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Budget Bites: Three one-pan recipes that minimise on washing up
Budget Bites: Three one-pan recipes that minimise on washing up
If you are after simple, filling meals that require very little washing up… you are in the right place. As part of our Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – we’ve brought you three one-pan dishes that maximise on taste, and minimise on mess. They also make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal. We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (though hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online. Shopping list 3 clove garlic 1 small butternut squash 2 lemons 200g fresh spinach 10g fresh basil 1 aubergine 200g cherry tomatoes 20g fresh basil 1 small broccoli 250g mascarpone 50g hard Italian cheese 280g extra firm tofu 50g black olives 2 tbsp capers 500g pre-cooked gnocchi 150g couscous 200g orzo Olive oil 1 vegetable stock cube cube Roast broccoli and orzo traybake This recipe also works well with diced courgette instead of broccoli. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil 1 broccoli (small) 200g orzo 2 cloves garlic 1 vegetable stock cube cube 100g mascarpone 1 lemon Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C, then fill the kettle with water and get it on to boil - this will be for the tray bake. 2. Cut small florets from the stalk of 1 small head of broccoli. Finely mince the stalk. 3. Toss the prepped broccoli with 2 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Spread it out into 1 even layer. 4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until golden in places. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait. 5. Once the broccoli is ready, add 200g of orzo to the tray, then finely grate in 2 peeled cloves of garlic. 6. Crumble over 1 stock cube, tip in 500ml of boiling water, give everything a quick stir, and cover with tin foil tightly. 7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the orzo is nearly soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. 8. Once the orzo is nearly soft and nearly all the water has been absorbed, remove the foil and bake again for 5-6 minutes, until the orzo is soft and all the liquid has been absorbed. 9. Give the orzo a quick stir once ready, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 10. Add blobs from 100g of mascarpone, then finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze over its juice. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and serve. One-tray tofu caponata-style couscous If you aren’t a tofu fan, feel free to sub it out for another aubergine. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 280g extra firm tofu 1 aubergine 5 tbsp olive oil 200g cherry tomatoes 20g fresh basil 1 clove garlic 150g couscous 50g black olives 2 tbsp capers Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C - this will be for the tray bake later. 2. Cut 1 280g block of tofu into around 9-12 bite-sized chunks, then remove the green stalk from 1aubergine and cut the flesh into similar-sized chunks. 3. Toss the tofu and aubergine with 3 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Spread everything out into 1 even layer. 4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until golden in places. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 5. Add 200g of cherry tomatoes to a large measuring jug, along with 20g of basil, 1 peeled clove of garlic, 2 tbsp of oil, and a generous pinch of salt. 6. Blitz with a hand blender, until smooth - we will use this to cook the couscous in the next steps. 7. Once the tofu and aubergine are ready. Add 150g of couscous to the tray along with the cherry tomato broth. Give everything a quick stir and spread into 1 even layer. 8. Cover the tray tightly with tin foil. 9. Return to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the grains of couscous are soft and have absorbed all the liquid. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 10. Slice 50g of pitted olives crossways. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait for the couscous. 11. Once the couscous is ready, uncover the tray, and fluff the grains with a fork. Top with the olives, 2 tbsp of capers, and serve. Creamy roast squash gnocchi traybake If you can’t get your hands on mascarpone, try making this recipe with cream cheese instead. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 butternut squash (small) 3 tbsp olive oil 150g mascarpone 1 lemon 500g pre-cooked gnocchi 200g fresh spinach 50g hard Italian cheese 10g fresh basil Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C - this will be for the squash in the next steps. 2. Peel 1 small squash, cut it in half lengthways, scoop the seeds from the centre, then cut the flesh into bite-sized chunks. 3. Toss the chunks with 3 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Spread everything out into 1 even layer in the tray. 4. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until completely soft and golden in places. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait. 5. Once the squash is ready, add 150g of mascarpone to the tray. Finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon, squeeze in its juice, then mash everything together with a potato masher until semi-smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. Add 500g of gnocchi to the tray along with 200g of spinach. Give everything a good mix, then spread out into 1 even layer. 7. Finely grate over 50g of cheese. 8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden, bubbling, and piping hot. Get on with the rest of the washing up while you wait. 9. Mix, top with leaves from 10g of basil, and serve straight from the tray! In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick. Read More Spirit of Sugarlandia: Why Filipino rum Don Papa is one to watch Diana Henry: ‘After a near-death experience, I saw the world differently’ Five easy recipes to cook with your kids How to cook to keep your gut healthy After Le Gavroche, Michel Roux is taking his cooking back to basics Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook
2023-10-09 13:45
Five easy recipes to cook with your kids
Five easy recipes to cook with your kids
If you caught the recent series of Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars on BBC1, you will no doubt be familiar with Florence – usually Flo – Rebattet. After searching in vain for cookery classes for her young son that would offer healthy options and make him as passionate about food as she was at his age, Rebattet decided to found her own cooking school for children and teenagers. She was inspired by the time she spent with her Italian grandma during the school holidays. “I used to spend weeks at her home and cooking was our daily activity,” she says. “I still love to remember how long our spaghetti was and she always let me lick the spoons!” For Rebattet, it’s fundamental to see the new generations cooking from scratch with seasonal ingredients. “To add flavour to our meals, we used to go to the garden and pick the necessary aromatic herbs. We also had plenty of strawberries that we would pick in the morning before it became too hot.” She decided to leave her nine-to-five job in HR and train as a chef in order to open her business, drawing on her experiences cooking with her son, who around 13 months old at the time. “Because of the memories I have of creating and enjoying food with my family, my dream is to recreate some of that with my son and all the kids who come along my cooking school, En Cuisine.” Here, she shares some recipes that are suitbale for children (with adult supervision if necessary) and are some of the many recipes she teaches at the school. Gateau de Savoie “I spent most of childhood in Biarritz, on the beach, with this cake stuffed in my mouth! I absolutely loved it and couldn’t get enough.” Prep time: 60 minutes | Resting time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15-20 minutes Ingredients: 75g sugar 3 eggs 50g flour 20g cornflour 2 drops vanilla extract 60g sugar Utensils: 2 large bowls Wooden spoon Cake mould Weighing scale A whisk Method: 1. In two large bowls, separate the egg whites and yolks. 2. Whisk the egg yolk until you reach a smooth texture. Then, add the sugar and keep whisking. 3. Whisk the egg whites until you get a stiff peak. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt. 4. Add the egg whites to the egg yolk by folding the white into the yolks. Do not mix and always fold in the same way. 5. Add the vanilla, and the plain and corn flours into the mixture. Fold the flours into the egg mix. 6. Pour the mix in a mould and cook it for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 170C. Gratin dauphinois “This is a typical dish from Savoie in France and is regularly eaten over the winter. The recipe below is from my mother-in-law who lives in Grenoble.” Prep time: 40 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1kg of potatoes 1 litre of double cream 5 garlic cloves Salt and black pepper 1 tsp grated nutmeg Utensils: Chopping board Big knife Peeler Grater Method: 1. Wash the potatoes and peel them. Keep the skin in a separate bowl. (These can be fried later to avoid wasting them.) 2. With your knife slice your potatoes (1cm thickness), using the bridge technique. 3. Peel your garlic cloves. Chop them into small pieces and then crush them using the blade of your knife. 4. Put some crushed garlic in the bottom of your pot and rub it all around. 5. Pour some double cream into the pot, sprinkle in some salt, black pepper and grated nutmeg. 6. Lay the potatoes on the cream until covered then pour more cream and seasoning. Repeat until you don’t have any more sliced potatoes. 7. Put in the oven at 190C for 1 hour. Little chef tips: The quality of the potatoes is very important. Don’t use jacket potatoes as the texture won’t be good when cooked. Instead use potatoes for frying. Belle de Fontenay and Desiree are the best varieties for the Gratin Dauphinois. Lemon and chia seed muffin cakes “One of my first sweet recipes when I started teaching children to cook at En Cuisine. This recipe can also be found in my cookbook Cook with Flo.” Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes Makes: 6 muffins 100g of plain flour 80g of coconut sugar 80g of unsalted butter ½ lemon + zest 1 tablespoon of chia seeds ½ tablespoon of baking powder 2 eggs Utensils: Wooden spoon Weighing scale 2 large bowls Method: 1. Melt the butter and let it cool down on the side. 2. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and the sugar until the mix is slightly white with bubbles on the top. Then, pour the flour into the mixture and stir. 3. Squeeze the lemon and add the zest. Pour the melted butter in the mix. 4. Add the chia seeds and the baking powder. Stir until you combine all the ingredients together. 5. Pour the mixture into the muffin tray and put it in the oven at 220C for 15 minutes. Little chef tips: You can swap the chia seeds with poppy seeds for a different flavour. Madeleines “This recipe for mouthwatering madeleines is from my recipe book Cook with Flo.” Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes Makes: 20 madeleines Ingredients: 120g of plain flour 120g of granulated white sugar 120g unsalted butter 3 medium eggs Zest of one unwaxed lemon 1 lemon 1 teaspoon of baking powder Utensils: Madeleine tray 2 bowls Wooden spoon Grater Scale Method: 1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, the sugar and the baking powder. 2. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. The yolk goes with the dry ingredients and the whites in a separate bowl. 3. Whisk the white with a fork until you get bubbles on the top. Add them to the flour and yolks mix and combine. 4. Melt the butter and wait until it cools down before pouring it on the mix. 5. Add the lemon juice and the zest. Stir well. 6. Pour into madeleine moulds and put them in the oven at 240C for 6 minutes and then 180C for 8 minutes. Your madeleines are ready when you see a little mountain on the top and a nice golden colour Little chef tips: Swap the lemon for ½ an orange or rose water. Roasted vegetable tray “I really like mine with rose water and dry pieces of rose in the dough! A classic dish which will bring crunchiness and colour to any meal and is particularly delicious served with the gratin dauphinois.” Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 4 1 butternut squash 6 carrots 2 onions 250g Brussels sprouts 4 potatoes 2 heads of garlic Fresh thyme and rosemary Utensils: Chopping board Big knife Peeler Method: 1. Wash your vegetables and preheat your oven at 150C. 2. Boil some salted water and cook the Brussels sprouts for 15 minutes. 3. Peel your butternut squash and chop it into big chunks. Do the same for the carrots, onions and potatoes. All the vegetables need to be the same size to cook evenly. 4. In a tray, drizzle some olive oil and add all the vegetables. Toss with some salt, black pepper, rosemary and thyme. 5. Put the tray in the oven for 40 minutes. Check if the vegetables are cooked before getting them out of the oven. Little chef tips: You can play with the flavours by adding some spices. Smoked paprika and turmeric deserve a go for this recipe. Read More Is there such a thing as British pizza? The dish that defines me: Rosie Grant’s grave recipes Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them London’s new dessert was made by space engineers – and cost £50k How to cook to keep your gut healthy Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup
2023-09-26 13:45
Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them
Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them
With several UK-grown courgette varieties now at their most abundant, we wanted to share some of our favourite at-home recipes for dishing up the best of this season’s courgette harvest. Best enjoyed between the months of June and October, courgettes are the perfect vehicle for taking your cooking from summer into autumn. A versatile yet budget-friendly staple, they are equally delicious served raw, fried, roasted or even in cake. So, from comforting courgette fritto, courtesy of Brighton’s Tutto, to Acme Fire Cult’s grilled trombetta courgettes (elevated with the addition of a vadouvan butter) there’s something for everyone. Courgette fritto Recipe from: Tutto ,Brighton Ingredients: 6 large green courgettes Squeezy honey Grated pecorino Fresh rosemary Lemon wedges Salt and pepper Extra flour for dusting For the batter: 200g gluten-free self-raising flour 320g water 2g ground cumin 2g onion powder 2g salt Equipment: Deep fryer (or deep frying pan and a thermometer) Method: Using a bowl and whisk, mix all the dry ingredients for the batter. To prevent lumps, add half the water to create a smooth slurry, then add the rest and whisk to an even consistency. Slice the courgettes at an angle into long discs approximately 3-5mm thick. Set the deep fryer to 180C. Dust the courgettes lightly with some extra gluten-free flour and shake off the excess. Submerge in the batter, drip off the excess, and gently fry for 45 seconds on each side. Once golden brown, drain onto paper towel. To finish, arrange onto a plate, drizzle with honey and season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with grated pecorino and chopped fresh rosemary. Serve with a lemon wedge. Grilled trombetta courgettes with vadouvan butter Recipe from: Daniel Watkins, chef and co-founder at Acme Fire Cult, London Serves: 4 Ingredients: For the courgettes: 4 trombetta courgettes For the vadouvan butter (makes a portion for 8; freeze half): 400g dairy-free butter 220g shallots 11g madras curry powder 11g turmeric 6g each of the following: Fennel seeds Cumin seeds Salt Cardamom Black Peppercorns Mustard seeds Red chilli, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, minced Peel of 1 orange 2 inch ginger finely chopped For the chickpea purée: 800g tinned chickpeas 5 tbsp olive oil 2 bay leaves 1 tsp thyme leaves Juice of half a lemon Confit garlic (optional) For the tofu whip: 1 pack silken tofu Juice of 1 lemon Salt Method: For the trombetta courgettes: Simply wash and cut down into the desired portion size. Add a little olive oil and seasoning. Grill all sides until they start to soften, depending on temperature of fire. Trombettas lend themselves really well to live flames. For the vadouvan butter: Sweat down shallots and all the other ingredients, cook out slowly (without colour) for approximately 2-3 hours. Take off the heat and let it stand for 30 minutes. Once the mix has cooled a little, place the mix in a high speed blender until smooth. Taste, check the seasoning and add a little salt. This can be frozen and makes for a great accompaniment for most vegetables but particularly works well with the courgettes. For the chickpea purée: Boil the chickpeas in a pan of water with the bay leaves and thyme (approximately 30 mins). Drain the chickpeas, keeping back 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and discard the bay leaves. In a blender, purée the beans to a soft cream with the reserved cooking liquid and the olive oil, then squeeze in the lemon and salt to taste. At this stage, add more lemon juice, olive oil or confit garlic, if you like. For the tofu whip: Blend all ingredients in Thermomix, until smooth and cream-like. Store in a squeezy bottle. To finish: On a plate, take a generous amount of chickpea puree on to the center of the plate, place the grilled courgettes in the center. Spoon over generous amount of butter. To finish, add some tofu whip or creme fraiche. Whole roasted courgette with manouri cheese, tabbouleh and basil sauce Recipe by: Fionnan Flood, head chef at The Chelsea Pig, London Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 yellow courgette 100g freekeh (cracked wheat) 1 plum tomato 50g Manouri cheese (a Greek cheese that’s creamier than feta) 1 bunch basil 20g confit garlic 5g capers Olive oil Chives Parsley Lemon juice and zest Micro basil (for garnish) Method Top and tail your courgette then finely crosshatch score the inside flesh before putting aside. Boil (blanch) the freekeh in heavily salted water until tender and leave aside to cool down – ideally spread out onto a tray to speed the cooling process. Finely chop the chives and parsley, and also finely dice the flesh from the tomato (leaving aside the seeds). Make your basil sauce by blitzing in a food processor: basil, olive oil, confit garlic and capers – blending until smooth then adjusting the seasoning to taste. Now, assemble the tabbouleh – mixing the freekeh, chopped herbs and tomatoes. Next, add lemon juice and zest to taste, alongside seasoning (salt and pepper). In a frying pan on medium heat, place your courgette flesh side down, and colour it until golden brown. Place the pan in the oven for about 5 minutes at 180C until cooked through. For plating: place the basil sauce on the bottom on the dish (feel free to express yourself here), then add a few piles of tabbouleh around then place your courgette on top. Crumble some manouri cheese over, and add your micro basil (optional for garnish/presentation) . Read More How to cook to keep your gut healthy Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup After Le Gavroche, Michel Roux is taking his cooking back to basics Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook London’s best new restaurants from the past 12 months The dish that defines me: Michele Pascarella’s Neapolitan ragu
2023-09-21 13:58
Is French cooking ever fuss-free?
Is French cooking ever fuss-free?
Here we have a great French classic made into a vegetarian treat,” says Michel Roux. “I’ve suggested a selection of vegetables, but you can vary them according to the season and spice them up with more chilli if you like a bit of heat. “Delicious as a main meal or as an accompaniment, this can be made in individual portions as well as a large tart. It’s fine to use shop-bought puff pastry – I do!” Vegetable tart tatin Serves: 4 Ingredients: 3 small heads of red chicory 3 small heads of yellow chicory 200g slender carrots, halved lengthways 300g kohlrabi, cut into batons 100g cauliflower florets or sprouting broccoli, halved 1 large onion, cut into wedges 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp caster sugar 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced Leaves from 1 thyme sprig 350g puff pastry Flour, for dusting Salt and black pepper Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the heads of chicory in half (or if they are large, into quarters) and put them in a bowl with the other vegetables. Add the oil and toss, then season with salt and black pepper. Spread the vegetables over a baking tray and roast them in the oven for eight to 10 minutes. The vegetables should be partly cooked and have a little colour. 2. Melt the butter in a large (28cm) ovenproof frying pan, then sprinkle over the sugar. Place the cooked vegetables, sliced chilli and thyme on top, making sure to pack the vegetables tightly. 3. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface to three millimetres thick. Place the pastry over the vegetables, tucking it in around the edges. Make a few holes in the pastry with the point of a knife, then bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool a little, then place a plate over the pan and carefully turn the pan over to invert the tart on to the plate. Serve warm. Tagliolini with seafood “I love seafood, and pasta and shellfish are always a great combination,” says Roux. “Keep this simple with mussels and clams, or if you want to go to town, use other shellfish, such as razor clams or cockles, when they’re in season. The fennel seeds and pastis bring that lovely aniseed flavour that works so well with seafood.” Serves: 2 Ingredients: 400g clams 500g mussels 2 tbsp olive oil 1 shallot, chopped 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 garlic cloves, chopped 50ml pastis 150g shelled raw prawns 4 tbsp crème fraiche 300g fresh tagliolini or 180g dried tagliolini or tagliatelle Handful of herbs (parsley, chives, chervil), finely chopped Juice of 1 lemon Salt and black pepper Method: 1. Wash the clams and mussels well in cold water and discard any that are broken or don’t close when tapped. Remove any beards from the mussels. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the shallot, fennel seeds and garlic and sweat until they start to colour. Add the clams, then the mussels. Pour in the pastis, cover the pan and cook for five to seven minutes until all the shells have opened. Take care not to overcook the shellfish. 3. Tip everything into a colander placed over a bowl, then pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve or a strainer lined with muslin. Pick the flesh from the mussels and clams, leaving a few in the shell to use as a garnish. Tip the cooking liquor back into the pan, bring it to the boil and boil for five minutes. Add the prawns and crème fraiche, then, when the prawns have turned pink, add the picked mussels and clams. 4. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add two tablespoons of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain. Add the drained pasta to the pan of shellfish and stir well. Add the chopped herbs and garnish with some mussels and clams in shells. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then serve at once. Almond and raspberry frangipani tart “I adore almond puddings and this French version of a Bakewell tart is one of my favourites,” says Roux. “It’s rich and indulgent but there is some fruit in there as well! Raspberries work perfectly with almonds but cherries would also be good here.” Serves: 6-8 Ingredients: For the pastry: 150g butter, softened 90g caster sugar 2 free-range eggs Pinch of salt 240g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 75g ground almonds For the almond cream: 200g butter, softened 200g caster sugar 200g ground almonds 2 tbsp plain flour 4 free-range eggs 1 tbsp dark rum or Ratafia (fruit-based liqueur) For the jam and fruit: 60g raspberry jam 250g raspberries To serve: Icing sugar Ice cream or chantilly cream Method: 1. For the pastry, mix the softened butter with the caster sugar until combined. Mix in the eggs, then add the salt, flour and ground almonds and bring everything together into a dough. You can do this by hand or in a food processor or stand mixer. 2. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill it in the fridge for about two hours. Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry and use it to line a tart tin or flan ring measuring about 24 centimetres in diameter. Chill again until needed. 3. For the almond cream, whisk the butter and sugar until pale, then add the ground almonds and flour and whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then add the rum or Ratafia. 4. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Remove the tart case from the fridge and spread a thin layer of jam over the pastry. Add the almond cream and arrange the raspberries evenly on top. 5. Bake for about 45 minutes until the tart is golden and cooked through. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with ice cream or cool with chantilly cream. Don’t put this tart in the fridge. ‘Michel Roux At Home’ by Michel Roux (Seven Dials, £26). Read More After Le Gavroche, Michel Roux is taking his cooking back to basics How to cook to keep your gut healthy Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup After Le Gavroche, Michel Roux is taking his cooking back to basics
2023-09-19 13:45