BBC Easycook May 2021

What’s your cooking routine? During the months of lockdown, I got mine down to an obsessive art, drawing a weekly grid in a notepad and filling in the squares with ideas for lunches; kids’ dinners, mum and dad’s dinners (because our permanently-hungry teenagers require feeding a lot earlier than us), then weekends spent eating together. My imagination only stretches so far, so to keep everyone interested, Easy Cook is my most valuable planning tool: 100+ recipes to inspire and satisfy. Quick, simple and budgeted solutions in every issue. The recipe on this page, for example, has been devoured many times by my family. I hope you find as much inspiration in the magazine as I do.…

Serves 2 Prep 5 mins Cook 10 mins 250g long-stem broccoli, halved2 balls stem ginger, finely chopped, plus syrup from the jar3 tbsp low-salt soy sauce, plus extra to taste (optional)1 garlic clove, crushed1 red chilli, a little thinly sliced, the rest deseeded and finely chopped2 tsp sesame seeds½ tbsp sesame oil200g raw king prawns100g beansproutscooked rice or noodles, to serve 1 Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the broccoli for 1 min. Meanwhile, mix together the stem ginger and 2 tbsp syrup, soy sauce, garlic and finely chopped chilli. 2 Toast the sesame seeds in a dry wok. When toasted, turn up the heat and add the oil, prawns and broccoli. Stir-fry for a few mins until the prawns turn pink. Pour over the ginger sauce, then tip…

Lemon drizzle loaf Serves 8-10 Prep 25 mins Cook 50 mins VEGETARIAN 200g salted butter, softened, plus a little extra for the tin200g golden caster sugar3 large unwaxed lemons, zested3 large eggs, at room temperature225g self-raising flour50g full-fat natural yogurt2 tbsp good-quality lemon curd FOR THE DRIZZLE 1½ lemons, juiced85g granulated sugar4-5 sugar cubes, crushed 1 Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Butter and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Put 200g butter, the caster sugar and most of the lemon zest in a large bowl, and beat with an electric hand whisk until pale and fluffy. Crack in 1 egg, whisk into the butter mixture until well combined, then add 1 heaped tbsp flour and mix again. Continue with the remaining eggs and flour, finishing with any remaining flour and…

Smoked trout, beetroot & horseradish flatbread Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 8 mins 4 flatbreadsolive oil, for brushing2 tbsp creamed horseradish2 tbsp crème fraîchesmall bunch of dill, ½ chopped, ½ picked into small fronds squeeze of lemon juice, plus a pinch of zest3 cooked beetroots (not in vinegar), very thinly sliced4 smoked trout fillets, broken into large flakesmixed salad leaves, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Brush the flatbreads with olive oil. Put on a large baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 8 mins until crisp around the edges. 2 Meanwhile, mix the horseradish, crème fraîche, chopped dill, lemon juice and zest, and some seasoning in a small bowl. Add a few drops of water to loosen the mixture to a drizzling consistency. 3 Top…

1 Tomato, ricotta & oregano Serves 2 Prep 5 mins No Cook VEGETARIAN Toss 100g sliced tomatoes in 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Spread 2 toasts with 1 tbsp ricotta each, top with the tomatoes, drizzle with balsamic glaze and scatter with oregano leaves. Season with black pepper to serve. PER SERVING 146 kcals, fat 5g, saturates 3g, carbs 18g, sugars 6g, fibre 1g, protein 7g, salt 2.9g Tip Add some capers and anchovies for an extra salty punch 2 Miso spinach Serves 2 Prep 5 mins Cook 5 mins VEGETARIAN Mix 1 tbsp miso paste with 1 tbsp melted butter, then tip into a frying pan. Add 200g spinach, cook over a medium heat until wilted, then add 2 tsp soy sauce. Divide between 2 toasts, scatter each with 1 tbsp black or…

HOW TO PREPARE & COOK ASPARAGUS The end of the stalk, is woody so you need to take this off before cooking. If you hold the spear at both ends and bend it, the stalk will snap just before the woody part. There are four main ways to cook asparagus: 1. Steam: lay the stalks in a single layer in a steamer and steam for 3-4 mins. 2. Boil: cook in a pan of boiling, salted water for 3-5 mins depending on how thick they are. 3. Griddle: toss them in a little olive oil and cook in a single layer in a hot griddle pan until charred on all sides and just tender; about 2 mins on each side. 4. Roast: toss the spears in a little oil and roast at 220C/200C fan/…