BBC Easycook October 2019

In the Easy Cook office, we try to come up with as many tortuously punny headlines for pies as possible: the pie’s the limit; reach for the pies; easy as pie; I pie with my little eye (that’s the worst). It’s a humdrum life, but we love it. You see, we love talking about pies. But we love eating them more, hence why we’re featuring our 10 all-time favourite pies. Check it out on p48 and see what pun we settled on. Pies, of course, are the ultimate comfort food: carb-loaded, stuffed with whatever you fancy, perfect for sharing with your family. My kids love them! To welcome in the autumn, this issue is packed with comfort classics – with indulgent twists: molten chocolate puds (p6); surprising slow cooker superstars…

• Serves 2 adults and 2 children • Prep 10 mins • Cook 40 mins Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put 150g butternut squash, cut into chunks, in a steamer over boiling water. Steam for around 15-20 mins or until tender. Drain and then blitz in a food processor until smooth. Cook 300g penne following pack instructions. Heat 40g butter in a pan, add 1 small leek, finely sliced, and cook for 2 mins. Stir in 25g flour and cook for 1-2 mins. Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in 600ml milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 mins, then stir in 100g frozen peas. Remove from the heat and stir in the butternut squash, then 125g mature cheddar.…

Easy chocolate molten cakes • Makes 6 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 20 mins 100g butter, plus extra for the moulds100g dark chocolate, chopped150g light brown soft sugar3 large eggs½ tsp vanilla extract50g plain floursingle cream, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter 6 dariole moulds or basins well and place on a baking tray. 2 Put the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of hot water (or alternatively put in the microwave and melt in 30 second bursts on a low setting) and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly for about 15 mins. 3 Using an electric hand whisk, mix in the light brown soft sugar, then the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and finally…

Meatballs with pesto mash • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 15 mins meatballs only 400g lean beef mincesmall bunch basil, most leaves roughly chopped, reserving few whole to serve1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce1 tsp olive oil350lg passata with onions and garlic1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks150ml milk2 tbsp fresh basil pesto 1 Mix the mince with half the chopped basil, the Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning, then use your hands to shape into 16 meatballs. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add the oil, then fry the meatballs, turning, for 5 mins until browned. Tip in the passata and remaining chopped basil. Simmer gently for 10 mins until the meatballs are cooked through. 2 Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain well, then return to the saucepan over…

Slow cooker roast chicken Cooking a chicken in a slow cooker makes it very succulent and packed full of flavour. If you want to cook this ahead and then freeze it, carefully break the chicken into joints and pack them into freezer bags with a little gravy. You’ll need a large slow cooker for this. • Serves 4 • Prep 15 mins • Cook 51/2 hrs 1 large onion, peeled and cut into thick slices2 carrots, halved lengthways and chopped1 small or medium chicken2 tbsp butter, softened1 bay leaf 1 Put the onion and carrot in the base of the stock pot to form a protective layer to sit the chicken on, and add 100ml boiling water. Gently ease the chicken skin away from the breast. Stir some salt and pepper into the butter…

Classic pesto • Heat a small dry frying pan over a low heat. Cook 50g pine nuts until golden, shaking occasionally. Put into a food processor with 80g basil, 50g parmesan, 150ml olive oil and 2 garlic cloves. Blitz until smooth and season. Serves 4-6. Spinach & feta pesto • Pour a kettle of boiling water over 500g spinach until it wilts. Shake off the excess water, then transfer to a food processor. Add 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp olive oil, 100g reduced-fat feta-style cheese and 40g pine nuts, then blitz to a sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serves 4. Cheshire pesto • Put the stalks and most of the leaves from a large bunch of basil into a food processor. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves and a splash of…