Lorraine Pascale - Home Cooking Made Easy

Herbed baked Scotch eggs Herbed baked Scotch eggs I have a penchant for Scotch eggs. I buy them at the petrol station in the middle of long car journeys – I just fill the car up with petrol, then go into the shop and grab a Scotch egg and a packet of prawn cocktail crisps. However, when I have time, I like to make my own, and I use different types of sausagemeat to give them something a bit extra. Dipped in some mayonnaise or a large blob of salad cream, they really make my day. Makes 4 Oil, for oiling and drizzling (you can use light oil spray if you like) 4 medium eggs 1 egg, lightly beaten 75g natural or golden dried breadcrumbs Small handful of fresh thyme leaves Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper Plain flour, for dusting Pinch of mustard powder 6 good-quality sausages, with their ‘skins’ removed Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with oiled foil. Put the whole eggs in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, turn it down to a robust simmer and cook for 5 minutes. When the eggs are ready, remove the pan from the heat, take it to the sink and run cold water over the eggs for a minute or two to stop them cooking. Peel the eggs and set aside. Put the lightly beaten egg in one bowl and the dried breadcrumbs, thyme and nutmeg along with a bit of salt and pepper in another bowl. Season the flour with salt and pepper and the mustard powder. Put some clingfilm on the work surface, take 1½ sausages and squidge the meat down on the clingfilm. Squish it until is becomes a roundish flat circle, then take one egg and dip it into the seasoned flour. Put the egg in the middle of the sausagemeat and draw up the clingfilm around it so you have a little ‘sac’. This is a great way of covering the egg with the sausagemeat and I find it beats trying to do it without. Now carefully peel away the clingfilm, leaving the sausagemeat around the egg. You may need to squish it down and around slightly on the egg if there are any gaps. Now dip the meat-coated egg into the lightly beaten egg, making sure it is covered all over, then dip it into the breadcrumbs, rolling it around and pressing to secure any bits that are not sticking properly. Place the Scotch egg on the prepared baking tray and repeat with the other three eggs. Spray or drizzle a little oil over the eggs, then cook in the oven for about 20–30 minutes, or until the sausagemeat is cooked and the Scotch egg looks golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. These are lovely to take to work, or just to have in the fridge as a treat.

Caramelised spiced nuts Caramelised spiced nuts I like to make a big jar of these spiced nuts and pop them on the shelf to grab on the go when I fancy a naughty tasty snack. Makes about 600g 300g granulated sugar 450g mixed nuts, like cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tsp paprika, plus extra to taste if necessary 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to taste if necessary 1 tsp ground cumin, plus extra to taste if necessary 300ml water Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet. Put the sugar, nuts, salt and spices in a medium pan with the water and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat a little and simmer the mixture rapidly for about 15–20 minutes until the bubbles become thick and syrupy. Strain the mixture through a colander set over a bowl (use oven gloves when handling the pan, as hot sugar can spit and splutter and burn you), then tip the nuts onto the prepared baking tray and spread them out in a single layer. Bake the nuts in the oven for 20 minutes, or until toasted. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and harden before breaking the nuts into small pieces. Sprinkle with more spices if required. Store in an airtight container for a few days if not eaten straightaway. Any leftover syrup is delicious drizzled over ice cream or on a poached pear.

Duvet day chicken noodle soup Duvet day chicken noodle soup Supreme comfort eating and good for the soul, too! The essence of a very good soup is a really good stock, jam-packed full of flavour. Homemade is best, but a decent liquid chicken stock bought from the shop works well too. Serves 4–6 1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed, sliced and separated into white bits and green bits 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 x 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 6 black peppercorns Sea salt flakes 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 stick of celery, trimmed and sliced into thin matchsticks 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks 150g quick-cook thin noodles Small bunch of fresh basil leaves Small bunch of fresh mint leaves 1 lime, cut in half Put the chicken stock into a large pan with the spring onion whites, garlic, chilli, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns and a good amount of salt. Bring to a simmer, then carefully slide the chicken breasts in and cover with a lid. Cook for 12 minutes, then throw in the celery and carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste the soup and season as necessary. Remove the chicken, cinnamon stick and star anise from the soup with a slotted spoon and at the same time put the noodles into the broth and cook, uncovered, for as long as needed. While the noodles are cooking, flake the chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks. Just before the noodles are ready, put the chicken back into the broth to heat through and taste the soup again to check if you need any more seasoning. Rip up half of the basil and mint leaves, stir through the soup with the spring onion greens and then divide the soup among 4–6 bowls. Scatter the remaining herbs over the top and squeeze a little lime juice over each one to finish.

Pea soup with minted mascarpone Pea soup with minted mascarpone There is always a bag of peas or petit pois in my freezer. Peas are my vegetable of choice and I serve them most days of the week. The other thing I always have in abundance is mint. If you have ever tried to grow it, you will know the ease with which it slowly takes over the garden, winding its way through and over everything else in its path. The supply manages to keep up with demand; we are a mint-loving family and use mint in salads, teas, the odd alcoholic beverage and, of course, in soups. Serve this soup hot with a big chunk of fresh bread slathered with butter. Makes 1.5 litres, serves 6 800ml chicken or vegetable stock 1kg frozen petit pois Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper A small handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped 4 dollops of mascarpone (about 150g) Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan and add the peas. Cover with a lid and allow it to return to the boil. I always put a lid on while waiting for it to boil, as it speeds up the process quite considerably. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the peas are tender, then remove the pan from the heat. Working in batches, blitz the peas and stock in a blender until smooth. Pour each batch into a clean pan as you go. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper, then reheat it gently over a low heat. Meanwhile, stir the mint through the mascarpone until well blended. Once the soup has been heated through, divide it among serving bowls, put a dollop of the minted mascarpone on each one and serve piping hot.

Hot & spicy Bloody Mary soup Hot & spicy Bloody Mary soup The morning after the night before in a steaming hot bowl of soup. Of course, the Vodka at the end is entirely optional but it does add a nice alcoholic kick, should the mood take you! I am not normally a fan of tomato soup, but this one is really full of flavour and will be one to remember. Makes about 1.2 litres, serves 4–6 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced 500g ripe tomatoes (about 5 vine or plum tomatoes), roughly chopped 1 litre tomato juice 3 squirts of tomato purée 1 bay leaf 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar 50ml Worcestershire sauce ½–1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending how spicy you like it!) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Several shakes of Tabasco sauce (optional) Vodka, to taste (optional) 1 stick of celery, trimmed and cut into batons Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and purée, bay leaf, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and finally the cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat a little to let it bubble away for a good 30 minutes to really get the flavours going. Taste the soup and add more seasoning if needed, so it is just as you like it. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Then, working in two or three batches, ladle the soup into a blender and blitz until it is quite smooth but still has a little texture. Pour the blended soup into a large bowl or jug as you go. Once done, return it all to the pan and heat through gently. Add the Tabasco and Vodka, if using, and taste again, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Ladle the soup into warmed mugs or serving bowls and serve with the celery batons.