Innehållsförteckning för September 2022 från Easy Cook

The great thing about getting back from a holiday is cooking again (or is that just me?). I missed it when we were away, so for me, September is a time for getting back to work, sending our three kids back to school, college and uni, and getting back into the kitchen to plan, plan, plan. To give you a head start, turn to p44 for our September survival guide. It has everything you need, with ideas for healthy packed lunches, simple soups, flavour-packed bowls of goodness and satisfying one-pot suppers. And because we’re all battling ever-rising food prices and energy costs, we have loads of suggestions for value microwave meals (p18) and ways you can save money and reduce waste (p16). Enjoy cooking again! BEST OF BBC ⁕ Suzie…

Chilli & avocado salsa sweet potatoes ■ Serves 2 (easily doubled) ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 45 mins VEGITARIAN 2 large sweet potatoes 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp paprika 400g can chopped tomatoes 400g can mixed beans, drained ½ × 460g jar roasted red peppers, sliced 1 tbsp coconut (or dairy) yogurt (optional) FOR THE SALSA 1 small avocado, chopped 1 red chilli, finely chopped ½ small pack of coriander, chopped 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake in the oven for 40-45 mins, or until tender and cooked. 2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep frying pan and cook the onion for about 10 mins until softening. Add…

Cut out & keep TARKA DHAL ■ Serves 2 Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 1 hr 10 mins VEGITARIAN FREEZABLE 200g red lentils 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ tsp turmeric ½ tsp garam masala coriander leaves, to serve 1 small tomato, chopped 1 Rinse the lentils several times until the water runs clear, then tip into a saucepan with 1 litre water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 mins, skimming the froth from the top. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 40 mins, stirring occasionally, until it’s a thick, soupy consistency. 2 While the lentils are cooking, heat the ghee or oil in a…

SALTED CARAMEL & PECAN CHEESECAKE POTS ■ Crush 6 shop-bought crunchy biscuits with the end of a rolling pin. Mix in 1 tbsp melted butter, then stir in 30g chopped pecans. In a separate bowl, beat 250g mascarpone with 150ml double cream, 3 tbsp icing sugar, and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Ripple through 4 tbsp salted caramel. Divide the two mixtures between four small glasses in alternating layers, finishing with the cream. Add a few more chopped pecans to finish, if you like. Makes 4. BANANA CARAMEL WAFFLES ■ Toast 8 sweet waffles and top with sliced banana, spoonfuls of salted caramel and some chopped roasted peanuts. Serves 4. SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM SAUCE ■ Combine 175g light soft brown sugar, 300ml double cream, 50g butter and…

■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 20 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 35 mins VEGETARIAN 1kg eating apples 3 tbsp apricot jam 1 large orange, juiced butter, for the dish FOR THE CRUMBLE 140g porridge oats 100g plain flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 100g butter 100g light muscovado sugar 1 tbsp golden syrup 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and mix with the jam and orange juice. Spread evenly over a buttered 1.5-litre ovenproof dish that’s not too deep. 2 Mix the oats, flour and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter in small chunks and rub in gently. Stir in the sugar and rub in again. Drizzle over the syrup, mixing with a knife so it forms small clumps.…

SHOP SOMEWHERE NEW You’ll be surprised to see how the same kind of product can vary from one supermarket to the next, so get to know all the shops in your area. The secret is to go to a supermarket that price matches, and check how competitive they really are just by looking for an ingredient online. For example, a 400-415g can of baked beans ranged from 21p to £1.20 in different supermarkets when we checked! Sardine pasta with crunchy parsley crumbs ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 25 mins 50g dried breadcrumbs 1 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped 2 × 120g cans sardines, drained 500g passata 50g sliced black olives, drained 350g linguine or penne…

Monday Roasted spiced cauliflower ■ Serves 4 ■Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 1 hr VEGITARIAN 1 tsp ras el hanout ¼ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp smoked paprika 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp olive oil 170g pot Greek yogurt 1 small cauliflower, outer leaves and base removed 2 tbsp tahini 2 lemons, juiced 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed TO SERVE 2 wholemeal pittas, warmed 110g pack pomegranate seeds 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted small handful of flat-leaf parsley and mint, chopped 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the ras el hanout, cinnamon, paprika, garlic, oil and yogurt together. Sit the cauliflower flat in a large roasting tin and rub all over with the spiced yogurt mixture, then pour 100ml water into the tin. Cover with foil…

Brown butter pear cake This cake gets its nutty flavour by cooking the butter until the milk solids turn golden – it takes a bit longer but is worth it for the flavour. If you don’t have time, just skip step 2 and add some vanilla or cinnamon to the sponge instead. ■ Serves 8 ■ Prep 30 mins plus chilling and cooling ■ Cook 50 mins VEGITERIAN 175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin 3-4 Williams pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks 150g caster sugar 2 eggs, beaten 150g self-raising flour ½ tsp baking powder 1 Melt 25g of the butter in a frying pan, then cook until browned and nutty. Add the pears and 1 tbsp of the sugar and cook for a few minutes,…

Salted caramel brownies My quest to develop the perfect brownie recipe has been a long one. I’ve tried countless ratios of butter, sugar and flour; baking temperatures (hot and fast, low and slow); and cocoa agents (dark chocolate – if so, what percentage of cocoa – or cocoa powder, or both). Finally, I feel confident that I have one of the best brownie recipes out there. These are densely chocolatey, but also slice beautifully. ■ Makes 16 bars or 24 smaller squares ■ Prep 15 mins plus cooling and chilling ■ Cook 40 mins VEGETARIAN 300g unsalted butter, cubed 400g caster sugar 100g light brown soft sugar 70g cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder 70g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces 4 eggs 140g plain flour ½ tsp…

EASY MEALS FOR ONE OR TWO BE A MICROWAVE MASTER! 1. ALWAYS AVOID METAL ■ This includes kitchen foil, cutlery or any crockery with a metal trim. Metal reflects the microwaves and catches fire – it’s a common cause of kitchen fires, and kitchen fires quickly turn into house fires. If in doubt, leave it out. 2. SEPARATE FOODS BY COOKING TIME ■ Larger, more dense foods, such as starchy vegetables and thicker meat cuts, will need a longer cooking time than smaller foodstuffs. To avoid overcooking some foods and undercooking others, it makes sense to separate these out. Start with the larger items, adding in the smaller foods as you go so that everything is warmed up sufficiently for when you need it. 3. CUT UP LARGER FOODS TO…

King prawn sesame toast Prawn toast is one of my favourite takeaway starters. I love the combination of the juicy prawns with the crispy bread and crunchy sesame seeds – it’s such a flavour explosion. Prawn toast originated from Guangzhou (the largest Cantonese-speaking region in China) and is therefore a popular Hong Kong dish (as Cantonese is the predominant language in Hong Kong). Here, I’ve pared it down to the basic method – I promise you it is super tasty. ■ Makes 4 slices ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 15 mins 4 tbsp black sesame seeds 4 tbsp white sesame seeds 300g king prawns, peeled and deveined (divided into 200g and 100g) 3 tsp cornflour 1 tsp grated ginger 1 tsp toasted sesame oil pinch of sugar large pinch…

Classic spaghetti carbonara ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 15 mins olive oil, for the pan 600g spaghetti 2 tbsp vegetable oil 300g smoked back bacon or pancetta, cut into thin strips 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 5 eggs 100ml single cream 100g grated parmesan, plus extra to serve handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil with a little olive oil and salt. Add the pasta and cook following pack instructions. 2 While the pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the bacon and sizzle for 3 mins, shaking the pan well every minute or so to stop it from sticking. When the bacon is crisp, add…

Barbecued broccoli, cauliflower & halloumi ■ Serves 4 Prep 15 mins “Cook 20 mins VEGITARIAN 2 tomatoes, finely chopped ½ red onion, finely chopped 1 lemon, juiced 1 tsp cider vinegar 2 tsp dried oregano 1 cauliflower, cut into florets, stalks cut into 5cm pieces 1 broccoli, cut into florets, stalks cut into 5cm pieces 3 tsp olive oil 1 tsp smoked paprika 450g halloumi, cut into 2.5cm cubes cooked couscous, to serve (optional) 1 Mix the tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, cider vinegar, half the dried oregano and ½ tsp black pepper together in a bowl. 2 Light the barbecue. Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the cauliflower florets along with the stalk and broccoli stalk pieces for 3 mins. In the final minute, tip in…

Megan McKenna’s jam & coconut cake I’m coeliac (unable to process gluten), and have been following a strict gluten-and wheat-free diet for years, but I discovered that if you swap a few ingredients here and there, you can make anything gluten-free! This recipe is a school classic. There’s something so comforting about jam on a cake. I like to serve it warm with custard. ■ Cuts into 12 slices ■ Prep 20 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 50 mins VEGITARIAN FREEZABLE 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature 225g caster sugar 4 eggs 225g gluten-free self-raising flour 300g jar strawberry jam 100g desiccated coconut shavings 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the base and sides of a 32 × 22cm traybake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Put the…