Innehållsförteckning för October 2019 från Easy Cook

In the Easy Cook office, we try to come up with as many tortuously punny headlines for pies as possible: the pie’s the limit; reach for the pies; easy as pie; I pie with my little eye (that’s the worst). It’s a humdrum life, but we love it. You see, we love talking about pies. But we love eating them more, hence why we’re featuring our 10 all-time favourite pies. Check it out on p48 and see what pun we settled on. Pies, of course, are the ultimate comfort food: carb-loaded, stuffed with whatever you fancy, perfect for sharing with your family. My kids love them! To welcome in the autumn, this issue is packed with comfort classics – with indulgent twists: molten chocolate puds (p6); surprising slow cooker superstars…

Meatballs with pesto mash • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 15 mins meatballs only 400g lean beef mince small bunch basil, most leaves roughly chopped, reserving few whole to serve 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp olive oil 350lg passata with onions and garlic 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks 150ml milk 2 tbsp fresh basil pesto 1 Mix the mince with half the chopped basil, the Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning, then use your hands to shape into 16 meatballs. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add the oil, then fry the meatballs, turning, for 5 mins until browned. Tip in the passata and remaining chopped basil. Simmer gently for 10 mins until the meatballs are cooked through. 2 Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10-15…

Monday Quick steak & mushroom stroganoff • Serves 2 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 20 mins 1 tbsp oil 1 red onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp paprika 1 green pepper, chopped 200g mushrooms, sliced 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 150ml beef stock 200g lean rump steak, sliced and all fat removed 150ml fat-free fromage frais 1 Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for a few mins, until soft. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Add the pepper and mushrooms, and fry for 5-8 mins until softened. 2 Add the vinegar, boil to reduce until almost evaporated, then pour over the stock and bubble for a few mins until thickened slightly. Add the beef and cook for…

“ My love affair with Tuscan food began at an early age – unlike my friends who spent their holidays at the beach, my parents chose to drive through rural Italy. Every year they would see how much food and wine they could cram into the boot of our car, which would see us through until our next visit. It was this that made me want to become a chef ” Lamb shoulder with bay leaves & juniper berries • Serves 6 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 2 hrs 1.5kg boned lamb shoulder (it should not be rolled and tied) 2 tbsp olive oil 6 garlic cloves 6 bay leaves 5 juniper berries 150ml red wine vinegar 250ml white wine 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Trim…

• Serves 2 adults and 2 children • Prep 10 mins • Cook 40 mins Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put 150g butternut squash, cut into chunks, in a steamer over boiling water. Steam for around 15-20 mins or until tender. Drain and then blitz in a food processor until smooth. Cook 300g penne following pack instructions. Heat 40g butter in a pan, add 1 small leek, finely sliced, and cook for 2 mins. Stir in 25g flour and cook for 1-2 mins. Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in 600ml milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 mins, then stir in 100g frozen peas. Remove from the heat and stir in the butternut squash, then 125g mature…

Slow cooker roast chicken Cooking a chicken in a slow cooker makes it very succulent and packed full of flavour. If you want to cook this ahead and then freeze it, carefully break the chicken into joints and pack them into freezer bags with a little gravy. You’ll need a large slow cooker for this. • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 51/2 hrs 1 large onion, peeled and cut into thick slices 2 carrots, halved lengthways and chopped 1 small or medium chicken 2 tbsp butter, softened 1 bay leaf 1 Put the onion and carrot in the base of the stock pot to form a protective layer to sit the chicken on, and add 100ml boiling water. Gently ease the chicken skin away from the breast.…

Gennaro Contaldo presented Two Greedy Italians on BBC Two and appears regularly on Saturday Kitchen. Conchiglioni al forno ripieni di funghi e prosciutto Baked pasta shells filled with mushrooms & ham It’s very common in Italy to fill this large shell-shaped pasta and bake it. This is a delicious combination of ham, mushrooms and white sauce. For vegetarians, omit the ham and increase the quantity of mushrooms. • Serves 4 • Prep 25 mins • Cook 20 mins about 30 conchiglioni pasta shells 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 150g prosciutto, very finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 750g mushrooms, very finely chopped 2 tbsp white wine 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley FOR THE WHITE SAUCE 40 butter 40g plain flour 500ml milk whole nutmeg, for grating 150g parmesan, grated…

Broken eggs with potatoes and Serrano ham From childhood, we are taught to fear the falling egg. Nursery rhymes and sports days, help us develop a need to treat the delicate capsules with utmost respect. At checkouts, we inspect their shells with superfluous forensic attention and nestle them carefully atop the shopping bag. This recipe is one of the rare instances in which Humpty Dumpty’s descent would have ended deliciously; it’s precisely the explosive breaking of the yolk that defines this dish. • Serves 1 2 slices of Serrano ham 1 tbsp olive oil 1 new potato, finely sliced 1 garlic clove, finely sliced 4 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 spring onion, finely sliced 1 tbsp pitted and sliced black olives 3 large eggs small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely…

Blackberry & apple cake • Cuts into 8-10 slices • Prep 15 mins • Cook 50 mins 125g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin 125g caster sugar 3 large eggs, beaten 50g ground almonds 100g self-raising flour 2 Discovery, Russet or Worcester apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 segments 100g blackberries FOR THE TOPPING 1 large pinch cinnamon 2 tbsp demerara sugar 25g butter, cut into small pieces 25g peeled and toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped icing sugar, for dusting 1 Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Butter a 22cm round loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, until you…

Classic pesto • Heat a small dry frying pan over a low heat. Cook 50g pine nuts until golden, shaking occasionally. Put into a food processor with 80g basil, 50g parmesan, 150ml olive oil and 2 garlic cloves. Blitz until smooth and season. Serves 4-6. Spinach & feta pesto • Pour a kettle of boiling water over 500g spinach until it wilts. Shake off the excess water, then transfer to a food processor. Add 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp olive oil, 100g reduced-fat feta-style cheese and 40g pine nuts, then blitz to a sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serves 4. Cheshire pesto • Put the stalks and most of the leaves from a large bunch of basil into a food processor. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic…

Japanese-style bento box • Serves 1 • Prep 20 mins plus cooling • Cook 25 mins 100g edamame handful of fruit, such as pineapple or berries FOR THE SUSHI 100g sushi rice 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1/2 tsp golden caster sugar 1 sheet nori 1 smoked mackerel fillet, flaked (about 75g) 1 tbsp mayonnaise 2 spring onions, chopped pea-sized blob of wasabi 1/4 red pepper, thinly sliced lengthways into 6 pieces 1 Boil the edamame for 3-4 mins until tender. Drain, season with salt and set aside. 2 Rinse the rice well, then tip into a heavy-based pan with 200ml water. Cover, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 mins, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave for 10 mins. Spoon…

MENU FOR SIX Hot & sour prawn & sweetcorn soup ★ One-pot crystal chicken with ginger & chilli oil ★ Stir-fried garlic green beans ★ Toffee banana spring rolls Hot & sour prawn & sweetcorn soup The idea is that you poach the chicken for the main course (see recipe, right) first, then use the resulting stock to make this soup! If you just want to make the soup, use fresh chicken stock. • Serves 6 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 10 mins 11/2 litres hot stock from the poached chicken 1 tsp white caster sugar 2 tbsp Chinese black rice vinegar, cider or white wine vinegar 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely sliced into matchsticks 1/2 red chilli, sliced 1/2 pack silken tofu, diced handful of frozen sweetcorn…

“ I love the turn of the seasons, as we move away from summer vegetables and lighter dishes over into more autumnal cooking, like this roast venison ” Tom Kerridge’s roast venison loin with pumpkin & Sichuan salt • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 1 hr 10 mins 1 small pumpkin or squash, peeled and seeds removed, then sliced into wedges 8 sage leaves 60ml maple syrup 3 shallots, peeled and sliced lengthways 40g butter 600g venison loin, fat and sinew removed FOR THE SICHUAN SALT 10 Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp flaky salt 1 tsp chopped rosemary 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the pumpkin, sage, maple syrup and shallots in a roasting tin and mix to coat. Add half of the butter and…