BBC Easycook June 2021

Saturday night is a finger lickin’ sharing night in the Kendrick household. Fried chicken, fajitas, falafel-stuffed wraps and pizzas – the more tactile, the better. But top of the list for my teenagers is pork ribs. Fall-off-the-bone, sticky and spicy, like the beauties on this page. I know I’ve got them right when silence descends and a cacophony of gnawing fills the room. Sharing is everything, and in this month’s issue we’ve got pass-around grub galore, with ease at its heart. Take the top 10 mince recipes on page 44, for example. Great for weeknights, great for weekends, great all the time – like everything else in this issue. I hope you enjoy it. Editor…

Serves 4 Prep 5 mins Cook 35 mins 12 meaty pork ribs100ml hoisin sauce2 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp honey1 tbsp vinegar (you can use cider, malt or wine)1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder 1 Put the ribs in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins. Meanwhile, pour the hoisin sauce into a jug and stir in the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and five-spice powder. 2 Drain the ribs well, then brush with the glaze – if barbecuing, chill, cover and keep in the fridge for later. 3 Heat the grill to high, if using. Grill or barbecue for 15-20 mins, turning from time to time until shiny and slightly charred in places. Serve hot. PER SERVING 458 kcals, fat 30g, saturates 11g, carbs 4g, sugars 4g, fibre…

Strawberry & pistachio olive oil cake A versatile cake that’s perfect for afternoon tea or dessert. Serves 10 Prep 25 mins Cook 55 mins VEGETARIAN 200ml olive oil, plus extra for the tin225g shelled pistachios200g caster sugar3 large eggs150g fine cornmeal or polenta1 tsp gluten-free baking powder200g strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus extra to serve icing sugar and crème fraîche or yogurt, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil the base of a 23cm cake tin and line with baking parchment. Blitz 200g of the pistachios in a blender until they resemble ground almonds. 2 Whisk the caster sugar and eggs together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy – this should take about 5 mins. Add the olive oil, whisking constantly, then fold in the ground pistachios, cornmeal…

Tarragon, mushroom & sausage frittata Serves 2 Prep 5 mins Cook 15 mins 1 tbsp olive oil200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced2 pork sausages1 garlic clove, crushed100g asparagus3 large eggs2 tbsp half-fat soured cream1 tbsp wholegrain mustard1 tbsp chopped tarragon mixed rocket salad, to serve (optional) 1 Heat the grill to high. Heat the oil in a medium-sized, non-stick frying pan, tip in the mushrooms and fry over a high heat for 3 mins. Squeeze the sausagemeat out of their skins into nuggets, add to the pan and fry for a further 5 mins until golden brown. Add the crushed garlic and asparagus, and cook for another min. 2 Whisk together the eggs, soured cream, mustard and tarragon in a jug. Season well, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook for 3-4 mins,…

Prawn, avocado & soya bean salad Serves 1 Prep 10 mins Cook 3 mins 85g frozen soya beans85g cooked large prawns2 tsp sweet chilli sauce1 lime, zested and juiced1 tsp extra virgin olive oil½ small ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and chopped into small pieces¼ cucumber, chopped into small pieces small pack coriander, leaves picked small pack baby salad leaves 1 Cook the soya beans in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins until tender, then drain and cool under cold water. Toss the prawns with the sweet chilli and lime zest. Whisk together the oil, lime juice and some seasoning to make a dressing. 2 Mix the soya beans, avocado, cucumber and coriander. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Top with the prawns and salad leaves. PER SERVING 324 kcals, fat…

Linguine with kale pesto & crispy chicken skin It can be hard to find chicken breasts with the skin on these days, as if we are all afraid of them, but in reality, the skin is one of the tastiest bits of the bird. By saving the skin from a roast chicken, you can get all that savoury flavour into your pasta without the need to add any meat at all! ▪ Serves 4 ▪ Prep 5 mins ▪ Cook 15 mins skin from 4 free-range chicken breasts350g linguine150-200g kale, tarragon & hazelnut pesto (see below)grated parmesan, to serve FOR THE PESTO 200g curly kale, cavolo nero or brussels sprouts2-3 tarragon sprigs, leaves picked2 garlic cloves, crushed70g hazelnuts, blanched100g parmesan1 lemon, zested150-200ml extra virgin olive oil 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the…