Henry Firth - BOSH!

The equipment you find in your typical kitchen is going to work just fine for the recipes in this book. There is nothing super fancy or technical about what we do in our kitchen; we like to keep things simple. But, if we were going to design a cost-effective kitchen from scratch, here’s how we would do it:

Essential items.

These should be your go-to items. We use these every day to make great BOSH! food.

High-powered blender.(like a NutriBullet, Magic Ninja or Magimix).

A good, sharp knife(and sharpener).

A selection of chopping boardsthat look great on the side and inspire you to cook.

A kitchen timeror your mobile phone to get the timings right.

Neatly stored spices, all in one place so you can find them quickly.

A varied selection of preferably non-stick saucepans.

Large spoons and tongsthat work with your pans (don’t use metal on non-stick!).

Measuring tools, like a measuring jug, weighing scales and measuring spoons.

Nice-to-have items.

Get these if you like. They will speed up your cooking, but they’re optional.

Keep a clean tea towelin your pocket as you cook and you’ll feel like a pro.

Large-bowl food processoror hand blender.

Oven-to-table dishes(for lasagne and pies).

Garlic crusher.

A graterto zest or grate dairy-free cheese.

A good rolling pin.

Completely optional, but very cool items.

These come in handy from time to time in our kitchen, so get them if you wish.

Pizza stonefor better cooking and a crispier crust.

Waffle iron.

Toasted-sandwich maker.

Slow cookerfor long, slow, melt-in-the-mouth curries.

Tiny dishes(soy sauce dishes) for measuring out spices before you start to cook.

Sealing clipsto keep opened packets of food from spilling everywhere.

Tupperware or storage jarsto keep your cupboards organised and store leftovers.

Tofu pressto make it even easier to cook with tofu.

The chances are that you already have most of these ingredients in your cupboard or your fridge. What we hope this book will do is unlock the potential in your store cupboard, and help you turn that humble tin of chickpeas into the most awesome falafel, or transform your usual pasta dish into something you’d be proud to serve at a dinner party. Get stocked up!

Essentials.

If someone were to ask us what we keep in our kitchen cupboards, this would be the answer. We use these ingredients all the time and always keep them in stock so that we can whip up a quick meal without having to go to the shop first.

Pasta, in all its many forms, will answer your hunger prayers.

Having ricein the cupboard means you’ll always have something to eat.

Noodlesare a great base for speedy, nourishing and satisfying meals.

Olive or groundnut oil, to use sparingly when frying or roasting.

Sea salt and black pepperto season to perfection and bring your food to life.

Garlic, because it’s the best thing ever, used by nearly every cuisine in the world.

Tinned chickpeasgive you the wonder beans with which you can make hummus and falafel, plus aquafaba, an incredibly useful substitute for egg and dairy in cooking.

Various tinned beanswill ensure you get your protein whenever you need it.

A stock of tinned tomatoesmeans you always have a base for sauces.

A selection of spicesfor essential flavour – never underestimate their power.

Fresh fruit, veggies and herbsbecause your mum told you to eat your greens and she was right.

Nuts and seedsare fantastic for flavour, terrific for texture and super, super healthy.

Peanut butterwill give you energy, texture and flavour in abundance.

Plant-based milkwill crop up in our recipes again and again – we like almond milk best.

Tinned coconut milkwill help you craft creamy curries.

Specialities.

We tend to have these in our cupboards too, but we use them less frequently.

Nutritional yeastprovides a nutty, cheesy taste and is a great source of vitamin B12

Cashew nutscan be soaked and blended for cream or cooked for a satisfying crunch.

Passatawill help your Italian dishes come to life.

Kalamata olivesadd wonderful flavour and robust texture.

Sun-dried tomatoesoffer an incredible depth of flavour.

Tinned peppersare great blended up to add to a tomato sauce or soup.

Dairy-free cheesewill provide familiarity and texture.

Firm tofugives bite and texture, as well as all-important protein.

Norihelps you get a fishy, salty flavour and can be used to wrap sushi rolls.

Capersoffer a really individual, salty flavour.

Soy creamintroduces lovely silky, creamy textures.

Dairy-free ice creamshould always be in the freezer because, well, movie night.

Here are some delicious feasts you can create using the recipes in this book. Create your own takeaways at home, or create a spread to wow a whole dinner party, using just this book.

SPANISH SPREAD.

Fancy a fiesta? Make the ultimate Spanish spread. Just add Sangria, salsa and a little bit of sunshine.

Pettigrew’s Paella.

Spanish Tapas.

Proper Spanish Aioli.

THE BIG INDIAN TAKEAWAY.

If contrasting curries is your thing then we’ve got you covered! This wonderful spread of curries, naan and rice represents the best of our favourite cuisine.

Big Bhaji Burger.

Creamy Korma.

Rogan BOSH!.

Saag Aloo Curry.

Fluffy Naan Bread & Raita.

Onion Fried Rice.

THE BIG THAI TAKEAWAY.

To magic up your own Southeast Asian takeaway look no further than these recipes. You’ll find deep, subtle yet strong spices and explosions of flavour.

Pad Thai.

Tom Yum Soup.

Thai Red Curry.

Massaman Curry.

(Rich Satay) Bangin’ Veggie Kebabs.

Perfectly Boiled Rice.

THE BIG CHINESE TAKEAWAY.

Create an Indo-Chinese takeaway in your own home. Let your guests wrap their own pancakes, and pick and choose from all the bowls in the middle of the table. Just add chopsticks.