Oven-Baked Risotto

Cook this simple storecupboard risotto in the oven while you get on with something else - the result is still wonderfully creamy

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins - 10 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  517

• Protein

  22g

• Carbs

  63g

• Fat

  20g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  3.38g

Ingredients

• 250g pack smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 25g butter
• 300g risotto rice
• half a glass of white wine (optional)
• 150g pack cherry tomatoes, halved
• 700ml hot chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
• 50g parmesan, grated

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Fry the bacon pieces in an ovenproof pan or casserole dish for 3-5 mins until golden and crisp. Stir in the onion and butter and cook for 3-4 mins until soft. Tip in the rice and mix well until coated. Pour over the wine if using and cook for 2 mins until absorbed.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes and the hot stock, then give the rice a quick stir. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and bake for 18 mins until just cooked. Stir through most of the Parmesan and serve sprinkled with the remainder.

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One-Pot Chicken Chasseur

This French bistro classic is easy to make at home and fabulous with creamy mash or crusty bread

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  439

• Protein

  35g

• Carbs

  7g

• Fat

  28g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  6g

• Salt

  1.11g

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 25g butter
• 4 chicken legs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g pack small button or chestnut mushrooms
• 225ml red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 500ml chicken stock

Directions

1. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large lidded casserole. Season the chicken, then fry for about 5 mins on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan. Add the onion, then fry for about 5 mins until soft. Add garlic, cook for about 1 min, add the mushrooms, cook for 2 mins, then add the wine. Stir in the tomato purée, let the liquid bubble and reduce for about 5 mins, then stir in the thyme and pour over the stock. Slip the chicken back into the pan, then cover and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hr until the chicken is very tender.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Rapidly boil down the sauce for 10 mins or so until it is syrupy and the flavour has concentrated. Put the chicken legs back into the sauce and serve.

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Chicken Biryani

A great one-pot rice dish that can still be served up a few days later, perfect for leftovers

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  617

• Protein

  49g

• Carbs

  83g

• Fat

  12g

• Saturates

  4g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  19g

• Salt

  2.01g

Ingredients

• 300g basmati rice
• 25g butter
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cardamom pods
• small cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
• 4 tbsp curry paste (we used Patak's balti paste))
• 85g raisins
• 850ml chicken stock
• chopped coriander and toasted flaked almonds to serve

Directions

1. Soak the rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear. Heat butter in a saucepan and cook the onions with the bay leaf and other whole spices for 10 mins. Sprinkle in the turmeric, then add chicken and curry paste and cook until aromatic.
2. Stir the rice into the pan with the raisins, then pour over the stock. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum and cook the rice for another 5 mins. Turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins. Stir well, mixing through half the coriander. To serve, scatter over the rest of the coriander and the almonds.

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Seeded Flatbreads

Moroccan-style breads with nigella and sesame seeds, great for wrapping and dipping

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  189

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  34g

• Fat

  3g

• Saturates

  0g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  1g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• 7g sachet dried yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 400g strong white bread flour
• 200g wholemeal bread flour
• oil, for greasing
• 1 tbsp kalonji seeds (also called black onion seeds or nigella seeds)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Mix the yeast with 2 tbsp warm water and sugar, and leave for a few mins. Tip the flours into a large bowl with 1 tsp salt and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and 500ml warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together as a dough, then tip onto a work surface and knead for 5-10 mins until smooth and elastic-add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hr until doubled in size.
2. Tip the dough onto your work surface and knock out all the air. Knead the seeds into the dough until well distributed. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, then roll out each as thinly as you can. Heat a large frying pan, cook the flatbreads for 2 mins or until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip over and cook for 2 mins more. Once all are cooked, wrap in foil and keep for up to a day. Pop in a warm oven to reheat.

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Butternut & Harissa Houmous

Roast pumpkin with plenty of garlic then blitz into a Moroccan-style dip with spicy harissa and sesame paste

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  155

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  13g

• Fat

  9g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  3g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• ½ butternut squash (about 400g), peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahini paste
• 1 tbsp harissa, plus a little extra for drizzling
• 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the butternut squash and garlic cloves in a roasting tin, season well and add 100ml water. Cover the tin with foil and bake for 45 mins, until the squash is really tender. Leave to cool.
2. Tip the squash into a food processor with any juices from the tin. Add the garlic cloves, squeezed out of their skins. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and blend to a paste.
3. Scrape the houmous into a bowl. Drizzle with extra harissa before serving.

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Stuffed Courgette Rolls

Try Gordon Ramsay's take on Italian antipasti - tantalise your palate with this no-cook starter

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 24 rolls

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  49

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  1g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  1g

• Salt

  0.03g

Ingredients

• 4 small courgettes, ends trimmed
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar, to drizzle
• 250g tub ricotta
• squeeze lemon juice
• handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 50g pine nuts, toasted (see Know-how, below)

Directions

1. Slice the courgettes lengthways, using a swivel vegetable peeler-you'll need 24 long strips. Drizzle some of the olive oil and balsamic over two large plates and lay the strips flat, trying not to overlap. Sprinkle with more oil and balsamic, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 20 mins. Can be prepared up to 6 hrs ahead.
2. Mix the ricotta with lemon juice and seasoning to taste, then mix in the basil and pine nuts. Place 1 tsp of the ricotta mixture onto one end of a courgette strip and roll up. Repeat until you have used up all the filling. Arrange rolls upright on a plate and grind over some black pepper. Drizzle with a little more oil and balsamic vinegar to serve.

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Mexican Bean Salad

Not one to leave your tummy rumbling, this filling salad really hits the spot and has a spicy kick

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  430

• Protein

  20g

• Carbs

  25g

• Fat

  29g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  10g

• Sugar

  6g

• Salt

  1.61g

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 avocados, peeled and stoned
• 2 x 400g cans of beans, (we used pinto bean and kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• small red onion, finely sliced
• large bunch coriander, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• bottle bought good-quality dressing (we used English Provender Company Lime & Coriander dressing)
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• ½ tsp cumin

Directions

1. Lower the eggs into boiling water and boil for 6½ mins, then put into a bowl of cold water to cool. Slice the avocados and place in a large bowl with the beans, onion, coriander and tomatoes. Measure 3 tbsp of the dressing into a small bowl, then mix in the chilli and cumin. Once the eggs have cooled but are still warm, peel off the shells and cut into quarters. Toss the salad with the dressing and nestle in the eggs. Serve straight away – delicious with toasted tortillas.

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Baked Stuffed Romano Peppers

Serve this as a light veggie supper with crusty bread, or as a side with grilled chicken or fish

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 35 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 2

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  241

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  9g

• Fat

  21g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  8g

• Salt

  0.6g

Ingredients

• 2 Romano peppers, halved and deseeded (use normal peppers if unavailable)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp
• 1 slice wholegrain bread
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
• 1 red or green chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 2 tsp capers
• good handful parsley, roughly chopped
• 200g young spinach leaves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put peppers in a roasting tin, then drizzle with a tsp of oil and a little pepper. Bake for 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile, toast the bread, then blitz into rough crumbs in the food processor. Mix with the pine nuts, Parmesan, chilli, capers, parsley and remaining oil. Boil the kettle. Put the spinach in a colander, then pour over the boiling water to wilt the leaves. Press out as much liquid as possible.
3. Divide the spinach between the peppers, then top with the crumbs. Return to the oven for 15 mins.

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Artichokes & Herby Olive Sauce

Delicious and simple, this striking Mediterranean starter is easier to prepare than you might think

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 40 mins - 45 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  291

• Protein

  11g

• Carbs

  11g

• Fat

  23g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  6g

• Salt

  2.28g

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, halved, plus juice 1½ lemons
• 4 globe artichokes
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 20 pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• ½ small bunch mint, finely chopped
• ½ small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Bring one or two large pans of salted water to the boil with the lemon halves in. Cut the stalk off each artichoke and discard. Boil the artichokes for 40-45 mins until the base feels tender when the tip of a knife is inserted.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Mix the lemon juice, oil, olives, tomato and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To eat, pull off the leaves, dip the bottom end into sauce and discard the tips of the leaves. When you get to the middle, scrape out the hairy 'choke' and eat the artichoke heart.

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Halloumi Watermelon & Mint Salad

This fresh and light salad makes an ideal summer evening supper

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 5 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  287

• Protein

  14g

• Carbs

  12g

• Fat

  20g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  12g

• Salt

  2.29g

Ingredients

• 250g pack halloumi cheese, thinly sliced
• flesh from 1kg/2lb 4oz chunk watermelon, sliced
• 200g pack fine green beans
• small bunch mint, finely shredded
• juice 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• toasted pitta breads, to serve

Directions

1. Heat grill to high. Lay the cheese on a baking tray in a single layer, then grill for 2 mins on each side until golden. Toss the watermelon, beans and mint together with the lemon juice and olive oil, season well, then layer on plates with the slices of halloumi.
2. Drizzle with a little more oil if you like, and then serve with warm pittas.

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