Полная версия
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Introduction
Canapés + cocktails
Quick-cook canapé crostini
Crispy, crunchy chicken strips with honey mustard dip
Pancetta & Parmesan puffs
Crunchy black pepper halloumi dip sticks with harissa hummus
Naughty, naughty nachos
Skinny dipping
Lemoncello jello shots
Watermelon jello shots
Strawberry & mint mojitos
Lovely limoncello
Starters, snacks + soups
Vegetarian mushroom & port ‘faux gras’ with tarragon & chestnuts
Pizza expressed three ways
Aussie sweetcorn breakfast fritters with avocado & rocket salad & sweet chilli jam
Simple salmon ceviche with tortilla chips
Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup
Roasted new patatas & chorizo bravas with aïoli
Potato & leek vichyssoise with crispy bacon & chives
Thai chicken soup with coconut milk & ginger
Hot-and-sour king prawn soup
Red pepper, tomato & basil gazpacho with salt & pepper croutons
Broccoli & blue cheese soup with chive mascarpone & warm garlic bread
French onion & sage soup with big fat Gruyère & mustard croutons
Salads
Mango, feta & avocado salad with fresh lime juice
Wild Waldorf salad with toasted walnuts & Granny Smiths
Courgette ‘pappardelle’ with asparagus, avocado salad & rocket
Thai beef salad with roasted peanuts & chilli dressing
Prawn Caesar salad with olive oil croutons & pomegranates
Mackerel salad with horseradish crème fraîche
Nifty Niçoise salad with hot-smoked trout & sundried tomatoes
The Union cobb
Chicken + duck mains
Whole roast perky peri peri chicken
Really simple Sri Lankan chicken curry with coconut milk & cashew nut rice
Baked jerk chicken with pineapple salsa, coconut rice & beans
Sticky Asian BBQ chicken wings with sweetcorn rice & red cabbage slaw
My take on chicken tikka masala with fluffy basmati rice
Tandoori chicken wraps with cucumber raita & mango salsa
Scrumptious spicy chicken fajitas with guacamole, salsa & sour cream
Chicken cacciatore with harissa, bacon & rosemary
Chicken, apple & cider casserole with fennel seed roasted veg
Five-spice roasted duck breasts with cherry & Shiraz sauce & sesame noodles
Beef, lamb + pork mains
Good old-fashioned burger with rocket, red onions (plus all the trimmings) & garlicky potato wedges
Rich rump steak ‘sort-of-stew’ with port, porcini & herby dumplings
Rosemary roast cottage pie with a crispy rosti topping
Thai red beef curry with jasmine rice
The mighty moussaka
Maple and balsamic-glazed lamb chops with mint, toasted almonds & feta cous cous
Lozza’s lamb biryani
Slow-roast, fast-prep leg of lamb with Aussie Chardonnay, rosemary, sage & bay
Sweet & sour pork balls with crunchy peanut rice
Tasty tarragon pork steaks with creamy mustard mushroom sauce & spring onion champ
Pan-fried pork chops with a watercress, peach & Stilton salad & a lemon ginger dressing
Dad’s penne all’arrabbiata with crispy pancetta & basil
Fish + shellfish mains
Tapenade-crusted cod on a bed of crunchy ciabatta, tomato & basil
Blackened Cajun cod burgers with aïoli & paprika baked potato wedges
Buttered fish with roasted ginger butternut squash & pancetta petits pois
Moroccan pesto fish with caramelised onions & haricot beans served with minty pine nut cous cous
Pan-fried sea bass with basil & pine nut sweet veggie sauce & rosemary sautéed potatoes
Prawn linguine with chorizo & Cabernet tomato sauce
Tin foil Thai trout with red pepper noodles
Hot-smoked trout kedgeree with spring onions & basil
Seared tuna steaks with cannellini beans, feta & mint
Warm salmon & lentils with chorizo, asparagus & a balsamic dressing
Salmon saltimbocca with gremolata potatoes & crispy sage leaves
Filo salmon en croute with basil & curly kale pesto & pesto potatoes
Honey soy-glazed salmon with sesame & ginger noodles & stir-fried bok choy
Vegetarian mains
Goat’s cheese, toasted hazelnut & honey quesadillas with rocket salad
Butternut & sweet potato lasagne with sage, toasted pine nuts & nutmeg
Greek spinach, feta & pine nut pie with dill & crunchy filo
Spicy bean burgers with corn cous cous & coriander lime crème fraîche
Sweet potato tortilla with jalapeños & dill
Pan-fried mascarpone gnocchi with dreamy basil pesto
Cakes + puds
Little warm Bramley apple pies or ‘chaussons aux pommes’
Rum punch roast pears, figs & peaches with toasted hazelnuts & vanilla crème fraîche
Neat-and-tidy Eton mess with blackberries & stem ginger whipped cream
Homemade meringues
Chocolate mousse with raspberries
Strawberry & cream mini cakes with chocolate drizzle strawberries
Pear, almond & amaretto tart with stem ginger mascarpone cream
Doorstop vanilla cheesecake
Dulce & banana cake
Simply coffee, vanilla & walnut cake
Lemon & lime poppy seed drizzle cake
Let them eat cake, cake
Crouching tiger, hidden zebra cake
Bread + pastry
Aussie olive damper bread (soda bread’s antipodean cousin)
Crackle-top bread
Twister bread
Net bread (roti jala)
Puff pastry
Sweet rich brown sugar pastry
Sweet shortcrust pastry
Tasty treats
Little jammy tarts
Peanut butter squares
Vanilla hazelnut & brown sugar shortbread
Blueberry & oat muffins
Maple, pecan & cranberry granola
Port-preserved cherries with cinnamon & orange
White chocolate-dipped cherries
White chocolate lollipops with dried cranberries
Shameless shortcut cookies-and-cream lollipops
Homemade vanilla custard (crème anglaise)
Mango chutney
Salted caramel toffee sauce
Zesty apple sauce with cinnamon & ginger
Homemade vanilla extract
List of Recipes
Acknowledgements
Copyright
About the Publisher
Introduction
Staring at the blank page with my deadline looming, no words seemed to be coming. A relaxed, unpressurised atmosphere is usually when a flurry of inspiration hits, but it wasn’t until I was on a plane ride back from sunny, siliconed Los Angeles with a glass of Californian Chardonnay on my tiny table that the words began to flow.
I thought back to my first book, Baking Made Easy, a self-explanatory title packed with recipes that, in my own words, covered ‘anything cooked in the oven’. The broad definition allowed me artistic licence to develop meals and dishes both sweet and savoury. Exotic tarts and traditional cakes featured alongside night-time nibbles and Parisian patisserie. With my next book and series, Home Cooking Made Easy, came food with a more homely note: comforting casseroles and lasagnes, beauteous breads and simple puddings and desserts.
It felt, for the meantime anyway, that I’d had a significant part of my cooking repertoire covered and that this time I wanted to try something a little bit different, something that would hopefully prove even more useful for the (sadly) ever-decreasing time in which we have to prepare and cook food. I don’t know how often I have come home from a day whizzing around like the Energizer Bunny on the rampage to a family awaiting some culinary delight. I also don’t know how many times I have hung my head in shame and uttered the words, ‘Oh. Yes. Dinner,’ and then made the short trip to the local supermarket to try to buy from the near-empty shelves and then cobble something together for dinner.
I am not at all embarrassed to say that on many occasions I have returned home to the waiting party laden with food that just needs a simple peeling back of the plastic and a slight turn of the oven dial, usually to 180°C. These ready-meals serve a purpose and I am thankful that they exist, but I wondered what if a book existed that was jam-packed full of dishes that were quick, simple, nutritious and above all super-tasty? I wrote this book for the many, many people out there who, like me and my family, face the same daily dilemma of ‘What on earth is for dinner?’
Thanks to the brilliant medium of Twitter, countless readers have told me that the important thing for the evening meal is that it is easy and quick to cook, using ingredients that don’t require a space shuttle flight to the outer reaches of the solar system to source. The main ingredients people seem to favour are chicken (breasts, not so much the thigh or the leg), lamb chops, pork chops, minced beef or lamb, and fish. So I’ve included an enormous range of dishes featuring these, along with other tasty fare such as duck and vegetarian grub. I don’t know if it is the Brit in me, but with my meal I like to eat some kind of a veg and/or a carb, but not any ordinary side dish – something a bit different that will leave (even with the quickest of meals) a lasting sensory memory on my tongue and in my mind.
Dishes such as the Italian Cacciatore get a gentle lift with the help of the mildly spiced harissa, a red chilli paste from North Africa. A simple Salmon en Croute is transformed by the use of papery filo in which to envelop it, and the accompanying potatoes are gently crushed with a pesto made from basil and curly kale. A Lamb Biryani, cooked in one pot and ready to eat in 25 minutes, is delicately spiced with the very-easy-to-find garam masala, cumin and chilli powder.
My current favourite are Lemoncello Jello Shots — lemon wedges scraped clean of their flesh and filled with a citrusy alcoholic (or not, if you so choose) jelly — that are so simple to make and yet so attention-getting when served, and of course super-yumbelicious to eat.
The goal of this book was to create something people would revisit time and time again. A cookbook that would be on that kitchen counter several times a week, for busy people who love good food and want to make something quick and easy, with tasty and accessible ingredients, to impress family and friends. And I wanted to provide an entire meal: main dish and side. So often when you know what you want to cook, it is challenging to figure out what to have with it. With this book, I have served up dishes with an accompaniment or two, making mealtimes much easier to plan. I also tried to make it as simple as possible so that everything is served up together, with a time plan for each recipe so you can sail through the instructions and end up with a delicious dish in super-fast time. I have put my heart and soul into this book and hope it helps you to serve up fast, fresh and delicious meals every day.
Lorraine
A few handy tips on the recipes
+ All preparation and cooking times are an estimate so check and taste things as they cook.
+ Always wash rice thoroughly before use.
+ I find it best to have all the ingredients and equipment out ready before you start cooking, so everything is easy to get when you need it.
+ These recipes have all been tested a minimum of four times, and they have been written so that everything is ready at the same time. So if you follow the method to the letter you will have quick and tasty meals ready in flash.
+ Some recipes have a start to finish time so you know roughly how long it will take from the moment you start cooking to when you finish.
+ Other recipes are split between preparation time and cooking/baking time. So the prep time is the hands on time and the rest of the time whilst the dish is in the oven is free time!
+ Some recipes are super-fast and others have an element to them which is faster than the usual way of prepping or cooking the dish.
+ The equipment list is not exhaustive but a guide to the main pieces of kitchen equipment you will need to prepare the dish. Everyday smaller utensils required are not included in the list.
+ If you have any cooking questions, please do Tweet me @lorrainepascale. I receive lots of Tweets and cannot guarantee to answer to every one, but I will do my best!
Canapés + cocktails
‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.’ Plato
I would love to profess that friends drop by unexpectedly, so I have to rustle something up quickly for an impromptu feast, but the reality is that never really happens. What does tend to happen is that, in true Lorraine Pascale style, I am always rushing around, slightly disorganised and with the clock ticking away, having known for weeks that some people are coming round and always leaving it to the very last minute to get everything together! These simple canapés (and of course cocktails) are the perfect solution to this modern-day madness of rush, rush, rush. So easy to prepare and super-tasty too, with that ever-important ‘wow’ factor on the plate.
Canapés + cocktails
Quick-cook canapé crostini
Crispy, crunchy chicken strips with honey mustard dip
Pancetta & Parmesan puffs
Crunchy black pepper halloumi dip sticks with harissa hummus
Naughty, naughty nachos
Skinny dipping
Lemoncello jello shots
Watermelon jello shots
Strawberry & mint mojitos
Lovely limoncello
Quick-cook canapé crostini
These really easy canapés have saved the day, not only when (in the very rare event) people drop by my house unannounced, but also when I fancy a quick snack of an evening. It is great to get creative with these: see what is in your cupboard and fridge, throw some ingredients together and experiment! I have used the oven to crisp up the crostini, but they can be put in the toaster or under the grill to get the same effect. If you crisp them up first, they won’t need as much time to cook.
Time from start to finish: 20 minutes
Makes: 24
Equipment: Large baking sheet, 3 small bowls
Crostini bases
1 French baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
Tomato, basil & mint
2 large ripe tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Small handful of fresh basil and mint leaves
Pinch of sugar (optional)
White bean, prosciutto & rocket
100g tinned cannellini beans
2 slices of prosciutto
Small handful of wild rocket
Goat’s cheese, figs & mint with balsamic drizzle
100g soft goat’s cheese
2 fresh figs
Small handful of small fresh mint leaves
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
1 squidge of honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ Preheat the oven to 190°C, (fan 170°C), 375°F, Gas Mark 5.
+ Trim the ends off the baguette and cut it into 24 diagonal slices, about 2cm thick. Place on a large baking sheet, drizzle with oil and bake for 7–8 minutes.
+ In the meantime, prepare the toppings.
+ For the tomato one, roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a small bowl. Drizzle a little oil over, rip up the basil and mint leaves and add them along with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Toss everything together.
+ Then, for the white bean topping, put the cannellini beans in a small bowl, add a good drizzle of oil, season with salt and pepper and then mash roughly with a fork. Cut the slices of prosciutto in half.
+ Finally, for the goat’s cheese crostini, mash the goat’s cheese with a fork in a small bowl and season, then cut the figs into eighths.
+ Remove the crostini from the oven. They should be just crisp. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut edge all over their tops.
+ Now, to assemble, simply spoon the tomato mixture onto eight of the crostini. Arrange the rocket on eight more, dollop the crushed beans on top, then lightly scrunch up the prosciutto and arrange on top of each one. Finally, spread the goat’s cheese over the remaining eight crostini, arrange a couple of pieces of fig on top of each, scatter the mint leaves over and drizzle with a little balsamic and honey.
+ Arrange the crostini on a large serving platter or cake stand and serve.
Crispy, crunchy chicken strips with honey mustard dip
Being a tactile person at heart, eating food with my fingers is pure luxury for me. I have a favourite surf-and-turf restaurant I frequent with the family and I regularly order their crispy chicken tenders for a starter. The piquant honey mustard dip has me getting right on in there with a spoon and eating up every last morsel.
Time from start to finish: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Equipment: Baking tray, 2 wide, shallow bowls, small bowl
Vegetable oil (or spray oil)
2 medium eggs
100g dried natural breadcrumbs (or polenta)
1 tsp English mustard powder
2 stalks of fresh flat leaf parsley or thyme (optional)
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Honey mustard dip
100ml mayonnaise
3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 squidges of honey
2 limes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a baking tray with oil and set aside. I like to do this quickly with a spray oil.
+ Crack the eggs into a wide, shallow bowl and beat lightly to bring together. Tip the breadcrumbs (or polenta) and mustard powder into another wide, shallow bowl. Pick the leaves from the parsley or thyme then finely chop them before tossing through the breadcrumbs with some salt and pepper.
+ Cut each chicken breast lengthways into three strips. Dip each piece into the egg, shaking off the excess, and then into the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Arrange on the baking tray as you go. I tend to get in a sticky mess with this as the egg on my hands becomes coated with breadcrumbs, but the end result is so worth it.
+ Bake in the oven for around 12 minutes, turning each piece of chicken over halfway through.
+ Meanwhile, to make the dip, put the mayonnaise into a small bowl with the wholegrain mustard and honey and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
+ Cut the limes into quarters and add the juice of one piece to the dip, squeeze by squeeze, tasting as you go until you are happy. The lime lifts the dip’s flavours a little and gives a nice balance. Spoon the dip into a small serving bowl and place in the centre of a large plate.
+ Remove the chicken from the oven. When cooked, it should be piping hot in the centre and crispy and golden brown on the outside.
+ Arrange the chicken around the dip on the plate and serve with the remaining lime wedges.
Pancetta & Parmesan puffs
I know, I have done it again. Pancetta. It’s that porky, tasty yumminess that I love so very much. Now these cheesy little numbers are made from choux pastry, which for me is the easiest pastry on the block. A positive word of warning: these are incredibly moreish. A just-cooked bowl of them will disappear in literally minutes.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Time baking in the oven: 25 minutes
Makes: about 25
Equipment: 2 baking sheets, small frying pan, medium pan, grater, 2 medium bowls, disposable piping bag (optional)
50g butter
125ml milk
50g pancetta cubes
Oil
25g Parmesan cheese
75g plain flour
1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
Pinch of salt
2 medium eggs
+ Preheat the oven to 170°C, (fan 150°C), 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside.
+ Put a small frying pan on a medium heat for the pancetta.
+ Put the butter and milk in a medium pan over a low heat and leave the butter to melt.
+ Meanwhile, place the pancetta into the frying pan with a drizzle of oil and cook for about 4 minutes, turning every so often.
+ Once the butter has melted into the milk, whack up the heat and bring to the boil.
+ Meanwhile, finely grate the Parmesan and tip it into a medium bowl. Stir in the flour, chilli powder, if you like, and a pinch of salt.
+ As soon as the buttery milk boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour mixture to it. Beat it really hard with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan. Then tip it into a medium bowl, spread it out all around the inside and leave it for a few minutes until cool to the touch.
+ Once the pancetta is crisp and golden, remove from the heat and tip onto kitchen paper to drain off excess fat and set aside.
+ Once the flour mix has cooled down a little, add the eggs, one at a time, beating hard between each addition. When the egg first goes in, the mixture will look a little less than pleasant, as if it won’t mix in, but keep beating it really hard and it will come good. Then stir in the pancetta.
