BBC Easycook June 2020

This has been the hardest time many of us have faced. My wife and I have been working from home while our three teenagers do their bit by applying themselves to schoolwork and helping with the chores. There have been frayed tempers, of course, because we live in a flat. Still, what’s kept us motivated and good-humoured is having a nice meal to look forward to at the end of the day, using recipes from Easy Cook. I’m smacking my lips in anticipation of Father’s Day on 21 June, when I’ll (yes, I don’t trust anyone else to do this!) be cooking a magnificent steak. There are so many brilliant home delivery services now, it’s easy to obtain quality ingredients. So, go on, treat the man in your life –…

• Serves 2 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 12 mins Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat an ovenproof griddle pan over a high heat. Season a 700g T-bone steak on both sides, then rub both sides with 2 bashed garlic cloves, 1/2 small pack of thyme and 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Put the steak in the hot pan and char for 2 mins, or until griddle lines appear. Turn over to brown the other side, rub the top with the thyme, then lay the thyme and garlic on top of the meat. Once evenly browned with griddle lines, put the thyme and garlic to one side, and hold the steak with a pair of tongs to render its fatty side so it’s soft rather than gristly. This will…

Strawberry shortcake slice • Serves 14 • Prep 25 mins plus overnight chilling • No cook 600ml double cream1 tbsp vanilla bean paste1 tbsp orange blossom water125g icing sugar, plus 2 tbsp500g shortcake biscuits, plus 3 crushed350g strawberries, sliced 1 Line a 20cm cake tin or dish (a square or rectangle works well) with cling film, leaving an overhang. Whip 500ml cream, the vanilla, orange blossom water and 125g icing sugar with an electric whisk until thick and billowy. 2 Add a layer of biscuits to the tin and spoon over some of the cream, about 1cm thick all over. Add a layer of strawberry slices, then repeat with the cream, biscuits and strawberries until you fill the tin, finishing on a biscuit layer – you’ll have strawberries left over. Press down well so…

Sausages with apple mash Reinvent bangers and mash with this fruity twist. • Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cook 55-60 mins 700g floury potatoes, cut into chunks8 Cumberland sausages25g butter1 onion, thinly sliced2 tsp plain flour250ml beef stock2 apples (about 280g), peeled and chopped into small chunks3 tbsp milk 1 Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 mins until tender. Meanwhile, cook the sausages in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 15-20 mins, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Remove from the pan and keep warm. 2 Add a knob of the butter and the onion to the pan, then cook for 15-20 mins until soft. Stir in the flour, then gradually add the stock, stirring to make a sauce. Simmer for 2 mins, then pour…

Roast cauliflower cheese pizza Serve with plenty of salad for a wholesome family meal. • Serves 4 • Prep 5 mins • Cook 1 hr 10 mins 1 tbsp oil1 garlic clove, crushed1 large cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets, stalk chopped4 tbsp mascarpone1 thin 25cm pizza base, or 2 small pizza bases50g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Mix the oil and garlic together and toss with the cauliflower. Roast on a baking sheet for 30-45 mins until the cauliflower is tender. 2 Spread half the mascarpone on the pizza base and season well. Top with the cauliflower and dot over the remaining mascarpone, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 20 mins, then leave to cool for 5 mins before serving. PER SERVING 438 kcals, fat 23g,…

Lettuce cup bites • Chop 1 stoned and peeled avocado ››Ì››Ã›>›››VÕLiÛ>› ›V››L››i›Ü›Ì›› 200g cooked and peeled prawns and 2 tbsp mayonnaise››À›>›Ài ÕVi ›v>Ì› version. Season, then squeeze in the juice of1/2 lemon. Put spoonfuls of the mixture into whole Little Gem lettuce leaves and serve. Serves 1. Grilled avocado with crab • Heat the grill to high. Mix 100g white crabmeat with 4 tbsp double cream and 1 tsp chilli powder. Cut 1 avocado in half, remove the stone, Ì›i››w›››Ì›i››››iÛܛ̛›Ì›i›VÀ>L›››Ý°› Top with 1 tsp grated parmesan and 1 tsp breadcrumbs. Grill for a few ›››ÕÌiÛ՛̛››LÀ›Ü›i °›-iÀÛiÛӰ Chilli salsa • Halve and stone 2 avocados, then Û›Vi›››Ì››Ì››V››Üi }ið››››Ìâ›1/2 red onion, 2 tomatoes, 1 red chilli and a bunch of coriander together. Mix with 1 tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp paprika and…