BBC Easycook April 2021

My kids have only just gone back to school, but are off again for the Easter holidays - and it’s going to be tougher than when they were home-schooling over video in their rooms. The big challenge is to keep them off their screens and entertained while me and their mum are working at home. As ever, cooking is the answer. There are loads of kid-friendly projects in this month’s issue that will benefit the whole family, from the delicious rocky road on this page to easy cakes and bakes (p78) and family favourites, such as pizzas, healthy shepherd’s pie and spicy meatballs. But the most useful recipes of all are in the slow cooker feature (p60): just put the ingredients in the pot and get on with your day…

Makes 8-10 bars Prep 25 mins plus cooling and 1 hr chilling Cook 5 mins 225g dark chocolate, broken into pieces100g unsalted butter, cubed2 tbsp cocoa powder2 tbsp golden syrup100g rich tea biscuits50g mini marshmallows50g dried cranberries200g chocolate mini eggs 1 Line a 20 x 30cm traybake tin with two sheets of cling film (in a criss-cross pattern). Put the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and melt until smooth. 2 Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder and golden syrup. Mix until fully combined and leave to cool for about 15 mins. 3 Put the biscuits in a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to bash them, leaving some pieces chunkier than others. Stir into the cooled chocolate with the marshmallows,…

Healthy shakshuka Serves 2 Prep 10 mins Cook 30 mins VEGETARIAN 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil1 red onion, cut into thin wedges1 red and 1 yellow pepper, finely sliced3 large garlic cloves, crushed1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed1 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika400g can cherry tomatoes115g baby spinach4 medium eggs½ small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped½ small bunch of dill, roughly chopped 1 Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the onions and peppers for 8-10 mins until starting to soften. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and paprika, and fry for 1 min more. Tip in the tomatoes, spinach and 100ml water, and bubble until the spinach has wilted. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10…

Tagine-style chicken Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 40 mins 2 tbsp olive oil8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved if large1 onion, chopped2 tsp grated ginger pinch saffron or turmeric1 tbsp honey400g carrots, cut into sticks small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped lemon wedges, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large, wide pan with a lid, add the chicken, then fry quickly until lightly coloured. Add the onion and ginger, then fry for a further 2 mins. Add 150ml water, the saffron, honey and carrots, season, then stir well. Bring to the boil, cover tightly, then simmer for 30 mins until the chicken is tender. 2 Uncover and increase the heat for about 5 mins to reduce the sauce a little. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the…

Fun project for kids Proper pizzas Makes 6 x 20cm or 10-12 smaller pizzas Prep 30 mins plus proving Cook 15 mins FREEZABLE uncooked 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dustingsmall pinch of sugar7g sachet fast-action dried yeast2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the bowl FOR THE SAUCE 1 garlic clove400ml chunky passata1 tbsp tomato purée1 tsp dried oreganohandful of basil leaves, snipped small pinch of sugar1 tsp red wine vinegar FOR THE TOPPINGS ham, red peppers, black olives, salami, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, cheddar, tuna, sweetcorn, hummus and green salad, to serve 1 MIX A STICKY DOUGH Put the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl and get your child to make a hole in the middle. Measure 300ml warm water, then add the oil to the water; point out that the two don’t mix…

1 FOR THE PERFECT OMELETTE Whisk 2 eggs with a fork and season. Melt a small knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan, then pour in the eggs. After 10 seconds, draw the cooked edge towards the middle, and stir into the uncooked egg. Cook for 1-2 mins more until golden underneath. Fold onto a plate. 2 CHEESY MUSHROOM OMELETTE Cook 85g sliced mushrooms in a knob of butter in a small non-stick pan until softened. Pour in 2 eggs, beaten and seasoned, then cook as above. When the omelette is ready, scatter a small handful of grated cheddar over the surface, and fold in half using a spatula. 3 SMOKED SALMON & WATERCRESS Fold a small handful of smoked salmon into 4 tbsp soft cheese, then add a good squeeze…