Indholdsfortegnelse for Christmas 2022 i Easy Cook

We rarely see our kids these days. The oldest is at university, the other two have their heads down in their final years, studying for A-levels and GCSEs (at least, that's what they say they're doing). So, Christmas has taken on a special meaning this year: a time when we can all be together. I say ‘together’ because I'll mainly be in the kitchen, wrestling with a turkey or beef or another showstopper (I yet haven't decided which to cook from our selection on p22). But I wouldn't have it any other way. We all need something special to look forward to, and to be with loved ones, so I hope this festive issue gives you all the inspiration you need. Have a wonderful Christmas.…

Popcorn Shed popcorn toppings kit, £19.99 popcornshed.com Make movie night memorable with this fun DIY popcorn kit, containing a big bag of popping kernels and a variety of toppers to sprinkle, shake and melt over your popcorn, from fudge and honeycomb pieces to colourful chocolate beans. Ravenhead martini cocktail set, £24.99 lakeland.co.uk For the budding mixologist, this set has everything you need to start making impressive cocktails at home, including a cocktail shaker and two martini glasses. Salcombe Christmas tide beers (3 x 500ml) £7.20 salcombebrewery.com Beer gets a Christmas makeover with this festive brew from Salcombe Brewery Co. The chocolatey malt base is balanced by hops for a bittersweet edge. Gingerbread fudge (175g), £4.50 cartwrightandbutler.co.uk The perfect stocking filler–this creamy fudge has been given a festive twist with rich…

Try a twist on the classic prawn cocktail Prawn & crab cocktail lettuce cups This elegant platter gives everyone the chance to create their own perfect little prawn cocktails. You can get started on this the day before by making the sauce and salsa. ■ Serves 8 (easily halved) ■ Prep 30 mins ■ No cook FOR THE SAUCE 4 tbsp mayonnaise 3 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 lemon, zested and juiced pinch of cayenne FOR THE TOMATO SALSA 4 tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced 1 small red onion, finely diced 1½ tbsp hot sauce TO SERVE 3 Little Gem lettuces, leaves separated 300g cooked and peeled prawns (we used a mixture of king prawns and small North Atlantic prawns) 200g white crabmeat (or more prawns) ½bunch of chives, snipped lemon wedges, to serve…

Marmalade & almond Christmas pudding Just be aware before you start that this needs a long steaming time. ■ Serves 8 ■ Prep 30 mins plus overnight soaking ■ Cook 8-10 hrs VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE 500g mixed dried mixed fruit with peel 150ml sherry 100g cold butter, plus extra for the basin 75g self-raising flour 175g dark brown soft sugar 100g fresh white breadcrumbs 2 tsp mixed spice 2 large eggs 4 tbsp marmalade 50g blanched almonds, finely chopped 50ml brandy double cream, brandy butter or ice cream, to serve 1 Mix together the dried fruit and sherry. Cover and leave overnight. 2 The next day, lightly butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin and line the base with a small circle of baking parchment. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the sugar, breadcrumbs, mixed spice and a good pinch of salt, stir…

Glühwein The addition of rum works really well – it's been added here to compensate for the evaporation of alcohol during cooking, but it's not essential, if you prefer it a little less punchy. ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 15 mins VEGETARIAN 1 bottle red wine 100g light brown soft sugar 4 cloves 1 cinnamon stick 1 orange, sliced ½ lemon, sliced ½ star anise 1 bay leaf 50ml dark rum or brandy (optional) Mix all the ingredients together (except the rum or brandy, if using) in a large pan and warm over a low heat for 10-15 mins or until fragrant and steaming, but not boiling. Stir in the rum or brandy for the final minute, if using. Ladle into mugs or heatproof glasses, discarding any aromatics. Spicy sausage buns ■ Serves 6…

Tom Kerridge's stout-braised short ribs with horseradish & carrots This braise is easy to portion, and it looks good on the plate - everyone gets a whole short rib and a carrot. Any leftovers make a rich beef pie filling. In fact, I'd be tempted to cook a few extra short ribs just so I had some potential pie filling in the freezer. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 30 mins ■ Cook 3 hrs 30 mins FREEZABLE 2 tbsp sunflower oil 4 short ribs on the bone 1 onion, chopped 3 celery sticks, chopped 4 bay leaves 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 1 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp brown sugar 500ml stout 300ml beef stock 3 tbsp horseradish cream 4 carrots 1 Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and brown the short ribs…

LAST BITE EDIBLE GIFT Lebkuchen ■ Makes 20 ■ Prep 45 mins plus chilling ■ Cook 15 mins VEGETARIAN 200ml honey 85g butter 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 75g ground almonds 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon pinch of mixed spice ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 125g icing sugar 1 Warm the honey and butter together in a small pan until combined. 2 Put the remaining ingredients, except the icing sugar, in a bowl, and pour over the melted butter. Combine until a sticky dough forms, wrap in baking parchment then chill for 1 hr. 3 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to 1cm thick, then cut into 5cm biscuits using heart, star or round cookie cutters. Transfer to parchmentlined trays with a…

Use up left over red wine in this winter mash-up of mulled wine and hot chocolate – it will warm your cockles after a chilly evening out! ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN WARM UP COLDER NIGHTS 150ml red wine ½ cinnamon stick, plus extra for stirrers 1 star anise 2 cloves 3 allspice berries 1 tbsp demerara sugar 250ml milk 75g chopped dark chocolate 1 Pour the red wine into a pan and add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, allspice berries and demerara sugar. Heat gently and simmer for 10 mins. 2 In a separate pan, heat the milk, then gradually whisk in the dark chocolate. Strain the red wine into the chocolate pan and stir. Serve in small cups with cinnamon stick stirrers, if you like.…

DRINK UP Drinks are often the most expensive part of having a party, so if you want guests to bring a bottle, make it clear when inviting them. You can also give a rough idea for a start and end time of your party so it's easier for you to cater for how much guests are likely to get through in the time. Failing that, have a punch on the go as you can use mixers to help the booze stretch a little further. We like these: CRANBERRY SEA BREEZE PUNCH ■ Pour 1 litre cranberry juice, 500ml vodka and 400ml grapefruit juice into a punch bowl and add lime slices and ice. Add tonic too if you want to give it some fizz. Serves 8. CHRISTMAS PUNCH ■ Pile…

TRADITIONAL & STRAIGHTFORWARD Roast turkey with citrus butter ■ Serves 8 ■ Prep 15 mins plus resting ■ Cook 4 hrs 1 turkey, about 6kg, giblets removed 140g butter, at room temperature 1 lemon, zested 1 orange, zested 2 thyme sprigs, leaves finely chopped 1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped 4 large onions, halved 3 bay leaves 2 tbsp olive oil 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Pat the turkey dry all over with kitchen paper. Now weigh the bird and calculate the cooking time at 40 mins per kg. Mix the butter with the citrus zests and herbs, and season well. Gently push your fingers under the turkey's skin, starting from the neck end of the bird, easing the skin away from the flesh over both the breasts and the tops of the drumsticks. Spread…

CHRISTMAS PUDS & BAKES You can make the pie bases ahead then top with meringue at the last minute. ■ Makes 12 ■ Prep 30 mins ■ Cook 25 mins VEGETARIAN 400g mincemeat (ensure vegetarian, if needed) ½ lemon, juiced butter, for the tin 500g ready-made shortcrust pastry 4 tbsp milk FOR THE MERINGUE 2 eggs, whites only 1 tsp lemon juice 100g caster sugar 1 Mix together the mincemeat and lemon juice. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and lightly butter the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin and use a 10cm round cutter to stamp out 12 circles, re-rolling the offcuts if needed. Use to line the holes of the tin. Spoon in the mincemeat, leaving a little gap at the top, and bake…

Honey mustard sausages with tomatoes & eggs No frying pans needed for this full English breakfast – everything gets cooked together. Thick bacon is also nice with the honey-mustard glaze if you want to use it instead of the sausages. ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 25 mins a little butter, for the dish 18 chipolata sausages 250g large cherry tomatoes, some halved, others left whole 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp honey 12 slices French bread 6 eggs a few chives, snipped 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter a very large baking tray or 2 small ones. Put the sausages and tomatoes in the tray. Cook for 15 mins, then set aside. 2 Mix the mustard and honey together and drizzle over the sausages. Add the bread slices to the…

EVERYDAY SPICE Rukmini's all-in-one aubergine, tomato & nigella seed curry This is my version of a spectacular Madhur Jaffrey dish that my mother makes: ‘aubergine in a pickling spice’. The original calls for the aubergines to be deep-fried before making the spiced tomato sauce – my mother has long since roasted off the aubergine pieces in the oven, but in this version I go one step further, cooking down cherry tomatoes under the aubergine. I was delighted to find that this makes for an extremely low-hassle, but no less beautifully balanced dish. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 45 mins VEGETARIAN 300g vine cherry tomatoes, halved 5cm piece of ginger, grated 3 garlic cloves, grated 2 tsp nigella or black onion seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed ½…

Christmas tiramisu roulade ■ Serves 8-10 ■ Prep 30 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 25 mins VEGETARIAN butter, for the tin 1 tbsp espresso powder 1 tbsp coffee liqueur 6 egg whites 300g golden caster sugar 2 tbsp plain flour FOR THE FILLING 1 tbsp espresso powder 150ml mascarpone 250ml double cream 1 tbsp icing sugar 1 tbsp coffee liqueur FOR THE DECORATION 25g dark chocolate 25g white chocolate edible golden balls and chocolate stars (milk and white chocolate) gold lustre spray 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 24 x 37cm swiss roll tin with a large sheet of baking parchment, ensuring the corners and sides are covered. Combine the espresso powder and coffee liqueur in a bowl until dissolved. Whisk the egg whites using a stand mixer or a handheld electric beater until they…

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS Glitter pasta decorations String these glittery pasta bows from your tree in place of tinsel. farfalle pasta paint brush PVA glue red and gold glitter needle and string 1 Bring a pan of water to the boil over a medium heat and cook the pasta for 10 seconds until softened slightly. Drain and leave until cool to the touch. Brush the pasta bows with the glue and cover with red or gold glitter, tapping the excess onto a sheet of newspaper so the glitter can be re-used. Leave to dry for 30 mins. 2 Thread a needle with thick string, then carefully pierce through the crimped middle of one of the pasta bows so you can still lay the bow flat. Tie a knot on either side to hold…

Sausage & prune bacon rolls Using cocktail sticks to secure the bacon around the sausages and prunes also makes the rolls easier to serve. ■ Makes 12 of each ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 30 mins FREEZABLE 12 cocktail sausages 1 tbsp honey 12 prunes 24 rashers streaky bacon Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the sausages in a bowl with the honey until all are well coated. Wrap each sausage and each prune in a piece of bacon, then skewer with a cocktail stick. Once the turkey is out of the oven and resting, put on a baking sheet and cook for 30 mins. PER SERVING 121 kcals, fat 8g, saturates 3g, carbs 6g, sugars 5g, fibre none, protein 7g, salt 1.2g Savoy cabbage with almonds ■ Serves 8…

CHRISTMAS PUDS & BAKES Each pudding has a molten toffee centre that swirls into the fondant as you cut into it. ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 30 mins ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN 2 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting 150g unsalted butter, plus extra for the moulds 150g 70% dark chocolate 3 whole eggs, plus 3 yolks 150g light brown soft sugar 120g plain flour 12 chewy toffees, at room temperature 1 Butter 6 × 150ml pudding basins and dust with cocoa powder, shaking out the excess. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a microwave or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Fold in the chocolate mixture, sift in the flour and 2 tbsp cocoa and fold in…

ENTERTAINING TEATIME SIMPLE SANDWICHES PRAWN COCKTAIL SQUARES ■ Makes 24 ■ Prep 20 mins ■ No cook Mix 100g mayonnaise (use light, if you prefer) with 3 tbsp tomato ketchup in a medium bowl. Add 300g peeled cooked king prawns and some black pepper. Cut 4 large slices of rye bread into small squares – you should be able to get six squares from each slice of bread. Arrange the bread squares on a platter. Shred ¼ iceberg lettuce, divide between the squares, top each with a spoonful of prawn cocktail, then add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. CREAM CHEESE & CUCUMBER FINGERS ■ Makes 24 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ No Cook VEGETARIAN Spread 6 slices white bread and 6 slices brown bread with some soft cheese (you'll need…

BUDGET FRIENDLY MEALS £1.21 per serving £1.13 per serving Sausage stew with rosemary garlic mash ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 20 mins ■ Cook 50 mins 8 sausages 2 tbsp olive oil 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 2 rosemary sprigs, 1 chopped 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 175g dried green lentils, rinsed 400g can chopped tomatoes 700ml chicken or vegetable stock 1kg potatoes, cut into chunks 150ml milk 1 Fry the sausages in 1 tbsp oil in a casserole dish until brown. Remove. Tip in the carrots, celery and onion and cook for 10 mins, adding the chopped rosemary and half the garlic for the final minute. Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Return the sausages to the dish. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins. Take off the lid…