1.4g Tip Use honey…

Sausages with sage & butternut, p48 Pea & coriander soup with chorizo, p48 Sausages with sage & butternut squash This freezes really well either as a whole or individual portions – defrost overnight in the fridge then heat until piping hot. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 ■ Cook 40 mins FREEZABLE 8 pork sausages, skinned small bunch of sage pinch of chilli flakes olive oil 1 large onion, roughly chopped 1 butternut squash, cut into 2cm chunks 750ml chicken stock 1 Put the sausagemeat in a bowl and add 2 tbsp chopped sage, a pinch of chilli flakes and some seasoning. Roll into walnut-sized balls then brown all over in a pan with a little olive oil. Scoop out and set aside, then add the onion and cook until…

Crispy roast pork belly ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 15 mins plus at least 1 hr chilling ■ Cook 2 hrs 2kg pork belly, ribs intact, skin scored 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tbsp sea salt ½ lemon 1 fennel bulb, cut into thick slices (reserve the fronds for the peach panzanella on p69, if you like) 2 onions, peeled and cut into thick slices 1 apple, halved 250ml cloudy apple juice 250ml sherry or dry vermouth 1 Bring a large pan of water, big enough to fit the pork belly in, to the boil. Add the bicarbonate of soda and poach the pork on a gentle simmer for 5 mins. 2 Meanwhile, put the coriander seeds and chilli flakes in…

Ching-He Huang’s minced soy pork with rice noodles Chinese cuisine is endlessly versatile and adaptable but does rely on several storecupboard staples to give it an authentic flavour. Dishes often have opposing tastes, such as hot and sour or sweet and sour, achieved by using a combination ofoils and vinegars, along with fresh ingredients such as ginger and chilli. ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 30 mins plus soaking ■ Cook 15 mins 140g rice noodles 1 tbsp groundnut oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp grated ginger 3 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 mins, drained and finely chopped 1 tbsp dried shrimps, soaked in hot water for 20 mins, drained and finely chopped 250g lean pork mince 1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine 1 tbsp dark soy…

ROASTED PLUMS WITH BALSAMIC BLUEBERRIES ◾ Generously butter a large baking dish or tin, sprinkle with 2 tbsp sugar, then arrange 6 halved plums over the top, cut-side down in a single layer. Drizzle over 2 tbsp water. Roast at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 15 mins or until really tender. Meanwhile, simmer 150g blueberries with 5 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 75g sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a pan until the blueberries have broken down and a syrupy sauce has formed. Tip in another 50g blueberries. Pour over the cooked plums and serve warm with ice cream. Serves 4. PLUM & CINNAMON PASTRIES ◾ Line a very large rectangular baking sheet with parchment. Unroll a 320g all-butter puff pastry sheet and arrange on the parchment. Sprinkle over 4 tbsp ground…

Mild split pea & spinach dhal Introduce your toddler to mild curry flavours with this delicious vegetarian dhal. With yellow split peas, spinach and cashews, it’s tasty and healthy. ■ Makes 5 toddler portions ■ Prep 10 mins plus soaking ■ Cook 1 hr 15 mins VEGETARIAN 175g yellow split peas ½ tbsp coconut oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 fat garlic clove, crushed ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds ¼ tsp turmeric 1½ tsp mild curry powder 50g unsalted cashews, chopped 1 low-salt vegetable stock cube 100g frozen chopped spinach plain yogurt, pitta bread or brown rice, to serve 1 Soak the yellow split peas in a bowl of water for 20 mins. Rinse thoroughly in a few changes of water. 2 Heat the oil in a large heavy-based…

Meat-free Monday Roasted squash, shallot, spinach & ricotta pasta, p28 Tuesday Spiced turkey patties with fruity quinoa salad, p28 Meat-free Monday Roasted squash, shallot, spinach & ricotta pasta ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 40 mins VEGETARIAN 1 butternut squash (about 800g in weight), peeled and diced 4 banana shallots, quartered lengthways (roots intact) 2 tbsp olive oil 400g wholemeal pasta shapes 300g baby spinach leaves 6 tbsp ricotta 4 sage leaves, very finely chopped 1 lemon, zested and juiced few gratings of nutmeg 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash and shallots into a large roasting dish. Toss with the oil, season and roast for 40 mins, stirring once. 2 Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions, reserving a few tbsp…

Pasta with mozzarella, mint & fresh tomato sauce, p58 Olive oil roasted cherry tomatoes, p58 Pasta with mozzarella, mint & fresh tomato sauce ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins plus marinating and cooling ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 red onion, finely chopped 400g spaghetti 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 4 tsp small capers 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped pinch of sugar 500g ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered small bunch of mint, leaves torn handful of chives, snipped 2 x 125g balls buffalo mozzarella 1 Put the lemon zest and juice in a large bowl, tip in the onion, then season. Set aside for 10 mins to let the onion soften a little. 2 Cook the spaghetti in…

Korma-style chicken curry, p74 Korma murg curry Fish & lentil curry, p74 Machali aur daal Korma-style chicken curry Korma murg curry When you have a chicken korma in a restaurant, it tends to be sweet, sometimes with raisins and quite pale. I am not a big fan of that style of korma and once you have tried my version you may well prefer mine, too. The simple spices used in the sauce lend the chicken a lovely warmth, while you get a beautiful creaminess from the cashews, poppy seeds and onions, resulting in a deliciously delicate curry. ■ Serves 4 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 cinnamon stick, broken up into small pieces 2 onions, roughly chopped 1 green chilli, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2.5cm piece of ginger,…

Maple, apple & pecan cake ■ Serves 10 ■ Prep 30 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 40 mins VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE uniced 115g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the tin 75g light brown soft sugar 75ml maple syrup 1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten 225g plain flour 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp baking powder 100g pecans, chopped 225g apple purée (see recipe below) FOR THE BUTTERCREAM ICING 125g butter 290g golden icing sugar 4 tbsp maple syrup TO DECORATE 30g pecans 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar 1 Butter and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Mix the maple syrup and…

Tropical breakfast bars ■ Makes 10 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 40 mins VEGETARIAN 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin 2 large, very ripe bananas 1 egg, beaten 70g light brown soft sugar 250g nutty muesli 100g tropical dried fruit mix 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Brush a 20cm deep square tin with vegetable oil and line with baking parchment. 2 Mash the bananas in a bowl until smooth, then stir through 3 tbsp oil, egg and sugar. Fold through the muesli, most of the tropical mix and a pinch of salt. Spoon the mixture into the tin and sprinkle with the remaining tropical mix. Bake for 35-40 mins, leave to cool in the tin, then turn out on to a…

Swedish meatball burgers Kids love Swedish meatballs! Here, we’ve transformed them into a burger – choose beef or pork mince, the flavours will be the same. ■ Makes 6 ■ Prep 15 mins plus at least 1 hr chilling ■ Cook 10 mins 500g lean beef or pork mince 1 onion, coarsely grated 1 egg, beaten 25g dried breadcrumbs grated nutmeg, to taste ¼ tsp garlic powder sliced cheese, burger buns, lettuce, sliced tomato and lingonberry sauce (optional), to serve 1 Tip the mince, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, nutmeg and garlic powder into a large bowl and season with black pepper. Mix together, then shape into six patties. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 1 hr or up to a day. 2 Heat a barbecue to medium or until…

Neapolitan-style trifle Inspired by those childhood blocks of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream, this trifle is a technicolour trip back in time. ■ Serves 10 ■ Prep 30 mins plus 5-6 hrs setting and chilling ■ No cook 500g strawberries 135g pack strawberry jelly cubes 400g chocolate Swiss roll 50ml cassis 50ml sweet sherry 200g raspberries 500ml tub ready-made custard 300ml whipping cream hundreds and thousands 1 Use a blender to whizz 300g of the strawberries to a puree, then sieve to remove the seeds. Make up the strawberry jelly following pack instructions. When it’s ready, reserve 250ml of the jelly liquid, and put the rest into a 30cm x 20cm dish so it’s about 2cm in depth. Chill for 2-3 hrs until set. Mix the reserved jelly liquid…