Innehållsförteckning för October 2023 från Easy Cook

My favourite thing to cook, bar none, is a roast chicken on a Sunday. It’s the ultimate comfort food – the perfect dish for sharing with my family, with enough leftovers to make a hearty, healthy broth. But it does need a change-up from time to time – something to make the familiar new and exciting. That’s where our feature on p66 comes in: a brilliant collection of twists from our cookery team, flavoured with smoky chorizo, fiery peri-peri and spiced masala butter. They are dream birds! Comfort is right at the heart of this issue, so check out our straight-tothe-table one-pan recipes on p50. These are hugs in a bowl, and will keep everyone cosy and satisfied throughout the autumn and beyond. Editor…

20 low-budget dinner ideas Leek, cheese & bacon tart ■ serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 20 mins 1 tbsp olive oil 3 leeks, thinly sliced 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry 150g soft cheese with garlic and herbs 4 rashers streaky bacon, snipped 100g grated emmental 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then gently fry the leeks until soft, about 5 mins. Leave to cool slightly. 2 Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet. Spread the soft cheese over the pastry to within 3cm of the edges. Scatter over the leeks, bacon and grated cheese. 3 Flip the edges of the pastry over the filling. Bake for 20 mins until golden. PER SERVING 637 kcals, fat 49g, saturates 22g, carbs 31g, sugars 5g,…

1 Spicy one-pan dinner Chorizo & chickpea stew ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 10 mins FREEZABLE 4 cooking chorizo sausages, cut into thick slices 1 red onion, sliced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cumin seeds 400g can cherry tomatoes 1 lemon, juiced 400g can chickpeas, drained handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped toasted sourdough, to serve 1 Fry the chorizo, onion and garlic in a frying pan for 5 mins or until the chorizo is browning on the outside. Drain the excess oil, then stir through the spices. 2 Pour in the tomatoes, lemon juice, chickpeas and seasoning. Bubble for 5 mins more to thicken slightly, then sprinkle over the parsley. Take to the table in the pan or pour into a dish and serve with toasted sourdough. PER SERVING 529…

1 5-minute blueberry porridge Mix 50g rolled oats, 200ml milk and 2-3 pinches of cinnamon in a microwaveable bowl. Cover, then microwave on high for 2 mins, swirling halfway through cooking. Add 50g blueberries and a drizzle of honey, then cover and microwave for 1-2 mins more. Serves 1. 2 Dippy eggs Boil 2 eggs in their shells for 5 mins. Meanwhile, toast 4 slices wholemeal bread and spread thinly with butter, then some yeast extract. To serve, cut into soldiers and dip into the eggs. Serves 2. 3 Mushroom brioche soldiers Boil 1 egg in its shell for 5 mins. Toast 2 slices of brioche and spread with mushroom pâté. Cut into soldiers and use for dipping into the yolk. Serves 1. 4 Avocado bagel Split and toast 1 multigrain…

A great way to reduce the washing up One-pot chicken with chorizo & new potatoes This easy one-pot chicken is given a Spanish accent from another of the nations's favourite ingredients – chorizo. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins plus resting ■ Cook 1 hr 40 mins 1.5kg whole chicken small knob of butter 1 tbsp olive oil ½ lemon 1 bay leaf 1 thyme sprig 300g chorizo ring, thickly sliced 700g new potatoes, halved (or quartered if really large) 12 garlic cloves, left whole and unpeeled large splash of dry sherry 150ml chicken stock handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and season the chicken all over. In a large flameproof casserole dish with a lid, heat the butter and oil until sizzling, then spend a good 15 mins slowly…

WEEKEND HALLOWEEN Skeleton biscuits ■ Makes 14 ■ Prep 10 mins plus 1 hr chilling ■ Cook 25 mins VEGETARIAN 200g unsalted butter 100g caster sugar 265g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 30g cocoa powder 1 tsp black food colouring (ensure it's vegetarian) FOR THE DECORATION 80g icing sugar 1 Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together with a whisk or electric beaters until smooth and fluffy. Tip in the plain flour, cocoa powder and food colouring, and mix again. Chill for 30 mins – this will make the dough easier to roll out. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough until 1cm thick. 2 Cut out the biscuits using a person-shaped cutter, and arrange on 2-3 large baking trays. Re-roll the excess dough and repeat.…

WEEKEND CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE MARBLE CAKE ■ Line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Put 225g each softened butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour in a food processor with 4 eggs, 3 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whizz until smooth. Divide the mixture between two bowls and stir 2 tbsp cocoa powder in one. Take two spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately. Tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren’t any air bubbles. Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture a few times to create a marbled effect. Bake for 45-55 mins at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire…

■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 15-20 mins 4 skinless chicken breasts 1 ball mozzarella, thinly sliced 4 sundried tomatoes, sliced handful of basil leaves olive oil, for drizzling 4 tbsp fresh pesto 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut slashes into the chicken breasts widthways, about 2cm apart. Go about two-thirds through the chicken – you don’t want to cut all the way. 2 Add a thin slice of mozzarella, a thin slice of tomato and a basil leaf to each cut and put on a baking tray. Season and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked and the cheese has melted. Drizzle over the pesto and a few more basil leaves. Serve with a green salad and pasta or potatoes,…

Cut out & keep Coconut soup with turkey meatballs ■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 15 mins ½ small pack coriander, stems chopped, leaves reserved 1 garlic clove 250g turkey breast mince 1 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp Thai tom yum or red curry paste 400ml can low-fat coconut milk 500ml chicken or vegetable stock 2 limes, zested and juiced 300g pack stir-fry vegetables 200g cooked egg or rice noodles 1 Put the coriander stems and garlic in a food processor, pulse until finely chopped, add the turkey and 1 tsp fish sauce, and blend again. Roll into meatballs about 3cm in diameter. 2 Heat the tom yum or curry paste in a saucepan with a splash of water for 2-3 mins. Pour in the coconut milk, stock, lime zest and juice, plus the remaining fish…

One-pot pepper pasta This hearty dish is packed with vitamin C, and provides three of your 5-a-day. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 45 mins FREEZABLE 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 onions, chopped 500g 5% fat steak mince 2 peppers, deseeded and finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tbsp thyme leaves 2 tbsp smoked paprika 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato purée 800ml hot vegetable stock, made with 2 tsp bouillon powder 180g wholemeal penne 1 Heat the oil in a large lidded pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 10 mins, stirring frequently until golden. Add the mince, breaking apart any lumps with a wooden spoon. Stir in the peppers and cook for 5 mins. 2 Add the garlic, thyme and paprika, and stir well. Tip in the tomatoes, tomato purée…

Apple amaretti puddings ■ Serves ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN 3 large Bramley apples, peeled and cut into chunks 2 tbsp caster sugar squeeze of lemon juice 250g tub mascarpone, at room temperature 142ml tub whipping cream 2 tbsp icing sugar 10 amaretti biscuits 4 tbsp amaretto liqueur (or to taste) 1 Put the apples into a saucepan, then add the caster sugar, lemon juice and 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook gently for 10 mins until softened. Leave to cool. 2 Beat the mascarpone until softened. Softly whip the cream, then fold into the mascarpone along with the icing sugar. Put two biscuits into the bottom of four dessert glasses, drizzle with a little liqueur, then top with the cooked apple. Spoon over the mascarpone mix, then crush the remaining biscuits and…

Coconut curry noodles I adore the fresh, bright, zingy, spicy flavours of Thai food, and this is my nod to them. Having a tub of Thai curry paste in the fridge is always a saving grace when I’m after a quick and easy midweek meal. If you don’t have leftover chicken, you could use frozen prawns or squid. You can also make this vegan – just make sure the curry paste is vegan friendly and use thin, yellow, eggless noodles. ■ Serves 2 1 tbsp neutral oil 2 tbsp Thai red or green curry paste 200ml chicken bone broth or vegetable stock 2 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce 2 tsp light brown soft sugar 400ml can coconut milk 2 dried egg noodle nests or yellow noodles 1 small courgette, peeled into ribbons using a vegetable peeler…

Slow cooking: the basics Different designs and technologies mean that slow cookers can vary in price. You can pick one up for as little as £10, which is perfect for everyday cooking, or as much as £300 if you want a high-tech model with sous-vide settings and specific ingredient presets. ■ The smallest sizes are suitable for one or two people. ■ 3-litre and 4.5-litre models (the most popular sizes on the market) serve four. ■ 6-6.5-litre models are ideal for families and batch cooking. When buying a slow cooker, take into consideration how much space it takes up if you want to leave it out on your work surface. Flavours won't become more concentrated because the liquid doesn't reduce, so try to pack in as much flavour as you…

Prawn layered salad ■ Serves 1 ■ Prep 15 mins □ Cook 10 mins 1 egg 1 Little Gem, shredded 195g can sweetcorn 1 carrot, coarsely grated ½ small cucumber, deseeded and chopped into pieces 100g cooked prawns 2 tbsp extra-light mayo 1 tbsp tomato ketchup splash hot sauce lemon wedge, to serve 1 Boil the egg in a small pan of boiling water for 8 mins, drain and run under cold water until cool. Shell, then slice. 2 Layer the salad in a bowl starting with the lettuce, then the sweetcorn, carrot, cucumber, egg and finish with the prawns. Mix the mayo and ketchup with a dash of hot sauce, then pour over the top. Serve with a lemon wedge. PER SERVING 479 kcals, fat 12g, saturates 3g, carbs 59g, sugars 29g, fibre 6g, protein 37g, salt…

Pumpkin mac 'n' cheese You can use any variety of pumpkin or squash for this recipe. ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 20 mins ■ Cook 55 mins VEGETARIAN 1kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces 2 tbsp olive oil 350g macaroni or other small pasta shape 50g unsalted butter 50g plain flour 500ml whole milk 1 tsp English mustard 200g mature cheddar, grated 100g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated green salad, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Tip the butternut squash into a bowl, pour in the olive oil, season and toss well. Put on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 mins or until softened and lightly caramelised. Tip back into the bowl and mash until smooth. 2 Cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling salted water following pack…