Innehållsförteckning för October 2021 från Easy Cook

A lot of readers have said to me that most of the recipes we feature in Easy Cook are for two, four or six people. ‘Where are the meals for one? Not everyone is in a family,’ is the gist. It’s a fair point. In my lifetime, I’ve spent many years living on my own, cooking for myself (life after my first wife springs to mind). Man or woman cannot live by takeaways alone, given the expense and the desire for balance. So, we’re tackling this on p46, with our very best single-portion dishes. There’s eggs, turkey, prawns, risotto, salmon and meatballs, plus a couple of lovely suggestions for dessert. We’ll make cooking for one a regular feature, because Easy Cook is for everyone. From BBC goodfood What’s so good…

Chicken with mushrooms ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 35 mins FREEZABLE 2 tbsp olive oil 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs flour, for dusting 50g diced pancetta or lardons 300g small button mushrooms 2 large shallots, chopped 250ml chicken stock 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 50g frozen peas small handful of parsley, finely chopped 1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Season and dust the chicken with flour, then brown on all sides. Remove. Fry the pancetta and mushrooms until softened, then remove. 2 Add the final tbsp oil and cook shallots for 5 mins. Add the stock and vinegar, bubble for 1-2 mins. Return the chicken, pancetta and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 15 mins. Add the peas and parsley and cook…

CHUTNEY-BAKED FETA & LENTIL SALAD ■ Put 200g feta in a baking dish and spread over 1 tbsp mango chutney. Bake for about 20 mins at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 until sticky. Mix 150g yogurt, ½ handful each chopped mint and dill, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water together to make a dressing. Season. Cook a 250g pouch of microwavable puy lentils following pack instructions. Once cooked, toss with some sliced cucumber and 125g halved cherry tomatoes. Divide between two plates and top with the feta, a drizzle of the yogurt dressing and some more herbs. Serves 2. CHICKPEA & APPLE SLAW ■ Take 1 large tub coleslaw and stir through a 200g drained can chickpeas, some raisins and 1 small diced apple. Serve on a bag of mixed…

Anytime eggs ■ Serves 1 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN 1 tbsp olive oil 2-3 cooked potatoes, sliced handful of cherry tomatoes, halved 2 spring onions, sliced 1 egg few basil leaves Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the potato slices and fry on both sides until brown. Add the tomatoes and spring onions and fry for about 1 min until softened. Season with salt and pepper, then make a space in the centre of the pan. Gently break the egg into the space and fry until cooked to your liking. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve. PER SERVING 305 kcals, fat 18g, saturates 3g, carbs 27g, sugars 2g, fibre 2g, protein 11g, salt 0.6g Tip This is a great dish to…

Roast salmon with rye & horseradish crumble & kale salsa verde This is a play on the classic combination of flavours that work so well in a salad orsandwich. It’s also so easy! ■ Serves 6-8 ■ Prep 35 mins plus resting ■ Cook 25 mins 1 white onion, peeled and sliced 200ml cider 1.2kg side of salmon, skin removed 1 bunch of kale, washed 3 garlic cloves, grated 1 lemon, zested and ½ juiced 120ml good olive oil 3 salted anchovies creme fraiche, to serve FOR THE CRUMBLE 250g crusty dark rye bread, crusts removed, dried and blended to a chunky crumb 2 tbsp dried onion flakes 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped dill 4 tbsp grated horseradish 75g butter, melted 1 Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas…

John Torode’s prawn & pineapple curry This Penang-inspired curry was taught to me by a lovely lady after a morning of eating the island’s fantastic street food. Her curry was just pineapple, but I’ve added prawns to make it special. The toasted coconut, known as kerisik, is what makes this recipe, so please don’t skimp on that step. ■ Serves 8 ■ Prep 25 mins ■ Cook 40 mins FREEZABLE FOR THE TOASTED COCONUT 100g fresh coconut flesh 2 tsp sunflower oil FOR THE CURRY thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled 6 garlic cloves, peeled 50g mild curry powder 100ml sunflower oil 7 curry leaves 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 3 cardamom pods 6 cloves 6 shallots, thinly sliced lengthways 3 tbsp tamarind paste 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut…

■ Serves 1 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 5 mins VEGETARIAN 250ml milk 1 tbsp cocoa 1-2 tbsp brown sugar 25g dark chocolate, chopped, plus a grating to serve 1 tbsp whipped or squirty cream 1 Heat the milk, cocoa, sugar and chocolate in a small pan over a medium heat until steaming and the chocolate has melted. Whisk to dissolve the cocoa. 2 Pour the hot chocolate into a mug, then add the cream to float on top. Grate over a little more dark chocolate to serve. PER SERVING 438 kcals, fat 22g, saturates 14g, carbs 47g, sugars 46g, fibre 2g, protein 12g, salt 0.3g Tip Give your hot chocolate a decadent finish with a drizzle of caramel sauce or dulce de leche and top with mini marshmallows…

Veg-packed cheeseburgers ■ Makes 4-6 ■ Prep 20 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 20 mins FREEZABLE burgers only 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 small onion, finely chopped 100g courgette, grated 1 large carrot, grated 50g mushrooms, finely chopped ¼ bunch of parsley, finely chopped 75g cheddar, grated 1 large egg, beaten 5 tbsp breadcrumbs 250g beef mince 4-6 burger buns TO SERVE lettuce leaves sliced tomato sliced red onion ketchup, mustard and mayo (optional) 1 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the garlic, onion, courgette, carrot, mushrooms and parsley with a little salt and pepper for 8 mins, stirring regularly, until soft. Set aside to cool completely. 2 Mix together the fried veg, cheese, egg, breadcrumbs and…

Meat-free Monday Stuffed peppers with feta topping ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 25 mins VEGETARIAN 2 large peppers, halved, deseeded but stalks left on 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 red onion, halved and sliced 1 garlic clove, finely grated 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 small aubergine, cut into small cubes 220g can kidney beans (don’t drain) small bunch of coriander, chopped 1 large egg 25g low-fat feta, finely grated 50g fromage frais 2 handfuls of rocket lime wedges, for squeezing over 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Place the pepper halves in a shallow baking dish, skin-side up, and roast for 15-20 mins. 2 Meanwhile, tip the spices into a pan and warm briefly…

GREGG WALLACE’S TOP VARIETIES The varieties I recommend are the ubiquitous butternut, which can be used for every recipe; the teardrop-shaped hubbard; the kabocha, which has drier flesh, so makes good mash or soup; and the onion or kuri squash, which looks like a mini pumpkin. There are also a few small varieties on the market – the acorn is the most popular and is great roasted whole. Skin thickness will vary, but most can be peeled with a sturdy swivel-blade potato peeler. The most celebrated winter squash is, of course, the pumpkin – especially around Halloween. Their cheery colour and big, flat shape make them perfect for carving. If you do carve a lantern, save the flesh and seeds. Use the flesh to make one of our recipes, and…

Apple & hazelnut cookies ■ These have a soft, slightly chewy texture as they contain apple instead of sugar. Melt 50g butter and 2 tbsp maple syrup together. Add 1 grated eating apple and cook, stirring, until it softens. Stir in 1 tsp cinnamon and 50g raisins. Mix 50g oats, 50g flour, and 40g chopped hazelnuts in a bowl, pour in the apple mixture, then add 1 egg and mix really well. Spoon 9 mounds onto a buttered baking tray, well-spaced apart, then gently press into discs. Bake at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 18-20 mins until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 9. Cinnamon cashew spread with apple slices ■ Soak 50g cashew nuts in boiling water so they soften a little. Drain, then add 1 tbsp coconut oil…

Open pear & berry pie This stunning dessert is made by combining poached pears with a fruit pie. The almonds will stop your tart from getting a soggy bottom by soaking up excess juice while the egg wash and sugar give the pastry a professional golden finish. ■ Serves 5 ■ Prep 35 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 1 hr 10 mins VEGETARIAN plain flour, for dusting 300g sweet shortcrust pastry freshly grated nutmeg 1 egg, beaten 1 tbsp demerara sugar custard, cream or ice cream, to serve FOR THE POACHED PEARS 75g white caster sugar 1 lemon, pared 5 cardamom pods ½ nutmeg 1 cinnamon stick 3 small pears, peeled, cored and halved FOR THE FILLING 3-4 small pears, peeled, cored and chopped 75g white caster sugar 2 tsp…

Butter chicken ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 30 mins 25g butter 1 onion, halved and finely sliced 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks 2 tbsp garam masala 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 500g passata 2 tbsp cashew nut butter 50ml double cream handful of coriander, chopped cooked rice and wilted spinach, to serve 1 Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft. Add the chicken and continue to fry until turning golden brown. Add the garam masala, garlic, ginger and passata. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins. 2 Just before serving, stir in the cashew nut butter and cream and season to taste. Serve scattered with coriander, and with the…

The ultimate cheeseburger This is a fantastic burger: beef patty, crispy shallots, caramelised onions and an incredible homemade burger sauce. Freshly ground meat from a butcher is always best to use if you can. Pick the fattiest cut – the higher the fat content, the juicier the burgers. ■ Serves 4 ■ Takes 1 hr 500ml olive oil, for frying 2 medium onions, finely sliced 800g beef mince 4 brioche buns vegetable oil, for frying 8 slices red leicester or cheddar 1 large jar of pickles FOR THE CRIPSY SHALLOTS 1 tbsp cornflour 2 shallots, finely sliced FOR THE BURGER SAUCE 1 shallot, diced 3 tbsp sweet pickle relish 4 tbsp mayonnaise 2 tbsp ketchup 2 tbsp English mustard pinch of cayenne pepper 1 Start with the caramelised onions. Put…

Black cat cake This cake can be frozen, un-iced, for up to two months, making it an ideal treat to prepare ahead of time. ■ Serves 16 ■ Prep 50 mins plus drying and cooling ■ Cook 1 hr 40 mins VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE un-iced only icing sugar, for dusting 100g each black and yellow or orange fondant icing 200g butter, cubed, plus extra for the tin 200g dark chocolate, chopped 1 tbsp instant coffee granules 170g plain flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 400g golden caster sugar 30g cocoa powder 3 medium eggs 75ml milk 1 heart-shaped jelly sweet, Pocky sticks, Matchmakers or liquorice sticks FOR THE FROSTING 150g butter, very soft 330g icing sugar 60g cocoa powder 4 tbsp milk 100g dark chocolate, chopped 1 Lightly dust your work surface…