Table of contents for May 2020 in Easy Cook

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Lemon chicken with spring veg noodles • Serves 2 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 15 mins 1 tbsp sunflower oil 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tbsp caster sugar 2 tsp grated ginger 2 tsp cornflour 2 sheets medium dried egg noodles (about 125g) 200g frozen pea and bean mix 4 spring onions, sliced 1 tbsp roasted cashews 1 Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then fry the chicken for 5 mins until almost cooked. Tip onto a plate. Pour 250ml water into the pan with the lemon, sugar and ginger. Mix the cornflour with a little water until smooth, then whisk into the pan. Bring to the boil, stirring, then add the chicken. Reduce the heat. Bubble for a few…

Sag aloo • Serves 4 1tsp ground turmeric 500g potatoes, cut into 2cm chunks 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, finely sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp brown mustard seeds 2 tsp ground coriander 3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced 400g spinach 2 spring onions, finely chopped natural yogurt, to serve 1 Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the turmeric, a pinch of salt and the potatoes. Simmer for 3-5 mins, or until almost cooked but still holding their shape. Drain well. 2 Heat the oil in a sauté pan with a lid and fry the onion gently over a low heat for 5 mins until soft. 3 Add the cumin and brown mustard seeds…

First, the drinks: over-the-top cocktails bring a bit of fun to the evening. Each batch serves four Flower power These fragrant cocktails, with a dash of vodka, will add a sophisticated note to your at-home gathering. • A few hours ahead, put 8 edible flowers into an ice-cube tray, cover with water and freeze. Pour 200ml cold jasmine tea into a cocktail shaker with 1 tsp orange blossom honey, 25ml elderflower cordial, the juice of 1 grapefruit and 75ml vodka. Add a handful of plain ice cubes and shake well. Strain into four glasses. Divide 300ml prosecco between the glasses, then add the flower-filled ice cubes. Serves 4 Phoenix fizz This fun and bubbly citrus cocktail will get your party off to a great start. • Pour 100ml vodka into…

Rosie Birkett’s spring celebration salad Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients here. This salad uses the season’s most exciting produce. The homemade mayo is a treat with the softly boiled eggs and tender potatoes, but if you’re short of time, try adding a fresh egg yolk, a dash of extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard to shop-bought mayo. • Serves 2 • Prep 20 mins • Cook 30 mins 300g Jersey Royals, large ones halved 1 mint sprig 2 eggs 200g asparagus, trimmed 50g fresh peas, podded 4 tbsp mayonnaise (see right) or use shop-bought (see intro) 1 green apple (I used Granny Smith), cored and finely chopped 3 spring onions, finely sliced 1 tsp capers, drained 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp…

• Prep 10 mins • Cook 45 mins • Serves 4 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put 750g halved new potatoes, 2 large bunches of asparagus, trimmed, the cloves from 1 garlic bulb, 1 tbsp oil and plenty of seasoning in a large roasting tin (about 30 x 20cm). Squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon, then cut the lemon into chunks and add to the tin. Toss everything together, cover and roast for 15 mins. Uncover and mix through a small handful of rosemary sprigs. Season 8 chicken thighs and arrange evenly in the tin. Roast for another 25-30 mins until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is crisp and cooked through. Serve the dish in the middle of the table for everyone to share. PER…

Rice & quinoa prawn sushi bowl • Serves 2 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 20 mins 100g white or brown sushi rice 20g mixed coloured quinoa 1 ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar ½ tbsp golden caster sugar FOR THE TOPPINGS 1 tsp oil ½ sweet potato, thinly sliced 8 large prawns, peeled and cooked ¼ cucumber, halved and finely sliced ½ avocado, thinly sliced 1 roasted nori sheet, cut into lengths sriracha mayonnaise and sesame seeds, to serve (optional) 1 Put the rice and quinoa in a pan. Add 320ml water, bring to the boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12-15 mins, or following pack instructions (brown sushi rice will need longer) until all the water should have been absorbed. 2 Meanwhile,…

“ I’ve always said that the only way to understand and appreciate food is to see it being grown and produced, and only then can you understand how much time and work it takes for the people involved ” Blackface lamb steaks with ratatouille & salsa verde Scottish blackface sheep are one of the most common domestic sheep in the UK. Found in some of the most exposed locations, like the Highlands and Dartmoor, they are believed to have originated from Scotland as early as 1503. There are different varieties of blackface lamb that can be found all over the world, particularly in America. They’re prized not just for their meat, but also for their wool. • Serves 4 small bunch of heather 4 x 200g lamb steaks FOR THE…

Rich raspberry chocolate mousse cake • Serves 8 • Prep 30 mins plus overnight setting • No cook FOR THE BASE 100g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces 100g butter 1 tbsp golden syrup 200g oat biscuits FOR THE MOUSSE 100g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces 200g milk chocolate, broken into pieces 4 eggs, separated 300ml whipping cream 450g raspberries 1 For the base, melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Put the biscuits in a bag and crush to crumbs. Combine with the chocolate mix and spread over the base of a 23cm springform tin. Chill for about 1 hr until set. 2 For the mousse, melt the plain and the milk chocolates and leave…

1 Chocolate chunk cookies • Makes 10 • Prep 20 mins • Cook 12 mins 120g butter, softened 75g light brown soft sugar 75g golden caster sugar 1 medium egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 180g plain flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 150g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugars together in a bowl until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Once combined, stir in the flour, bicarb, chocolate chunks and ¼ tsp salt. 2 Scoop 10 large tablespoons of the mixture onto the sheets, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 10-12 mins or until firm at the edges…

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala • Serves 4 • Prep 20 mins • Cook 4 hrs 30 mins-7 hrs 30 mins 8-12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut into 3 pieces 2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely grated or chopped 3 tbsp tikka curry paste 500ml passata 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tbsp malt vinegar 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar 1 cinnamon stick 5 cardamom pods 100ml double cream handful of chopped coriander cooked basmati rice, lime wedges and naan bread, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the slow cooker. Season the chicken, then heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat and add the chicken. You may want to do this…

“ You can use practically every part of the chicken, from the livers for pâté, to the carcass to make stock. When I’m cooking a roast chicken for four, I’ll deliberately get a bigger one so that I have some meat to dip into in the days to come. Spring roast chicken with tarragon-rich salsa verde is one of my go-to dishes when I’m making a roast on Sunday. You can prepare the salsa verde ahead and let the chicken get on with its roasting while you make the vegetables and potatoes ” Rosie’s roast chicken • Serves 4 (with leftovers) • Prep 5 mins • Cook 1 hr 20 mins 1 organic free-range chicken (about 1.8 kg) 1/2 onion 4 garlic cloves 1/2 lemon 1 bay leaf 2 thyme…

Dense & dark chocolate loaf This cake is mixed and made in a saucepan – how easy is that? It’s best eaten on the same day. • Serves 8 • Prep 20 mins • Cook 45-50 mins uniced 200g butter, plus extra for the tin 100g dark chocolate (use one that’s 70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks 150g natural yogurt 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 eggs 250g self-raising flour 175g dark muscovado sugar 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda FOR THE TOPPING 100ml double cream 1 tbsp butter 100g dark chocolate, chopped 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter a large loaf tin (about 20cm long, measured from the top edge), then cut a strip of baking paper a few inches longer than the total length of the base…