Rachel Allen - Easy Meals

EasyMeals

Rachel Allen

Over 180 delicious recipes to get

you through your busy life

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction Introduction It seems like we all lead such hectic lifestyles these days. Even though I love to cook, often I just don’t have the time to make complicated food. I’d love to spend six hours cooking an elaborate meal, but sometimes it just isn’t realistic. I think that’s true for a lot of people. Our lives are so busy now it can be difficult to set aside time to cook. That said, I don’t think it’s always the case that the more time you take over a meal the better it is. Truly great food can often be made in minutes and only using four or five ingredients. 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 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 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 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 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 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. * Add the mushrooms and thyme, season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium–low. Stir well, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and browned. * Meanwhile, toast the bread and butter it, then place on plates. * Stir the cream into the mushrooms, increasing the heat to allow it to bubble for 1–2 minutes, then taste for seasoning and serve on the buttered toast.