Table of contents for September 2015 in Easy Cook

This month’s issue is brim-full of ideas for making the most of the warm weather and the last few weeks of summer. Friends coming over for lunch? They’ll be amazed (and delighted...) when you bring out our frozen raspberry honeycomb pie (p52). Or if you’re getting out the barbecue for the family, try MasterChef’s Dean Edwards’ stunning Lean & Mean Tex-Mex burgers and shawarma chicken kebabs (p62). Join the craze for street food by making some of your own with recipes for BBQ beef short ribs (p46), onion & butternut bhaji wraps, and Yakitori corn pops (p47). We all know that a good breakfast is important, but sometimes there never seems to be the time. So check out our super-speedy ideas for a satisfying start to the day (p18), as…

Chillied cheese Mix 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced, 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered, 100g Gruyère, grated and 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes in a bowl, then scoop onto toast. Shake over a little Worcestershire sauce and grill until golden and melted. Serves 2 Scrambled omelette Beat together 2 eggs, 1 tbsp crème fraîche, 25g grated cheddar and a small bunch of chives, snipped, with a little seasoning. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, then soften 1 sliced spring onion for a few minutes. Add 3 halved cherry tomatoes and warm through, then pour in egg mixture. Cook over a low heat, stirring, until eggs are just set. Pile on top of toast. Serves 1 Beetroot & mackerel Slice 2 small cooked and peeled beetroot into wedges. In a bowl,…

Creamy barley & squash risotto • Serves 4 • Takes 10 minutes, plus 55 minutes cooking • 76p a portion • 586 kcals, 11g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing • VEGETARIAN 1 tbsp butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1 small butternut squash (600-700g), peeled and diced into small chunks 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 small glass of white wine 400g pearl barley 1.2l hot vegetable stock 1 tbsp mascarpone 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated a large handful of parsley, chopped 1 Soften the veg Heat the butter in a large, shallow pan. Add the onion and squash and cook very gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the squash begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and…

Chinese chicken traybake • Serves 4 • Takes 10 minutes, plus 40 minutes in the oven and marinating time • £1.37 a portion • 450 kcals, 27g fat, 7g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 8 chicken thighs (skin on and bone in) 4 tbsp hoisin sauce 2 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp clear honey 1½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder thumb-sized knob of ginger, grated 2 cloves of garlic, grated 50g cashews nuts, toasted 1 bunch of spring onions, chopped cooked brown rice, to serve 1 Cook the traybake Turn oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Put the chicken thighs in a roasting tin and slash the skin 2-3 times on each. Mix together the hoisin, sesame oil, honey, five-spice, ginger, garlic and seasoning. Pour over…

Easy raspberry & ginger trifle • Serves 10 • Takes 30 mins, plus 2 hours chilling time • £1.04 a portion • 829 kcals, 67g fat, 41g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 150ml marsala, madeira or medium-sweet sherry 2 x 300g packs soft cheese 600ml double cream 50g icing sugar, sifted 2 x 250g packs gingernut biscuits 2 x 200g punnets of raspberries 1 Flavour the cream cheese Put 50ml of the alcohol in a bowl with the soft cheese and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Add the cream and sugar and beat again until well mixed and softly whipped. 2 Assemble the trifle Using a pastry brush, quickly brush a gingernut biscuit with a little of the remaining alcohol. Stack on a cake…

Frances is a previous winner of The Great British Bake Off ‘To make your apple biscuits look quirky, you can cut out a ‘bite’ from the side of some of the biscuits using a small fluted cookie cutter. If you have any leftover dough, stamp out more shapes and bake some biscuits for the tin,’ says Frances Apple crumble cupcakes • Makes 12 • Takes 50 minutes, plus 40 mins in the oven and overnight chilling • 61p each • 641 kcals, 45g fat, 27g sat. fat each • Not suitable for freezing FOR THE CUSTARD CREAM ICING 100g icing sugar 3 tbsp custard powder 1 tbsp vanilla extract 600ml double cream FOR THE CUPCAKES 3 small dessert apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 325g) 3 tbsp custard powder 140g…

LOW-FAT SOFT CHEESE from Mushroom omelette, p19 Strawberry cheesecakes Put 85g ginger biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin to chunky crumbs. Divide between 4 glasses. Beat 200g tub low-fat soft cheese, 200g tub 0% Greek yogurt, 4 tbsp caster sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract until smooth, spoon over the crumbs and chill. Stir 2 tbsp strawberry jam in a bowl until loose, stir in 100g strawberries, hulled and sliced. Divide between the cheesecakes. Serves 4. Scandi cheese and crackers Put a spoonful of low-fat soft cheese into a bowl. Mix with a few snipped chives and a few cornichons. Eat with wholewheat crackers. Serves 1. CANNELLINI BEANS from Pea houmous, p23 Bean and pesto mash Heat ¼ tbsp olive oil in a…

Scandi-style sausage hash • Serves 1 (easily multiplied) • Ready in 30 minutes • £2.05 a portion • 829 kcals, 51g fat, 14g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 2 pork sausages 200g potatoes, diced (skins on) 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 small apple, cored and chopped 1 egg a handful of rocket, to serve 1 Boil the sausage and potatoes Boil a pan of water. Add the sausages and cook for 5 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes more. Drain well, then slice the sausages. 2 Make the hash Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion and apple until softened. Add the sliced sausages, potatoes and seasoning, then increase the…

Flaked salmon with honey dressing • Serves 2 • Ready in 10 minutes • £3.13p a portion • 449 kcals, 32g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 2 handfuls of baby salad leaves, rocket or lamb's lettuce 140g sugar snap peas 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and diced 2 cooked salmon fillets, flaked, skin removed a small handful of coriander, finely chopped FOR THE DRESSING ½ tsp clear honey 1 tbsp boiling (or very hot) water 2 tsp cider vinegar 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce 1 tbsp mirin (use sherry or sweet marsala wine if you don't have mirin) 1 Make the dressing Put the honey and hot water in a jar, and shake vigorously to loosen the honey. Add the other dressing ingredients and…

Courgette tortilla with toppings • Serves 2 • Ready in 15 minutes • £1.38 a portion • 302 kcals, 22g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing • VEGETARIAN 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large courgette, coarsely grated 1 tsp harissa 4 large eggs 3 tbsp reduced-fat houmous 1 large red pepper from a jar, torn into strips 3 pitted green olives, quartered a handful of coriander Cook the tortilla Heat the oil in a 20cm non-stick frying pan, add the courgette and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft. Beat the harissa with the eggs and pour into the pan. Cook gently, stirring, to allow the uncooked egg to flow onto the base of the pan. When it is two-thirds cooked, leave it undisturbed for…

BBQ beef short ribs • Serves 4 • Takes 30 mins, plus 5½ hours in the oven • £3.03 a portion • 678 kcals, 37g fat, 15g sat. fat a portion • Suitable for freezing (cooked ribs only) 1 small onion, roughly chopped 4 tbsp chipotle paste 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika 1 tsp cayenne pepper 400g can chopped tomatoes 5 tbsp tomato ketchup 5 tbsp barbecue sauce 100ml malt vinegar 100g brown sugar 100ml bourbon 4 large or 8 smaller beef short ribs 1 beef stock cube 4 handfuls of frozen skinny fries, cooked according to pack instructions, to serve 1 The day before Put the first 10 ingredients in a food processor and whizz to a sauce. Put the ribs in a baking dish, pour over the sauce…

James is the regular presenter on Saturday Kitchen Hash browns with gruyère • Serves 4 • Takes 20 minutes, plus 50 minutes cooking • £1.09 a portion • 356 kcals, 17g fat, 6g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 800g maris piper or king edward potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks 1½ tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic 75g pancetta, diced 50g gruyère, grated a small pack of parsley, chopped 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 Cook the potatoes Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until just cooked. 2 Soften the onions Meanwhile, heat ½ tbsp of the oil in a pan. Add the onion, garlic and…

Theo is a regular guest chef on Saturday Kitchen Tuscan soup • Serves 4-6 • Takes 20 minutes, plus 40 minutes cooking • £1.36 a portion • 239 kcals, 12g fat, 3g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 3 tbsp olive oil 3 celery sticks, chopped 2 small carrots, chopped 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra to serve 50g dried porcini mushrooms 225g plum tomatoes, deseeded & chopped 850ml chicken stock 6 eggs 2 tbsp chopped parsley 3 slices crusty bread, toasted and torn into chunks 1 Soak the mushrooms and fry the veg Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the celery, carrots, onion, garlic and thyme for 10-15 mins until soft. Meanwhile,…

MUSCOVADO SUGAR used in Caramel sauce, p53 It’s always worth having a bag of muscovado sugar (light or dark) in the cupboard. It’s relatively unrefined with most of the molasses still remaining, so it has a dark, treacle-like flavour which is ideal in rich fruit cakes and perfect in sticky gingerbread. PIRI PIRI MARINADE used in Piri piri fish and chips, p11 This African bird’s-eye chilli is widely used in Portuguese and African cuisine and a key ingredient in piri-piri marinade. It goes really well in spicy chicken or rice dishes and is brilliant with fish too. Try these Piri Piri Prawns: marinate 18 large fresh prawns in their shells in piri piri marinade for 2 hours, then cook for a few mins on each side until the prawns turn…

Pancetta & pepper piperade • Serves 4 • Takes 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooking • £1.24 a portion • 259 kcals, 15g fat, 5g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 2 x 70g packs pancetta pieces 1 red onion, finely chopped 3 peppers (1 each of green, red and yellow), deseeded and finely diced 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato purée 4 medium eggs a few basil leaves, shredded (to serve) 1 Fry the pancetta Put the pancetta and onion in a large, deep frying pan. Cook for 7 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to soften. 2 Finish cooking Add the peppers, canned tomatoes and tomato purée to the pan and mix well. Season, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Make 4 small…

Lentil dhal with curried fish • Serves 2 (easily multiplied) • Takes 20 minutes, plus 1 hour cooking, and marinating time • £3.12 a portion • 1013 kcals, 51g fat, 33g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 2 onions, chopped 1 tbsp grated ginger 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus an extra splash 2 tbsp mild curry powder, plus ½ tsp 1 tsp brown mustard seeds 1½ tsp onion or nigella seeds 85g red lentils 85g split peas or chana dhal lentils 1¼ tsp ground turmeric 400g can coconut milk 3 tbsp natural yogurt, 2 firm white fish fillets with skin (we used sustainably-sourced cod) 2 plum tomatoes, diced juice of 1 lime, plus 1 cut into wedges, to serve a handful of coriander leaves 2 tbsp crispy…

Oaty cookies • Makes 20 • Takes 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes in the oven • 19p each • 218 kcals, 11g fat, 7g sat. fat each • Suitable for freezing 250g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 175g soft brown sugar 175g self-raising flour 225g porridge oats 175g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped 50g raisins 1 Make the cookie dough Turn oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/ gas 4 and line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment or lightly grease. Beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and oats and mix well. Mix in the apricots and raisins, then cut into 20 even pieces and roll each piece into a ball. 2 Bake the biscuits Arrange the cookie dough balls…

Dean is a previous runner up on MasterChef Shawarma chicken kebabs • Serves 4 • Takes 30 mins, plus 20 mins cooking and marinating time • £2.81 a portion • 474 kcals, 9g fat, 1g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing 4 chicken breasts, each sliced into 5 pieces 4 flatbreads 1 small tub of houmous ½ cucumber, deseeded and diced, to serve 1 red onion, thinly sliced (optional), to serve 3 ripe plum tomatoes, deseeded and diced, to serve FOR THE MARINADE 80g low-fat plain yogurt 2 cloves of garlic, crushed finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp ground cinnamon FOR THE CHILLI SAUCE 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 small red onion, diced 2 red…

How to cook sea bass Pan-fried sea bass with ratatouille & basil • Serves 2 • Ready in 30 minutes • £3.15 a portion • 645 kcals, 54g fat, 8g sat. fat a portion • Not suitable for freezing FOR THE RATATOUILLE 60ml olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for frying 2 large handfuls of basil leaves 1 small red pepper 1 small courgette ½ aubergine 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp ground cumin 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 8 baby plum tomatoes, halved FOR THE FISH FILLETS 1 tbsp olive oil 2 sea bass fillets (about 140g) juice ½ lemon extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 1 Fry a few of the basil leaves Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry 8 basil leaves for a few seconds until…

5 minutes with Aaron Craze We caught up with the Junior Bake Off presenter to find out what he really fancies with a cuppa! What tips do you have for cooking on a strict budget? Go to the market. Most towns have one and you’ll find lots of fruit and veg are much, much cheaper. Use cheaper cuts of meat too – chicken thighs are really tasty. As a strong believer in using fresh herbs to enhance the flavour of dishes, what are your top three herbs and why? I use loads of basil, rosemary, parsley. They are all essential in Italian cooking and that’s partly why I love them – and they really can bring any dish to life. You give the kids on Junior Bake Off plenty of…