BBC Easycook September 2022

The great thing about getting back from a holiday is cooking again (or is that just me?). I missed it when we were away, so for me, September is a time for getting back to work, sending our three kids back to school, college and uni, and getting back into the kitchen to plan, plan, plan. To give you a head start, turn to p44 for our September survival guide. It has everything you need, with ideas for healthy packed lunches, simple soups, flavour-packed bowls of goodness and satisfying one-pot suppers. And because we’re all battling ever-rising food prices and energy costs, we have loads of suggestions for value microwave meals (p18) and ways you can save money and reduce waste (p16). Enjoy cooking again! BEST OF BBC ⁕ Suzie Lee The Best…

Serves 6 Prep 20 mins plus cooling Cook 35 mins VEGETARIAN 1kg eating apples3 tbsp apricot jam1 large orange, juiced butter, for the dish FOR THE CRUMBLE 140g porridge oats100g plain flour1 tsp ground cinnamon100g butter100g light muscovado sugar1 tbsp golden syrup 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and mix with the jam and orange juice. Spread evenly over a buttered 1.5-litre ovenproof dish that’s not too deep. 2 Mix the oats, flour and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter in small chunks and rub in gently. Stir in the sugar and rub in again. Drizzle over the syrup, mixing with a knife so it forms small clumps. Sprinkle evenly over the apples and bake for 30-35 mins until the juices from the apples…

Raspberry tiramisu Serves 8-10 Prep 30 mins plus at least 4 hrs chilling No cook VEGETARIAN 500g mascarpone500ml double cream2 tbsp icing sugar2 tsp vanilla extract2 × 275g shop-bought lemon or vanilla loaf cakes, cut into 1½cm slices300g raspberries FOR THE RASPBERRY SAUCE 300g raspberries4 tbsp raspberry or orange liqueur1 tbsp icing sugar 1 First, make the raspberry sauce. Put all the ingredients and 2 tbsp of water in a food processor. Whizz until the mixture is puréed, then push through a sieve to remove the seeds. Chill until ready to serve. 2 Put the mascarpone in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk to loosen. Gradually add the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks. 3 Pour three-quarters of the raspberry sauce into a shallow bowl,…

Chilli & avocado salsa sweet potatoes Serves 2 (easily doubled) Prep 15 mins Cook 45 mins VEGITARIAN 2 large sweet potatoes1 tbsp vegetable oil1 onion, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed1 tsp paprika400g can chopped tomatoes400g can mixed beans, drained½ × 460g jar roasted red peppers, sliced1 tbsp coconut (or dairy) yogurt (optional) FOR THE SALSA 1 small avocado, chopped1 red chilli, finely chopped½ small pack of coriander, chopped 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake in the oven for 40-45 mins, or until tender and cooked. 2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep frying pan and cook the onion for about 10 mins until softening. Add the garlic and paprika, and stir for 1 min. Tip in the tomatoes, then bring to a gentle…

SHOP SOMEWHERE NEW You’ll be surprised to see how the same kind of product can vary from one supermarket to the next, so get to know all the shops in your area. The secret is to go to a supermarket that price matches, and check how competitive they really are just by looking for an ingredient online. For example, a 400-415g can of baked beans ranged from 21p to £1.20 in different supermarkets when we checked! Sardine pasta with crunchy parsley crumbs Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 25 mins 50g dried breadcrumbs1 tbsp olive oil3 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped2 × 120g cans sardines, drained500g passata50g sliced black olives, drained350g linguine or pennesmall pack of parsley, chopped25g parmesan, finely grated 1 Fry the crumbs in 1 tsp…

EASY MEALS FOR ONE OR TWO BE A MICROWAVE MASTER! 1. ALWAYS AVOID METAL This includes kitchen foil, cutlery or any crockery with a metal trim. Metal reflects the microwaves and catches fire – it’s a common cause of kitchen fires, and kitchen fires quickly turn into house fires. If in doubt, leave it out. 2. SEPARATE FOODS BY COOKING TIME Larger, more dense foods, such as starchy vegetables and thicker meat cuts, will need a longer cooking time than smaller foodstuffs. To avoid overcooking some foods and undercooking others, it makes sense to separate these out. Start with the larger items, adding in the smaller foods as you go so that everything is warmed up sufficiently for when you need it. 3. CUT UP LARGER FOODS TO SPEED UP THE COOKING TIME Larger…