Table of contents for January 2021 in Easy Cook

We all hope this year is going to be better than last, and all of us at Easy Cook are here to get you off to the best possible start with our first issue of 2021: a veritable smorgasbord of culinary delights to feed body and soul. It’s packed to the gunnels with cosy feasts (p44), simple weeknight solutions (p20), budget ideas (p10) and sweet treats (p80) to keep you inspired all month long and beyond. Get started with the recipe on this page, which is a favourite of my teenage kids - a healthy-ish five-ingredient spicy piri-piri chicken to fire you up after the (much-needed) break over Christmas. Stay safe and love cooking! Editor…

AS LITTLE AS 56P PER SERVING 56p per serving £1.41 per serving Mexican-style eggy bread ■Serves 1 ■ Prep 10 mins ■Cook 5 mins VEGETARIAN ½ medium avocado, stoned, peeled and cut into pieces 2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped 1heaped tbsp chopped coriander ½ lime, juiced 2 large eggs, lightly beaten olive oil, for frying 2 thick slices sourdough or crusty bread 15g strong Cheddar, grated ½ small red chilli, finely chopped 1 Gently combine the avocado, tomato, coriander and lime juice in a small bowl. Season generously and set aside. 2 Whisk the eggs with a little seasoning. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Dip each slice of bread in the beaten egg, turning to coat, then fry for about 2 mins on…

Spicy stir-fried sprouts ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 20 mins ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN 500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 chilli, sliced into rings 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped large piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into fine matchsticks 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 Cook the sprouts in a pan of boiling salted water for 3 mins, then drain. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat, then stir-fry the chilli, garlic and ginger for 1 min. 2 Add the sprouts, stir-fry for 2 mins more, then drizzle with the soy sauce. Toss everything well before serving. PER SERVING 82 kcals, fat 5g, saturates 1g, carbs 6g, sugars 4g, fibre 5g, protein 5g, salt 0.7g Sweet & sour kale with garlic &…

Fish & chips with coconut batter & tartare sauce For ease, we’ve shallow-fried the fish, but its still crispy as it would be from a takeaway. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 10 mins 600g boneless and skinless cod loin fillet 75g plain flour 1 egg 100ml coconut milk, plus extra if needed 1 tsp baking powder vegetable oil, for frying FOR THE TARTARE SAUCE 3 tbsp mayonnaise 3 tbsp Greek yogurt 4 small or 2 large cornichons, chopped 1 tbsp capers, drained 1 tbsp chopped dill 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley TO SERVE oven-baked chips cooked peas 2 lemons, quartered 1 Cut the fish into four equal pieces. Season and dust with 2 tsp flour. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining flour, egg, coconut milk…

Easiest enchiladas This recipe takes some long-life pantry items, freshens them up with a bit of chunky salsa, and boom! A gourmet meal that makes a perfect leftover plate for breakfast, lunch or dinner the following day. ■ Serves 4 VEGETARIAN 2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed 400g can sweetcorn, drained 1 heaped tsp each salt, onion powder, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin and sweet smoked paprika 100g vegan soft cheese, plus extra for the topping 10-12 wheat tortillas (about 12cm) 450g jar chunky tomato salsa 100g vegan hard cheese, grated small handful of coriander, finely chopped (optional) FOR THE TOPPING 1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and finely chopped 1 tomato, finely chopped ¼ fresh or pickled red onion, finely chopped handful of coriander leaves, finely…

5 WAYS WITH PASSION FRUIT Mango & passion fruit fool ■ Peel 2 mangoes, then slice the cheeks from one and finely chop. Cut the flesh from the other and puree with a hand blender. Spoon the seeds from 1 passion fruit into the mango puree, and gently fold in along with 300g Greek yogurt and half the chopped mango. Divide between four glasses and chill. To serve, spoon the seeds from 2 passion fruit over the fools, and top with the remaining chopped mango. Makes 4. Passion fruit cupcakes ■ Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Beat 175g caster sugar, 175g softened butter, 175g self-raising flour, the seeds from 2 passion fruits and 3 eggs together in a bowl using an electric whisk until smooth and creamy.…

■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 20 mins ■ Cook 55 mins 3 OF YOUR 5-A-DAY In ONE PAN! 3 large sweet potatoes (about 900g), peeled and cut into large chunks oil, for drizzling 6-8 chicken thighs, skin left on 2 red onions, cut into wedges 25g piri-piri spice mix (or a mild version, if you like) 300g long-stemmed broccoli 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the sweet potatoes with a generous drizzle of oil and some seasoning, and tip into a large roasting tin. Push the sweet potatoes to one end of the tin, then, in the other end, toss the chicken with the onions, spice mix, a drizzle of oil and some seasoning. Roast for 40 mins, stirring halfway through. Add the broccoli to the tin,…

10 WAYS WITH POTATOES Chorizo mash ■ Chop 750g potatoes into large chunks and put in a pan of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 mins until soft. Cut 200g chorizo into small cubes and fry until crisp. Mash the potatoes with a little milk and butter, then season and stir through the chorizo. Serves 4. Bacon rӧsti ■ Grate 2 large potatoes, wrap in a clean cloth and squeeze out the excess water. Fry ½ chopped onion and 4 thinly sliced smoked streaky bacon rashers. Mix with the potato with 2 tbsp flour. Form into small patties, then fry in a frying pan with 2 tbsp oil over a medium heat for 3 mins on each side until golden brown. Serves 2-3. Retro Russian salad ■…

MENU FOR SIX ★ Butternut & harissa hummus Seeded flatbreads ★ Pulled lamb shoulder with sticky pomegranate glaze Golden couscous with apricots & crispy onions Minty carrot, pistachio & feta salad ★ Rose cream & raspberry jellies Butternut & harissa hummus Serves 6 ■ Prep 10 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 45 mins VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE ½ butternut squash (about 400g), peeled and cut into 2cm pieces 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled 2 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp tahini 1 tbsp harissa, plus a little extra for drizzling 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the butternut squash and unpeeled garlic cloves in a roasting tin, season well and tip in 100ml water. Cover the tin with foil and bake for 45 mins…

LOW IN FAT PLUS 3 OF YOUR 5-A-day LOW FAT & HIGH IN FIBRE Meat-free Monday Tagliatelle with vegetable ragu A veg-packed sauce to please everyone. ■ Serves 5 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 40 mins VEGETARIYAN FREEZABLE sauce only 1 onion, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp each tomato purée and balsamic vinegar 250g chopped vegetables, such as courgettes, peppers and mushrooms 50g red lentils 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes with basil 250g tagliatelle 2 tbsp shaved vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese (optional) 1 Cook the onion, celery and carrots in a large saucepan with 2-3 tbsp water, stirring often until the vegetables are soft. 2 Add the garlic, tomato purée and vinegar. Cook over a high heat…

Cut out & keep Warming veggie curry ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 25 mins VEGETARIAN 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into thick slices 1 onion, sliced 1 tbsp red Thai curry paste (check it’s vegetarian, if needed) 50g sachet coconut cream 250g frozen French beans naan breads, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a saucepan, and gently fry the squash and onion for about 5 mins until softened, but not browned. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 min more. Combine the coconut cream and 300ml boiling water from the kettle in a heatproof bowl, then pour this to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. 2 Add the beans, then cook the curry…

Thai bone broth, p58 Thai bone broth The base is a pre-prepared chicken stock (see tip, right), but if you can find a fresh shop-bought version, that will do the trick. There’s a fair amount of heat from the bird’s-eye chillies, but you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. ■ Serves 6 2 tbsp coconut oil 1 onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger 30g galangal, peeled and thinly sliced 2 litres chicken stock (see tip, right, or use fresh shop-bought) 6 kaffir lime leaves 3 lemongrass stalks, flattened and bruised with a knife 120g mushrooms, sliced (optional) 4 red bird’s-eye chillies, split in half lengthways but left whole 300g vermicelli rice noodles 600g cooked chicken, shredded 2 pak choi, cut into quarters…