Rachel Allen - Easy Meals

It’s not just time though; I often want fuss-free food for other reasons. Some days, for instance, I might cook a one-pot dish that bubbles away in the oven as I get on with other things. The other advantage of one-pot cooking is that with everything ready at the same time I don’t have to coordinate various different side dishes. There are other times when I can’t get to the shops so I need to make something using only ingredients that I already have at home. It is always so satisfying to be able to make good food using only things I can find in my cupboards, fridge or freezer, which means being able to use specific ingredients cleverly as well as knowing what things it’s worth stocking up on.

This book is about times like these, when you want to cook a great meal but don’t want lots of complex steps either in the preparation or in the actual cooking. That’s why you'll find a chapter with recipes that use only five ingredients or fewer. I’ve also included a whole chapter for when you don’t feel like turning on the oven at all. The recipes are unapologetically simple and straightforward – most are very quick from start to finish – yet they never compromise on flavour. A hectic lifestyle doesn’t have to mean reaching for a sugary snack or ordering a takeaway. It’s perfectly possible to cook wholesome food without too much time or fuss. This book shows you how to do just that – make food that is quick and simple yet always delicious.

PS. The oven temperatures in this book are for a conventional oven, but if I am using a fan oven then I usually reduce the temperature by 10 per cent.

Store Cupboard

We all have times when we need to create a meal using only what we have in the cupboard, fridge or freezer. To prepare for those times when you can’t get to the shops, it’s worth stocking up on basic ingredients with a long shelf-life. Tinned tomatoes and beans as well as dried pulses and pasta are perfect for such occasions. The recipes in this chapter also include meats such as bacon and leftover roast chicken, which I often have in my fridge. My freezer is usually full of things such as minced lamb or beef and, of course, peas. I sometimes keep a few long-life and versatile luxury foods too, such as dried porcini mushrooms or artichoke hearts preserved in oil.

It’s not just savoury dishes that you can make with what you have on your shelves. Dry ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit and chocolate – both powdered and solid – make the store cupboard a treasure trove for baking and desserts.

Hearty lentil and onion soup

This is a rustic take on classic French onion soup. The lentils make it substantial and nutritious as well as bringing their own unique earthy flavour. The croutons are the perfect finishing touch, though you can make the soup without them if you prefer.

Serves 4 (v, if using vegetable stock)

PREPARATION TIME

10 minutes

COOKING TIME

1 hour

4 tbsp olive oil

6 onions (about 900g/2lb in total), peeled and finely sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

150g (5oz) Puy lentils

3 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken or vegetable stock

For the Gruyère croutons

4 slices of white bread

75g–100g (3–3½oz) Gruyère cheese, grated

* Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat and, when nearly hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, stirring regularly and scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge the caramelised pieces and mix them in, until the onions are a deep golden brown.

* Add the lentils, rosemary and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

* Shortly before the soup is ready, preheat the grill to high to make the croutons (if using).

* Toast the bread on both sides, then cover each slice with a thick layer of grated cheese. Place back under the grill and toast until bubbling and melted.

* Season the finished soup with salt and pepper to taste and divide between bowls to serve. Place a whole crouton on top of each bowl of soup and add a grinding of black pepper. (If the slices of bread are too large, you may want to cut them into squares before serving.)

Rachel’s tip

I always like to cook using extra virgin olive oil as I think it provides a divine depth of flavour. Throughout these recipes I've just called for olive oil but I recommend using extra virgin if you can, especially when used in a dressing.

Artichoke salad

Artichoke hearts in a tin or jar are one of the more luxurious preserved foods. Combined with semi-sun-dried tomatoes and preserved roasted red peppers, this is a really wonderful dish.

Serves 4

PREPARATION TIME

5 minutes

125g (4½oz) preserved artichoke hearts (from a jar or tin), cut into bite-sized pieces

75g (3oz) preserved roasted red peppers (from a jar or tin), cut into 2cm (¾in) dice

50g (2oz) semi-sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp pesto

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

* Simply mix everything together in a big bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Haricot bean and tuna salad

The intense flavours of sun-dried tomatoes and pesto can transform a tin of tuna into something really special. You can make this 2–3 hours ahead – store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 4–6

PREPARATION TIME

5 minutes

4 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 x 400g tins of haricot beans, drained and rinsed

4 small spring onions, trimmed and sliced at an angle

120ml (4½fl oz) olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp pesto

2 x 185g tins of tuna, drained and broken into chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

* In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients apart from the tuna, then carefully stir in the tuna, keeping it in chunks. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Perfect mushrooms on toast

I generally have a few mushrooms in my fridge – they are quick to cook and this is a great way of serving them. The anchovies dissolve in the butter, imparting a lovely depth of flavour to this dish.

Serves 4

PREPARATION TIME

10 minutes

COOKING TIME

20 minutes

110g (4oz) butter

12 tinned anchovies, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

800g (1¾lb) mushrooms, sliced

4 tsp chopped thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices of bread

25g (1oz) butter

100ml (3½fl oz) single or regular cream

* Melt the butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat and, when foaming, add the anchovies and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the anchovies have disintegrated and the garlic is lightly browned.