Orange and lemon thyme granita

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Orange and lemon thyme granita

Serves 4 | Prep/cook 15 mins
100ml water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 large oranges
small bunch of lemon thyme (mint is nice too)

Orange and lemon thyme granita

1. Make a sugar syrup by adding the water and sugar to a pan and gently heating until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

2. Squeeze the juice from the oranges and scoop out the fl esh into a shallow, freezer-proof bowl. Add the thyme leaves then stir in the cooled sugar syrup. Cover and place in the freezer.

3. After a couple of hours, use a fork to break up the ice crystals. Repeat again after another couple of hours, and again if necessary, until you have little orange ice crystals.

Mini ‘cheese’ and sun-dried tomato bites

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Mini ‘cheese’ and sun-dried tomato bites

Serves 6 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 10 mins
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground flaxseeds
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp tomato purée
125g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
200g Vegusto No Moo Mild Aromatic, cut into tiny cubes
8 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large sprig of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to season

Mini ‘cheese’ and sun-dried tomato bites

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a small 12-hole muffin tin with 12 miniature paper cases.

2. Mix the oil, flaxseeds, water and tomato purée in a small bowl.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and then mix in the No Moo Mild Aromatic cubes, sun-dried tomatoes and parsley. Now add the wet ingredients, season to taste, then mix with a wooden spoon to bring the mixture together to form a rough dough.

4. Using your hands, break off 12 ball shapes and place them in the cases in the muffin tin, keeping a rough and rustic look!

5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving with a Vegusto dip.

Torta de laranja (Rolled Orange Pudding)

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Torta de laranja (Rolled Orange Pudding)

Serves 6 | Prep 6 mins | Cook 20 mins
2 tbsp demerara sugar
115ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp orange zest, fi nely grated
1 tbsp cornfl our
275g sugar
6 free-range eggs, beaten
50g butter, melted

Torta de laranja (Rolled Orange Pudding)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 7. Grease and line a Swiss roll tin (about 30 x 20cm) and grease
the paper too. Sprinkle with half the demerara sugar.

2. Mix the orange juice and zest slowly into the cornfl our and sugar, blending well. Mix in the eggs without frothing them up but ensuring that they are well blended. Stir in the melted butter and pour into the lined tin. Put into the oven until set – about 20 minutes.

3. Turn out on to a fresh piece of baking paper, sprinkled with the remaining demerara sugar. Trim any
hard edges and roll up like a Swiss roll. Cool and serve, cut into slices.

Pastéis de nata

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Pastéis de nata

Makes 18 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 12 mins
100g sugar
125ml water
1 cinnamon stick
small piece of lemon peel
300g ready-rolled puff pastry
3 free-range egg yolks
2 tbsp cornfl our
1 tsp vanilla paste
175ml whipping cream (about 32% fat)

Pastéis de nata

1. Preheat your oven to its maximum cooking temperature. Grease a cupcake or muffi n tin.

2. Put the sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon peel in a small pan. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 5 minutes, then cool slightly.

3. Unwrap the pastry and tightly roll up the dough like a carpet. Rewrap and return to the fridge.

4. Mix the egg yolks, cornflour and vanilla paste together in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the cream over a low heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Pour on to the egg yolks while whisking. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to thicken. Take off the heat and whisk in the strained syrup.

5. Cut the pastry roll into 1.5cm lengths. Traditionally you fi t each into a muffi n cup, cutside down, and press the pastry up the sides. I found this fiddly so rolled the pastry pinwheels fl at with a rolling pin and then put them into the tins. Fill with the custard and put into the very hot oven for 9–12 minutes.

6. The tarts should be well-browned, if not a little blackened around the edges. The caramelised syrup gives
them their distinctive flavour and appearance. Cool slightly in the tin then carefully remove to a wire rack.
Eat slightly warm, if possible.

Peixinhos da horta

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Peixinhos da horta

Serves 6 | Prep 8 mins | Cook 7 mins
500g green beans
oil, for deep frying
125g flour
big pinch of salt
125ml vegetarian white wine
2 free-range eggs

Peixinhos da horta

1. Top and tail the beans. Blanch them in boiling water, drain well and dry on a clean tea towel.

2. Heat some oil in either a deep-fat fryer or wok – you’ll need a depth of about 5cm.

3. As the oil is heating, make a smooth batter from the fl our, salt, wine and eggs. When the oil will brown a cube of bread quickly (about 175C), dip a handful of beans into the batter and then drop them into the oil. Allow them to puff, rise and brown. Remove and drain. Keep warm.

4. Repeat with more battered beans until all are cooked. Serve immediately.

Fried aubergine with escabeche

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Fried aubergine with escabeche

Serves 4
Prep 10 mins + marinating | Cook 7 mins
1 long aubergine
2 tbsp fi ne polenta
olive oil, about 200ml in total
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small green pepper, deseeded and diced
50ml wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
freshly ground black pepper

Fried aubergine with escabeche

1. Slice the aubergine lengthwise, about 0.5cm thick. Dust the slices all over in the polenta.

2. Heat enough oil in a frying pan or wok to cover the base to a depth of 1cm and fry the aubergine slices, a couple at a time, until nicely browned on both sides. Drain and put in a shallow dish. Add more oil as needed
to fry all the slices.

3. Off the heat, add the onion, garlic, tomato and green pepper – do this carefully so that the oil does not
spatter. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, parsley and seasonings and pour over the aubergine.

4. Allow to cool and infuse. Serve barely warm or well-chilled.

Folares Bread pies

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Folares Bread pies

Serves 6 | Prep 15 mins + rising | Cook 25 mins
For the dough:
350g flour
1 tbsp sugar
good pinch of salt
2 tsp instant dried yeast
175ml lukewarm milk
75g softened butter
1 free-range egg

For the filling:
2 or 3 sun-dried tomatoes, shredded
small jar of piquillo peppers, drained
100g semi-soft vegetarian sheep’s or goat’s cheese, thinly sliced

Folares Bread pies

1. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the milk, butter and egg in another bowl. Pour this mixture into the dry (but don’t yet wash the bowl). Mix to a soft dough and knead well until smooth and no longer sticky. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to double in size.

2. Lightly oil or grease a loosebottomed cake tin (about 20cm). Knock back the dough and knead it lightly again. Divide into 3 parts.

3. Flatten the first ball of dough and fit it into the base of the cake tin. Cover with half of the filling ingredients.

4. Flatten the second ball of dough and cover the fi lling. Top this with the remaining sun-dried tomatoes,
peppers and cheese.

5. Flatten the remaining dough and cover the filling, tucking down the edges neatly. Use a wet pastry brush
to wipe around the inside of the bowl in which you mixed the egg and milk, and then brush the top of the pie.

6. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 6.

7. When the pie has nearly doubled in size, put it into the hot oven and bake for around 25 minutes. If the top gets too dark, cover it loosely with baking paper or foil. Take out of the oven and allow to cool on a rack.

Lentilha e tomate ensopada

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Lentilha e tomate ensopada

Serves 4 | Prep 7 mins | Cook 50 mins
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sticks of celery, including the leaves, finely chopped
300g carrot, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
150g green or grey lentils, washed
1kg tomatoes, chopped
1 litre water
salt and pepper
8 slices of crusty bread (it’s fi ne if the bread is stale)
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Lentilha e tomate ensopada

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion, garlic, celery and carrot over a moderate
heat for 7 minutes. Stir frequently so the ingredients cook evenly.

2. Add the bay leaf, lentils, tomatoes and water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes until the lentils are soft. Season to taste.

3. Lay slices of bread in the base of each soup plate or bowl. Ladle over the ensopada, sprinkle with the
parsley and serve immediately.

Caldo verde

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Caldo verde

Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 40 mins
1.25 litres water
1 tsp salt
4 large white potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and bashed
1 small onion, fi nely sliced
300g fi nely shredded green cabbage
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
pinch of chilli flakes
½ vegan chorizo sausage, sliced

Caldo verde

1. Put the water and salt in a large pan over a high heat. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes, the 4 cloves of garlic and the onion. Simmer until the potatoes are dropping to pieces. Crush them further with a fork and squash the garlic cloves which will also be soft. Add the cabbage and cook a further 5–7 minutes.

2. While the cabbage is cooking, heat the oil with the sliced garlic and chilli fl akes, and fry the vegan chorizo slices.

3. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with some fried ‘chorizo’ and spoon over some oil and garlic.

Quinoa scones

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Quinoa scones

Makes 10 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 20 mins
5 tbsp cooked quinoa (see cook’s tip)
130g unbleached plain flour
60g plain wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
45g non-hydrogenated margarine, chilled
1 tbsp coarse polenta
110ml buttermilk (made from 110ml soya milk mixed with ½ tsp apple cider vinegar and left to rest for 5–10 mins)
30g dried fruit of your choice (raisins, dates, etc.)
3 tbsp brown rice or agave syrup

Quinoa scones

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

3. Add the margarine and rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in
the quinoa and coarse polenta.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, dried fruit and syrup. Pour it into the dry ingredients and mix briefly with a spatula until you get a soft dough.

5. Divide the dough into 10 spoonfuls and drop on to the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Pat down the tops to neaten each one.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes or until risen and golden. Allow to cool slightly on the
baking sheet.

7. The scones are great served warm, fresh from the oven with a dollop of jam, but they are also yummy eaten cold, reheated in the oven, or toasted just before serving.

Cook’s tip If you want to cook the quinoa from scratch, boil 250ml water in a saucepan, then add 90g quinoa and a pinch of salt. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Allow the quinoa to cool.

Coconut Cookies

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Coconut Cookies

Makes 20 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 10 mins
130g unbleached spelt or unbleached plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla bourbon powder
160g desiccated coconut
75g coconut or soya milk
135g demerara sugar
65g coconut or sunflower oil
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds (optional)
50g finely chopped vegan dark
chocolate

Coconut Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and vanilla bourbon powder in a bowl, then stir in the
desiccated coconut.

3. Put the milk, sugar, oil and flaxseeds, if using, in a separate bowl and whisk vigorously until well combined. Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until you get dough that is firm but a little sticky – it shouldn’t be dry or crumbly.

4. Wet your hands and pull off a tablespoon of the dough. You can either roll it into a ball and flatten it
between your palms to get a flat, round cookie, or, what I do is roll the tablespoon of dough into a sausage
and then flatten it into a flat oval. That makes them easier to dip into tea or hot cocoa. Also, ovals are convenient if you like writing chocolate messages on cookies, and I do that often!

5. Continue with the rest of the dough, arranging each cookie 2cm apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, no longer! Take them out as soon as the bottoms turn slightly golden. Don’t worry if they seem pale and a little soft – they will harden as they cool down. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

6. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies and allow to set. Store in an
airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Double cocoa and strawberry cake

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Double cocoa and strawberry cake

Serves 15 | Prep 40 mins | Cook 25 mins
For the basic chocolate cake:
300ml plain soya milk
2/3 tsp apple cider vinegar
180g unbleached plain fl our
2/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 tsp baking powder
40g cocoa powder
pinch of salt
40g plain wholemeal fl our
pinch of ground cinnamon
120g pure maple syrup
70g sunfl ower or saffl ower oil
grated zest of 1 orange or lemon
80g fruit jam
2 tsp vegetarian rum or juice of
½ orange or lemon
500g strawberries

For the cocoa buttercream:
200g demerara or other good quality
brown sugar
150g cocoa powder
½ tsp bourbon vanilla powder
450g non-hydrogenated margarine, at room temperature
2–3 tbsp plain soya milk, at room temperature

Double cocoa and strawberry cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Oil a 23cm springform cake pan and baseline with parchment paper.

2. Mix together the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Sift the unbleached flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt into a mixing bowl, then add the wholemeal flour and cinnamon and mix well.

4. Add the syrup, oil and zest to the vinegar mixture and mix well. Gently fold these into the dry ingredients
with a spatula. Make sure not to mix too much, otherwise the cake might turn chewy. When everything is just
incorporated, spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly with the spatula.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Spring open the cake pan and allow the cake to cool completely.

6. When the cake is cold, peel off the paper. Slice the cake in half horizontally with a large, serrated knife. You can also cut off the top if it has domed while baking and you prefer it to be flat.

7. Put the jam and rum or juice in a small saucepan and heat until it comes to the boil. Spread this over both cake layers – this will make the cake moist and stop any frosting from seeping into the cake. Allow to cool.

8. For the cocoa buttercream, very finely grind the brown sugar in a spice mill or food processor; you should
get about 2 cups powdered sugar. Sift together the cocoa powder and powdered brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in the vanilla powder.

9. In a separate, large bowl, beat the margarine with an electric whisk until soft. Gradually add the sifted
ingredients, beating well and adding a little milk when the mixture gets dry. Continue to beat until the buttercream is light and fluffy – this will take a couple of minutes, so be patient!

10. Hull and slice half of the strawberries. Hull and halve the remaining strawberries (or leave some unhulled if you prefer – these will be used to decorate the top of the cake).

11. Put the bottom cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half of the cocoa buttercream over it with a spatula.
Arrange the strawberry slices over the buttercream, then cover with the top cake layer. Spread the remaining
buttercream over the top of the cake. Decorate with the strawberry halves.

12. Store the cake in the fridge, but bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, as the
buttercream firms up when chilled.

Ratatouille sub

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Ratatouille sub

Serves 8 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hr
1 long, thin aubergine, such as a Japanese variety
1 long, thin courgette
1 long, thin yellow squash
1–2 red peppers, long and narrow if you can fi nd them
½ small yellow onion
250g tomato purée or tinned tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, fi nely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
chilli fl akes or piment d’Espelette
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme
2 x 20cm sub rolls, or the equivalent length of baguette

Ratatouille sub

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, and prepare the vegetables: trim the ends from the aubergine, courgette and squash, and, with a mandolin, adjustable-blade slicer, or very sharp knife, slice them into pieces approximately 1mm thick. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the fl esh intact, like a tube. Thinly slice crosswise. Thinly slice the onion as well.

2. Spread the tomato purée into a large baking dish. Stir in the onion slices, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, a few pinches of salt, and a pinch of pepper flakes. Arrange the slices of aubergine, courgette,
yellow summer squash and red pepper so that they overlap, with just a smidgen of each fl at surface visible. The pepper will give you the most trouble, because it’s probably bigger in diameter than the other vegetables, but whether it fans prettily or not, it will bake nicely. You might not need all of your vegetables. Drizzle remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle with thyme. Cover dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes, until vegetables are almost completely fork-tender.

3. Meanwhile, split your sub rolls. Once the 45 minutes are up, increase oven setting to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7, remove foil from the baking dish, and bake, uncovered, 15 minutes more. On the other rack, place your sub rolls on a tray to toast for 5–10 minutes.

4. A long, thin angled spatula, like a palette knife, is best for serving here. Carefully slide it under one section of the fanned vegetables, and slide it on to the bottom half of a toasted roll. Keep adding sections until you have covered the bread, and then repeat this so that you have a second layer of fanned vegetables. Scoop up any oniony sauce that was left beneath the vegetables, and lay it over the sub. Close each sub with the top half of the roll, cut into manageable lengths to eat, and serve.

Noodle, shallot and shiitake salad

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Noodle, shallot and shiitake salad

Serves 4
Prep 20 mins | soaking | Cook 30 mins
12 small shallots, cut in half if large
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
15g dulse
400g rice or kelp noodles
12 asparagus spears
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into matchstick strips
8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:
2 tbsp each sesame oil and olive oil
3 tbsp each tamari and balsamic
vinegar
pinch of crushed chillies (optional)
2 tsp raw honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
1cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 handful of coriander leaves, chopped

Noodle, shallot and shiitake salad

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the shallots in a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil and vinegar. Roast for 30 minutes until golden. Meanwhile, soak the dulse for 15 minutes, then drain and chop.

2. Mix together all the dressing ingredients. Soak the noodles for 3 minutes or according to the packet
instructions, then drain and put into a large bowl.

3. Cut the asparagus diagonally into 2cm pieces, then put it into a steamer and steam over high heat for 1 minute or until just tender. Drain and refresh in cold water.

4. Put the asparagus and shallots into the bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Pour over the dressing
and toss to coat. Season with pepper, then serve.

Warm aubergine, roots and chickpea salad

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Warm aubergine, roots and chickpea salad

Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 30 mins
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 sweet potato, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 small beetroots, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 tsp each paprika and ground cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed
zest and juice of ½ lemon
2 aubergines, cut into chunks
400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves

For the spicy dressing:
½ tsp ground cumin
pinch of paprika
2 tsp raw honey or manuka honey
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil or fl axseed oil

Warm aubergine, roots and chickpea salad

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the onion, sweet potato, carrots and  beetroots into a baking dish. Mix together  the oil, spices, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Pour it over the vegetables and toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes.

2. Add the aubergines to the baking dish and toss to coat in the oil. Bake for a further  15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden.

3. Remove from the oven. Tip the chickpeas into the baking dish with the coriander.

4. Mix together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables to serve.

Hoisin tempeh skewers with pickled cucumber salad

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Hoisin tempeh skewers with pickled cucumber salad

Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins + marinating | Cook 10 mins
400g tempeh
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp tamari
2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped  (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp mirin or 1 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp vegetable stock or water

For the pickled cucumber salad:
½ cucumber
1 small red chilli, deseeded and thinly
sliced into ribbons (optional)
juice of ½ lime
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp toasted nori fl akes
2 tbsp fi nely chopped coriander, to serve

Hoisin tempeh skewers with pickled cucumber salad

1. Pat the tempeh dry and cut it into 2cm cubes. Mix together the hoisin sauce, tamari, ginger, chilli, if using,
garlic, mirin and stock. Put the tempeh into a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Leave to marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

2. To make the salad, cut the cucumber into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Put them into a bowl with
the chilli, if using. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the cucumber. Leave to marinate
for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, soak 8 wooden skewers in water.

3. Preheat the grill to high. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Thread 4 pieces of tempeh on to each skewer and put on to the tray. Grill for 8–10 minutes until golden, turning occasionally and brushing with marinade. Sprinkle coriander over the salad and serve with the tempeh.

Sweet potato and goat’s cheese balls

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Sweet potato and goat’s cheese balls

Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins + chilling | Cook 1 hr
600g sweet potatoes
200g spinach, washed
1 free-range egg
20g butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp double cream
100g fresh breadcrumbs
50g soft vegetarian goat’s cheese
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp salt
40g vegetarian Parmesan-style
cheese, finely grated
40g Japanese panko breadcrumbs
freshly ground black pepper

Sweet potato and goat’s cheese balls

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.

2. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes, or until their flesh is soft and can be
easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven, allow to cool to the touch, then peel.

3. Put the washed, still wet spinach into a large pan and add a splash of water. Cook over a high heat, turning the spinach over regularly, until it has wilted and softened. Squeeze it between two plates to get rid of any excess liquid, then chop it finely.

4. Mash the sweet potato in a large bowl with the egg, butter, garlic, lemon juice and cream. Add the spinach, fresh breadcrumbs, goat’s cheese, rosemary, salt and a generous twist of pepper and mix thoroughly, using your hands. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour, to chill and set a little. Depending
on the water content of the potatoes this can be quite a wet mixture, so add more breadcrumbs if you feel it won’t hold its shape.

5. Mix the Parmesan-style cheese and panko breadcrumbs together and put on a plate. Take the vegetable mixture out of the fridge and form it into 14–15 balls each about 5cm in diameter. Roll the balls in the cheese/panko mixture and place them on the prepared baking tray.

6. Bake the balls in the oven for 15–20 minutes, turning the tray around halfway through, until the balls begin
to brown on top. Keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t get burnt underneath.

Courgette and asparagus balls

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Courgette and asparagus balls

Serves 4
Prep 1 hr + standing and chilling + Cook 20 mins
4 small courgettes
2 tsp sea salt
25g pine nuts
2 free-range eggs
8 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2mm rounds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
large pinch of dried chilli flakes
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
6 tbsp finely grated vegetarian
Parmesan-style cheese
200g Japanese panko breadcrumbs

Courgette and asparagus balls

1. Coarsely grate the courgettes into a bowl and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside for 20 minutes to draw out some of the liquid, then squeeze the courgettes in a clean tea towel. This is important, because you want to remove as much liquid as you can in order to help the mixture combine and stick together.

2. Put the pine nuts into a dry frying pan and toast them over a medium heat, shaking the pan from time to
time and making sure they don’t burn. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as they start to turn a light
brown colour and then tip them on to a board. When they’ve cooled down, crush them into small pieces.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the asparagus, grated courgettes, garlic, chilli flakes, white readcrumbs, Parmesan-style cheese, crushed pine nuts and another teaspoon of salt. Combine the mixture with a wooden spoon, then mix thoroughly using your hands, squeezing the mixture together as you go. The mixture will be fairly wet, so put it into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill and to allow the flavours to infuse.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking
parchment.

5. Put the panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. Form the courgette mixture into 12 balls, each about
3–4cm in diameter, then roll them in the panko breadcrumbs and place them on the prepared baking tray.

6. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, turning the tray round halfway through – the balls should begin to brown on the top and be firm to touch. Keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t get burnt underneath.

7. Delicious served with a cheese sauce and fresh pasta, with a poached egg on top

Brown rice and red lentil balls

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Brown rice and red lentil balls

Serves 4 | Cook 30 mins
100g red lentils
olive oil
3 banana shallots, finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
120g pine nuts, toasted
1 large free-range egg
300g cooked brown rice, cooled (weight 150g uncooked)
2 tsp thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp basil, finely chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Brown rice and red lentil balls

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.

2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the lentils, bring back to the boil and skim off the white foamy
starch which will rise to the surface.

3. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the lentils are soft but haven’t started to disintegrate. Drain in a sieve and leave to cool.

4. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the shallots and the white part of the spring
onions. Stir-fry over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.

5. Place the toasted pine nuts in a clean tea towel and bash them with the back of a wooden spoon to break them (don’t go too mad, though, as you want to retain a few lumps for texture).

6. Beat the egg in a large bowl, then add all the other ingredients and mix with your hands until well combined. Form the mixture into 16 balls each 5cm in diameter, packing each one firmly, and place them on the prepared baking tray.

7. Bake the balls for 15–20 minutes, turning the tray round halfway through – the balls should begin to brown on top. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t get burnt underneath.

8. Serve with Lowry & Baker’s chicory, Stilton, pear and pecan salad

Madeleine’s home-made lemonade cordial

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Madeleine’s home-made lemonade cordial

Makes 1 litre cordial
880g caster sugar
fi nely grated zest of 5 lemons
juice of 7 lemons (you’ll need about 500ml)
lemon slices and mint leaves, to garnish
soda water and ice cubes, to serve

Madeleine’s home-made lemonade cordial

1. Place the sugar and 500ml water in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat until the sugar has
dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook over a high-heat for 15 minutes or until a thin syrup forms. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir through the lemon zest and juice and transfer to a jug. Cover and leave to stand in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours.

2. Strain the cordial, then pour into sterilised bottles or jars, placing a few lemon slices and a handful of mint
leaves in each, and store in the fridge.

3. To serve, mix 1 part cordial with 5 parts soda water and top up with ice cubes.

Parmesan cookies with roasted tomato and pesto

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Parmesan cookies with roasted tomato and pesto

Makes 60 | Cook 55 mins
30 large cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil, for cooking
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
260g plain fl our, sifted
200g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp whipping cream
pinched dried thyme
140g vegetarian Parmesan-style
cheese, fi nely grated, plus extra for sprinkling
180g pesto
extra-virgin olive oil
60 small thyme sprigs

Parmesan cookies with roasted tomato and pesto

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Generously fl our 2 large baking sheets and set aside.

2. Place the tomato halves on a large baking tray, cut-side up, and drizzle with olive oil. Season generously
with salt and pepper and roast for 20–25 minutes or until just softened. Meanwhile, place the garlic in a small
baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 40 minutes until soft. Remove and allow to cool a little before squeezing out the soft fl esh and discarding the papery skin. Set the roasted tomatoes and garlic aside, then turn down the oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

3. Using an electric mixer fi tted with a paddle beater, beat the fl our and butter until combined; the mixture
should resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add the cream, roasted garlic, thyme, Parmesan-style cheese, a pinch of salt and a decent amount of pepper, then continue to mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

4. Turn out the dough on to a very well-fl oured work surface (the dough will be really soft but don’t worry – this is how it’s supposed to be). Cover it in a good amount of fl our and gather it all up into a ball, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the dough from the fridge and cover the work surface generously with fl our (the dough will still appear almost too soft to work with, but don’t panic – this is how we want it). Using a rolling pin, very gently roll out the dough to a thickness of 5mm, then cut into rounds using a 3cm cutter, transferring each cookie to the prepared baking sheets as you go. Gather up the remaining scraps of dough and repeat the process until all the dough is used up.

6. Sprinkle the cookies with a little extra fi nely grated Parmesan-style cheese and season with extra pepper. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown and the bases are fi rm. Allow to cool completely.

7. To assemble the canapés, dot ½ teaspoon of pesto on to the centre of each cookie and top with a roasted
tomato half. Drizzle a tiny amount of extra-virgin olive oil over the top and garnish with a small sprig of thyme
and a sprinkling of extra Parmesan style cheese.

Raspberry brownie and caramelised banana Eton mess

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Raspberry brownie and caramelised banana Eton mess

Feeds 6 | Cook 35 mins
For the raspberry brownies:
300g plain dark chocolate with
70% cocoa solids
250g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
4 large free-range eggs, beaten
200g caster sugar
150g soft light brown sugar
125g plain fl our
25g cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
100g fresh raspberries

For the caramelised banana sauce:
125g soft dark brown sugar
125g butter
125ml double cream
12 bananas

For the mess:
300ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out
125g Greek yogurt
12 meringue nests, broken into smallish bits

Raspberry brownie and caramelised banana Eton mess

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line a 32cm x 23cm baking tin.

2. For the brownies, melt 200g of the chocolate, broken into pieces, with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl), then leave to cool. Chop the rest of the choc.

3. Beat the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl for 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and fl uffy. Gently sift in the fl our, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and fold in with a large spoon, then fold in the melted choc, followed by the chopped choc and the raspberries.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until crispy to the touch and fudge-like on the interior (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a skim of the mixture
attached). Leave to cool.

5. Meanwhile, put all the caramelised banana sauce ingredients except the bananas in a saucepan and
boil for 5–6 minutes until a rich, thick consistency develops. Leave to cool slightly, then chop the bananas into the sauce.

6. For the mess, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds until you have soft peaks, then fold
in the yogurt.

7. Now for the assembly. I like to make a massive bowl of this, but feel free to divide it between individual
sundae glasses instead. So I chop up the brownies into 2.5–3cm pieces and gently fold them and the meringues into the whipped cream mixture, then swirl in the banana sauce so that it looks rippled. Eat too much, then lie down in a darkened room.

Aubergine and mushroom ‘sheep-free’ shepherd’s pie

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Aubergine and mushroom ‘sheep-free’ shepherd’s pie

Serves 4 | Cook 45 mins
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, fi nely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 aubergines, trimmed and cut into cubes measuring about 3cm
250g chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and halved
2 tbsp tomato purée
150ml vegetarian red wine
150ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp cooked pearl barley
6 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tbsp thyme leaves
85g butter
300g potatoes, boiled, drained and mashed
salt and black pepper

Aubergine and mushroom ‘sheep-free’ shepherd’s pie

1. Heat a little of the oil in a frying or sauté pan over a low heat and gently fry the onion and garlic for about
5 minutes until soft.

2. Add the rest of the oil and the aubergines and cook for 6–8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for
5 minutes, then add the tomato purée and cook it out for 6 minutes to remove the bitterness.

3. Add the wine and stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the barley, toms, rosemary and thyme and fold in well, then cook for 2–3 minutes. Spoon into a large casserole dish.

4. Beat the butter into the hot mash and season well. Spoon on top of the filling, then pop under a hot grill to crisp up.

Creamy beetroot mousse with cheese straws

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Creamy beetroot mousse with cheese straws

Serves 6 | Cook 15 mins
300g double cream
10g agar agar
salt and black pepper
500g cooked beetroot (the vacuum-packed stuff is fine)
dash of chilli sauce
juice of 1 lime
100g crème fraîche
100g creamed horseradish
1 tbsp chopped dill

For the cheese straws:
200g ready-made puff pastry
plain fl our, for dusting
beaten free-range egg, to glaze
75g vegetarian pecorino cheese, fi nely grated
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Creamy beetroot mousse with cheese straws

1. Bring the cream and agar agar to a simmer in a saucepan and season well. Take off the heat.

2. Purée the beets in a food processor until very smooth (use a little of the cream mixture to help if necessary), then add the chilli sauce, lime juice and the rest of the cream mixture and blitz again. Take your time and make it really smooth.

3. Divide the beet mixture between 6 glasses or bowls. Mix the crème fraîche and creamed horseradish
together, then stir in the dill. Spoon this cream evenly on top of each mousse and then chill in the fridge
until set and ready to serve.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. For the cheese straws, roll the pastry out on a lightly fl oured surface to a 15cm square about 3mm thick, then cut into 1cm wide strips. Lay on a baking tray and brush with the beaten egg, then sprinkle over the pecorino and poppy seeds. Bake for about 10–15 minutes until golden brown.

5. Serve each chilled mousse with a couple of lovely cheesy straws.

Delicious chocolate and cherry pots

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Delicious chocolate and cherry pots

Serves 8 | Cook 12 mins
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces
200g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed into smallish pieces
4 large free-range eggs and 4 egg yolks
200g white spelt flour, sifted
200g maple syrup
150g cherries, halved and pitted
unrefined icing sugar, for dusting

Delicious chocolate and cherry pots

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. You need to have ready 8 or 9 small ovenproof cups or ramekins.

2. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Add the chocolate and butter and allow to melt slowly together. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together until thick and pale with a hand-held electric whisk.
Carefully sift the flour into the eggs, folding gently to combine, then fold in the maple syrup.

4. Pour the cooled melted chocolate into the mixture, a third at a time, folding in gently until all the chocolate
is incorporated and the mixture has the consistency of a loose cake batter. Carefully pour the batter into the
prepared cups or ramekins, pushing several cherries into each one. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of
20 minutes before cooking.

5. Place the cups on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the tops have formed a crust. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with fresh cream or crème fraîche.

Pear and cinnamon cake with early autumn berries

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Pear and cinnamon cake with early autumn berries

Serves 10 | Prep 30 mins
Cook 50 mins
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g white spelt fl our, sifted
3 large free-range eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200g maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pear (I like to use a Conference), peeled, cored and fi nely grated unrefined icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

For the marbled berry cream:
200g blackberries (or other dark berries)
300ml double cream or Greek-style
natural yogurt
2 tbsp maple syrup

Pear and cinnamon cake with early autumn berries

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and fl our a 24cm loosebottomed cake tin.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until pale and fl uffy with an electric hand mixer. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the fl our and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Continue to beat until you have a light, fluffy mixture (if it looks as if it’s curdling, add another tablespoon of flour). Fold in the rest of the fl our, the
baking powder and cinnamon. Then add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and pear, folding in gently until
thoroughly combined.

3. Scrape the mixture into your prepared tin, level the surface with the back of a spoon or a palette knife and bake in the oven for 40–50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out of the tin.

4. Meanwhile, make the marbled berry cream. Place the berries in a sieve over a medium bowl and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press the berries through the sieve (it will take a few minutes) then discard the seeds that remain. If using cream, pour it into a separate bowl and whip until it forms very soft peaks, taking care not to overwhip. Add the berry purée and maple syrup and fold through very carefully to create a marbled effect. If using Greek-style natural yogurt, simply stir the berry purée and maple syrup gently through the yogurt. Serve with the cake.

Blackberry and rose geranium cake

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Blackberry and rose geranium cake

Serves 8 | Cook 50 mins
225g unsalted butter, softened
150g white spelt fl our, sifted
50g wholegrain spelt fl our, sifted
4 large free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g maple syrup
2 tsp baking powder
25g cornfl our
6 young sweet rose geranium leaves,
flattened, plus extra leaves and
flowers to decorate
unrefi ned icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

For the syrup:
4 sweet rose geranium leaves, chopped
50g light honey
juice of ½ lemon

For the fi lling:
200ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp honey
250g blackberries

Blackberry and rose geranium cake

1. Make the syrup the day before you want to eat the cake. Place 3 of the chopped geranium leaves, honey and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until reduced to about
2–3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Taste and add the extra leaf if you like. Leave
to infuse overnight, then strain.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and fl our a 20cm loosebottomed cake tin.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with an electric hand mixer, add 2–3 tablespoons of the flours,
beat briefly, then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for a further minute or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract and maple syrup. Add the remaining flours, the baking powder and cornflour, folding gently to combine.

4. Arrange the whole rose geranium leaves in the bottom of the prepared tin. Scrape in the cake mixture, level the surface and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until the centre springs back to the touch.

5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Gently turn the cooled cake out of the tin and place upside down on a board or plate. Carefully peel off the leaves and discard.

6. To make the filling, whip the cream to ribbon consistency, add the vanilla extract and honey and fold in
carefully – do not overmix. Slice the cake in half horizontally; use a skewer to prick holes in the top of each layer and then pour over the syrup. Place the bottom layer on a plate, spread the cream over the top and sprinkle twothirds of the blackberries over the cream. Press the other cake layer on top, dust with icing sugar, if you wish, and decorate with the remaining blackberries and rose geranium leaves and flowers.

Smoked tofu and apricot burgers

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Smoked tofu and apricot burgers

Serves 4 | Cook 15 mins
4 tbsp soya or groundnut oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
110g dried apricots, roughly chopped
120g smoked tofu
60g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 free-range egg
1 tsp chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
plain flour, for dusting
crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 floured burger baps, to serve

Smoked tofu and apricot burgers

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Add the apricots and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer everything to a food processor and wipe out the pan with kitchen paper.

2. Dry the tofu with kitchen paper and tear it into pieces. Add to the food processor and pulse to form a chunky paste. Season to taste.

3. Mix the breadcrumbs, egg, sage and thyme in a large bowl. Add the paste to the egg and herb breadcrumb mix and fold in until evenly combined.

4. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and, using floured hands, mould the mixture into burger shapes.

5. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over a high heat, add the burgers and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden all over. Serve in floured burger baps

Garden pan pizza

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Garden pan pizza

Serves 4 | Cook 18 mins
4½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
200g self-raising fl our, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
100ml cold water
125g asparagus tips
1 clove garlic, fi nely chopped
300g canned baby artichoke hearts, drained and halved
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
300g pitted black olives, drained
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried marjoram
125g bocconcini (mini vegetarian mozzarella balls)
crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garden pan pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Oil a 28cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan or paella pan.

2. Put the fl our, 2½ tablespoons of the oil, salt and tomato purée in a bowl. Add the water, a little at a time, to the fl our and mix to form a soft, smooth dough. Add a little extra water if necessary.

3. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface, to form a circle roughly the same size as the pan, then place it in the pan. Use your hand to stretch the dough to cover the base. Bake for about 5 minutes or until golden.

4. Cook the asparagus tips in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Refresh under cold running water and drain well.

5. Combine the remaining oil, the garlic, artichokes, tomatoes, olives, herbs and asparagus tips. Mix to coat
the vegetables in the garlic and herb oil and season well.

6. Spoon the vegetable mix over the pizza base, scatter it with the mozzarella balls and bake for 10 minutes
or until the cheese has melted and vegetables are starting to colour.

7. Slide the pizza out of the pan on to a warmed serving plate and cut into 4.

The vegetarian Mexican

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - The vegetarian Mexican

Serves 4 | Cook 15 mins
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 large courgette, thickly sliced
1 red onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, fi nely chopped
½ head of fennel, thinly sliced
1 tsp mild or hot chilli powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or ½ tsp dried oregano
400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
380g can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
400g can chopped plum tomatoes
1 tbsp pre-sliced green jalapeños (from a jar), drained (optional) 70g pitted black olives, sliced
100g tortilla chips
180g vegetarian Monterey Jack
cheese, grated
sour cream and sliced iceberg lettuce, to serve

The vegetarian Mexican

1. Place a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the oil and then the pepper, courgette, onion, garlic and
fennel. Mix the vegetables in the hot oil then stir in the chilli powder, cumin, paprika and oregano and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the beans, artichokes and tomatoes, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook for a further
5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender, then transfer into a 30 x 18cm ovenproof dish.

3. Preheat the grill to medium.

4. Scatter the jalapeños, if using, and olives over the vegetables, then top with the tortilla chips and the
grated cheese. Pop under the grill until the cheese is melted and slightly coloured, then serve straight away
with a dollop of sour cream and iceberg lettuce.

Sesame-roasted tofu with satay sauce and broccoli

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Sesame-roasted tofu with satay sauce and broccoli

Serves 4 | Cook 20 mins
500g fi rm tofu, drained
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 heads of broccoli, about 350g each, trimmed and broken into florets

For the satay sauce:
4 heaped tbsp peanut butter (plain or crunchy)
400ml can coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
¼–½ tsp dried red chilli fl akes
2–3 tsp brown sugar
4 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

Sesame-roasted tofu with satay sauce and broccoli

1. Blot the tofu dry on kitchen paper and cut into thin strips about 5mm thick. Put the strips on a plate in a
single layer, pour the soy sauce on top, then turn the strips so that they are all coated.

2. Heat the sesame oil in a grill pan or shallow roasting tin under a preheated hot grill. Put the tofu strips
in the pan or tin in a single layer and scatter with half the sesame seeds, then immediately turn them over
and coat the other sides with the remaining sesame seeds.

3. Put the pan or tin back under the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tofu is crisp and browned, then turn the pieces over and grill the other side.

4. Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Put the peanut butter into a saucepan and gradually stir in the coconut milk to make a smooth sauce, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Heat gently, taste and add sugar to taste.
Remove from the heat and set aside until required.

5. About 5–10 minutes before the tofu is ready, bring 1cm depth of water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the broccoli, bring back to the boil, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

6. Put some broccoli, tofu and a serving of satay sauce on each plate, scatter the sauce with some coriander, and serve.

Spicy bean cakes with lemon mayonnaise

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Spicy bean cakes with lemon mayonnaise

Serves 4 | Cook 30–35 mins
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, fi nely chopped
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, fi nely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼–½ tsp dried red chilli fl akes
2 x 410g cans black beans or red kidney
beans, well drained
4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
50g soft breadcrumbs
a little dry polenta or dried breadcrumbs,
for coating
rapeseed or light olive oil, for shallow-frying
lemon wedges, to serve

For the lemon mayonnaise:
1 free-range egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
300ml very light olive oil or other
neutral-tasting oil
salt and pepper

Spicy bean cakes with lemon mayonnaise

1. To make the mayonnaise, put the egg, mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper into a food processor or blender and whizz for a few seconds to blend. Then, with the motor running, very slowly pour in the oil through the hole in the top of the mixer, barely a trickle at fi rst, increasing as the mayonnaise thickens. It will be very thick when you have added all the oil. Check the seasoning and set aside.

2. To make the bean cakes, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, cover and fry for 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and garlic, stir, cover and cook for a further 10–15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cumin seeds and chilli fl akes, cook for a minute or two longer, then remove from the heat.

3. Add the beans to the onion mixture, breaking them up with a potato masher, or blitz them briefl y in a food processor until they are coarsely mashed – it’s nice to have some big pieces. Add the coriander, then stir
in 2 tablespoons of the lemon mayonnaise and soft breadcrumbs, to make a soft mixture that holds together. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the mixture into 8 equal pieces, dip into polenta or dried breadcrumbs and form into burger shapes. Heat a little rapeseed or olive oil in a frying pan and fry the bean cakes on both sides until crisp – 2–3 minutes on each side. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve with the remaining lemon mayonnaise and some lemon wedges.

Laksa

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Laksa

Serves 4 | Cook 20 mins
125g rice noodles
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetarian Thai paste
250g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
400ml can coconut milk
600ml water
1 aubergine, stem trimmed
2 pak choi, trimmed and halved
125g baby sweetcorn, halved diagonally
salt and pepper
20g coriander, roughly chopped, to garnish

Laksa

1. Put the noodles into a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 5–10 minutes, until tender,
then drain.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large saucepan, add the Thai paste and let it sizzle for a few seconds until aromatic, then stir in the mushrooms and chilli. Pour in the coconut milk and water, then reduce
the heat, cover and leave to simmer for 10–15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the aubergine into 7mm slices and brush on both sides with the remaining oil. Place in a grill pan and cook under a preheated grill until tender and lightly browned – about 7 minutes on each side. Leave to cool, then cut into dice.

4. Cook the pak choi in a saucepan of boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until tender. Drain well.

5. Add the noodles, aubergine, pak choi and sweetcorn to the coconut mixture. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for a minute or two, to heat everything through and cook the sweetcorn.

6. Season with salt and pepper as necessary, ladle into warmed bowls and top each with some coriander
to garnish.

Lebanese coffee dessert jars

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Lebanese coffee dessert jars

Serves 6 | Prep 20 mins + chilling
120ml strong coffee, unsweetened seeds from 6 green cardamom pods, finely ground, or ¾ tsp ground green cardamom
2–3 level tbsp mild honey, to taste
480ml plain Greek yogurt
185g ladyfingers (about 30)
85g unsalted pistachios, halved
55g good quality bittersweet
chocolate (about 65% cacao), chilled

Lebanese coffee dessert jars


1. Have ready 6 transparent jars or glasses, about 120ml in capacity.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the coffee and cardamom. Bring just under a simmer over low heat,
remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

3. Stir 2 tablespoons of the honey into the yogurt. Add more to taste; it should be pleasantly sweet, but not
overly so.

4. Cut the ladyfingers into bite-size pieces. Quickly dip half of these pieces in the cardamom coffee and divide among the glasses, arranging them more or less in a single layer at the bottom. (If your ladyfingers fall
apart when dipped, place them dry in the glass and brush with the coffee instead of dipping.)

5. Spoon the sweetened yogurt over the ladyfingers, about 2½ tablespoons per glass. Sprinkle with half of the pistachios, dividing them equally among the glasses, and grate chocolate on top using a zester or vegetable peeler.

6. Repeat the layers – coffee-dipped ladyfingers, yogurt and pistachios, but not the grated chocolate – using
up the remaining ingredients.

7. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, removing from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Grate the remaining chocolate then (if you do it earlier, it will absorb moisture in the fridge and won’t look as pretty).

Gribiche sauce

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Gribiche sauce

Makes 180ml
1 large organic free-range egg, hardboiled, peeled
1¹⁄2 tsp strong Dijon mustard
¹⁄8 tsp fine sea salt
80ml neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed or safflower
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (optional)
20g fresh herb leaves (such as a mix of parsley, tarragon, chervil, and dill)
2 tbsp capers, drained and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped cornichons (optional)

Gribiche sauce

1. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature before you begin.

2. Set a medium bowl on a dampened kitchen towel on the counter to keep it steady.

3. Halve the hard-boiled egg and separate the white from the yolk. Push the yolk through a sieve into the bowl (alternatively, mash it to a very fine aste with a fork). Mix in the mustard and salt until completely smooth.

4. Measure both oils into a measuring cup with a pouring spout. Pour it into the bowl a few drops at a time
at first, whisking constantly to allow the oil to form an emulsion with the other ingredients. Whisk with your
dominant hand and pour the oil with the other; the bowl should not move, thanks to the dampened towel.

5. When the mixture becomes creamy, you can start pouring the oil in a very thin drizzle, whisking all the while. When all the oil has been added, the mayonnaise should form peaks. If the sauce seems stiff, whisk in the vinegar to loosen.

6. Chop the egg white finely. Fold the egg white, herbs, capers and cornichons (if using) into the sauce.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.

7. Transfer to a jar with a tight lid, refrigerate, and eat within the next 3–4 days.

COOK’S TIP If pressed for time, make a shortcut gribiche sauce by adding finely chopped capers, cornichons, fresh herbs and hardboiled egg white to good quality store-bought mayonnaise.

Harissa

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Harissa

Makes about 240ml
140g dried red chilli peppers, a mix of mild and strong, stemmed and seeded (keep some or all of the
seeds to make the harissa hotter) boiling water
½ tsp caraway seeds or ¼ tsp ground caraway
½ tsp cumin seeds or ¼ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp coriander seeds or ¼ tsp ground coriander
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp fine sea salt
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, or more if needed

Harissa

1. In a heatproof bowl, cover the chilli peppers with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes to soften.

2. In a small frying pan, combine the caraway, cumin and coriander and toast over medium heat, stirring
often to prevent burning, until fragrant. Let cool completely. If you’re using whole seeds, grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

3. Drain the chilli peppers and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Transfer to a food processor or blender and add the ground spices, garlic, salt and olive oil and process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides regularly. Add a little more oil as needed to make the mixture smooth. Taste a tiny dab on a piece of bread (it may be hotter than you think) and adjust the seasoning.

4. Transfer to a jar and use within 1 month.

Home-made vegetable stock

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking -Home-made vegetable stock

Makes 2 litres
1 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped (not peeled)
2 medium carrots, sliced (not peeled)
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat of a knife blade
2 tsp fine sea salt
6 black peppercorns, crushed with the flat of a knife blade
1 prune or 1 tbsp tomato paste
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
a few sprigs of thyme, fresh or dried
1 sprig of rosemary, fresh or dried
a splash of vegetarian dry white
wine (optional)

Home-made vegetable stock

1. Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and salt, and
cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until lightly coloured. Add the rest of the ingredients and 2 litres
cold water.

2. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. (If you have a pressure cooker, cook for 15 minutes
from the point of pressure.) Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and use a ladle to transfer the
vegetables and stock into the sieve.

3. Let the solids drain completely without pressing. Use the stock right away or let cool completely
before refrigerating or freezing in airtight containers.

Roasted roots

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Roasted roots

Serves 6 | Cook 50 mins
4 tsp olive oil for cooking, plus more for the pan
2kg mixed root vegetables
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Roasted roots

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and oil a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Trim and peel the root vegetables as needed; I usually leave the skin on potatoes (but brush them well) and young carrots. Cut the vegetables into sticks, about 2cm thick and 8cm long. Depending on the initial shape of the vegetables, you won’t get perfect sticks; just make the pieces uniform in thickness, so they’ll cook at the same rate.

3. Transfer to the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt, cumin, cayenne and black
pepper. Flip and stir the vegetables until evenly coated. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet so they’re more or less in a single layer; they shouldn’t be too crowded, or they will steam in their collective moisture and won’t roast properly.

4. Bake, flipping once or twice, until cooked through and appetisingly browned, about 40–50 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Couscous with vegetables

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Couscous with vegetables

Serves 8 | Cook 30 mins
100g golden raisins
olive oil, for cooking
2 small yellow onions, minced
fine sea salt
2 tbsp ras el hanout
450g small waxy potatoes
450g carrots, thin cut into 5cm
segments
200g small turnips, quartered
4 stalks celery, cut into 1cm segments
2 litres home-made vegetable stock
450g winter squash, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces
450g thin courgette, cut into 5cm
segments
320g cooked chickpeas (from about 125g dried)
extra-virgin olive oil
550g wholewheat couscous
720ml boiling water
20g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
20g chopped fresh coriander leaves
harissa, to serve

Couscous with vegetables

1. Soak the raisins in 120ml hot water for 1 hour.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons cooking olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often to avoid colouring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the ras el hanout.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots, turnips, celery and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour in the stock, cover and bring to a
simmer. Cook for 10 minutes at a low simmer.

4. Add the winter squash and courgette and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in two-thirds of the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.

5. Shortly before serving, place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Stir in 1½ teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Pour the boiling water over the couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork and transfer to a heated serving dish.

6. Combine the parsley and coriander in a small serving bowl and place it on the table along with a bowl of the drained raisins, a bowl of the remaining chickpeas, and a ramekin of harissa. Ladle the vegetables and some of the broth on to plates of couscous and let each guest help themselves to the condiments.

COOK’S TIP The dish may be prepared a day ahead up to the end of Step 4. Cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat to just below simmering.

Stilton, watercress and pear toasts

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Stilton, watercress and pear toasts

Serves 4 | Cook 10 mins
4 slices seeded bread
1 bunch watercress, washed
2 pears, cored and sliced
50g walnut pieces
200g vegetarian Stilton cheese, sliced

Stilton, watercress and pear toasts

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

2. Toast the bread until crisp. Place on a non-stick baking sheet and top with watercress, pear, walnut pieces and cheese slices.

3. Bake for 5–8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve fast.

Roasted aubergine and lentil with halloumi

Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Roasted aubergine and lentil with halloumi

Serves 4 | Cook 40 mins
3 large aubergine, cut into cubes
3–4 tbsp smoked paprika
6 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 x 400g can lentils, drained
2 x 225g packet vegetarian halloumi
cheese, plain or chilli, sliced

Roasted aubergine and lentil with halloumi

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Toss together the aubergine, paprika, olive oil and garlic in a large roasting tin and spread out evenly. Roast for 30 –40 minutes, stirring once during cooking.

2. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lentils and set aside.

3. Heat a frying pan until hot and sauté the halloumi slices on both sides until golden. Divide the aubergine mixture between warm plates and top with the halloumi slices. Serve.