THE USBORNE

BEGINNER'S
COOKBOOK
Fiona Watt
Designed by Mary Cartwright
Illustrated by Kim Lane
Photography by Howard Allman

Recipes by Roz Denny, Julia Kirby-Jones

and Catherine Atkinson
Food preparation by Ricky Turner and Lizzie Harris
Cover Illustration by Christyan Fox

Contents
Cooking for Beginners 2
Pasta and Pizza 49
Vegetarian Cooking 97
Cakes and Cookies 145
COOKING
FOR BEGINNERS
Before you begin
Before you begin to cook any of the Sharp Serrated
recipes in this book, read through the knife knife
hints and tips pages at the beginning
of the section it is in.

Equipment
Always read through the recipe
you are planning to make, before
you start to cook. This will
make sure that you are Slotte
spoon
prepared for everything
you are going to do. Wooden
Colander Vegetable spoon
peeler

Sieve

Kitchen
scissors
Garlic press
Brush

: v"
Measuring
jug 7
ly

'r - -r'T’
Large .
mixing • '

bowl

w Chopping
The oven
board
Always arrange the shelves in
Baking
sheet your oven before you turn it on.
Oven gloves If you have a fan oven, read its
instruction book and reduce
the heat, or the cooking
time, by the amount
suggested.
Ingredients
Before you start to
cook, make sure that
you have all the
ingredients in the
list at the beginning
of the recipe. Each
list shows both
grammes and
ounces. Follow the
recipe using either
grammes or
ounces, but don’t
mix them up.

Taking care

t
When you are using a Take care that you don’t Don’t leave the kitchen
saucepan or frying pan, touch anything hot. Wear while you’re cooking on gas
always make sure that oven gloves whenever you or electric rings. Always
the handle is turned to put dishes into, or take turn off your oven, rings
the side of your cooker. them out, of your oven. or grill when you finish.

Measuring with a spoon

You will need to use a teaspoon
or tablespoon to measure some
ingredients. Measure the A /eve/ spoon
ingredient as a level spoonful, not
heaped up above the edge of the
spoon, unless you are told to.
A tablespoon holds 15ml (V2 fl oz)
of liquid or 15g (V2 oz) of
something like sugar. A heaped spoon

3
Cooking hints
These two pages explain some of the
cooking words and skills which appear
in the recipes in this book. Read
through them before you start to cook.

Breaking an egg Sifting

Crack the shell by tapping 1. You sift an ingredient to 2. Lift the sieve slightly
an egg sharply on the rim get rid of any lumps. and shake it from side to
of a cup or a bowl. Push Place your sieve over a side. You may need to
your thumbs into the crack large bowl and spoon in use a spoon to push the
and pull the shell apart. the correct amount. last bit through the sieve.
Adding salt and pepper Beating a mixture
Try adding a
pinch of salt and
three or four
'twists' of a
peppermill.

i * * ' •>

In some recipes you will Briskly stir the ingredients

find that it says to add a mixture, put a damp together with a wooden
some salt and pepper. The dishcloth under your spoon or whisk, until
amount you add depends bowl. This stops the bowl they make a smooth,
on your own taste. from slipping as you beat. creamy mixture.
Making stock Peeling potatoes Grating cheese
Wash your
potatoes in
cold water,
first.

Crumble a stock cube into Hold a potato in one Cut a piece of cheese
a measuring jug, then pour hand, then scrape a which weighs more than
boiling water into the jug. vegetable peeler towards you need. Grate some, then
Stir it with a spoon until you again and again to weigh the grated cheese.
the cube dissolves. remove all the skin. Grate more if you need to.

4
 Preparing garlic

A garlic bulb A clove

of garlic

Some of the recipes in this 1. To remove a clove of 2. Slice a small piece off
book include garlic. A clove of
garlic is one of the sections of garlic from the bulb, the top and bottom of the
a whole bulb. squeeze and twist the clove, then peel off its
bulb until you split the skin. The garlic is now
outer layers of skin. ready to crush.

Using a garlic press

2. Run the blade of a If you don’t have a garlic

1. Put a clove of garlic
knife over the holes on press, put a clove of garlic
inside a garlic press, like
the press, to scrape off under the back of a
this. Close the press and
any crushed garlic which spoon. Push down firmly
squeeze the handles
is still sticking to it. on the clove several times.
together tightly.
Chopping an onion

2. Run your knife around 3. Hold the onion like this

1. Put the onion onto a
one side to slice the skin. ‘and cut it in half. Put the
chopping board. Use a
Lift a piece of the skin at cut side onto the chopping
vegetable knife to cut off
the cut, then peel the rest board and chop each half
the top and the bottom.
of it off the onion. as finely as you can.
Be careful as you cut.

5
Tomato and mozzarella salad
Serves 4
4 large ripe tomatoes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
300g (lOoz) mozzarella cheese

1. Cut the tomatoes in half

and cut the core out of
each one. Lay each half
on its flat side and slice
them as finely as you can.

2. Arrange the tomatoes

on four plates. Trickle a
tablespoon of oil over each
one. Sprinkle on a little salt
and some black pepper.

3. If your mozzarella is in 4. Lay the slices of 5. Cover the plates with

a bag full of liquid, slit the mozzarella among the plastic foodwrap and
bag and pour the liquid tomatoes. Tear the basil leave them in your fridge
away. Cut the mozzarella leaves into thin strips and for about 30 minutes,
into thin slices. sprinkle them on. then serve.
 Summer salad
Serves 4
1 small crispy lettuce
half a cucumber
1 large carrot
3 spring onions
a tub of cress
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of clear honey
a pinch of dried mixed herbs
a pinch of salt and ground black pepper

1. Cut the end of the stalk 2. Cut the cucumber in 3. Use a vegetable peeler
half lengthways. Scrape to peel the carrot. Grate it
off the lettuce. Pull the
out the seeds with a by rubbing it down, again
leaves off and tear them
teaspoon. Cut each half and again, on the biggest
into bite-sized pieces. Put
into thin slices. holes on a grater.
them into a large bowl.

4. Add the cucumber and 5. Add the onions to the 6. Put all the ingredients
carrot to the lettuce. Cut lettuce. Use kitchen for the dressing into a jam
the roots and tops off the scissors to snip the cress jar. Screw on its lid and
spring onions. Slice them from the tub. Add it to shake it well. Pour the
into 2cm (3A in) pieces. the bowl. dressing over the salad.

7
Leek and potato soup
Serves 4
250g (9oz) potatoes
2 medium leeks
25g (loz) butter
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
1 vegetable stock cube
dried mixed herbs
300ml (Vi pint) of milk
small handful of fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper
 1. Peel the potatoes with 2. Cut the roots and the
a vegetable peeler. Cut dark green tops off the
them into small chunks, leeks. Slice through the
then put them into a outside layer and peel it
large saucepan. off each leek.

3. Wash the leeks 4. Cut across the leeks so 5. Turn on the heat and
thoroughly under cold, that you get 1cm (lAin) slowly melt the butter.
running water. Make sure slices. Put the slices into When it starts to sizzle,
that there is no soil left in the pan and add the put a lid on the pan and
butter and oil.

6. Let the vegetables cook 7. Meanwhile, boil a kettle 8. When the vegetables are
gently for ten minutes. of water. Put the stock cooked, carefully pour in
Shake the pan occasionally cube into a measuring jug. the stock. Add a pinch of
to stop it from sticking, Pour in 900ml (116 pints) mixed herbs, the milk and
but don’t lift the lid. of boiling water and stir it. a little salt and pepper.
Chopping parsley

9. Turn up the heat and 10. Let the soup cook for
bring the mixture to the 15 minutes, until the leeks Put the parsley into a mug.
boil. Then, turn the heat and potatoes are soft. Ladle Use scissors to snip the
down so that the mixture it into bowls and sprinkle parsley into fine pieces. It is
it with chopped parsley. easier than using a knife.
is bubbling gently.

9
Cheesy beef burgers
Serves 4
500g (lib 2oz) lean minced beef
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
ground black pepper
40g (IV20Z) Cheddar cheese
sunflower oil

Make sure that

your hands are clean.

1. Remove the grill pan 2. Put the mince into a 3. Mix the ingredients
and rack from your grill bowl and break it up with well and divide it in four.
and put it to one side. a fork. Add the soy sauce, Squeeze each lump of
Turn your grill on to its herbs and two ‘twists’ of mixture into a round, flat
highest setting. black pepper (see page 4). shape (see tip, right).
Press the cheese into the
middle.

4. Cut the cheese into four

cubes. Press a cube into
each burger. Push the
mixture over to
cover the cheese.

You could serve

your burgers
with ovenbake
chips and
salad.
You could serve your burgers
in brown or white buns with
lettuce and slices of tomato.
Add a little mayonnaise too,
if you like.

5. Fold a paper towel 6. Use a fish slice to lift 7. After seven minutes,
several times and pour a the burgers onto the grill turn the burgers over, by
little oil onto it. Wipe it rack. Turn the heat down sliding a fish slice under
across the rack of your to medium and cook the each one and holding the
grill pan. burgers for seven minutes. top with a fork.

Tip: shaping burgers

9. Press a fork on a burger Dip your hands in clean,

8. Cook the burgers for
to test it. If you like cold water to stop the
seven minutes more. Check
medium-cooked burgers mixture from sticking to
that they do not become
they will feel springy. your hands when you
too brown. Turn the heat
Well-done ones feel firm. shape it.
down a little if they are.

11
Creamy fish pie
Serves 4
500g (lib 2oz) of boneless, skinless white 2 tomatoes
fish fillet (e.g. cod, haddock or coley) 4 spring onions
400ml (14fl oz) milk 2 tablespoons of soft butter or margarine
salt and black pepper 2 tablespoons of flour
750g (11b 9oz) of potatoes lOOg (4oz) frozen peas, defrosted

Watch the
pan in case
the milk
boils over.

1. Put the fish into a 2. Bring the milk to the 3. Take the pan off the
saucepan. Pour in the boil, then turn the heat heat. Lift out the fish with
milk, along with a little down low so that it is a fish slice, but don’t
salt and a couple of bubbling very gently. throw away the milk.
‘twists’ of pepper. Cook it for five minutes. Leave the fish to cool.

4. Meanwhile, peel the 5. Add half a teaspoon of 6. Cook the potatoes for
potatoes. Cut them into salt and bring the water to 10-15 minutes until they
chunks. Put the chunks the boil. Turn down the are soft. While they are
into a pan and cover heat so that it bubbles cooking, use a fork to
them with cold water. gently. Put a lid on the pan. break the fish into flakes.

Slice across
the onions.

7. Cut the tomatoes into 8. When the potatoes are 9. Crush the potato by
small chunks. Cut the cooked, drain them in a pressing a potato masher
roots and the green tops colander over a sink. Put down, again and again, on
off the spring onions and the chunks back into the the chunks. Do it until
slice the onions finely. pan, but not on any heat. there are no lumps left.

12
10. Add two tablespoons
of milk from the fish pan
and a tablespoon of
butter, to the potato. Mix
it well.

Turn the heat

down to let it
bubble gently.

11. Mix the flour with a little

milk. Stir it into the milk,
with a tablespoon of butter.
Boil it, then let it bubble
gently for one minute.

12. Add the fish, onion, peas

and tomatoes. Cook for two
minutes. Pour the mixture
into an ovenproof dish. Turn
on your grill to medium.
Use a fork to make the
top of the potato

13. Spoon the potato on

top. Put the dish under
the grill. Cook it until the
potato becomes golden.
Serve it immediately.
Crunchy cheese omelette
For one person
40g (IV20Z) mature Cheddar or Gruyere cheese Look for mini
6 stems of fresh chives or 3 sprigs of fresh parsley croutons in the
2 tablespoons of mini croutons soup or snack
section of a
2 large eggs supermarket.
salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of olive oil

1. For the filling, grate the 2. Use kitchen scissors to 3. Use your fingers or a
cheese on the coarse side snip the chives or parsley knife to break the croutons
of the grater (see page 4). into the bowl. If you are into pieces, about the size
Put the grated cheese into using parsley, don’t chop of peas. Add them to the
a small bowl. the thick part of the stalk. bowl and mix well.

You could add sliced

tomato and basil
instead of the
croutons.

\/T - " Page 4

SA A/ shows you
'T how to
break an egg.

4. Break the eggs into

another bowl. Add a
tablespoon of water and
a little salt and pepper.
Beat them well.
You could serve
your omelette with
some lettuce.

The egg will set a little

on the bottom.

5. Heat a small non-stick 6. Heat the oil for a few 7. Use a non-metal spatula
frying pan over a medium seconds. Carefully tilt the to pull the egg away from
heat for a minute without pan so that the oil coats the side of the pan. Tip
the base of it. Pour in the the pan to let runny egg
egg and let it cook a little. flow into the space.

9. Spoon the filling all over 10. Leave the filling to

8. Keep pulling the omelette
the top. Tilt the pan at an cook for a few seconds.
away from the side of the
angle and use a spatula to Turn off the heat. Slide
pan until all the runny
fold over one half of the the omelette onto a plate
egg is cooked. The top
omelette. and eat it immediately.
should still look creamy.

15
Stuffed pancakes
Serves 4, makes about 12 pancakes
125g (4oz) plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 egg
sunflower oil
300ml (1/2 pint) of milk
For the filling: 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
400g (14oz) lean minced beef or turkey
340g (lloz) jar of tomato pasta sauce
150g (5oz) of soured cream
ll|L| 50g (2oz) Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Put a sieve over a large

mixing bowl. Pour in the
flour and the salt. Shake
the sieve until all the flour
has fallen through.
Put a dishcloth __
under
the bowl ; \
to stop Sk Jj
it from
slipping. l

2. Press a whisk into the

middle of the flour to
make a deep hollow. Break
an egg into a cup, then
pour it into the hollow.
Use a _____ /^p
whisk.//{

3. Add a tablespoon of oil

and two tablespoons of
milk. Beat the egg, oil and
milk with some of the flour
from around the hollow.
4. Add some more of the 5. Heat a small frying pan 6. Put two tablespoons of
milk and beat it again. over a medium heat for oil into a cup. Fold a paper
Continue to add some about a minute. Don’t put towel in half and roll it up.
milk and beat it, until all anything into the pan at Dip one end into the oil
the milk is mixed in. this point. and brush it over the pan.

7. Put the batter next to 8. Put the pan flat on the 9. Loosen the edge of the
your pan. Quickly add heat and cook it until the pancake and slide a fish
three tablespoons of batter. batter turns pale and is slice under it. Flip the
Swirl it all over the bottom lightly cooked. Small holes pancake over and cook it
by tipping the pan. will also appear on top. for half a minute more.

Make a stack of pancakes

under the tea towel.

10. Slide the pancake onto 11. Heat a tablespoon of oil 12. Stir the pasta sauce into
in a saucepan. Add the the mince. Bring the pan to
a plate then cover it with
mince. Break it up with a the boil then turn it down
a clean tea towel. Repeat
wooden spoon and cook it so that it bubbles gently.
steps 6-11 until the batter
until it is brown all over. Cook for five minutes.
is finished.
Fill each pancake
in the same way.

14. Lay the pancakes, join- 15. Put the dish under the
13. Lay a pancake on a
side down in an ovenproof grill. Leave it until the
plate. Spoon on two
dish. Turn on your grill. cheese starts to bubble
tablespoons of mixture.
Spoon on the cream and and goes golden brown.
Fold one side over the
sprinkle cheese on top. Serve immediately.
mixture, then roll it up.

17
 Crusty bread 'pizzas'
Serves two
1 ciabatta bread,
or 1 thick French stick
For the topping; 1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
half a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
salt and ground black pepper
250g (9oz) of-mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut the top and bottom 2. Heat two tablespoons of 3. Add the tomatoes, the
off the onion and peel it. oil in a frying pan. Gently herbs and some salt and
Cut it in half and slice it. cook the garlic and onion, pepper. Turn up the heat
Peel the garlic cloves and for five minutes, or until and bring the mixture to
crush them (see page 5). they are soft. the boil.

You could put olives or slices of

salami or ham on top of the
cheese, before you cook them.
4. Turn the heat down to 5. Take the pan off the 6. Put your bread onto a
medium and let the heat. Leave it to cool for chopping board and
topping cook for about 10-15 minutes. Turn your carefully cut it in half
ten minutes, or until most oven on to 200°C, 400°F, lengthways. Put each half
of the liquid has gone. onto a large baking sheet.

7. Spread each piece of 8. Sprinkle the Parmesan 9. Take the baking sheet
bread with the topping. cheese on top. Bake the out of the oven and let the
Slice the mozzarella cheese ‘pizzas’ for about 15 bread cool for five minutes.
as finely as you can and minutes or until the Cut each half into pieces, to
lay the slices on top. cheese is bubbling. make it easier to eat.
Cheesy spinach flan
Serves 4 2 medium size eggs
200ml (7fl oz) single cream
350g (12oz) shortcrust pastry, thawed
or full-fat milk
if frozen
salt and ground black pepper
200g (7oz) fresh spinach
1 onion a 20cm (8in) flan dish or tin
2 cloves of garlic Heat your oven to T70°C,
1 tablespoon of olive oil 325°F, Gas mark 3.
lOOg (4 oz) grated Cheddar cheese

Make sure that your work

surface is clean and dry.

1. Sprinkle a little flour on 2. Roll the pastry, turn it 3. Put your flan dish or tin
your work surface and in a quarter turn and roll onto a baking sheet. Roll
onto a rolling pin. Shape it again. Keep on doing the pastry over the rolling
the pastry into a smooth, this until you get a circle pin then unroll the pastry
round ball. about 25cm (lOin) across. onto the dish.

4. Gently press the pastry 5. Prick the base of the 6. Put the flan into the
into the base and up the flan a few times with a fridge for half an hour and
sides of the dish, without fork. Press a sheet of foil turn on your oven. Wash
tearing it. Bring the pastry into the dish, then fill the the spinach and put the
over the rim of the dish. base with baking beans. wet leaves into a large pan.
Press the water out of

7. Cook the spinach for 8. Slice the onion and crush 9. When the pastry has
three minutes over a the garlic (see page 5). Put cooled, put it into the
medium heat. It wilts as it the oil into a pan. Cook the oven. Cook it for 15
cooks. Drain it, press out onion and garlic for five minutes, then lift it out of
the water. Leave it to cool. minutes, until they are soft. the oven carefully.

20
10. Lift off the foil and the
beans. Trim off the pastry
around the rim. Put the
flan, uncovered, in the
oven for five more minutes.

11. Turn your oven to

160°C, 325°F, Gas mark 3.
Spread the onion mixture
over the flan. Cut up the
spinach and add it too.

12. Sprinkle the cheese and

a little salt and pepper on
top of the spinach. Beat
the eggs with the cream

13. Pour the mixture over

the filling. Put the flan
into the oven for about 30
minutes or until the top
has set and is golden.
Pan-fried meat or fish
Serves 4
2 tablespoons of olive oil
either: 4 x lOOg (3!/2 0z) sirloin or rump steaks,
or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts,
or 4 x lOOg (3V20Z) skinless, boneless salmon fillets
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
salt and black pepper

1.If you are using chicken 2. Put a non-stick frying

breasts, make two cuts on pan onto a ring and turn
top of each one with a it on to a high heat. Leave
sharp knife. Put four it for a minute without
plates in a warm place. anything in it.

3. Pour the oil into the 4. If you are cooking steak, If you are using chicken,
pan and brush it over the cook the pieces on one cook the pieces for five to
bottom. Add the pieces of side for two minutes, or six minutes on one side.
steak, chicken or salmon. for three to four minutes if Chicken should always be
They will sizzle a little. you like them well done. well-cooked.

For salmon, cook the 5. When you have cooked 6. When the meat or fish
pieces for about three the pieces on one side, turn is cooked, use a fish slice
minutes on one side. The the heat to medium. Turn to lift it onto the warm,
fillets should still be a little them over and cook them plates. Leave them to
juicy and not dry. for the same time again. stand for few minutes.

22
This piece of chicken
was cooked on a griddle
pan. The browned stripes
are made by the ridges
on the pan.

7. Chop the parsley (see

page 9) and sprinkle a
little onto each piece.
Serve the meat or fish
with potatoes and a salad
Lamb kebabs in pitta pockets
Serves 4
2 large lamb leg steaks, about 175g (6 oz) each
1 clove of garlic
half a teaspoon of mild curry powder
1 tablespoon of oil
4 wooden kebab or satay sticks
2 little gem lettuces
quarter of a cucumber
2 tablespoons of natural yogurt
1 teaspoon of dried mint, or
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped mint
salt and ground black pepper
2 pitta breads
lamb before you
serve it.
1. If there is a small bone 2. Peel and crush the garlic 3. Add the meat into the
in the middle of the lamb (see page 5). Put the garlic, bowl and stir it well.
steaks, cut it out. Cut the curry powder, oil and a Cover the bowl with
meat into cubes, with little salt and pepper into a plastic foodwrap and
sides about 2cm (5A in). bowl and mix well. leave it for half an hour.

Throw away the

core of the lettuce.

4. Put the wooden sticks 5. Shread the lettuce by 6. Cut the cucumber in
into a bowl of cold water cutting across it and put it half, then slice it finely.
and leave them to soak. in a bowl. If you are using Mix the lettuce, yogurt,
This stops them from fresh mint, chop the mint and cucumber, with
burning under the grill. leaves finely. a little salt and pepper.

7. Turn your grill on to 8. Put the kebabs onto 9. Cook the kebabs for
the grill rack and push it five minutes more. While
medium. Dry the kebab
under your grill. Cook the they are cooking, cut the
sticks on a paper towel,
kebabs for five minutes, pitta bread in half across
then push the cubes of
then turn them over. the middle, like this.
lamb onto them.

11. Run the tip of a knife 12. Hold a kebab stick at

10. Put the kebabs on a
along the cut edge of one end and use a fork to
plate. Put the pittas under
each pitta to open it up. slide the lamb off. Put
the grill for two minutes
Fill each one with some of some lamb into each pitta
but turn off the heat. This
the lettuce mixture. and eat immediately.
will warm them through.

25
Vegetable stir
Serves 4
1 carrot
1 red or yellow pepper
2 courgettes
100g (4oz) mangetout
4 spring onions
lOOg (4oz) baby sweetcorn
1 clove of garlic
lOOg (4oz) fresh beanshoots
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon of cornflour
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of oil
a pinch of sugar

*
1. Peel the carrot with a 2. Cut the pepper in half. 3. Cut the ends off the
vegetable peeler. Cut off Cut out the stalk and courgettes. Cut them in
the top and bottom, then scrape out the seeds and half lengthways. Slice the
slice it into circles, as white bits inside. Cut it halves into strips then cut
into thin slices. them into shorter pieces.

4. Snip the ends off the 5. Cut the roots and the 6. Cut the ends off the
mangetout using a pair of dark green ends off the sweetcorn, then cut them
kitchen scissors. Then, cut spring onions. Peel the in half lengthways. Peel
each mangetout into outer layer off them, then the clove of garlic and
smaller pieces, with a knife. slice them diagonally. crush it (see page 5).

These vegetables were

cooked in a special
stir-fry pan, but you
can use a large frying

7. Put the cornflour into a 8. Heat two tablespoons of

cup and add a few drops oil in a frying pan or wok.
of water. Mix it to make a Add the carrot, pepper and
paste. Stir in the rest of courgette to the pan. Cook
the sauce ingredients. them for three minutes.

9. Add the sweetcorn, garlic 10. Stir the sauce in the

and onions. Cook them for a cup then quickly pour it
minute. Add the mangetout into the pan. Stir it to coat
and beanshoots. Cook the the vegetables and serve
mixture for three minutes. them immediately.

27
Pasta with fresh tomato sauce
Serves 4
For the sauce: 8 medium tomatoes Pasta shapes
2 cloves of garlic such as shells,
twists or
3 tablespoons of olive oil spirals are
half a teaspoon of caster sugar best for this
recipe.
375g (12oz) dried pasta shapes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
6 fresh basil leaves

1. Boil a kettle of water. 2. Put the tomatoes into a 3. Leave the tomatoes for
Pull any stalks off the heat-proof bowl. Carefully at least a minute. Fill
tomatoes. Use the tip of a pour the boiling water another bowl with cold
knife to cut a cross on the over the tomatoes so that water, then spoon the
bottom of each tomato. they are covered. tomatoes into it.

4. Lift the tomatoes out of 5. Cut each tomato into 6. Peel the garlic and crush
the water. Use your quarters, then cut out the it (see page 5). Heat the oil
fingers to peel off their tough cores. Cut the in a large saucepan. Add
skins, starting at the cuts fleshy part of each the tomatoes, garlic and
you made. tomato into small pieces. sugar and stir well.

7. Turn the heat to 8. While the sauce is 9. When the water is

medium and cook the cooking, fill a large pan boiling hard, add the
sauce for about five with water and put it on pasta and stir it once or.
minutes. Stir it once or to boil. Add a teaspoon of twice. Bring the pan back
twice as it cooks. salt to the water. to the boil.

28
When you serve your pasta,
sprinkle it with the grated
Parmesan cheese.

Drain the pasta in a

colander over a sink. Add a little salt
and pepper too.

11. Cook the pasta for the 12. Add a tablespoon of oil
10. Turn down the heat
time it says on its packet, to the pasta and stir in the
so the water is bubbling,
then drain it. Rinse the sauce. Rip the basil leaves
but not too fiercely. Turn
pasta under cold water. into pieces and stir them
the heat under the sauce
Put it back into its pan. in. Serve immediately.
as low as it will go.

29
Prawn and pepper pilaff
Serves 4
200g (7oz) peeled prawns
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic
1 red or yellow pepper
2 tablespoons of oil
15g O/2 oz) butter
1 teaspoon of mild curry powder
200g (7oz) basmati rice
400ml (14floz) water
50g (2oz) creamed coconut
1 teaspoon of salt
lOOg (4oz) peas
freshly ground black pepper
1. If you are using frozen 2. Cut the ends off the 3. Peel the garlic clove
orawns, spread them out onion, peel the onion and and crush it (see page 5).
on a plate. Leave them for cut it in half. Slice each Cut the red or yellow
two hours to defrost, then half finely then cut the pepper in half. Cut out
drain them in a sieve. slices into small pieces. the seeds and the stalk.
Stir it
occasionally.

4. Slice the pepper finely, 5. Heat the oil and butter 6. Stir in the curry powder
then cut the slices into gently in a large non-stick and add the rice. Cut the
small pieces. Make them pan. Add the vegetables. coconut into chunks and
about the same size as the Cook them on a medium add it to the pan along
pieces of onion. heat for seven minutes. with the water and salt.
Stir it once
or twice.

7. Turn up the heat and 8. Cover the pan and let it

bring the mixture to the cook for ten minutes.
boil. When it has boiled, Don’t lift the lid while it is
turn the heat down so cooking as the steam in
that it is bubbling gently the pan cooks the rice.

W Stir it to
Add a
little separate
black the
pepper grains
too. of rice.

9. Remove the lid carefully 10. Take the pan off the
and stir in the prawns and heat and leave it, with the
peas. Put the lid on the lid on, for five minutes. Stir
pan again and cook it for the mixture with a fork
two to three minutes. and serve immediately.

31
Beef goulash with tagliatelle
Serves 4 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 stock cube
200g (7oz) tagliatelle pasta
1 onion 1 tablespoon of butter or soft margarine
2 cloves of garlic 150g (5oz) soured cream or creme fraiche
1 red or yellow pepper
salt and ground black pepper
500g (lib 2oz) lean braising beef
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil or olive oil Heat your oven to 170°C, 325°F,
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs Gas mark 3.
1 tablespoon of paprika

Stir the meat

as it cooks. ^

1. Make 300ml (16 pint) of 2. Peel and crush the 3. Cut the meat into 1cm
stock (see page 4). Cut the garlic. Cut the pepper in (16 in) chunks. Heat the oil
ends off the onion and half and remove the core in a frying pan over a
peel off the skin. Cut it in and the seeds. Slice it medium heat. Add the
half and slice it finely. finely. Turn on your oven meat and start to cook it.

Add a little salt and

pepper too.

4. When the chunks of 5. Put the onion, garlic 6. Sprinkle on the herbs
meat have browned all and pepper into the pan. and paprika. Put the meat
over, remove the meat Stir them well and cook back in the pan and stir it.
with a slotted spoon and them for five minutes, Add the vinegar, tomatoes
put it on a plate. until they are soft. and the stock.
Wear oven gloves.

7. Bring the mixture to the 8. Put the dish into the 9. About 20 minutes before
boil, stirring it as it cooks. oven for an hour. Take it the meat is ready, fill a
Once it has boiled, ladle it out and stir it. Put the lid large pan with water. Add
carefully into an oven-proof back and return it to the a teaspoon of salt and bring
dish. Put a lid on the dish. oven for half an hour. the water to the boil.

32
10. Put the pasta into the 11. Cook the pasta for the 12. Put the pasta onto four
water and bring back to time it says on its packet, plates or bowls and put
the boil. Turn the heat then drain it in a colander. the meat onto top. Add
down so that it isn’t Spoon the butter onto the some cream or creme
boiling too fiercely. pasta and toss it. fraiche on top.

Cookins pasta
This shows yellow egg
tagliatelle, but you could
use green spinach
tagliatelle for this dish.

When you cook pasta,

start measuring its
cooking time from
when the water
boils again after
adding the
pasta.
Roast chicken and vegetables
Serves 4
1 roasting chicken, about 1.8kg (41b), defrosted if frozen
2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
500g (lib 2oz) new potatoes
2 medium onions, preferably red onions
1 red pepper
1 green or yellow pepper
2 tablespoons of creme fraiche or double cream
salt and ground black pepper
Heat your oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5.
 Scrub the
potatoes
first if
they are
not clean.

1. Turn on your oven. 2. Place the chicken in a 3. Put the potatoes into a
Untie the legs of the roasting tin. Rub a clean plastic bag. Add a
chicken. Either pull off, or tablespoon of oil over the tablespoon of oil. Rub the
cut out, the fatty pads skin. Sprinkle it with herbs potatoes so that they
inside the chicken’s body. and some salt and pepper. become coated with oil.

4. Tip the potatoes into 5. Meanwhile, cut the 6. Toss the onion and
the tin, around the onions in quarters and pepper pieces in the oily
chicken. Put the chicken peel off their skin. Cut the plastic bag. Add them to
into the oven and cook it peppers into quarters and the tin when the chicken
for 45 minutes. cut out the core and seeds. has cooked for 45 minutes

7. So that the chicken 8. After 45 minutes, scoop 9. Poke a knife into the meat
browns evenly, put it out the vegetables and put beside a leg, to see if it is
back into the oven the them in a serving dish. Put cooked. There should be no
other way around. Cook it the dish into the oven, pink. If there is, cook it for
for another 45 minutes. with the heat turned off. five to ten more minutes.

Push a large spoon inside

the chicken to lift it.

10. Lift up the chicken and 11. Turn a ring onto a low 12. Pull the legs and thighs
hold it over the roasting heat and put the tin on off the chicken and cut
tin and let the juices drip top. Cook the juices for a the rest of the meat off
minute, then stir in the with a sharp knife. Serve it
into it. Then put the
creme fraiche or cream. with the vegetables.
chicken onto a plate.
35
Lemon and honey cheesecake
Serves 6
250g (9oz) digestive biscuits
125g (4oz) butter
135g (4% oz) packet of lemon jelly
2 tablespoons of clear honey
300g (lOoz) of single cream
200g (7oz) fromage frais or quark
You will also need a 20cm (8in) flan
tin with a loose base. It should be
about 3cm (lVhin) deep.
 Use the
back of a
spoon to
press the
crumbs.

1. Put the biscuits into a 2. Melt the butter in a 3. Grease inside of the flan
clean plastic bag. Seal the saucepan over a low heat. tin with some butter.
bag with an elastic band. Pour in the biscuit crumbs Spread the crumbs over
Roll a rolling pin over the from the bag and mix the bottom. Press them to
biscuits to crush them. them with the butter. make a firm base.

4. Put the base into a 5. Warm a tablespoon 6. Pour 300ml (V2 pint) of
fridge to chill. Use kitchen under a hot tap (see tip, boiling water into the jug.
scissors to snip the jelly below). Dry it and add Stir the mixture well,
into cubes. Put them into two tablespoons of honey until the jelly dissolves.
a measuring jug. to the jelly cubes. Leave the mixture to cool.

7. Meanwhile, put the 8. When the jelly mixture 9. Pour the creamy
cream into a large bowl. is cool, pour it into the mixture into the flan tin.
Use a wooden spoon to bowl with the creamy Put it carefully into the
beat in the fromage frais mixture. Beat it hard with fridge and leave it for
a whisk to mix it well. about four hours to set.
or quark until it is smooth.
Measuring honey

10. When the cheesecake 11. Leave the cheesecake

on the tin’s base. Put it Warm your spoon under a
is firm, lift it onto a can.
onto a plate and leave it hot tap before you dip it
Carefully press down on
in a fridge until you are into a jar of honey. This
the sides of the flan tin to
ready to eat it. makes it easier to measure.
loosen the base.

37
Fudgey fruit crumble
Serves 4
500g (lib 2oz) eating apples
6 tablespoons of water
ground mixed spice
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
For the topping: lOOg (4oz) plain flour
lOOg (4oz) wholemeal flour
lOOg (4 oz) sunflower margarine or butter
90g (3oz) light soft brown sugar or Demerara sugar

1. Cut the apples into 2. Add the water. Sprinkle 3. Stir the two kinds of
quarters, peel them then the apples with a large flour together in a bowl.
cut out the cores. Cut the pinch of mixed spice and Cut the margarine or
quarters into chunks. Put a tablespoon of caster butter into small pieces
them in a medium pie dish sugar. Turn on your oven. and add it to the flour.

4. Wash your hands and 5. When the mixture 6. Sprinkle the topping
dry them well. Rub in the looks like coarse over the apple. Spread it
margarine or butter into breadcrumbs, mix in the out and smooth it with
the flour using your brown sugar. Mix it in the back of a fork. Put the
fingers (see the tip, right). with your fingers too. dish onto a baking tray.

7. Bake the crumble for 8. Push the tip of a knife 9. Leave the crumble for
45 minutes, until the top is into a piece of apple. If it’s at least five minutes to
golden. Turn the crumble not soft, put the crumble cool a little before you.
around halfway through, back into the oven for five serve it. Serve it with
so that it browns evenly. more minutes. cream or ice cream.

38
instead of
apples.

Rubbins in

1 *- V

' -

/•

Use a blunt knife to mix

the pieces of margarine or
butter. Stir and cut the
flour until the pieces are
coated with flour.

H'r n

W’ )

v *5 ' 'l V 1.V

t

tX 'p. *

Rub the pieces between

your fingertips. As you
rub, lift the mixture up
and let it drop. It will mix
to look like breadcrumbs.
Strawberry trifle
Serves 4
500g (11b) fresh strawberries
6 trifle sponges
2 tablespoons of raspberry or strawberry jam
4 tablespoons of apple juice
1 small lemon
300ml (V2 pint) double cream
3 tablespoons of milk
half a teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 tablespoons of caster sugar

1. Pull the stalks out of

the strawberries. Try to
pull them out with the
white core attached. Use
a small knife to help you.
Leave a few strawberries
for the
of your
trifle.

2. Cut most of the 3. Cut the sponges in half.

strawberries in half, or in Spread each half with jam
quarters if they are big. then press them back
Put the pieces into a together again. Cut the
medium-sized bowl. sponges into quarters.

4. Put the pieces of 5. Cover your bowl with 6. Grate the yellow skin,
sponge on top of the plastic foodwrap and put or zest, from the lemon,
strawberries and mix it into your fridge for using the medium hol^s
them gently. Trickle the about three hours. The on a grater. Use a knife to
apple juice over them. sponges will go soft. scrape off the zest.

40
 Spread the cream
with the back of a
spoon.

7. When the sponge 8. Beat the mixture with 9. Lightly spread the
a whisk until it becomes creamy mixture over the
mixture is nearly chilled,
slightly stiff. If you beat it sponges and strawberries.
put the cream into a large
too much, it will become Put it in the fridge until
bowl. Add the milk, lemon
too solid to spread. you are ready to serve it.
zest, vanilla and sugar.

41
Gooey chocolate fudge cake
Serves 6-8 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons of sunflower oil
150g (5oz) dark chocolate
250g (8oz) self-raising flour
150ml (’A pint) double cream
6 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of baking powder two 20cm (8in) round cake tins
300g (lOoz) sunflower margarine Heat your oven to 170°C,
( not low fat spread) 325°F, Gas mark 3.
300g (lOoz) soft brown sugar

Cut just
inside the
line you
have
drawn.

1. Turn on your oven. Put 2. Brush sunflower oil 3. Sift the flour, cocoa and
the cake tins onto baking over the inside of the tins. baking powder into a
parchment or greaseproof Put a paper circle inside bowl (see page 4). Put
paper and draw around each one and brush the another large bowl onto a
them. Cut out the circles. top of it with oil. damp dishcloth.
Use a Don't forget to
wooden add a tablespoon
spoon. of flour with This cake is best if it
each egg. is eaten on the day
you make it.

4. Put the margarine and 5. Crack one egg into a

sugar into the empty bowl cup. Add it to the bowl
and beat them until they with one tablespoon of
are creamy. Add the flour. Beat it well. Repeat
vanilla and beat it again. this with each egg.
Spread the top level
with a knife.

6. Gently stir in the rest 7. Put the mixture into the

of the flour, moving the cake tins. Put them on the
spoon in the shape of a middle shelf of the oven.
number eight. This keeps Cook for 40 to 45 minutes.
the mixture light. Test them (see page 45).

42
 Put the cakes on wire racks
to cool.
Run the knife
around the
edge again if
it doesn’t
come out.

8. Wear oven gloves to lift 9. Turn each tin upside 10. For the icing, break the
the tins from the oven. Let down over a wire rack and chocolate into a heatproof
them cool for five minutes, shake it. The cakes should bowl. Add the cream. Heat
then run a knife around pop out. Peel off the paper 5cm (2in) of water in a pan
the sides of each tin. and leave them to cool. until it is just bubbling.

11. Put the bowl in the 12. Stir the icing a few 13. Spread a third of the
pan. Stir the chocolate as times while it is cooling in icing on one cake. Put the
it melts. When it has the fridge. It will thicken. other cake on top of it
melted, let it cool, then When it is like soft butter, and cover the top and
put it into the fridge. take it out of the fridge. sides with your icing.
Carrot cake
Serves 8-12 slices 125g (41Aoz) raisins
75g (23Aoz) chopped walnuts
a little oil for greasing
2 tablespoons of milk
250g (9oz) carrots
150g (5oz) margarine For the topping: 200g (7oz) cream cheese
200g (7oz) light soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 large eggs 50g (2oz) icing sugar
200g (7oz) self-raising flour half a teaspoon of vanilla essence
half a teaspoon of salt a 20cm (8in) round cake tin
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Heat your oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4.
2 teaspoons of baking powder

1. Put your cake tin onto a 2. Brush the sides and the 3. Turn your oven on.
piece of baking parchment base of tin with a little oil Wash the carrots and cut
or greaseproof paper and to grease it. Put the paper off their tops. Grate them
draw around it. Cut out circle inside and brush on the side of the grater
the circle. this with oil, too. with the biggest holes.

4. Put the margarine into 5. Break the eggs into a 6. Put a sieve over the
a saucepan and heat it small bowl and beat them. bowl. Shake the flour, salt,
slowly until it has just Stir the carrots and sugar cinnamon and baking
melted. Pour it into a into the margarine. Then, powder through the sieve,
large bowl. add the beaten eggs. onto the mixture.

7. Use a wooden spoon to 8. Spoon the mixture into 9. Bake the cake for an
beat the mixture, until it the tin. Smooth the top hour. Test it by sticking a
is smooth. Mix in the with a spoon. Tap the tin skewer into it. When it
raisins and walnuts, then on your work surface to comes out it should have
stir in the milk. make the mixture level. no mixture sticking to it.

44
10. Put the cake tin on a 11. Hold the rack on top of 12. While the cake is
wire rack and leave it for the tin and turn them cooling, sift the icing
ten minutes. Then, run a both over. Shake the tin sugar into a bowl. Add
knife around the side of gently to get the cake the cheese, lemon juice
the cake. out. Peel off the paper. and vanilla.
Testing a cake

13. Beat the mixture well. 14. Put the other half of
the cake on top. Spread Push a skewer or a sharp
When the cake has cooled
the top of it with topping knife into the middle of the
completely, cut it in half.
Make swirly patterns on cake. If the cake is cooked,
Spread one piece with half
it with a fork. it will come out clean.
of the topping.

45
Tasty cookies
Makes about 60 cookies. This recipe shows you how to
make fruit cookies. See the labels for other flavours.
200g (7oz) plain flour You can add all
quarter of a teaspoon of salt kinds of things to
these cookies.
2 teaspoons of baking powder Try 50g (2oz)
1 large egg of chopped
150g (5oz) butter hazelnuts instead
of the orange
200g (7oz) caster sugar and lemon zest.
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 orange and 1 lemon
Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6.

1. Weigh the butter and 2. Break the egg into a 3. Put the butter and
leave it for about an hour cup. Beat it briskly with a sugar into another bowl
to soften. Sift the flour, fork, so that the yolk and and beat them until they
salt and baking powder the white are mixed well are creamy. Stir in the egg
into a bowl (see page 4). together. and vanilla essence.

Scrape the zest

off the grater
with a knife.

4. Grate the skin, or zest, 5. Add the flour and stir it

off the orange and lemon until you get a smooth
using the medium holes dough. If the dough feels
on your grater. Stir it into very soft, put it into your
* the creamy mixture. fridge for an hour.

Orange and
lemon cookies.

6. Put a long piece of foil

onto your work surface
and scrape the dough onto
it. Roll the dough to make
a long sausage shape.
For chocolate cookies,
add two tablespoons Use four tablespoons
of cocoa powder. Sift of desiccated coconut
it in with the flour. instead of the zest to
make coconut cookies.

7. Wrap the foil around 8. Take the dough out of

the dough and put it in the fridge and cut it into
your fridge for about an very thin slices. You don’t
hour, until it becomes need to use all the dough
Storing the dough
firm. Turn on your oven at one time (see the tip).

9. Spread out the slices of 10. Leave the cookies on

the baking sheet for a Wrap any spare dough in
dough on a non-stick
minute. Use a fish slice to foil. It will keep for about
baking sheet. Bake them
slide them onto a wire ten days in a fridge or up
for about seven minutes,
rack to cool. to six weeks in a freezer.
until they are golden.

47
Weights and measures
For a recipe to work well, it’s important • If you are measuring something like
to measure the ingredients accurately. herbs, a liquid or salt in a spoon, don’t
Here are a few tips to help you. hold the spoon over the mixture you are
cooking, just in case some spills out of
• When you measure a liquid, look at the spoon and into the mixture.
the mark on your measuring cup at eye
level, not from above. • If you don’t have a tablespoon you
can use a teaspoon instead. Three
• If you’re using a spoon to measure, teaspoons is the same as one tablespoon.
make sure that the ingredient is level
with the edge of the spoon and not
heaped up.

Measuring liquids and solids

These conversions are equivalent measurements which
are easy to use when you are cooking. They are not
exact conversions.

Liquids Solids
Spoons cups fluid ounces Grammes ounces/pounds

3 teaspoons Vs cup 25g loz

1 tablespoon 15ml V2H0Z 50g 2oz

2 tablespoons 25ml 1 floz 75g 3oz
4 tablespoons 50ml 2floz 125g 4oz
8 tablespoons 75ml 4floz 150g 5oz

'A pint 150ml 5floz 175g 6oz

Vz pint 300ml lOfloz 225g 8oz
3A pint 450ml 15floz 350g 12oz
1 pint 600ml 20floz 400g 14oz
\3A pints 1 litre 35floz 450g 16oz (11b)

Oven temperatures

Electric ovens Gas ovens Electric ovens Gas ovens

Celsius Fahrenheit Mark Celsius Fahrenheit Mark

110°C 225°F 1/4 190°C 375°F 5

130°C 250°F Vl 200°C 400°F 6
140°C 275°F 1 220°C 425°F 7
150°C 300°F 2 230°C 450°F 8
170°C 325°F 3 240°C 475°F 9
180°C 350°F 4

48
 Successful cooking
HE this part of the book, read
the tips on these two
pages. Check that you
have all the ingredients
before your start. Don’t
worry if you haven’t got
the type or shape of pasta
suggested in the recipe. Look m
on page 96, where you will
find some alternative types to use. ^

Things to remember
The ingredients’ lists show both
grammes and ounces for measuring
Follow the recipe using one or the
other, but don’t mix them up.
All the recipes tell
you how long to cook
the ingredients, so
follow these closely.
Don’t forget that if
you have a fan oven
look at its instruction
book. Either, shorten 0
the cooking time or ■ “ |
turn down the .jpP^ "
temperature by
the amount it says. W ,

Pizza bases
On pages 78-79 and
82-83, there are
recipes for two
different kinds of
pizza bases. If you
don’t have time to
make a base, many
supermarkets sell
ready-made bases.
If you use one, just
make the pizza
topping from the
recipe. You can
also buy mixes
for pizza bases.
 ,

1. Put the onion onto a 2. Slice through the 3. Cut the onion in half.
chopping board and use a papery outside skin. Use a Lay the flat side on your
vegetable knife to chop fingernail to lift the skin chopping board and
off the top and the roots. at the slice then peel the holding the onion firmly,
Take care as you cut. rest of the skin away. slice it as finely as you can

If your recipe uses garlic, 1. Squeeze and twist the 2. Cut a small piece off
it will tell you how many garlic bulb so that the the top and bottom of
cloves you will need. A the outer skin breaks. Pull the clove, then peel off
clove is one part of a a clove of garlic off the the skin. The clove is
whole bulb of garlic. bottom of the stem. now ready to use.

Fresh or dried pasta? Mushrooms Mozzarella cheese

You can use fresh or dried The pizza recipes use two
pasta for all the pasta types of mozzarella
dishes. You will need a cheese. If it says to use
different amount ‘mozzarella cheese’, use
depending on the type the kind you buy in a
you use. See the Cut the end off plastic bag, surrounded
the stalk. by liquid. The other kind
ingredients’ lists.
Don’t wash mushrooms is written as ‘grated
before you use them but mozzarella’. You can buy
wipe them clean with a this ready-grated or as a
damp paper towel. large solid block.

Mozzarella cheese is soft

and you can't grate it.
Slit the bag you buy it
in and pour away the
liquid, before you slice it.

Grated mozzarella
is firmer than
the other
kind. Some
supermarkets
sell it as 'pizza
cheese'.

51
Each of the pasta recipes suggests a
type of pasta for you to cook, but in
most cases you can use any shape
you like (see page 96). Most
supermarkets sell lots of
different kinds of fresh and
dried pasta. If you see the
words ‘rigate’ on a packet
of pasta, it just means that
it has a ridged surface.

Tortellini (little
twists). These are
often stuffed with
spinach, cheese
or meat.
 Cooking pasta
The amount of time you need to cook more quickly than dried pasta or chunky
oasta depends on its type and shape. shapes. Try not to overcook your pasta.
i ;;resh pasta and long thin shapes cook It should be firm, not soggy.

Make the
pan three- Oil stops the
quarters pasta from
full sticking.

1. Fill a very large saucepan 2. When the water is 3. Add the pasta to the pan
with water. Turn on the boiling and the surface and stir it to separate it.
heat and bring the water looks as if it is ‘rolling’, When you add the pasta
to boil. While the water is not just bubbling, add the water will stop boiling.
heating, weigh your pasta a teaspoon of salt and a Turn up the heat and
on some kitchen scales. tablespoon of bring it to boiling again.

4. Start to time your 5. When the pasta has 6. If you need to leave
cooking, following the cooked for the correct your pasta in a colander,
instructions on the packet time, hold a colander over put a little butter on it.
of pasta, from when the a sink and pour the pasta Toss the pasta so that it is
water boils with the into it. You may need help coated. Put a plate on top
pasta in it. to hold the pan. to keep it warm.

Cooking spaghetti
Red pasta has
tomato in it and
green pasta is
made with spinach.

When you cook dried

spaghetti, hold one end
and gently press it into
the water as it softens.
Use a spoon to press the
ends under the water.
 Spaghetti alia carbonara
Serves 4
375g (12oz) dried spaghetti,
or 450g (15oz) fresh spaghetti
For the sauce: 200g (8oz) streaky bacon or ham
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
3 eggs
3 tablespoons of single cream
ground black pepper
40g 0'/2oz) grated Parmesan cheese
40g (V/ioz) butter
1 level tablespoon of chopped parsley

Add the spaghetti Stir the onion and

when the water garlic as they are
cooking.

1. Peel and chop the onion. 2. Read the instructions on 3. Heat the oil gently in a
Snip the rind off the bacon the packet of spaghetti to frying pan. Add the onion
and cut the rashers in strips find out how long it and garlic, and cook them
1cm (1/2 in) wide. Peel and will take to cook. Weigh for about five minutes
crush the garlic (see right). it and start to cook it. until they are soft.

Stir the

4. Add the bacon or ham. 5. Use a fork to beat the 6. When the spaghetti is
If you are using bacon, eggs, cream, a pinch of cooked, drain it then put
cook it until it is brown black pepper and most of it back into the pan. Add
and crispy. If you are using the cheese to make a the butter and toss the
ham, cook it until it is hot. creamy mixture. spaghetti until it is coated

54
7. Add the bacon, onion
and garlic then stir in the
cheesy mixture. Use a
fork to toss the spaghetti
quickly, until it is coated.

8. Put the spaghetti onto

four plates or bowls.
Sprinkle on the parsley and
the rest of the cheese.
Serve immediately.

Crushing garlic

If you don’t have a garlic

crusher, put a clove of
garlic on a chopping board.
Put the back of a spoon
onto it and press down.
Garlic mushroom
Serves 4

400g (14oz) dried fusilli,

or 500g (1 lb) fresh fusilli
For the sauce: 75g (3oz) butter
450g (1 lb) mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
salt and ground black pepper
200g (7oz) creme fraiche

1. Fill a pan with water 2. Slice the mushrooms 3. Add a pinch of salt and
and bring it to the boil. thinly. Peel and crush the pepper to the pan and
Woiqh your pasta and add garlic. Gently melt the cook the mixture for
:o the pan. Leave it butter in a pan. Add the about five minutes,
cooking. mushrooms and garlic. stirring occasionally.

4. Drain the pasta and add

it to the mushrooms.
Add the creme fraiche
and stir it until it
melts. Serve
immediately.

This three-coloured
pasta is called
'tricolori fusilli'.
Spicy sausage pasta
Serves 4

400g (14oz) dried conchiglie,

or 500g (1 lb) fresh conchiglie

For the sauce: 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion
1 clove of garlic
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
4 chorizo sausages
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

1. Peel the onion and slice

it finely. Peel and crush
the clove of garlic. Put the
oil in a large pan and heat
it gently.
The sauce
will
reduce in
amount.

2. Add the onion and 3. Add the tomatoes to

Chorizo sausages are very
garlic. Cook them for five the pan and bring it to spicy. Use kabanos sausages
minutes or until the onion boil. Turn the heat down or salami if you don't like
spicy food.
is soft. Stir the mixture as and let the sauce bubble
it is cooking. gently for 20 minutes.

4. While the sauce is 5. Cut the ends off the 6. Drain the pasta and
cooking, put a pan of sausages. Peel the papery divide it between four
water on to boil. Cook the skin off the sausages. Slice bowls or plates. Spoon the
pasta following the each sausage and add the sauce on top and sprinkle
instructions on its packet. slices to the sauce. with parsley.

57
Macaroni cheese
Serves 4.
175g (6oz) dried macaroni,
or 200g (7oz) fresh macaroni
For the cheese sauce:
50g (2oz) margarine or butter
50g (2oz) plain flour
600ml (1 pint) milk
1 teaspoon of mustard paste
175g (6oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
For the topping:
25g (loz) Cheddar cheese, grated
Heat your oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4.

Put the macaroni

back into the pan
after you have
drained it.

1. Turn on your oven. 2. To make the sauce, 3. Take your pan off the
Weigh the macaroni. Read melt the margarine or heat and add a little milk.
the instructions on its butter in a pan over a low Stir it really well. Carry on
packet and cook it for the heat. Stir in the flour and stirring in the rest of the
time it says. Drain it. cook it for one minute. milk, a little at a time.

Add a pinch
of salt and
pepper too.

4. Return your pan to the 5. The sauce will begin to 6. Pour the sauce over the
heat and start to bring it thicken. Let the sauce cooked macaroni. Stir it
to boil, stirring all the bubble for a minute then well so that the sauce
time. The sauce will stick turn off the heat. Stir in coats all of the pieces
if you don’t stir it. the mustard and cheese. of macaroni.

58
 Addins cheese

7. Dip a paper towel into 8. Sprinkle grated cheese Add the cheese to a sauce
some margarine and rub on top. Put the dish into after you have turned off
it inside an ovenproof dish the oven for about 25 the heat and the sauce
to grease it. Pour in the minutes, until the top coats the back of your
cheesy macaroni. is golden brown. spoon when you lift it.
Penne with Bolognese sauc^
Serves 4
400g (14oz) dried penne,
or 500g (1 lb) fresh penne
For the sauce: 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 rashers of streaky bacon
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
1 clove of garlic
225g (8oz) lean minced beef or lamb
225g (8oz) can of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 beef or vegetable stock cube
1 teaspoon of dried basil
freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel or scrape the carrot 2. Add the bacon to the 3. Add the minced beef or
then grate it. Crush the pan and cook for three or lamb to the pan. Break up
garlic and chop the bacon, four minutes. Stir it the meat with a spoon
onion and celery finely. occasionally. Add all the and cook it for six to eight
Heat the oil in a saucepan vegetables and cook them minutes, or until the meat
over a medium heat. until they are soft. is brown all over.

4. Boil a kettle of water. 5. Pour in the tomatoes. 6. As the sauce is cooking,

Crumble the stock cube Stir in the puree and basil. stir it occasionally to stop
into a measuring jug and Put a lid on and let the it from sticking. It will
pour in 125ml (4floz) of sauce bubble gently for become thicker and the
water. Stir it well then 30-40 minutes. Remove amount of liquid will
add it to the meat. the lid halfway through. reduce.
 Makins stock

. About 15 minutes before

the sauce is ready, boil a
pan of water. Add the pasta 1. Boil a kettle. Either cut 2. Pour in the amount of
and cook for the time it says up or crumble a stock water you need for your
on its packet. Drain it and cube and put it into a recipe. Stir it well until the
serve immediately. measuring jug. stock cube dissolves.

Spoon the sauce

over the hot
penneand
sprinkle with
Parmesan
cheese.
Pasta with green vegetables
Serves 4
375g (12oz) dried tagliarini
or 400g (14oz) fresh tagliarini
25g (loz) butter
4 spring onions
225g (8oz) broccoli
125g (4oz) fine green beans
125g (4oz) mangetout
1 courgette
250g (8oz) soft cheese with
garlic and herbs

This green and yellow

tagliarini is known
as 'paglia e fieno'
(straw and hay).
 1. Chop the top and 2. Use a knife to cut the 3. Trim the ends off the
bottom off the spring curly ends off the broccoli mangetout. Chop them in
onions. Pull off the outer stalks. Trim the ends off half. Cut the ends off the
layer. Cut them into the green beans and cut courgette and cut it in half.
pieces, 3cm (lin) long. them in half. Slice it into thin strips.

4. Fill a pan with water 5. Boil a pan of water for 6. Add the rest of the
and boil it. Add the the pasta. Melt the butter vegetables. Cook them
broccoli and beans and in a frying pan. Add the for a further three
cook them for three onion, broccoli and beans. minutes, stirring them
minutes. Drain them. Cook them for five minutes, occasionally.
Stir in a little milk if the
Trimming vegetables

7. Cook the pasta for 8. Add the cheese. Break

it up with a spoon. Cook It’s easier to use scissors
three minutes then drain
over a low heat until the rather than a knife to
it. Put it back into the pan
cheese melts. Serve it trim vegetables like beans
and add the vegetables.
immediately. or mangetout.
Mix them well.

63
ist'
Ravioli with tomato sauce
Serves 4
400g (14oz) fresh, or 400g (14oz) dried ravioli
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion
1 clove of garlic Jk
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes / ^
salt and black pepper
8 basil leaves ^
125g (4oz) mozzarella cheese

1. Peel the onion and chop

it finely. Peel and crush
the garlic. Heat the oil in a
saucepan and add the
onion and garlic.

This sauce is
tasty with ravioli
2. When the onion and filled with meat,
garlic are soft, add some salt cheese or fish.
and pepper and the
tomatoes. Let it bubble
gently for 15 minutes.

3. While the sauce is 4. When the water for 5. Just before the pasta is
cooking, cut the cheese the pasta is boiling, add ready, add the cheese and
and basil into thin strips. the ravioli and cook it, basil to the sauce. Let the
Boil a pan of water for following the instructions cheese melt a little then*
the ravioli. on its packet. serve immediately.

64
 Serves 4
400g (14oz) fresh tortellini
50g (2oz) butter
200ml (7floz) double cream
150ml (14 pint) milk
T75g (6oz) Cheddar or Gruyere cheese
1 heaped tablespoon of chopped parsley

Stir it as
it cooks.

1. Grate the cheese. Boil a 2. Put the butter, cream,

pan of water. Add the milk and cheese into a
tortellini and cook them pan and heat them gently
following the instructions for about five minutes,
on their packet. until the cheese melts.

W' 3. Let the cheese sauce

bubble gently for five
minutes, stirring it j
from time to time. j
Add the chopped parsley. ^

4. Drain the pasta well

and pour it into the
cheese sauce. Stir it so
that the pasta is coated
then eat it immediately
Spinach and ricotta pasta shells
Serves 4
16 conchiglie giganti (giant pasta shell:
For the filling: 1 onion
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
225g (8oz) fresh spinach
225g (8oz) ricotta cheese
For the tomato sauce: 1 onion
1 tablespoon of oil
1 clove of garlic
1 level tablespoon of tomato puree
2 level teaspoons of sugar
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil
salt and black pepper
To serve: grated Parmesan cheese
You can use 175a (6oz) of frozen
1. Fill a large pan with 2. While the pasta is 3. Heat the oil and cook
water and bring it to boil. cooking, start to make the the onion and garlic until
Add the pasta shells and filling. Peel the onion and they are soft, but don’t let
cook them according to chop it very finely. Peel them go brown. Spoon
their packet. and crush the garlic. them into a mixing bowl.

Stir it as
it cooks.

4. Wash the spinach well. 5. Spoon the spinach into 6. Put the spinach onto a
Put it into a large pan a colander. Press it with chopping board and cut it
and cook it over a the back of a large spoon up into small pieces. Use a
medium heat for about to squeeze out as much fork to hold it as it will
two minutes. still be hot.

7. When the shells are 8. Put the spinach into 9. Make the tomato sauce
cooked, drain them in a the bowl along with the following steps 2 to 5 on
colander and leave them ricotta. Add a pinch of page 81. While the sauce
to cool a little. Carry on salt and pepper and mix is bubbling, begin to fill
making the filling. everything together. the pasta shells.

10. Hold the shell in one 11. When all the shells are 12. Spoon four shells and
hand and use a teaspoon filled, lay them, open-side some sauce onto each
to fill each shell with up into the sauce. Heat plate. Sprinkle them with
some of the spinach and them for 10-15 minutes Parmesan cheese and eat
ricotta mixture. with a lid on top. them immediately.

67
Chicken and bacon pasta
Serves 4
400g (14oz) dried tagliatelle,
or 500g (1 lb) fresh tagliatelle
50g (2oz) margarine or butter
450g (14oz) chicken, without
any bones
4 rashers of bacon
lOOg (4oz) mushrooms
4 spring onions
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
2 level tablespoons of flour
300ml (V2 pint) milk
4 heaped tablespoons of creme fraiche
salt and ground black pepper
Cook over a
low heat.

Use kitchen
scissors to
cut the bacon.

1. Cut the roots off each 2. Slice the mushrooms 3. Chop the chicken into
spring onion. Trim the top finely. Snip any rind off small chunks. Melt the
and peel off the outer the bacon then cut the margarine or butter in
layer. Cut them into 2cm rashers into pieces. Put a another saucepan and stir
(lin) pieces. pan of water on to boil. in the chopped chicken.

4. Cook the chicken for 5. Add the bacon to the 6. Cook the mixture for
five minutes until it loses chicken and cook for two minutes then stir in
its pinkness. Cut one piece three minutes more. Then the flour. Cook it for a
in half to check that it’s add the mushrooms and minute then take the pan
cooked right through. onions to the pan. off the heat.

68
7. Gradually add the milk,
stirring it all the time. Put
the pan back on the heat
and let it bubble gently
until the sauce thickens.

8. Add the creme fraiche

and parsley. Put in a pinch
of salt and pepper. Turn
the heat as low as it will go
while you cook the pasta.

9. Cook the pasta, following

the time on its packet. Drain
it and put it back into its
pan. Stir in the sauce. Eat it
immediately.
 Meatballs in tomato sauce
Makes 16 meatballs, serves 4
250g (8oz) dried, or 350g (12oz)
fresh egg noodles

For the meatballs:

500g (11b) minced lean beef or lamb
2 level teaspoons of dried herbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon of flour
cooking oil, preferably olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
Use a large
mixing bowl. salt and ground black pepper

1. Put the meat into a bowl 2. Wash your hands. Pick 3. Heat three tablespoons
and break it up with a fork. up some of the mixture of oil in a frying pan and
Crack the egg into a cup and shape it into a ball, add eight meatballs. Turn
then add it, along with the about the size of a table them often, until they are
mixed herbs and flour. tennis ball. Make 15 more. brown all over.
Always keep
raw meat
and cooked Stir the onion
meat apart.

4. Put a paper towel onto a 5. Chop the onion and

plate and lift the browned peel and crush the garlic. basil, puree and salt and
meatballs onto it. Brown Heat a tablespoon of oil pepper. Let it boil, then turn
the other eight meatballs in a saucepan and fry down the heat and bubble it
and put them on the plate. them until they are soft. gently for ten minutes.

70
You may have to look in the Oriental
food section in your supermarket to find
egg noodles. You could use spaghetti or
vermicelli instead.

7. Add the meatballs. Put 8. While the meatballs are 9. Add the noodles, let the
a lid onto the pan and cooking, half-fill a pan water boil again, then
leave the sauce to bubble with water and bring it to simmer for the time it says
gently for 20 minutes, the boil. Add a tablespoon on their packet. Drain and
stirring occasionally. of oil to the water. serve with the meatballs.

71
 Minestrone soup
Serves 4
4 rashers of bacon or pancetta
2 sticks of celery
2 medium-sized potatoes
2 carrots
1 onion
1 leek
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of cooking oil, preferably olive oil
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
2 stock cubes
1.2 litres (2 pints) of water
1 teaspoon of mixed dried herbs
a quarter of a small dark green cabbage
50g (2oz) small dried pasta shapes
Instead of using
pasta shapes,
50g (2oz) frozen peas
you could use salt and ground black pepper
spaghetti broken
into small pieces. To serve: 50g (2oz) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Use a clean pair of 2. Peel the potatoes and 3. Wash the celery and the
kitchen scissors to remove cut them in half. Cut leek, and peel the carrots.
the rind from the bacon. each piece into 1cm (1/2 in) Cut them all into thin
Snip the rashers into strips slices. Then cut the slices slices. Peel the garlic. Peel
about 2cm (5A in) wide. into cubes. the onion and slice it.

4. Heat the oil in a 5. Add all the vegetables 6. Crumble the stock cube
saucepan. Add the bacon. you have chopped and into a measuring jug and
Cook it for a few minutes stir them well. Let them pour in 600ml (1 pint) of
until it is brown then crush cook for five minutes, boiling water. Add the '
the garlic into the pan. stirring them often. tomato puree and stir well.

72
7. Pour the stock mixture 8. Turn up the heat so 9. Meanwhile, remove the
into the pan, Add another that the mixture boils. Put outer leaves from the
600ml (1 pint) of water, a lid on the pan and let quarter of cabbage and
along with the herbs and a the sauce bubble gently wash it. Cut it into very
pinch of salt and pepper. for about 20 minutes. thin slices.

10. Add the cabbage and 11. Add the peas to the 12. Use a ladle to spoon
pasta to the pan and let it pan and stir them in well. the soup into four bowls.
Let the soup cook for Sprinkle a little Parmesan
boil. Turn the heat down
another two minutes until cheese on top of the soup
and cover it. Cook it for
the peas have heated up. and eat it immediately.
ten more minutes.

73
Stir fry with vermicelli
Serves 4
175g (6oz) dried vermicelli,
or 225g (8oz) fresh vermicelli
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of clear honey
3cm (lin) piece of fresh ginger
285g (lOoz) boneless chicken breast
2 carrots
1 red pepper
1 clove of garlic
lOOg (4oz) mangetout
lOOg (4oz) baby sweetcorn
lOOg (4oz) mushrooms
4 spring onions
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
a vegetable stock cube

1. Cut the light brown skin 2. Put the soy sauce, 3. Cut the chicken into
off the piece of ginger. Cut lemon juice and honey in strips about 2cm (% in)
the ginger into thin slices, a bowl. Add the pieces of wide. Add it to the
then cut the slices into ginger and stir them well. marinade and stir well.
very thin strips. This is your marinade. Leave it for half an hour

j /
'? frti , .1

'C \

4. While the chicken is 5. Cut the ends off the 6. Cut the stalks off the
marinading, make 300ml pepper. Chop it in half and mangetout and slice the
(V2 pint) of stock (see page cut out the seeds. Slice the top off the sweetcorn. Cut
61). Peel the carrots and pepper into thin strips. Peel them all in quarters. Slice
cut them into thin ‘sticks’. and crush the garlic. the mushrooms.

74
 Stir it all
the time.

7. Trim the ends off the 8. Heat the oil in a frying 9. Cook the chicken for
spring onions, then cut pan. When the oil is hot, five minutes. When all
them into pieces about add the garlic. Spoon in the pinkness has gone,
3cm (lin) long. Put a pan the chicken, leaving your add all the vegetables to
of water on to boil. marinade in the bowl.

10. Stir the vegetables for 11. Add the vermicelli to 12. Add the vermicelli to
three minutes. Pour in the the pan of boiling water. the vegetables and stir it
stock and marinade and Boil it for three minutes, in. Leave the mixture for
let it boil. Cook for two stirring occasionally then a minute then eat it
more minutes. drain it well. immediately.

75
Tuna and tomato pasta salad
Serves 4
300g (lOoz) dried farfalle,
or 375g (12oz) fresh farfalle
400g (14oz) can of tuna
10 cherry tomatoes
175g (6oz) thin green beans
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
4 tablespoons of milk
salt and black pepper
4 fresh chives
 Toss the
pasta with
some butter.

1. Fill a large saucepan 2. Cook the pasta following 3. Use kitchen scissors to
with water and bring it to the instructions on its snip the ends off the
the boil. Weigh the pasta packet. Pour the pasta into beans. Cut the beans in
and add it to the pan a colander to drain it. half. Put on a pan of
when it is boiling. Leave it to cool. water to boil.

4. When the water is 5. Open the can of tuna. 6. Put the pasta, beans, and
boiling, add the beans and Tip it into a sieve to drain tuna into a large bowl and
cook them for five minutes. away the liquid. Put it on mix them. Cut the toma¬
Drain them and rinse a saucer and use a fork to toes in half and add them
them with cold water. break it up a little. to the bowl.

Instead of making a
dressing, you could
toss your salad in a
ready-made one.

7. Put the mayonnaise 8. Pour the dressing over

and milk into a bowl and the pasta mixture. Use a
add a pinch of salt and fork to toss the mixture in
pepper. Use a fork to mix the dressing so that it is
them together well. covered.

9. Use kitchen scissors to

snip the chives into small
pieces and scatter them
over the top. Spoon the
salad onto plates or bowls.

77
Making a pizza base /
This traditional pizza dough will make a round
pizza 25cm (lOin) across, or a rectangular one
35 x 25cm (14 x lOin).

350g (12oz) strong plain flour

1 teaspoon of salt
15g (V2 oz) fresh yeast, or 1 teaspoon Cook your pizza
on a large
of easy blend yeast
baking sheet or
200ml (7 fl oz) of warm water on a baking tray
1 tablespoon of olive oil like this.
margarine for greasing
a baking sheet or tray, about 35 x 25cm (14 x lOin)

It should take about 15

minutes to go frothy.

1. If you are using fresh If you are using easy blend 2. Use a sieve to sift the
yeast, mix it with a little yeast, open the packet, but flour and salt. Add the oil,
of the warm water. Leave don’t add any warm water yeast mixture and the
it in a warm place until it to it now. Add all the rest of the warm water.
goes frothy. water at step 2. Stir them well.

3. Carry on stirring the 4. Sprinkle flour onto a 5. Dip a paper towel into
mixture until you get a clean, dry work surface some margarine and rub
soft dough which doesn’t and knead the dough well it inside a large bowl to
stick to the sides of the until it is smooth and grease it. Put the dough
bowl. Wash your hands. stretchy (see right). into the bowl.

78
 1. Use the heels of both
hands, or your
knuckles, to push the
dough away.

2. Fold the dough in

half and turn it
around. Push it away
from you again.

6. Cover the bowl with 7. Turn your oven on to

plastic foodwrap. Put it 220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7.
in a warm place for about Grease a baking tray or
45 minutes, or until it has sheet with margarine. Rub
risen to twice its size. it all over.

3. Fold and turn the

dough again. Push it
away from you as you
did before.

8. When the dough has 9. Put the dough onto

4. Carry on folding,
risen, knead it again so your baking tray. Press it
turning and pushing
that you burst all the into the shape you want.
until the dough feels
large air bubbles in it. It Pinch up the edges. It’s
smooth and stretchy
won’t take very long. now ready for its topping.

79
Neapolitan pizza
Serves 6 - makes a rectangular pizza
30 x 25cm (14 x lOin)
One traditional pizza base - see pages 78-79
For the tomato sauce: 1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped,
or 2 teaspoons of dried basil
salt and ground black pepper
For the topping: 250g (8oz) mozzarella cheese
50g (2oz) tin of anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped,
or 2 teaspoons of dried basil
50g (2oz) black olives (without their stones)
Heat your oven to 220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7.
1. Turn on your oven. 3. Add the onion to the
Follow pages 78-79 to and crush the garlic. Put a pan and stir it on and off
make a pizza base. While tablespoon of oil into a for about five minutes
the dough is rising, make medium-sized pan and until it has softened. Try
the tomato sauce. heat it gently. not to let it go brown.

4. Add the garlic, tomato 5. Leave the sauce to cook 6. When your dough has
puree, tomatoes, sugar, for 20 minutes or until risen, grease your baking
basil and a pinch of salt the sauce becomes tray with margarine. Place
and pepper. Stir it and let thicker and the amount the dough in the middle
of the tray.

9. Open the tin of

your fingers to make a the tomato sauce all over anchovies carefully and
rectangle about 30 x 25cm the base. Slice the cheese drain out the oil. Cut each
(14 x 10 in). Pinch up the thinly and lay the slices anchovy in half
edges to make a rim. over the sauce. lengthways.

10. Lay the anchovies in 11. Sprinkle the basil all 12. Put the pizza into the
diagonal lines across the over the top then put an oven to bake for about 20
pizza. Make lines the olive in the middle of minutes, until the base is
other way to make a each diamond shape crisp and golden. Serve
criss-cross pattern. made by the anchovies. the pizza immediately.

81
Quick Margherita pizza
Makes one 30cm (12in) round pizza.
This recipe uses a scone base, rather than the
traditional base on pages 78-79.
For the scone base: 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
V2 a teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
150ml (14 pint) of water
For the topping: 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
2 onions
400g (14oz) can of plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon of mixed dried herbs
salt and ground black pepper
225g (8oz) mozzarella cheese
Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6.

Make sure that your

work surface is clean
and dry, first.

1. To make the base, use a 2. Grease a baking tray 3. Rub a little flour onto a
sieve to sift the flour and with margarine on a paper rolling pin. Gently roll the
salt. Add the oil and water. towel. Sprinkle flour onto dough, turning between
Use a round-ended knife to your work surface. Knead each roll, into a circle
mix them to make dough. the dough (see page 79). about 30cm (12in) across.

Pinch
up a rim
around
the edge.

4. Carefully lift up one 5. To make the topping, 6. While the onions are
edge of the dough and peel the onions and chop cooking, open the tin of
slide the rolling pin under them finely. Gently heat tomatoes and drain them
it. Lift the dough onto the oil and cook the in a sieve. Chop them into
your baking tray. onions until they are soft. small pieces.

82
7. Add the tomatoes and 8. Use a spoon to spread 9. Bake your pizza in the
herbs to the onion. Add a the topping over the base oven for 25-30 minutes.
pinch of salt and pepper Cut the cheese in thin The base will rise as it
and cook the mixture for slices then lay them all cooks and the cheese will
ten minutes. over the topping. go golden.

83
Mini pizzas
Makes 4 pizzas 15cm (6in) across
One traditional pizza base - see pages 78-79
For the toppings: 2 slices of cooked ham
1 pineapple ring
1 tomato
2 large basil leaves
25g (loz) sliced pepperoni
2 small mushrooms
25g (loz) peeled prawns
a small tin of sweetcorn
125g (4oz) grated mozzarella cheese
Heat your oven to 220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7.

Cut the dough in half,

then in half again.

1. Follow the steps on 2. Put the dough on a

pages 78-79 to make the floury work surface. Cut it
dough for the bases. When into four and roll each
the dough has risen turn piece into a 15cm (6in)
on your oven. circle. Pinch up the edges.

3. Grease a baking sheet 4. Cut the ham into small 5. Slice the tomato finely.
and put the dough circles squares. Put these onto Lay them on another
onto it. Put a tablespoon one of the bases. Chop up base. Cut the basil into
of milk in a cup and brush the pineapple ring and lay small strips and sprinkle
each circle with the milk. the pieces on the ham. them on top.

84
6. Lay the slices of 7. Open the tin of 8. Sprinkle each of the
pepperoni on the third sweetcorn and drain it. pizzas with cheese. Bake
base. Slice the mushrooms Spread a tablespoon of them for 15-20 minutes
finely and spread them on sweetcorn over the base until the bases and cheese
top of the pepperoni. Put the prawns on top. are golden brown.

85
 Chicago pizza pie
Makes one 23cm (9in) deep pan pizza
For the dough: 50g (2oz) strong white flour
125g (4oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
15g (V20Z) fresh yeast,
or 1 teaspoon of easy blend yeast
200ml (7 fl oz) warm water
1 tablespoon of oil
For the tomato sauce: half a tablespoon of olive oil
half an onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
225g (8oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of chopped basil
salt and ground pepper
For the topping: 1 green pepper
50g (2oz) button mushrooms
50g (2oz) sliced pepperoni
175g (6oz) grated mozzarella cheese
a 23/25cm (9/10in) deep pizza tin or sandwich tin
Heat your oven to 220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7.

1. Follow steps 1-8 on 2. Put a little oil onto a 3. Sprinkle a little flour
pages 78-79 to make the paper towel and rub over onto your work surface
dough. At step 2, sift the base and inside of the and on your rolling pin.
both types of flour into tin so that they are Roll the dough into a circle
the bowl. covered with oil. about the size of your tin.

4. Place the dough in the 5. Cover the tin with 6. Turn on your oven.
middle of the tin and plastic foodwrap and While the dough is rising,
press it out to the edges leave it in a warm place follow steps 2 to 5 on
with your knuckles. Make for 20 minutes. It will rise page 81 to make the
it as even as you can. a little bit more. tomato sauce.

86
See the
tip on page
89 for cutting peppers.

7. Cut the ends off the 8. Spread the sauce over 9. Sprinkle it with grated
pepper. Chop it in half the dough. Lay the cheese and bake it for
and cut out the seeds. pepperoni, then the about 20 minutes until
Cut it into cubes. Slice the mushrooms and finally the dough is golden and
mushrooms thinly. the green pepper, on top. has risen.

87
Prawn pizza
Makes one 25cm (lOin) round pizza
One traditional pizza base - see pages
For the tomato sauce: 1 tablespoon of
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 level tablespoon of tomato puree
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground pepper
For the topping: half a red pepper
half a yellow or green pepper
150g (6oz) peeled prawns, thawed, if
they have been frozen
1 level tablespoon of chopped parsley Heat your oven to 220°C, 425°F,
1 tablespoon of olive oil Gas mark 7.

Sprinkle flour

1. Follow pages 78-79 to 2. When your dough has 3. Dip a paper towel in
make a pizza base. While risen and you have margarine and rub it over
the dough is rising, make kneaded it again, roll the a baking sheet to grease
a tomato sauce following dough into a 25cm (lOin) it. Lay the dough in the
steps 2 to 5 on page 81. circle. Turn on your oven middle of the sheet.

4. Cut the seedy part out 5. Spread the tomato 6. If your prawns were
of the peppers. Slice them sauce over the base. frozen, put them into a
lengthways into strips. Scatter the strips of sieve to drain away any
Try to cut them as finely pepper all over it. Sprinkle liquid, then scatter them
as you can (see right). it with parsley. over the top.

88
 *

You can buy lots of different

colours of peppers. It doesn't
matter which one you choose
for this pizza.
wBsm

7. Sprinkle on some salt 8. Put your pizza into the When you slice a pepper,
and a little black pepper oven and bake it for cut it in half then cut out
then carefully drizzle the about 20 minutes until the seeds. Slice it from the
oil from the spoon all over the base is crisp and inside. It’s easier than
the top. becomes golden brown. trying to pierce the skin.

89
Tomato and courgette pizza
Makes one rectangular pizza 30 x 25cm (14 x lOin)
One scone pizza base (see page 82)
For the topping: 1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 beef tomatoes
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons of pine nuts
1 small courgette
salt and ground black pepper
150g (6oz) grated mozzarella cheese
Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F,
Gas mark 6.

1. Turn on your oven 2. Put the dough onto a 3. Grease your baking
before you make the floured surface and roll sheet with margarine and
dough. Follow steps 1-3 on and stretch it into a carefully lift the dough
page 82 to make a scone rectangle about 35 x 28cm onto it. Pinch up the edge
dough pizza base. (14 x llin). all the way around.

4. Peel the onion and slice 5. Spread the onion rings 6. Lay the tomatoes on
it into thin rings. Crush the and garlic over the dough the base, overlapping
garlic. Gently heat the oil Cut the tomatoes in half them a little. Scatter the
and cook the onion and and slice them as thinly pine nuts and chopped
garlic for three 'minutes. as you can. basil over the top.

90
7. Trim the ends off the 8. Scatter the courgette 9. Put the pizza into the
courgette. Hold it in one slices over the pizza. oven and bake for 15-20
hand and run a potato Season it with a little salt minutes until the cheese
peeler along to cut really and pepper. Sprinkle on is golden and bubbling.
thin slices. the grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Calzones (folded pizzas) i
Makes eight calzones
One traditional pizza base (see pages 78-79)
For the filling: 250g (8oz) ricotta cheese
75g (3oz) smoked ham
lOOg (4oz) mozzarella cheese
3 large tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper
olive oil
Heat your oven to 220°C, 450°F, Gas mark 7.

1. Follow the steps on 2. Cut the ham into small 3. Put both types of
pages 78-79 to make pieces. Cut the tomatoes cheese, the tomatoes,
traditional dough. While and the mozzarella into ham and a pinch of salt
it is rising, chop up the small chunks. Turn on and pepper into a bowl.
ingredients for the filling. your oven. Mix them together well.

4. When the dough has 5. Sprinkle flour onto a 6. Put a heaped

risen and you have work surface and roll out tablespoon of the
kneaded it a second time, one of the balls to make a mixture onto one half of
cut it into eight pieces. circle about 18cm (7in) the circle. Brush a little
Roll the pieces into balls. across. water around the edge.

7. Fold the dough over the 8. Grease a baking tray 9. Bake the calzones for
mixture and pinch along with margarine. Lift the about 20-30 minutes
the edges to seal the two calzones onto the tray. until they have puffed
halves. Make seven more Brush them with olive oil up and have become
like this. and put them in the oven. golden brown.
You can eat the
calzones when they
are hot or cold.

Patterned edges

Instead of pinching the

dough together, you can
press a fork around the
edge. This leaves a pattern
once the calzone is cooked.
Hot apple pizza
Makes one 25cm (10in) round pizza
For the base: 175g (6oz) strong white flour
25g (loz) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon of easy blend yeast
4 tablespoons of apple juice
For the topping: 2 medium cooking apples
3 tablespoons of apple juice
50g (2oz) raisins
half a teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 eating apples
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 heaped tablespoon of brown sugar
Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6.
 2. Put the apple juice into 3. Continue to stir until
bowl and add the butter a pan and heat it a little you get a soft dough
or margarine. Rub the to make it warm. Add it, which doesn’t stick to the
butter into the flour until and the yeast to the bowl sides of the bowl. Then
it looks like breadcrumbs. and stir them well. squeeze it to make a ball.

4. Sprinkle flour onto a

clean, dry work surface. with margarine. Rub some the dough to make a rim,
Knead the dough until it flour onto a rolling pin then cover it with plastic
is smooth and stretchy and roll the dough into a foodwrap. Put it in a warm
(see page 79). 25cm (lOin) circle. place for 30 minutes.

7. Peel the cooking apples 8. Put the sliced apple into 9. Take the pan off the
and cut them in quarters. a small pan. Add the apple heat and stir the apple to
Cut out the core and then juice and cook them with make a smooth sauce, or
slice the rest of the apple a lid on for 15 minutes until puree. Add the raisins,
as finely as you can. the apple is very soft. sugar and cinnamon.
Cut out the apple
cores.

10. Turn the oven on. Peel 11. Spread the puree over 12. Sprinkle the pizza with
the eating apples and the dough with a spoon. the brown sugar. Put it
quarter them. Slice them Arrange the slices of into your oven for about
finely and sprinkle the apple on top, overlapping 15 minutes or until the
slices with lemon juice. them a little. dough is golden.

95
Pasta shapes
Each of the pasta recipes suggests a type page 68-69
or shape of pasta to use. However, if you You can use fettuccine or tagliarini,
don’t have the right kind, here are a few instead of tagliatelle.
suggestions for alternative types of pasta
you can use. There’s also a reminder of pages 70-71
names of different types of pasta. You can use tagliatelle instead of egg
noodles for this recipe.
pages 54-55
If you don’t have spaghetti, you can use page 72-73
linguine, vermicelli or capelli d’angelo. You can use any tiny pasta shapes for
this recipe. You can also use spaghetti,
page 56 broken into small pieces. Some
Instead of using fusilli, you can use supermarkets sell ‘soup pasta’ which is a
conchiglie, farfalle or penne. mixture of different shapes.

page 57 page 74-75

If you don’t have conchiglie, you can use if you don’t have vermicelli, you can use
farfalle, penne or fusilli. spaghetti or capelli d’angelo instead.

pages 58-59 page 76-77

Use penne instead of macaroni, If you haven’t farfalle, you can use
conchiglie, fusilli or penne instead.
page 60-61
Instead of using penne to make this dish
Different types of pasta
you could use conchiglie, farfalle or
fusilli. capelli d’angelo - a very thin type of
spaghetti
pages 62-63 conchiglie - shells
If you can’t get tagliarini, you can use conchiglie giganti - very large shells,
linguine, spaghetti or fettuccine for this egg noodles - very thin, flat strands,
recipe. which are usually dried
farfalle - bows or ‘butterflies’
page 64 fettuccine - narrow, flat strands
If you don’t have ravioli, you can use fusilli - spirals
any filled pasta, such as tortelloni or linguine - flat, thin strands
tortellini. macaroni - small straight or curved tubes
penne - small quill-shaped tubes cut
page 65 diagonally at both ends
If you don’t have tortellini, use ravioli or ravioli - square-shaped pasta, which is
tortelloni, which are the same shape as usually filled with meat, but is
tortellini, but larger. sometimes filled with cheese or
vegetables.
pages 66-67 spaghetti - long, thin, round strands
If you can’t get conchiglie giganti, use tagliarini - very thin, flat strands
cannelloni (large tubes) instead. Use a tagliatelle - flat strands of pasta
teaspoon to fill them with the spinach tortellini - small, ring-shaped, filled pasta
and ricotta mixture. Turn the cannelloni vermicelli - thin, round strands, thinner
several times while they are cooking. than spaghetti

96
 VEGETARIAN
COOKING
FOR BEGINNERS

L
All the recipes in this part of the book are
vegetarian, which means that they contain no
meat or fish. Some of the recipes are suitable for
vegans or ‘strict vegetarians’. These recipes don’t use
any animal products at all, including cheese or eggs.
They are marked with a (v)* beside the page
number in the index (see page 192).

Preparing vegetables
You should wash most fresh
vegetables before you prepare them. If
you are using mushrooms, don’t wash
them, but wipe them on a damp paper
towel before slicing them. Leeks need
to be washed very well to get rid of
any soil which is trapped inside. Step 1 Wash leeks well
on page 122 shows you the easiest before you use them
way of doing this.
If you’re not sure how to prepare
garlic, turn to page 5 where _ ,
there are steps which show
you what to do. On page 55
you can find out how to
crush a clove of garlic if you T§||i
don’t have a garlic crusher.

The sections at the top of broccoli

or cauliflower are called florets.
Cut these off the thick stalk (see
page 125).

A clove of garlic is
one part of a whole
garlic bulb.

Use kitchen scissors to cut up fresh

herbs, such as parsley or chives.

Peel carrots and potatoes if

they are dirty or big. Wash
or scrape new potatoes
and small carrots.
 Measuring with /
a spoon '4
Don’t forget, if you use a
spoon for measuring, make sure
that the ingredient is level with the
edge of the spoon and not heaped up,

Getting your oven ready

Remember that all the dishes should be
cooked on the middle shelf of an oven,
unless the recipe says something else. Always f
move the shelf to the right place before you turn i
on your oven. If you have a fan oven, read its
instruction book before you start to cook. It will
tell you to reduce the heat or the cooking time.

A balanced diet
Your body needs proteins,
vitamins and iron to stay
healthy. If you eat a
vegetarian diet all the time,
make sure that your food
contains a good mixture of
them (see page 144).

Iron can be found in

things such as eggs, nuts
Beans, nuts, eggs, and dried fruit.
cheese and milk all
contain protein.

Cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs

all contain essential vitamins.
They are also found in many
breakfast cereals and soya milk.
Hints and tips
This page shows you some of the
cooking skills which are used in
the vegetarian recipes.

Grating cheese Adding salt and pepper

Try adding a pinch of
salt or ground black
pepper.

Cut a piece of cheese Some recipes tell you to

which weighs more than add a little salt and
you need. Grate some, then pepper. The amount you
weigh the grated cheese. add of each depends on
Grate more if you need to. your own taste.

Slicing tomatoes

Use a serrated knife to cut If you are going to slice A small serrated knife is
both ends off. Cut the the pepper, it’s a lot easier best to use to slice a
pepper in half from end to cut from the inside, tomato. Cut the tomato in
to end and cut out the rather than trying to cut half, then lay its flat-side
part with the seeds. into the shiny skin. down and slice it.

Making breadcrumbs

1. Use bread which is two 2. Put the bread into a If you don’t have a food
or three days old to make food processor. Put on the processor, grate stale bread
breadcrumbs. Cut off the lid and turn it on. Whizz on a cheese grater to make
crusts and tear the slices the bread until you get crumbs. Take care, so you
of bread into pieces. fine crumbs. don’t grate your fingers.

100
 Cheese crunchies
Makes 10-12
50g (2oz) mature Cheddar cheese
lOOg (4oz) soft ‘tub’ margarine
50g (2oz) ground rice
50g (2oz) self-raising flour
50g (2oz) plain wholemeal flour
quarter of a teaspoon of salt
Heat your oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5.

1. Grate the cheese on the 2. Shake the flour and

medium holes on your the salt through a sieve
grater. Put the cheese into into the bowl. Add any
a large bowl. Add the bits left in the bottom of
margarine and ground rice. the sieve.

3. Stir everything well 4. Sprinkle a clean, dry 5. Lay the roll on some
until all the ingredients work surface with a little plastic foodwrap. Wrap it
are mixed together. Then, flour. Put the mixture around the roll. Put the
squeeze the mixture into onto it and shape it into a roll into a fridge for about
a ball. roll, about 15cm (6in) long. an hour, to chill.
The margarine greases
the baking sheets.

6. While the roll is in the 7. Unwrap the roll and 8. Bake them for about 15
fridge, dip a paper towel in cut it into 1cm (V^in) slices. minutes until they are
some margarine, then rub Space out the slices on golden. When they are
it over two baking sheets. the baking sheets. They cooked, lift them onto a
Turn on your oven. may spread as they cook. wire rack to cool.
Three-bean dip
Enough for 4-6
400g (14oz) can of butter beans
400g (14oz) pinto beans
400g (14oz) cannellini beans
1 large lemon
1 clove of garlic
4 tablespoons of tahini paste
4 tablespoons of boiling water
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
salt and ground black pepper

Serve the dip

with home-made
breadsticks (see
opposite), or with
1. Empty the beans into a
crackers.
sieve or colander. Rinse the
beans under cold running
water, then drain them.
Tip them into a large bowl.
Stir the beans too, to lift
those at the bottom.

2. Mash the beans with a 3. Cut the lemon in half. To serve, spoon the dip into
fork to make a smoothish Press and twist each half a clean bowl and sprinkle
mixture. It’s quite hard on a lemon squeezer. Pour on some more parsley.
work to begin with. Put a the juice into the beans and
kettle on to boil. mash the mixture

4. Peel the garlic clove 5. Stir in a little salt and 6. Taste it and add more
and crush it. Add the pepper. Then, beat the salt and pepper if you
garlic to the beans along mixture with a wooden need to. Put the dip into a
with the tahini, boiling spoon until everything is fridge for at least half An
water and the parsley. mixed in thoroughly. hour to chill, then serve.

102
 Breadsticks
Makes about 20
280g (lOoz) packet of white or brown bread mix
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
plain or self-raising flour for sprinkling
margarine for greasing
your oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6.

1. Grease two baking

sheets with margarine on
a paper towel. Open the
bread mix and put it in a
Find out how to knead large bowl.
dough on page 79.
The dough will
become smooth
and stretchy.

2. Add the poppy seeds 3. The instructions will tell 4. Fold the dough in half,
and a tablespoon of sesame you to ‘knead’ the dough. turn it and push it away
seeds. Begin to make the Put the dough on a floured again. Do this for about
dough, following the work surface, then push five minutes. Leave the
instructions on the packet. the dough away from you. dough in a bowl to rise.

5. Turn on your oven. Cut 6. Brush each stick with 7. Cook the breadsticks for
the dough in quarters, cold water and sprinkle 15 minutes, until they
then cut each quarter into on the remaining sesame turn golden. Use a spatula
five pieces. Roll each piece seeds. Space the sticks out and fork to lift them onto
into a 20cm (8in) stick. on the baking sheets. a wire rack to cool.

103
Bread and cheese pudding
Enough for 4 quarter of a teaspoon of ground paprika
2 medium tomatoes
margarine for greasing
175g (6oz) stale white bread a shallow ovenproof dish,
lOOg (4oz) Cheddar cheese about 22 x 30cm (8V2 x 12in)
3 eggs Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F,
450ml (% pint) milk Gas mark 6.
half a teaspoon of smooth mustard
salt and ground black pepper
1. Dip a paper towel into 2. If the bread is unsliced, 3. Cut the cheese into 1cm
some margarine. Rub the slice it. Cut the slices into ('/bin) cubes, then scatter
paper towel over the squares, about 2.5cm (lin), them evenly over the
inside of an ovenproof leaving the crust on. Put bread. Turn your oven
dish, to grease it. the bread into the dish.

4. Break the eggs into a 5. Slowly pour the milky

jug and beat them with mixture over the bread
a fork. Add the milk, and cheese. Make sure
mustard and a little salt that all the pieces are
and pepper, and whisk it. coated with the mixture.

6. Leave the dish to stand 7. Sprinkle small pinches of

for five minutes, so that paprika over the top. Wash
the egg and milk mixture your hands after touching it
is absorbed into the bread because it will sting if you
and it goes slightly soggy. accidently rub your eyes.

8. Cut the tomatoes in 9. Put the dish into the

half and slice them as oven and bake it for 35
thinly as you can. Lay the minutes, until the bread is
slices in rows on top of golden brown and the
the bread and cheese. cheese is bubbling.
Tropical spiced rice
Enough for 4
25g (loz) creamed coconut
225g (8oz) can of pineapple pieces in natural juice
quarter of a teaspoon of ground tumeric
salt and ground white pepper
225g (8oz) basmati and wild rice
8 spring onions
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
quarter of a teaspoon of ground coriander
50g (2oz) frozen peas, thawed
25g (loz) sultanas

You could use long

grain rice for this
1. Put a kettle of water on 2. Pour 600ml (1 pint) of recipe. Follow the
to boil. Cut the creamed boiling water into the jug. cooking instructions
on its packet
coconut into small pieces Stir the mixture well until
and put them in a all the pieces of coconut
measuring jug. have dissolved.

3. Drain the pieces of 4. Pour the coconut liquid 5. Put the rice into a sieve
pineapple through a sieve and the pineapple juice and rinse it well under
or colander into a large into a large pan. Add the cold water. Add the rice
jug or bowl. Don’t throw tumeric and half a teaspoon to the pan and bring it
away the pineapple juice. of salt. Bring it to the boil. back to the boil.
Don't lift the lid while it cooks.

6. Turn the heat down so 7. While the rice is 8. Heat the oil in a frying
that the water is just cooking, cut the top and pan over a medium heat.
bubbling. Put a lid on the bottom off the spring Add the onions and cook
pan. Cook the rice gently onions. Slice the onions them for four minutes,'
for 20 minutes. into 2.5cm (lin) pieces. stirring occasionally.

106
 Cooking rice

Stir it all
the time.

9. Sprinkle the coriander 10. When the rice is cooked;

over the onions and cook add the pineapple, peas,
for one minute, stirring all onions, sultanas and some
the time. Then, turn the pepper. Cook it for a minute
heat off under this pan. then eat it while it’s hot.

107
Italian bread
Enough for 4 flour for sprinkling
margarine for greasing
450g (11b) strong plain white flour
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 level teaspoon of easy-blend
1 teaspoon of sea salt
dried yeast
300ml (V2 pint) warm water a baking sheet, greased with margarine

1. Shake the flour through 2. Pour the warm water 3. Carry on mixing until
a sieve into a large bowl. into the hollow, along you get a soft dough
Stir in the easy-blend with five tablespoons of which doesn’t stick to the
yeast, then make a hollow oil. Mix it into the flour sides of the bowl. Then,
in the middle of the flour. with a wooden spoon. wash your hands.

Sprinkle about two

tablespoons of flour
on your work surface.

4. Sprinkle flour onto a 5. Wash your hands well. 6. Cover the bowl with
clean, dry work surface. ‘Knead’ the dough for plastic foodwrap. Leave it
Dip a paper towel in about five minutes (see in a warm place for an
margarine and grease page 79), then put it into hour, until the dough rises
inside a large bowl. the greased bowl. to twice its size.
Remember to grease the
baking sheet first.

7. Then, knead the dough 8. Sprinkle some flour 9. Put the dough on a baking
again for a couple of onto a rolling pin, then sheet. Rub oil onto a piece of
minutes, to burst all the roll out the dough to foodwrap and cover the
large air bubbles which make a circle about 25cm bread. Turn your oven on to
have formed inside it. (lOin) across. 220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7.

108
Dip your finger in flour
before you press it in.

10. Leave the baking sheet 11. Brush the top with a 12. Bake the bread for 25
in a warm place (not in the tablespoon of oil, then minutes, until it is golden.
oven!) for 20 minutes. Take sprinkle the sea salt over Leave it on a wire rack to
off the foodwrap. Make the top. Put the baking cool. Cut it into wedges,
dimples all over the top. sheet into the oven. then add a filling you like

109
Mexican bean soup
Enough for 4
1 small red onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
200g (7oz) can of red kidney beans
half a teaspoon of mild chilli powder
400g (14oz) can of chopped
tomatoes with herbs
1 vegetable stock cube
1. Peel the skin off the 2. Heat the oil in a large 3. Open the can of beans,
onion and chop the onion saucepan over a medium then pour them into a
finely. Peel the clove of heat. Cook the onion and sieve or colander to drain
garlic and crush it. Put a garlic for about five them. Rinse the beans
kettle on to boil. minutes until they are soft. under the cold tap.

Stir until the stock

cube dissolves.

4. Add the beans to the 5. Crumble the stock cube 6. Turn up the heat so that
pan, along with the chilli into a measuring jug. Pour the mixture boils. Then,
powder and chopped in 150ml ('A pint) of boiling when it is boiling, turn the
tomatoes. Stir everything water and stir well. Pour heat down so that the
together well. the stock into the pan. soup bubbles gently.

Softening onions

7. Put a lid on the pan and 8. Take the pan off the When you soften onions,
let the soup bubble for heat. Ladle the soup into let them sizzle gently in
about ten minutes. Stir it bowls. Don’t try to pour oil, stirring occasionally.
occasionally to stop it it out as it may splash. Eat Turn the heat down if the
from sticking. it while it’s hot. onion begins to go brown.

Ill
Cracked wheat risotto
Enough for 4
4 spring onions
lOOg (4oz) button mushrooms
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
50g (2oz) flaked almonds
1 vegetable stock cube 3 :
225g (8oz) cracked wheat
8 ready-to-eat dried apricots
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper
 Stir the
almonds all
the time, as
they burn
easily.

1. Cut the tops and 2. Wipe the mushrooms 3. Put about half a
bottoms off the spring with a damp paper towel tablespoon of oil into a
onions. Cut the onions to clean them. Then, slice saucepan, over a medium
diagonally into pieces, each mushroom thinly. heat. Cook the almonds
about 2.5cm (lin) long. Put a kettle on to boil. until they are golden.

A slotted spoon has

holes in it.

until
the cube
dissolves.

4. Put a paper towel onto 5. Add the mushrooms 6. Meanwhile, crumble

a plate. Use a slotted and spring onions to the the stock cube into a
spoon to lift the almonds pan. Cook them gently for measuring jug. Pour in
onto it. Then, heat the five minutes, until they 600ml (1 pint) of boiling
remaining oil in the pan. are soft. Stir them often. water and stir.

Take off the

and stir it
occasionally.

7. Add the cracked wheat 8. Once it has boiled, turn 9. Use kitchen scissors to
to the pan and stir it for a the heat down and put a snip the apricots into small
minute. Pour in the stock, lid on the pan. Let the pieces. Add the pieces to
then turn the heat up so mixture bubble gently for the bubbling mixture, along
that the mixture boils. about ten minutes. with some salt and pepper.

Use kitchen
scissors.

10. Take the lid off the 11. While the mixture is 12. Stir the parsley and half
pan. Let the mixture cook cooking, break the stalks of the flaked almonds into
for five minutes more, or off the parsley. Put the the mixture. Sprinkle the
until all the stock has leaves into a mug and snip rest of the almonds on top
been absorbed. them into small pieces. and serve immediately.

113
Soya bolognese sauce
Enough for 4 400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
1 onion
75g (3oz) soya mince
1 stick of celery
salt and ground black pepper
lOOg (4oz) button mushrooms
375g (12oz) dried pasta or 450g (15oz)
2 medium carrots
fresh pasta
1 clove of garlic
15g (Vboz) margarine
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube

1. Cut the ends off the 2. Wipe the mushrooms 3. Peel and crush the garlic.
onion and celery. Peel the with a damp paper towel. Heat two tablespoons of oil
onion and wash the Cut them into thick slices. in a large pan over a low
celery. Cut both the onion Peel or scrape the carrots, heat. Add the onion and
and celery into thin slices. then slice them finely. cook it for three minutes.

4. Add the celery, carrots, 5. While the vegetables 6. Pour 600ml (1 pint) of
mushrooms and garlic. are cooking, put a kettle boiling water into the
Cook them for five on to boil. Crumble the measuring jug and stir
minutes, until the onion stock cube into a until the stock cube
begins to turn brown. measuring jug. dissolves.
Stir it occasionally to

7. Pour the stock into the 8. Stir in the soya mince. 9. Put a lid on the pan
pan. Add the chopped Turn up the heat and bring and cook the mixture for
tomatoes, dried herbs and the mixture to the boil. 30 minutes. The mixture
a little salt and pepper. Then, turn down the heat will thicken as the mirtce
Stir the mixture well. so that it bubbles gently. soaks up the stock.

114
 Drain the pasta in a colander.

10. About 15 minutes 11. Bring the water to the

before the sauce is ready, boil and add the pasta. cooked, drain it, then put
half-fill a large pan with Look at the instructions on it back into the pan. Add
water. Add a tablespoon the packet of pasta and the margarine and shake
of oil and a pinch of salt. cook it for the time it says. the pan to coat the pasta.

13. Put the pasta onto

four plates or bowls, a
Ladle some sauce /m
i?.'.. j.l-
on top and eat it/-
immediately.
Cheese and tomato tart
Enough for 4-6
375g (13oz) packet of ready-rolled puff pastry
1 tablespoon of milk
1 large onion
1 medium courgette
3 tablespoons of olive oil
half a teaspoon of dried oregano
salt and ground black pepper
225g (8oz) cherry tomatoes
225g (8oz) mozzarella cheese
1. Turn on your oven to 2. Put the milk into a cup. 3. Cut the ends off the
220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7. Use a pastry brush to onion and peel it. Cut it
Unroll the pastry. Put it on brush the milk around finely. Cut the ends off
a baking sheet. Trim one the edge of the pastry, to the courgette and cut it
end off, if you need to. make a 1cm (’/bin) border. into 1cm (Viin) slices.
The onion and
courgette will soften.

4. Heat the oil over a lowish 5. Stir in the oregano and 6. Use a serrated knife to
heat and add the onion. add some salt and pepper. cut the tomatoes in half.
Cook it for five minutes. Spoon the mixture over Arrange the tomatoes on
Add the courgette and the pastry, but do not top of the mixture, with
cook for five minutes more. cover the milky border. their cut-side upwards.

This tart is
delicious served
hot or warm.

7. Open the bag of cheese 8. Put the tart on the

and pour away any liquid. middle shelf of the oven
Cut the cheese into 1cm for 35-40 minutes, until
(V2in) cubes. Scatter them the pastry rises around the
evenly over the tomatoes. edges and turns brown.

9. Leave the tart on the

baking sheet for three
minutes. Cut the tart into
eight pieces. Use a fish
slice to lift each piece.

117
 Veggie burgers
Makes 8
1 onion
1 stick of celery
1 red pepper
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 clove of garlic
175g (6oz) dried red lentils
1 vegetable stock cube
half a teaspoon of yeast extract
75g (3oz) fresh breadcrumbs
50g' (2oz) chopped nuts
ground black pepper

Stir it
occasionally.

1. Cut the ends off the 2. Slice the ends off the 3. Put a kettle on to boil.
onion and celery. Peel the red pepper. Cut it in half Heat the oil in a saucepan
onion and wash the and cut out the seeds. Cut over a medium heat. Cook
celery. Cut them both each half into thin strips. the onion and celery for
into very thin pieces. Cut the strips into cubes. five minutes, until soft.

4. Peel and crush the 5. Crumble the stock cube 6. Pour the stock into the
garlic. Add it to the pan, into a measuring jug and pan and bring it to the boil.
along with the red pepper pour in 350ml (12floz) of Then, turn the heat down
and lentils. Cook them for boiling water. Add the until the mixture bubbles
about a minute. yeast extract and stir well. gently. Put a lid on the pan

Cover it
with plastic
foodwrap.

7. Cook the mixture for 25 8. Mix in the breadcrumbs, 9. When chilled, divide
minutes, or until the nuts and some pepper. Let the mixture into eight
lentils have absorbed all the mixture cool, then pieces. Sprinkle some flour
the stock. Spoon the cover it. Put it in a fridge on a chopping board and
mixture into a large bowl. for at least 30 minutes. roll each piece into a ball.

118
 ¥ JM

Use a fish slice

11. Put the burgers onto 12. Turn the burgers over.
10. Turn your grill on to
the grill-pan rack. Cook Brush the tops with a little
medium. Press each ball
them under the grill for more oil and cook them
into a burger shape and
five minutes, until they for five more minutes. Eat
brush the top of each one
are slightly browned. them while they are hot.
with a little oil.

119
Mushroom croustade
Enough for 4 For the filling:
225g (8oz) button mushrooms
For the case:
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
25g (loz) plain wholemeal flour
2 eggs
50g (2oz) porridge oats
150g (5oz) full-fat soft vegetarian
lOOg (4oz) wholemeal breadcrumbs
cheese with herbs and garlic
(find out how to make breadcrumbs
salt and ground black pepper
on page 100)
lOOg (4oz) butter or margarine a 20cm (8in) flan dish

1. Turn your oven on to 2. Gently melt the butter 3. Spoon the mixture into a
200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6. or margarine in a pan flan dish. Use the back of
For the case, put the over a low heat. Pour in a spoon to press it firmly
flour, porridge oats and the mixture from the onto the bottom and up
breadcrumbs into a bowl. bowl and mix it well. the sides of the dish.
The baking sheet helps the Stir the mushrooms
mixture to cook on the bottom. occasionally.

4. Put the dish onto a 5. Turn the oven down to 6. Heat the oil in a frying
baking sheet. Bake it on 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4. pan over a low heat. Add
the middle shelf of your Wipe the mushrooms the mushrooms and cook
oven for ten minutes. using a damp paper towel, them for five minutes,
Take it out of the oven. then cut them in half. until they are soft.
Put the bowl on a damp
cloth to stop it from
slipping.

7. Turn the heat off under 8. Put the cheese into a 9. Add the mushrooms to
the mushrooms. Break bowl and stir it. Add the the mixture, but don’t
the eggs into a small bowl beaten egg, a little at a add any of the juice left
and beat them with a time. Stir the mixture each in the pan. Add some salt
fork until they are mixed. time you add some egg. and pepper and stir well.

120
The croustade is
delicious served
with a salad or
green vegetables.

10. Spoon the mixture into 11. Put the dish into the
the case and smooth the oven for 25 minutes and
top with the back of a bake it until the filling has
spoon. Press in any set and the crust is golden,
mushrooms sticking up. Serve it hot or cold.

121
Cheesy sausages
Makes 8
1 small leek
15g O/20Z) butter
lOOg (4oz) Cheddar cheese
8 fresh chives
2 eggs
salt and ground black pepper
quarter of a teaspoon of smooth mustard
175g (6oz) white breadcrumbs
plain flour for sprinkling
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

1. Cut the roots and green 2. Melt the butter in a 3. Spoon the leek into a
tops off the leek. Make a saucepan over a medium big bowl. Grate the cheese
slice half way along the heat. Add the slices of leek finely and add it to the
leek and rinse it really and cook gently for about bowl. Use kitchen scissors
well to get rid of any soil. five minutes, until soft. to snip the chives into small
Then, slice the leek finely. Don’t let them go brown. pieces and add them too.
Put a damp dishcloth under the Find out how to make
bowl to stop it from slipping as breadcrumbs on page 100.
you beat.

4. Break the eggs into a 5. Pour the beaten egg 6. Sprinkle a little flour
small bowl. Add some salt mixture into the big bowl onto a clean, dry work
and pepper and the and add the breadcrumbs. surface. Put the mixture
mustard. Beat them lightly Stir everything together onto the flour and cut it
until the yolks, egg white with a wooden spoon into eight equal pieces '
and mustard are mixed. until it is mixed well. with a knife.

122
 l l m
f ? > '£1
i1

Turn the sausages often

as they cook.

7. Wash your hands and 8. Cover the sausages

dry them. Rub a little with some plastic ready, heat the oil in a
flour on your hands, then foodwrap. Put the plate frying pan over a medium
roll each piece into the into a fridge for about 20 heat. Add the sausages and
shape of a sausage. Put minutes, to make the cook them for ten minutes.
the sausages onto a plate. sausages really firm. Serve immediately.

123
Chunky vegetable goulash
Enough for 4 half a medium-sized cauliflower
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 onion
3 teaspoons of paprika
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of plain flour
2 carrots
1 vegetable stock cube
2 medium-sized potatoes
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
with basil or mixed herbs
salt and ground black pepper
150ml (’A pint) soured
cream
1. Cut the top and bottom 2. Peel or scrape the carrots 3. Peel the potatoes and
off the onion. Peel the and cut them in half. Cut cut them in half. Cut each
onion and cut it into small them lengthways, then piece of potato into 1cm
chunks. Peel the clove of slice them into pieces (VHn) slices, then cut the
garlic and crush it. about 2.5cm (lin) long. slices into cubes.

4. Pull any leaves off the 5. Heat the oil in a large 6. While the onions are
cauliflower and throw pan over a lowish heat. cooking, put a kettle on to
them away. Cut the florets Gently cook the onion and boil. Sprinkle two teaspoons
off the cauliflower’s stalk garlic for five minutes, of paprika over the onions.
(see tip below). until they are soft. Add the flour and stir well.

7. Crumble the stock cube 8. Pour the stock into the 9. Turn the heat up and
into a measuring jug and pan. Add the tomatoes, bring the mixture to the
pour in 600ml (1 pint) of carrots, potatoes and the boil. Then, turn down the
boiling water. Stir it until cauliflower florets, as well heat so that the mixture
the stock cube dissolves. as a little salt and pepper. bubbles gently.
Cutting cauliflower

10. Put a lid onto the pan 11. Use a ladle to put the
Leave everything to goulash into bowls. Spoon Cut into the stalk about
bubble gently for about on some soured cream 1cm (V2in) from a floret.
20-25 minutes, until the and sprinkle the Pull the floret out, then
vegetables are cooked. remaining paprika on top. cut off another one.

125
Baked Spanish omelette
Serves 4
margarine for greasing
1 onion
2 medium-sized potatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
lOOg (4oz) frozen peas, thawed
4 eggs
150ml (14 pint) milk
salt and ground black pepper
a shallow 20cm (8in) ovenproof dish

1. Turn your oven on to 2. Peel the onion and cut 3. Heat the oil in a frying
180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4. it finely. Peel the potatoes pan over a medium heat.
Dip a paper towel in some and cut them in half. Cut Add the onion and potato
margarine, then rub it them into 1cm (Virin) slices and cook for four minutes,
over the inside of the dish. Cut the slices into cubes. until they begin to soften.
0 <3 ©

5. Take the pan off the 6. Break the eggs into a

garlic. Add it to the pan heat. Spoon the onion and small bowl. Beat them
and cook for two minutes potato into the bottom of with a fork, then stir in
more, until the onion and the dish spreading it out the milk and a little salt
potatoes begin to brown. evenly. Add the peas too. and black pepper.

7. Pour the beaten egg 8. To check that it is 9. Run a knife around the
over the vegetables in the cooked, push a knife into edge of the dish to loosen
dish. Bake the omelette in the middle of it. If lots of the omelette, then cut it
the oven for 45 minutes liquid seeps out, cook it into quarters. Use a spatula
until it has set. for a few more minutes. or fish slice to serve it.

126
Other fillings : Cheese

Sprinkle 50g (2oz) of

grated Gruyere cheese
and one tablespoon of
chopped parsley over the
vegetables, at step 5.

For a mushroom omelette,

leave out the peas. Slice
lOOg (4oz) of mushrooms.
Cook them with the onions
and potatoes at step 3.

Tomato

Slice two medium-sized

tomatoes as finely as you
can. Arrange the slices on
top of the cooked
vegetables, at step 5.

Drain a 200g (7oz) can of

sweetcorn in a sieve or
colander. Sprinkle the
corn over the vegetables
at step 5.
Cheese bites with tomato sauce
Enough for 4 For the cheese bites:
75g (3oz) white breadcrumbs
For the tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons of plain flour
1 red onion
225g (8oz) Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
2 eggs (you only need the whites)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
oil for frying
2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar
Grate the cheese on

1. Make the breadcrumbs 2. Put the bowl on one 3. Put the olive oil into a
(see page 4). Put 50g (2oz) side while you make the pan over a low heat. Cook
of the breadcrumbs into a sauce. Cut the ends off the slices of onion for five
bowl. Grate the cheese, add the onion and peel it. Cut minutes, stirring them
it to the bowl and stir well. it in half, then slice it. occasionally.

4. Add the tomatoes, soy 5. Once the mixture has 6. Make the bites while
sauce, vinegar and sugar boiled, turn down the heat the sauce is cooking.
and stir it well. Turn up and let it bubble gently. Shake the flour and some
the heat and bring the Put a lid on the pan and salt and pepper through a
mixture to the boil. cook for 15 minutes. sieve onto the cheese.
Make sure that the bowl is You don't
dean before you start. need the

7. Carefully break one egg 8. Do the same with the 9. If the tomato sauce is
onto a saucer. Put an egg other egg. Whisk the egg ready while you are still
cup over the yolk. Tip the white until it is stiff and cooking the bites, turn
saucer over a bowl so that makes points or ‘peaks’ down the heat under it,
the white dribbles into it. when you lift your whisk, as low as it will go.

128
10. Stir a large spoonful of 11. Wash your hands. Put 12. Roll the balls in the
the egg white into the the remaining breadcrumbs crumbs to coat them.
cheese and breadcrumb onto a plate. Make 16 balls Pour about 1cm (Vhin) of
mixture. Then, gently stir with the mixture, about the oil into a frying pan. Turn
in the rest of the white. size of table-tennis balls. the heat on to medium.
Use a spatula to lift
them into the pan.

13. After a minute or so, 14. Use a slotted spoon to 15. Put four balls onto
put eight balls into the pan. lift them out. Put them each plate. Stir the
Cook them for five minutes. onto some kitchen paper tomato sauce, then spoon
Turn the balls as they cook to drain. Cook the rest of it over the balls. Eat
so they are golden all over. the balls in the same way them while they are hot.

You could put some sauce

onto each plate before you
add the bites. Spoon any
remaining sauce on top.
Tofu skewers with noodles
Enough for 4 2 teaspoons of soft brown sugar
quarter of a teaspoon of chilli powder
two 285g (lOoz) packets of firm tofu
2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 small onion For the noodles:
1 clove of garlic 1 tablespoon of oil
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil 225g (8oz) dried or 350g (12oz) fresh
25g (loz) creamed coconut egg noodles
1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice 1 vegetable stock cube
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
or coriander
eight skewers, kebab or sate sticks
(If you use wooden sticks, soak
them in water for ten
minutes before you begin.)
 Use a
medium
heat.

1. Open the packets of 2. Push the cubes onto the 3. Peel the onion and cut
tofu and drain off any sticks. Put a tablespoon of it finely. Peel and crush
liquid. Pat the tofu dry on soy sauce into a bowl and the garlic. Heat the oil in a
a paper towel, then cut it brush it all over the cubes. saucepan and cook the
into 2.5cm (lin) cubes. Put a kettle on to boil. onion and garlic until soft.
Stir until the

5. Add the lemon or lime 6. Stir everything together

coconut into small pieces juice, the brown sugar, until they are blended,
and put it into a bowl. chilli powder, peanut then mix in the onion and
Pour in three tablespoons butter and a tablespoon garlic. Brush the mixture
of boiling water and stir. of soy sauce. over the tofu.
The oil stops the Watch the tofu, it can burn easily.
noodles from sticking

7. Half-fill a large saucepan 8. Turn the grill on to a 9. Cook the tofu for eight
with water and bring it to medium heat. Put the minutes in total. Every two
the boil. Crumble the tofu sticks onto the rack minutes, turn the sticks
stock cube and stir it in. in the grill pan and put and brush the tofu with
Add a tablespoon of oil. the pan under the grill. more peanut mixture.
Time the cooking from when
the noodles began to boil.

10. Meanwhile, add the 11. Cook the noodles for the 12. Toss the noodles in the
noodles to the water. Let time it says on their packet, parsley or coriander. Put
the water boil again, then then drain them. Put them the noodles onto plates
turn down the heat so the back into the pan. Add and lay two tofu sticks on
water bubbles gently. the parsley or coriander. top. Eat them hot.

131
Baked eggs
Enough for 4 400g (14oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
1 medium onion
salt and ground black pepper
1 small red pepper
butter or margarine for greasing
1 small yellow pepper
1 clove of garlic 4 eggs
1 courgette a shallow, ovenproof dish
2 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Turn on your oven to 2. Slice the ends off the 3. Peel the clove of garlic
190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5. peppers and cut them in and crush it in a garlic
Cut the ends off the onion half. Cut out the seeds. press. Cut the ends off the
and peel it. Slice the onion Cut the peppers into courgette and cut it into
as finely as you can. strips, then into cubes. thin slices.

Stir the mixture

4. Heat the oil in a pan 5. When the vegetables 6. Leave the mixture to
over a medium heat. Add are soft, add the tomatoes, cook for about five minutes,
the onions, garlic, peppers dried herbs and a pinch of or until the sauce becomes
and courgette. Cook them salt and pepper. Stir it and thicker and the amount
for ten minutes. let the mixture bubble. has reduced a little.

7. While the mixture is 8. When the mixture is 9. Carefully crack an egg

cooking, dip a paper towel ready, spoon it into the into each hollow. Lift the
into some margarine or dish. Use the back of the dish into the oven,
butter. Rub it over an spoon to make four without letting the eggs
ovenproof dish to grease it. hollows in the mixture. spill out over the mixture

132
 Breaking eggs
Bake the mixture until
the egg whites have set.

To break an egg, tap it Push your thumbs inside

10. Cook the eggs for about
sharply on the side of a the crack and pull the
10-15 minutes if you like
bowl or a cup. Tap it again, shell apart gently. Try not
runny yolks, or 15-20
but harder, if the shell to let any pieces of shell
minutes if you like your
doesn’t crack first time. fall into the bowl or cup.
eggs well-cooked.

133
Vegetarian sausages in batter
Enough for 4 quarter of a teaspoon of salt
75ml (3floz) milk
275g (lOoz) packet of vegetarian sausages,
1 egg
thawed if frozen 25g (loz) solid white vegetable fat
1 medium courgette
6 cherry tomatoes a 20cm (8in) round tin
50g (2oz) plain flour
1. Turn your oven on to 2. Cut the ends off the 3. To make the batter,
220°C, 425°F, Gas mark 7, courgette. Cut it into shake the flour and salt
to heat up. Cut each 2.5cm (lin) slices. Prick the through a sieve. Then,
sausage into three skin of each tomato with make a hollow in the
equal-sized pieces. the tip of a sharp knife. middle of the flour.

4. Pour the milk into a 5. Break the egg into a

measuring jug and add cup, then pour it into the
75ml (3floz) of cold water hollow in the flour. Pour
to make 150ml (14 pint) of in half of the milky liquid
liquid altogether. from the jug, too.
Whisk it until you get

7. Put the fat into the tin

with the flour. Add the and put it in the oven for
rest of the liquid, a little at five minutes. Then,
a time. Whisk it well each wearing oven gloves, very
time you add some. carefully lift the tin out.

8. Spread the sausages 9. Bake it on the top shelf

and vegetables around of the oven for 30-35
the tin. Take care, the fat minutes, until it has risen
will be hot. Then, pour and has turned golden.
the batter over them. Cut into four and serve.

135
Tortillas with black bean sauce
Enough for 4 1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder
salt and ground black pepper
margarine or oil for greasing
175g (6oz) Gruyere or Cheddar cheese
1 small onion
8 ready-made flour tortillas
1 clove of garlic
150ml QA pint) soured cream or thick
1 tablespoon of olive oil
plain yogurt
two 400g (14oz) cans of black-eyed
beans or red kidney beans a large shallow, ovenproof dish, about
two 400g (14oz) cans of chopped 35 x 20cm (14 x 8in)
tomatoes with herbs Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F,
1 tablespoon of tomato puree Gas mark 6.

1. Dip a paper towel into 2. Turn your oven on. Cut 3. Heat the oil in a
some margarine or pour a the ends off the onion saucepan. Cook the onion
little oil onto it. Rub the and peel it, then slice it and the garlic over a
paper towel inside the finely. Peel the clove of medium heat for five
dish, to grease it. garlic and crush it. minutes, until soft.

4. Drain the beans. Rinse 5. Stir in the chopped 6. Turn up the heat and
them under cold running tomatoes, tomato puree bring the sauce to the boil.
water. Add them to the and the chilli powder. Then, turn the heat down
pan and cook for a minute, Add a little salt and so that the sauce is still
stirring all the time. pepper, too. bubbling, but more gently.
The sauce should be thick
enough to sit on the
spoon.

7. Let the sauce cook for 8. If your sauce doesn’t 9. While the sauce is
20 minutes, stirring now start to thicken, turn the cooking, grate the cheese
and then to stop it from heat up a little until the on the large holes on the
sticking. The sauce should mixture bubbles more grater. Lay the tortillas bn
begin to thicken. fiercely. Stir it often. a clean, dry work surface.

136
 Take care as you roll them.
The sauce is still hot.

10. Divide the sauce 11. Sprinkle half of the 12. Sprinkle the rest of the
between the tortillas. cheese over the tortillas, cheese over the tortillas.
Spread it out almost to then roll them up. Then, Bake them for 15 minutes,
the edges, with the back lay them, join-side down, then serve them with the
of a spoon. in the dish. soured cream or yogurt.
Stuffed peppers
Enough for 4
4 medium peppers
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
175g (6oz) long-grain rice
1 small red onion
1 clove of garlic
200g (7oz) can of chopped tomatoes
half a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
50g (2oz) frozen peas, thawed
salt and ground black pepper
1. Turn your oven on to 2. Put two tablespoons of 3. When the peppers are
200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6. oil in a cup. Brush it over cooked, leave them until
Wash and dry the the peppers. Put the tray they are cool enough to
peppers, then put them into the oven and bake the touch. Cut them in half
onto a baking tray. peppers for 12 minutes. from top to bottom.

4. Cut the stalk, core and 5. Crumble the stock cube 6. Add another 600ml
seeds from each pepper. into a jug. Pour 600ml (1 pint) of boiling water.
Pat the peppers dry, then (1 pint) of boiling water Pour in the rice and stir.
put them back onto the into the jug. Stir well and Turn the heat down so the
tray. Put a kettle on to boil. pour the stock into a pan. mixture bubbles gently.

7. Leave the rice to cook 8. While the rice is cooking, 9. Heat two tablespoons
for about ten minutes cut the ends off the onion of oil in a pan. Add the
until it is just tender, then and peel it. Slice the onion onion and garlic, and cook
drain it in a large sieve as thinly as you can. Peel them gently until they
over a sink. and crush the garlic. are soft.
The oil stops the foil from
sticking to the peppers.

11. Add the rice and peas 12. Spread a little oil onto
10. Stir in the tomatoes,
herbs and a little salt and to the tomato mixture the dull side of a piece of
and mix everything well. foil. Cover the peppers. Put
pepper. Leave the mixture
Spoon the mixture into them into the oven for ten
to bubble gently for about
the halves of pepper. minutes. Eat while hot.
five minutes.

139
Spinach strudel
Enough for 4 salt and ground black pepper
40g (IV2 oz) butter
50g (2oz) pine nuts
lOOg (4oz) filo pastry (about 8 sheets)
175g (6oz) frozen chopped spinach,
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
thawed
250g (9oz) ricotta cheese Heat your oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas
quarter of a teaspoon of grated nutmeg mark 6.

4 i>
1 Turn on your oven. Put 2. Put the spinach into a 3. Tip the spinach into a
the pine nuts on a baking sieve. Press the spinach bowl. Add the pine nuts,
sheet. Bake them in the with the back of a large the ricotta cheese, nutmeg
oven for five minutes, until spoon, to squeeze out as and a little salt and pepper.
golden. Let them cool. much liquid as you can. Mix everything together.

Cover the rest of the pastry, Don't forget to brush each

(see tip, below right). sheet with butter before

4. Put the butter into a 5. Carefully lift one sheet 6. Put another sheet of filo
small saucepan. Heat it of filo pastry and put it on pastry on top and brush it
very gently over a low a clean tea towel. Brush with butter. Add the other
heat until the butter the sheet of pastry with sheets of pastry, one by
melts. Don’t let it burn. some of the melted butter. one, in the same way.

Spread out the mixture

with a spatula.

7. Spoon the spinach 8. Fold each of the short 9. Fold one of the long
mixture onto the pastry. sides of pastry over sides of pastry over onto
Spread it over the pastry, carefully, so that they the mixture. Then, roll it
leaving a 2.5cm (lin) overlap the edge of the over and over until you '
border around the edge. spinach mixture. reach the other long side.

140
10. Brush some of the
melted butter over a
baking sheet to grease it.
Lift the strudel onto it,
join-side down.

11. Brush the top and sides

of the strudel with the
rest of the melted butter.
Sprinkle poppy seeds all
over the top.

12. Bake the strudel in the

oven for 20 minutes, until
it is golden and crisp. Cut
it into slices and serve
straight away.

Using filo pastry

To stop filo pastry from

drying out, cover the
sheets of pastry with a
clean, damp tea towel until
you need to use them.
Nut crumble
Enough for 4 450ml (% pint) milk
margarine for greasing
1 carrot
1 parsnip For the crumble:
225g (8oz) broccoli lOOg (4oz) plain flour
225g (8oz) swede 50g (2oz) butter
225g (8oz) celeriac 25g (loz) porridge oats
salt and ground black pepper 50g (2oz) chopped mixed nuts
1 onion a large ovenproof dish
40g (IV20Z) butter
40g (T/20Z) plain flour

1. Turn your oven on to 2. Cut the florets off the 3. Cut the slices of swede
190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5 broccoli stalks. Peel the and celeriac into cubes.
Peel the carrot and the swede and celeriac and Half-fill a large saucepan
parsnip. Cut them into cut them in half. Cut each with water and add half a
half into 2.5cm (lin) slices. teaspoon of salt.

4. Bring the pan of water 5. Turn down the heat so 6. Add the broccoli and
to the boil. Add the that the water bubbles cook it for five minutes
carrot, parsnip, swede and gently, then put a lid on more. Ladle 150ml (14 pint)
celeriac and bring the the pan. Leave it to cook of the cooking water into a
water back to the boil. for five minutes. jug. Drain away the rest.
Stir the onion

7. To make the sauce, cut 8. Stir in the flour and 9. Carry on stirring in the
the ends off the onion, peel cook it for one minute. milk, a little at a time.
it and slice it. Melt the Take the pan off the heat Then, stir in the water
butter over a low heat. Cook and add a little of the you saved from cooking
the onion for five minutes. milk. Stir it really well. the vegetables.

142
10. Put the pan back onto 11. Grease the dish with 12. To make the crumble,
the heat. Bring the sauce margarine. Spoon in the shake the flour through a
to the boil slowly, stirring vegetables and sprinkle on sieve into a large bowl.
all the time. Let the sauce some pepper. Pour the Cut the butter into small
boil for one minute. sauce over the vegetables. chunks. Add it to the bowl

13. Rub the butter into the 14. Stir in the oats and 15. Bake the crumble in the
flour with your fingertips. nuts. Use a spoon to oven for 35 minutes. The
Lift it up and let it fall as sprinkle the crumble topping will turn golden
you do it. Carry on until it evenly over the brown. Spoon it onto plates
looks like breadcrumbs. vegetables to cover them. and eat while it’s hot.
Healthy eating
It’s important that you eat a well- following groups each day. All the food
balanced diet. This means that you you eat contains substances called
should eat a mixture of things like bread, nutrients, which keep your body
milk, cheese, eggs, peas, beans and healthy. These are proteins,
lentils, as well as lots of fruit and carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and
vegetables. Try to eat food from the minerals. You also need fibre and water.

Food Nutrients

Group 1 : soya milk or cow’s milk,

cheese, eggs or soya products, such as protein and minerals, especially calcium
tofu and soya mince.

Group 2 : pulses, such as, kidney beans, protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins
baked beans, chick peas, lentils; nuts
and minerals
such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts,
sesame seeds, sunflower seeds.

Group 3 : vegetable oil, margarine, vitamins, fat

butter.

Group 4 : bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and

wheat products, including flour. minerals

Group 5: Fruit and vegetables,

including dried fruit, frozen and vitamin C, fibre and minerals
canned vegetables.

Group 6 : eggs, cheese, yeast extract, vitamin B. You should eat a little of one
fortified soya milk, fortified breakfast of these each day, especially if you eat a
cereals. vegan diet (see page 98).

A well-balanced meal
Most of the dishes in this book are Here are a few suggestions for making
made up of different types of nutrients, other dishes in the book well-balanced:-
making them well-balanced meals.
They contain types of food from the page 6 - serve the tomato and
different groups above. mozzarella salad with bread, such as the
For example, the ‘Tortillas with black Italian bread on pages 108-109. Eat some
bean sauce’, on page 136, contain beans dried raisins or apricots afterwards.
from group 2, cheese from groups 1
and 6, and tomatoes from group 5. The pages 122-123 - serve the cheesy
tortillas are made from flour which is in sausages with some green vegetables,
group 4. However, the dish doesn’t such as broccoli, green beans, peas or a
contain many fresh vegetables, so it green salad.
would be a good idea to serve the
tortillas with a salad and to eat some pages 134-135 - serve the vegetarian •
fruit afterwards. sausages with baked beans.

144
 CAKES
& COOKIES
FOR BEGINNERS
Before you bake
Before you start to bake, have a look at the
tips on these two pages. Don’t forget to
check that you have all the ingredients and
equipment you need before you begin.
In most types of cooking, it doesn’t matter if
you change an ingredient or leave something
out, but you can’t do this when you are baking.
It’s also important that you measure things exactly
and use the right size of tin. Otherwise your cakes or
cookies may not turn out correctly.
Take butter or margarine out of the
fridge at least 30 minutes before
you use it, unless the recipe says
something different. Always use medium-sized
eggs unless the recipe says
something else.

When you

Equipment
If you are making a
cake, use the size and shape
of tin written in the recipe. If you
use a different size, you may not have
the correct amount of mixture.

Baking sheets
All the cookies are baked on baking
sheets. Space out the uncooked
cookies, as they usually increase in
size as they cook. When you use
two baking sheets, put them into
your oven one above the other.
Cook the top one for the time
the recipe says, then take it
out. Move the bottom one up
and cook until it’s ready.
Your oven
It’s important that you turn
on your oven when the
recipe says, so that it heats
up. Remember, if you have
a fan oven you’ll need to
lower the temperature or
shorten the cooking time.
Look in its instruction book
to see what is recommended.

Preparing cake tins Which shelf?

You need to grease a cake Cook your cake or cookies

tin or baking sheet to stop on a shelf in the middle of
the cake or cookie mixture your oven unless the
Grease the
from sticking to it when sides too.
recipe says something
it’s cooked. In some recipes different. Always move
you also need to line the To grease a tin, dip a paper the shelf to the middle
tin with baking parchment, towel into soft butter or before you turn on your
greaseproof or rice paper, margarine. Rub the towel oven. Don’t leave an
or sprinkle it with flour. over the bottom. empty shelf above it.

Cooling
Make sure that you
always wear oven gloves
when you take anything
out of the oven. Leave
cakes or cookies in their
tin or on the baking To remove a cake from a To turn a cake out of a
sheets for several minutes loose-bottomed cake tin, cake tin, put a wire
to cool. Then, put them put the tin onto a can. rack on top of the tin.
on a wire rack to cool Press on the side of the Turn it over so that
down completely. tin so that it slides down. the cake comes out.

147
Baking tips
These pages give you lots of cooking
hints and tips that will help you bake
successfully. You’ll also find other hints
with some of the recipes.

Breaking an egg

1. Crack the egg sharply 2. Before you add an egg

on the rim of a cup or to a mixture, break the egg
bowl. Push your thumbs into a separate cup or bowl.
into the crack in the shell It helps you to pick out any
and pull the sides apart. shell which may fall in.

Separating eggs Leave the yolk Egg whites will not whisk if
the bowl or whisk are greasy.

1. You will need a bowl 2. Carefully put an egg If you are whisking the
and a saucer for this. cup over the yolk. Tip the egg whites, make sure
Crack the egg on the side saucer over the bowl so that your bowl and whisk
of the bowl, then pour it that the egg white are clean and dry before
slowly onto the saucer. dribbles into it. you start (see page 173).

Beating eggs Beating a cake mixture

Beat with the
fork like

If you are beating eggs, 1. Before you begin to 2. Stir the mixture briskly
you can use a fork instead beat, put your bowl on a with a wooden spoon or a
of a whisk. Beat them damp dishcloth. This will whisk. You are trying to
until the white and yolk stop the bowl from make a smooth, creamy
are mixed together. slipping as you beat. cake mixture.

148
Sifting flour Rubbing in Do this with clean,

Put a sieve over a bowl 1. Cut the butter or 2. Rub the pieces with your
and pour the flour into it. margarine into small fingertips. Lift the mixture
If you sift wholemeal pieces and stir it into the and let it fall as you rub.
flour, tip any bran left in flour. Stir until each piece Do this until it becomes
the sieve into the bowl. is covered with flour. like fine breadcrumbs.

Rolling out dough Shape the dough with your

hands to keep it circular.

1. Sprinkle a clean, dry 2. Press the rolling pin 3. Carry on rolling and
work surface with a little onto the dough and roll it turning to make a circle,
flour. Put the dough onto away from you. Turn the until you get the
it, then sprinkle a rolling dough in a quarter turn thickness of dough
pin with some flour. and roll it again. written in the recipe.

Melting chocolate Stir the chocolate Testing a cake

as it melts.

1. Heat about 2.5cm (lin) 2. Put on some oven At the end of the cooking
of water in a pan so that gloves and lift the bowl time, test your cake to see
it is bubbling gently. into the pan. The heat if it is cooked. Press it in
Break the chocolate into a from the water melts the the middle. If it is cooked, it
heatproof bowl. chocolate gradually. will feel firm and spring up.

149
Peanut butter cookies
Makes 12 cookies
50g (2oz) butter or margarine
75g (3oz) soft light brown sugar
lOOg (4oz) crunchy peanut butter
50g (2oz) self-raising flour
50g (2oz) rolled oats
1 medium egg
For the topping:
1. Grease two baking 2. Put the margarine or 3. Put a sieve over the
sheets with butter or butter into a large bowl. bowl and sift the flour
margarine. Turn the oven Add the sugar and peanut onto the mixture. Add the
on to 170°C, 325°F, Gas butter. Beat them until oats and stir well to mix
mark 3, to heat up. they are light and creamy. everything together.

4. Press the mixture with 5. Divide the mixture in 6. Put the balls onto the
your fingers, then fold it half, then in quarters baking sheets, leaving
in half and press again. Do until you make 12 pieces. plenty of space between
this again and again until Squeeze each piece to them. Flatten them
it makes a soft dough. make a small ball. slightly with your hand.

7. Break the egg into a 8. Cut the roasted peanuts

small bowl and beat it into small pieces. Sprinkle
well with a fork. Brush them all over the top of
the top of each cookie each cookie. They will
with some beaten egg. stick to the egg.

9. Bake the cookies for 15

minutes, until they are
golden. Leave them on the
trays to cool a little, then
lift them onto a wire rack.
 Corn flake crunch
Makes 8 pieces
225g (8oz) plain chocolate
3 tablespoons of golden
or maple syrup
50g (2oz) margarine
lOOg (4oz) corn flakes
a 20cm (8in) shallow tin

1. Grease the tin with a

little butter or margarine
on kitchen paper. Grease
the inside well, but do not
leave on too much butter.

2. Break the chocolate

into a large pan. Add the
syrup and margarine.
Heat the pan gently,
stirring all the time.
Lift the pieces out
with a blunt knife
or a pie slice.

3. When the chocolate has 4. Spoon the mixture into 5. Put the tin in a fridge
melted, add the corn flakes the tin. Gently smooth for the chocolate to set. It
and stir them well. Make the top with the back of a will take about two hours.
sure that they are coated spoon. Try not to crush Use a sharp knife to cut'it
all over with chocolate. the corn flakes. into eight pieces.

152
Marshmallow crispies
Makes 15 pieces
lOOg (4oz) wrapped toffees or slab toffee
lOOg (4oz) margarine
lOOg (4oz) marshmallows
lOOg (4oz) rice crispies
a shallow tin 27.5 x 17.5cm (11 x 7in)

1. Grease the tin (see page

147). If you are using a
slab of toffee, put it in a
plastic bag and break it
up with a rolling pin.
They will take about 15 //
minutes to melt. //

2. Put the toffee, margarine

and marshmallows into a
large pan. Melt them very
gently over a low heat,
stirring all the time.

3. When everything has 4. Spoon the mixture into

melted and blended the tin and press it gently
together, take the pan with the back of a metal
off the heat. Gently stir spoon. Leave the mixture
in the rice crispies. to set, then cut it up.
Chocolate chip cookies
Makes 12
100g (4oz) butter or margarine
lOOg (4oz) caster sugar
1 egg
half a teaspoon of vanilla essence
175g (6oz) plain flour
175g (6oz) chocolate chips

Use a wooden
spoon.

1. Grease two large baking 2. Put the sugar and the

sheets with butter or butter or margarine into a
margarine (see page 147). large bowl. Beat it briskly
Turn your oven on to until it is light and
180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4. creamy (see page 148).

<s>

3. Break the egg into a 5. Put a heaped tablespoon

small bowl and beat it large bowl and stir well to of the mixture onto a
well. Stir in the vanilla make a smooth mixture. baking sheet. Use up the
essence, then add the Stir in lOOg (4oz) of the rest of the mixture to
mixture to the large bowl. chocolate chips. make eleven more cookies.

6. Flatten each cookie 7. Bake the cookies for 8. Leave the cookies for a
slightly with the back of a 10-15 minutes. They few minutes, then use a
fork. Sprinkle the top of should be pale golden spatula or fish slice to lift
each one with some of the brown and slightly soft in them onto a wire rack.
remaining chocolate chips. the middle. Leave them to cool.

154
 Hazelnut cookies
Makes 15
150g (5oz) butter or margarine
lOOg (4oz) caster sugar
1 egg
T75g (6oz) plain flour
25g (loz) cocoa powder
75g (3oz) hazelnuts

+"A
You could press a whole hazelnut
into the middle of the cookies
before you bake them.

1 Follow steps 1-3 of the 2. Sieve the flour and the

chocolate chip cookies, cocoa powder into the
using the quantities bowl. Use a large spoon to
shown above. You don’t stir it in well, until you
add any vanilla at step 3. get a smooth mixture.
Flatten them with the
back of a spoon.

3. Put the hazelnuts onto 4. Put 15 heaped dessert 5. Bake the cookies for
a chopping board and cut spoonfuls of the mixture 10-15 minutes. They will
them into pieces. Add onto the baking sheets. darken. Leave them to
them to the mixture and Space them out. Flatten cool a little, then lift them
stir them in. each one a little. onto a wire rack.

155
 Shortbread f*# if?
Makes 8 pieces
150g (5oz) plain flour w*
25g (loz) rice flour or ground rice
lOOg (4oz) butter, refrigerated
50g (2oz) caster sugar

a 20cm (8in) shallow tin

1. Turn your oven to 2. Put a sieve over a large 3. Cut the butter into
150°C, 300°F, Gas mark 2. mixing bowl and pour the small pieces and put them
Grease the inside of the flour and the ground rice into the bowl. Mix them
tin with butter on a piece into it. Shake them into with a blunt knife to coat
of kitchen paper. the bowl. them with flour.

156
4. Rub the pieces of butter 5. Carry on rubbing in the 6. Holding the bowl in one
between your fingertips. flour until the mixture hand, squeeze the mixture
Lift the mixture and let it looks like breadcrumbs. into a ball. The heat from
fall back into the bowl as Stir in the caster sugar your hand makes the
you rub (see page 149). with a wooden spoon. mixture stick together.

Cut across it again,

before lifting it out.

7. Press the mixture into 8. Use the prongs of a 9. Bake it for 30 minutes,
the tin with your fingers, fork to press a pattern until it becomes golden.
then use the back of a around the edge. Then Leave the shortbread for
spoon to smooth the top cut the mixture into eight five minutes before
and make it level. equal pieces. putting it on a wire rack.

157
Gingerbread biscuits
Makes about 20 biscuits
350g (12oz) plain flour
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
lOOg (4oz) butter or margarine
175g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
i egg
4 tablespoons of golden syrup or
maple syrup
large cookie cutters

1. Dip a paper towel in

some margarine and rub it
over two baking sheets.
Turn on your oven to
190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5. Look at the tip for
measuring syrup,
below right.

2. Sift the flour, ginger and 3. Rub the butter or 4. Stir the sugar into the
bicarbonate of soda into a margarine into the flour mixture. Break the egg
mixing bowl. Cut the with your fingers, until into a small bowl. Add
butter or margarine into the mixture looks like fine the syrup to the egg and
chunks and add them. breadcrumbs (see page 149). beat them together well.

5. Stir the eggy mixture 6. Sprinkle a clean work 7. Fold the dough in half.
into the flour. Mix surface with flour and put Turn it and push it away
everything together with the dough onto it. Stretch from you again. Continue
a metal spoon until it the dough by pushing it to push, turn and fold .
makes a dough. away from you. until the dough is smooth.

158
8. Cut the dough in half. 9. Use a cookie cutter to 10. Roll out the other half of
Sprinkle a little more flour cut out lots of shapes dough and cut shapes from
onto your work surface. from the dough. Lift the it. Squeeze the scraps of
Roll out the dough until it shapes onto the baking dough to make a ball. Roll it
is about 5mm (’Ain) thick. sheets with a fish slice. out and cut more shapes.

Measuring syrup

11. Put the biscuits on the 12. Leave the biscuits on

baking sheets into your the sheets for about five Heat your spoon in hot
oven and bake them for minutes. Then, lift them water before you measure
12-15 minutes. They will onto a wire rack. Leave syrup. It makes it easier
turn golden brown. them to cool. for the syrup to slide off.

159
Makes 12
175g (6oz) margarine
175g (6oz) Demerara sugar
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
225g (8oz) rolled oats or porridge oats
a shallow 18 x 27cm (7 x llin) tin

Cut
1. Put the tin on baking
the flapjacks
parchment or greaseproof while they are
paper and draw around it. in the tin and
still warm.
Cut out the oblong just
inside the line.
Grease the
tin well. '——_

2. Grease the bottom of 3. Put the margarine in a 4. Take the pan off the
the cake tin and put the large pan with the sugar heat. Add the oats and
paper in. Grease the paper. and syrup. Melt the stir them in really well so
Turn on your oven to margarine gently. Do not that they are covered in
160°C, 325°F, Gas mark 3. allow the mixture to boil. the margarine mixture.

160
5. Spoon the oats into the 6. Put the tin on the 7. Take the tin out of the
tin. Spread them all over middle shelf in your oven oven and leave it for ten
the bottom, then smooth and bake the mixture for minutes. Cut the mixture
the top with the back of 25 minutes until the oats into pieces. Leave them in
a metal spoon. turn golden brown. the tin until they are cold

161
 Chocolate refrigerator cake
Makes about 12 slices
lOOg (4oz) bar of plain chocolate.
Or, lOOg (4oz) bar of white chocolate
lOOg (4oz) butter or margarine
5 tablespoons of golden syrup
225g (8oz) rich tea biscuits
2 tablespoons of chopped glace cherries
2 tablespoons of raisins
2 tablespoons of chopped nuts
a 20cm (8in) round tin

Find out how to grease

a tin on page 147.

1. Put your cake tin onto 2. Grease the tin. Put in

greaseproof paper and the greaseproof paper
Use white draw around it. Cut out circle you have cut out.
or plain
chocolate for the circle, just inside the Grease it again, on top of
this recipe. line you have drawn. the paper circle.

I
3. Break the chocolate 4. Put the pan over a low 5. Break the biscuits into
into pieces and put it in a heat and let the mixture pieces and put them into
saucepan. Add the butter melt. Stir it occasionally. a bowl. Crush the pieces
or margarine and spoon in When the mixture has of biscuit finely with the
the syrup. melted, turn off the heat. end of a rolling pin.

6. Put the chopped glace 7. Spoon the mixture into 8. Put the tin into a fridge
cherries, raisins and the cake tin. Press it and leave it overnight.
chopped nuts into the down really well, then Turn the cake out and pull
bowl. Add the mixture smooth the top with the off the paper circle. Cut
from the pan and stir well. back of a metal spoon. the cake into wedges.
Macaroons
Makes 12
3 large eggs (you only need the whites)
12 whole blanched almonds
75g (3oz) caster sugar
lOOg (4oz) ground almonds
25g (loz) ground rice
a few drops of almond essence

Grease the top of

1. Turn your oven on to If you don’t have rice paper

150°C, 300°F, Gas mark 2. or baking parchment,
Cover the baking sheets cover the baking sheets
with either rice paper or with greaseproof paper.
baking parchment. Grease the paper lightly.
Be careful not

3. Hold an egg cup over 4. Put the almonds into

side of a bowl. Hold it the egg yolk and tip the the egg white, then lift
over a saucer and pull the egg white into a large them out with a spoon.
sides apart. Let the egg mixing bowl. Do the same Put them on a plate and
fall gently onto a saucer. with the other eggs. leave them on one side.
Make sure your whisk Use a metal spoon to
is clean and dry fold the mixture (see
before you begin. the tip, page 183).

5. Whisk the egg whites 6. Add the caster sugar, 7. Put. a heaped teaspoon
(see the tip, page 173). ground almonds, ground of the mixture onto the
Stop whisking when you rice and almond essence. paper on the baking sheet,
get small points, or ‘peaks’, Fold the mixture over and and flatten it slightly with
when you lift your whisk. over gently to mix them. the back of the spoon.

164
The macaroons spread You can eat any rice paper
as they cook. left on the bottom.

8. Use up the rest of the 9. Bake the macaroons for 10. Lift the macaroons
mixture in the same way, 25-30 minutes, until they onto a wire rack to cool. If
leaving a space between are pale golden brown. you have used rice paper,
each spoonful. Press an Leave them on the baking tear away the paper
almond onto each one. sheets for five minutes. around each macaroon.

165
 sr ■-*

Makes 12 buns
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
lOOg (4oz) butter or margarine
lOOg (4oz) caster sugar
1 medium egg
1 tablespoon of milk
50g (2oz) raspberry jam
 *

You don't have to use

raspberry jam, you could
try different flavours, such
as apricot or blackcurrant.

1. Turn your oven on to 2. Put a sieve over a large

200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6. bowl and shake the flour
Grease two baking sheets through it. Cut the butter
- « and sprinkle them with or margarine into small
flour. Shake them to spread chunks and add them to
the flour, then tip it off. the flour.

3. Rub the chunks of 5. Sprinkle a clean work

butter or margarine into small bowl and add the surface with some flour.
the flour with your milk. Whisk them Press the mixture
fingers, until it looks like together, then stir them together to make a firm
fine breadcrumbs (see into the mixture in the ball, then put it onto your
page 149). Stir in the sugar. large bowl. work surface.

6. Cut the ball in half. 7. Squeeze each piece into 8. Bake the buns for ten
Then, cut each half into a round shape and spread minutes. They will rise
three pieces. Cut each of them out on the baking and turn golden brown.
the pieces in half. You sheets. Make a dent in Lift each one onto a wire
should end up with 12 each bun and fill it with a rack and leave them to
even-sized pieces. teaspoon of jam. cool before eating them.

167
Chocolate choux buns
Makes about 18 buns For the filling:
250ml (V2 pint) double cream
150ml (14 pint) cold water
1 teaspoon caster sugar For the icing:
50g (2oz) butter 225g (8oz) plain chocolate
60g (21/2 0z) plain flour
2 eggs

1. Turn on your oven to 2. Turn on the cold tap 3. Put a sieve over a bowl
200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6. and hold each baking and pour in the flour. Sift
Dip a paper towel in some sheet under it. Shake them the flour into the bowl.
margarine and rub it over well to get rid of all the Put this on one side.
two baking sheets. drops of water. You’ll need it later.

Beat the
mixture
quickly to
mix in all
the flour.

4. Put the water, sugar 5. As soon as the butter 6. Immediately, shoot the
and butter into a large has melted, turn up the flour into the pan in one
saucepan. Place the pan heat and bring the go, and start to beat the
over a medium heat to mixture to the boil. Then, mixture really well with a
melt the butter. turn off the heat. wooden spoon.

7. Keep beating the 8. Break the eggs into a 9. Put teaspoonfuls of the
mixture until it makes a small bowl and beat them, mixture onto the baking
ball of smooth paste Add them, a little at a sheets. Make sure that
which leaves the sides of time, beating the mixture they are spaced out. They
the pan clean. each time you add some. will spread as they cook.

168
 Slit the buns to
allow the hot air
inside to escape.

10. Bake them for 25-30 11. Whisk the cream until 12. Break the chocolate
minutes, until they are it is stiff. Cut the buns in into chunks and let it
golden brown. Make a slit half. Fill them with a melt in a bowl over a
in each one and leave teaspoon of cream, then saucepan of hot water
them on a rack to cool. press them together again (see page 149).

13. Using a teaspoon,

carefully coat the top of
each bun with the
melted chocolate. jgf
Leave the
chocolate to
harden.
Scones
Makes 16 scones
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 level teaspoon of baking powder
a pinch of salt
50g (2oz) butter or margarine
25g (loz) caster sugar
150ml (’A pint) milk
extra milk for brushing
6cm or 7cm (2’Ain) scone cutter

You
can also make fruit
scones by adding
50g (2oz) of
sultanas, chopped
glace cherries or
chopped dates,
with the
sugar at
step 3.
 Hold the sieve up

1. Turn your oven on to 2. Sift the flour, baking

heat up to 230°C, 450°F, powder and salt into a
Gas mark 8. Grease two bowl. Cut the butter or
baking sheets with butter margarine into small pieces
or margarine. and add them to the flour.

3. Rub the butter or 4. Use a blunt knife to 5. Sprinkle an area of your

margarine into the flour mix everything to make a work surface with flour
until the mixture looks like soft dough. Then, press and put the dough onto it.
fine breadcrumbs. Add the and mould it with your Roll it out until the dough
sugar and milk. fingers until it’s smooth. is about 1cm (!/2in) thick.

OQQ’

C) C)
6. Cut circles from the 7. Put the circles onto the 8. Bake the scones for 7-10
dough with the cutter. baking sheets, leaving minutes on the top shelf
Squeeze the scraps into a quite a lot of space of the oven. They will rise
ball and roll them out between each one. Brush and turn golden. Lift them
again. Cut more circles. the tops with a little milk. onto a wire rack to cool.

171
Baked cheesecake squares
Makes 15 squares For the filling: 150ml (’A pint) sour cream
225g (8oz) curd cheese, ricotta cheese
225g (8oz) plain flour
or quark
lOOg (4oz) butter
50g (2oz) caster sugar
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
a lemon
2 tablespoons of water
3 eggs
an 18 x 27 x 2.5cm (7 x 11 x lin) tin 50g (2oz) raisins

1. Draw around the tray on 2. Turn your oven on to 3. Stir in the sugar. Add
baking parchment or 200°C, 400°F, Gas mark 6. the water and mix to
greaseproof paper. Cut out Sift the flour. Cut the make a soft dough. Mix it
the shape. Grease the tray butter into pieces and rub until the mixture leaves
and put the paper into it. it in (see page 149). the side of the bowl clean.
Beat the mixture

4. Put the dough into the 5. Prick the dough all over 6. Put the sour cream,
tray and press it with with a fork. Bake it for 10 cheese and caster sugar into
your fingers to cover the minutes until it is golden. a bowl. Grate the yellow
bottom of the tray. Press Turn the oven down to rind off the lemon and add
it right into the corners. 160°C, 325°F, Gas mark 3. it. Beat the mixture well.
Turn the mixture

7. Separate the eggs (see 8. Whisk the egg whites 9. Sprinkle the raisins over
page 148). Put the whites until they are stiff (see the dough and pour the
into a medium-sized bowl. right). Fold them gently eggy mixture on top.
Add the yolks to the into the mixture with a Bake for 45-50 minutes'
mixture and beat it again. metal spoon (see page 183). until it is golden brown.

172
Whisking egg whites

1. Separate the egg whites

from their yolks and put
them into a clean, dry
bowl. Make sure that no
yolk gets into the bowl.

2. Hold the bowl tightly in

one hand and twist the
whisk around and around.
The egg will begin to go
white and frothy.

3. Carry on whisking until

the whites get stiff and
you get points or ‘peaks’
forming on the top when
you lift up the whisk.
Chocolate brownies
Makes 15
175g (6oz) margarine
350g (12oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
3 eggs
lOOg (4oz) plain flour
1 level teaspoon of baking powder
75g (3oz)cocoa
175g (6oz) walnuts or pecan nuts
an oblong tin,
22 x 30 x 2.5cm (9 x 12 x lin)
 2. Grease the tin. Lay the 3. Put the margarine into a
piece of greaseproof paper paper in the tin and pan and melt it over a low
or baking parchment. grease the top of it. Turn heat. Pour it into a large
Draw around it and cut the oven on to 180°C, mixing bowl, then add the
out the shape. 350°F, Gas mark 4. sugar and vanilla essence.
Beat the mixture each
time you add some egg.

the eggs into a 5. Sift the flour into the 6. Put the nuts onto a
small bowl and beat bowl and add the baking chopping board and cut
them. Add them to the powder and the cocoa. them into small pieces.
large bowl, a little at a Stir everything together Add them to the mixture
time. Beat them in well. so that it is mixed well. and stir it well again.

8. The brownies are ready

when they have risen
and have formed a crust
on top. They should still
be soft in the middle.

Use a fish slice to lift them.

9. Leave the brownies in

the tin for five minutes,
then cut them into 15
squares. Leave them on a
wire rack to cool.

175
Pecan squares
Makes 12 squares
For the base: 175g (6oz) butter or margarine
75g (3oz) icing sugar
225g (8oz) plain flour
For the topping: 75g (3oz) butter or margarine
2 tablespoons of golden or maple syrup
2 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar
2 eggs
lOOg (4oz) pecan nuts
an oblong tin, 18 x 27 x 2.5cm (7 x 11 x lin)
1. Put the tin onto a piece 2. Grease the tin. Put the 3. For the base, put the
of greaseproof paper or paper into the bottom of butter or margarine into a
baking parchment. Draw the tin and press it down. mixing bowl. Add the
around it and cut out the Turn the oven on to sugar and beat it until it is
shape you have drawn. 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4. light and creamy.

4. Sift the flour into the 5. Press the mixture with 6. Use the back of a spoon
bowl and stir it in well. your fingers, fold it in to press the mixture over
Sprinkle flour onto a clean half, then press again. Do the bottom of the tin. Bake
work surface and put the this again and again for it for about 15 minutes or
mixture onto it. about a minute. until it is golden brown.

7. When the base has 8. Put the butter or 9. Break the eggs into a
cooked, leave it in the tin, margarine into a pan and small bowl and beat them
but put it on a wire rack melt it over a low heat. well. Take the pan off the
to cool. Begin to make the Stir in the syrup, sugar, heat and stir the beaten
topping while it cools. milk and vanilla essence. eggs into the mixture.

11. The topping will turn 12. When it has cooled,

10. Pour the topping onto
dark golden brown, but it cut it into 12 squares, by
the base. Sprinkle the
should be slightly gooey making two cuts
pecan nuts evenly over
in the middle. Leave it to lengthways along the tin,
the topping and bake it
cool in the tin. then three cuts across.
for about 25 minutes.

177
Banana and nut slices
V.
Makes 9 slices
lOOg (4oz) butter or margarine
lOOg (4oz) soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas
lOOg (4oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
lOOg (4oz) chopped nuts
a 20cm (8in) square cake tin

1. Grease your cake tin

with butter or margarine.
Carefully follow the
instructions on page 179
for lining your cake tin.

2. Turn on your oven to

190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5.
Put the butter or
margarine into a mixing
bowl. Add the sugar.

3. Use a wooden spoon to

beat the butter or
margarine and the sugar,
until they are very
smooth and creamy.
 Greasing & lining a tin

4. Carefully break the 5. Add the beaten egg to

eggs into a small bowl. the creamy mixture, a
Beat them with a whisk little at a time. Each time Put the tin on a piece of
or a fork until they are you add some egg, beat it baking parchment or
mixed well (see page 148). into the mixture. greaseproof paper which
is larger than the tin.

6. Peel the bananas. Cut 7. Stir the mashed banana

them into chunks, then into the creamy mixture.
Use a pencil to draw
put them into a bowl. Put a sieve over the bowl
around the tin, as close
Mash them well with the and sift the flour and
to the bottom as you
back of a fork. baking powder into it.
can. Lift the tin off.

8. Use a metal spoon to 9. Spoon the mixture into

stir the flour into the your cake tin. Sprinkle the Cut in from the edge to
mixture. Do this by top with the chopped each corner of the
turning the mixture over nuts and bake it for about square. Fold in each side
slowly with the spoon. 20-25 minutes. along its pencil line.

10. Press lightly on the 11. Hold the greaseproof Grease the tin. Fit the
top of the cake to test it. paper and lift the cake paper into the tin. Trim
It should spring back up. out of the tin. Leave it on off any extra paper,
Leave it to cool in the tin a wire rack to cool, then just above the tin.
for five minutes. cut it into slices.

179
 Simple sponge cakes
Makes 18 squares. Ice the cakes with sugar For sugar icing: 225g (8oz) icing sugar
icing or butter cream icing. about 2 tablespoons of water
For the squares: 275g (lOoz) self-raising flour For butter cream icing:
225g (8oz) soft margarine 75g (3oz) butter, softened
4 tablespoons of milk 175g (6oz) icing sugar
1 level teaspoon of baking powder 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
225g (8oz) caster sugar For decorating: small sweets
2-3 drops of vanilla essence
4 eggs a 33 x 25cm (13 x lOin) roasting tin

i
Find out
about greasing
on page 147.
1. Grease the tin. Draw 2. Turn the oven on to 3. Add the margarine, milk,
around it on baking 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4. baking powder, sugar and
parchment or greaseproof Put a sieve over a large vanilla. Break the eggs into a
paper. Cut out the shape mixing bowl and sift the small bowl, then add them
and put it in the tin. flour through it. too. Beat everything well.

4. Scrape the mixture into 5. Make the icing when the Add some more water
the tin and smooth the top cake has cooled completely. and stir it again. Continue
Bake it for 40-45 minutes, For sugar icing: sift the to do this until the icing
until the cake springs up icing sugar into a bowl. coats the back of the
when you press the middle. Add a little water and stir. spoon and dribbles off it.

For butter cream icing: 6. Lift the cake out of the

beat the butter in a bowl tin, then spread the icing
until it is creamy. Sift in over it. Cut the cake into
the icing sugar. Add the squares and decorate each
vanilla and mix it well. piece before the icing sets.

180
Cherry and coconut: add
175g (6oz) chopped glace
cherries and 75g (3oz)
desiccated coconut to the
mixture at step 3.

Chocolate: add 2 tablespoons

of cocoa powder to the
mixture at step 3. Leave
the vanilla essence.

Lemon: grate the rind off

two lemons and add it to
the mixture at step 3. Leave
out the vanilla essence.
 Marble cake
Makes about 8 slices an orange
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
225g (8oz) butter or margarine
225g (8oz) caster sugar a tin measuring 20.5 x 12.5 x 8cm
% 4 eggs (8x5x3V2in)
225g (8oz) self-raising flour

1. Put the tin onto some 2. Grease inside the tin, 3. Put the butter or
greaseproof paper or then put the paper into margarine and the sugar
baking parchment and the bottom. Turn the into a mixing bowl. Beat
draw around the bottom. oven on to 180°C, 350°F, them until they are mixed
Cut out the shape. Gas mark 4. well and creamy.

Beat well each time you

4. Break the eggs into a 5. Sift the flour into the 6. Grate the yellow rind
small bowl and beat bowl, then ‘fold’ it in with off the orange. Take care
them. Add the beaten a metal spoon (see tip, not to grate any of the
egg, a little at a time, to right). Divide the mixture white part under the skin,
the creamy mixture. between two bowls. as it tastes bitter.

7. Add the orange rind to 8. Put alternate spoonfuls 9. Bake the cake for an
one bowl and the cocoa of the mixture into the tin. hour to an hour and 20
powder to the other. Stir Use a knife to make swirly minutes. The cake should
each bowl well, using patterns through the be well-risen and firm
separate spoons. mixture. Smooth the top. when you press it.

182
 Folding in
You'll see the marble

Use a metal spoon to cut Carry on cutting and

10. Leave the cake in the
tin for 10 minutes to cool, through the middle of the folding until the
mixture, then fold it over ingredients are mixed.
then turn it onto a wire
very gently. Do this again Folding in keeps your
rack. When it is cold, cut
and again. mixture very light.
it into slices.

183
Layered lemon cake
Makes about 12 slices a lemon
50g (2oz) unsalted butter
a lemon
175g (6oz) self-raising flour For the icing:
1 teaspoon of baking powder a lemon
3 eggs lOOg (4oz) icing sugar
175g (6oz) soft margarine two round 18cm (7in) tins
175g (6oz) caster sugar
Heat your oven to 180°C, 350°F,
For the filling: Gas mark 4.
2 eggs
75g (3oz) caster sugar
1. Turn on your oven. 2. Grate the rind off a 3. Sift the flour and baking
Draw around the tins on lemon, then cut the lemon powder into a bowl. Break
baking parchment or in half. Twist each half on the eggs into a cup, then
greaseproof paper. Cut out a lemon squeezer to get add them, along with the
the circles. Grease the tins. the juice from it. margarine and sugar.

4. Beat everything in the 5. Bake the cakes for 25 6. While the cakes are
bowl well, then stir in the minutes until they spring cooling, make the filling.
lemon rind and juice. up when you press them Break the eggs into a
Divide the mixture in the middle. Leave them heatproof bowl and add
between the two tins. on a rack to cool. the caster sugar.

7. Add the grated rind 8. Put some water into a 9. Stir the mixture from
and juice of another pan and turn on the heat time to time as it thickens.
lemon. Cut the butter into so that the water is just Take it off the heat when
small pieces and add it to bubbling. Put the bowl it coats the back of your
the bowl. into the pan. spoon. Leave it to cool.

Leave the cake on the rack. A zester gives you

long pieces of
rind.

Press hard as
you scrape.

11. Either grate some rind 12. Squeeze one half of the
10. Spread one cake with
from the last lemon or lemon. Sift the icing sugar.
the filling. Put the other
scrape some off with a Stir the juice into the icing
cake carefully on top.
zester, if you have one. until it is like glue. Ice the
Don’t worry if some of
Keep it on one side. cake. Sprinkle rind on top.
the filling oozes out.

185
Apple cake
Makes about 12 slices 1 rounded teaspoon of ground cinnamon
50g (2oz) chopped nuts
T75g (6oz) wholemeal self-raising flour 1 cooking apple, about 225g (8oz)
175g (6oz) caster sugar Demerara sugar for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 eggs a 20cm (8in) round, loose-bottomed
175g (6oz) soft margarine cake tin
1. Put the cake tin onto 2. Grease the tin with 3. Sift the flour into a large
some greaseproof paper or some margarine, then put bowl and tip in the grainy
baking parchment. Draw the paper into the bottom bits left in the bottom of
around it and cut out the of it. Turn the oven on to your sieve. Add the caster
circle, just inside the line. T70°C, 325°F, Gas mark 3. sugar and baking powder.

This cake is delicious

if you eat it while it
is still slightly warm.

4. Break the eggs into a 5. Use a wooden spoon to

small bowl, then add them mix everything together
to the bowl along with really well. Spoon the
the margarine, cinnamon mixture into the tin and
and half of the nuts. smooth the top.

6. Peel the apple (see tip), 7. Sprinkle the apples with

then cut out the core. Cut the remaining nuts and a
the apple into thin slices. tablespoon of Demerara
Lay the slices in circles on sugar. Bake the cake for
top, overlapping each one. an hour, until it is firm.

Put it on a wire rack to cool.

Peeling apples

8. Leave the cake in the tin

for ten minutes, before Hold the apple in one hand.
slipping off the ring of the Scrape a vegetable peeler
tin and lifting the cake off towards you again and
the base. Leave it to cool. again to remove the skin.
Apricot and orange loaf
Makes about 8 slices
lOOg (4oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots
an orange
lOOg (4oz) self-raising flour
lOOg (4oz) soft margarine
lOOg (4oz) light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
For the icing:
lOOg (4oz) icing sugar
2 tablespoons of orange juice
a loaf tin measuring 20.5 x 12.5 x 8cm
(8x5x3'/2in)

1. Put the loaf tin onto 2. Grease the tin and put 3. Use kitchen scissors to
baking parchment or the paper into the snip the dried apricots
greaseproof paper. Draw bottom. Turn your oven into small pieces. Cut
around the bottom of the on to heat up to 180°C, them so that they fall
tin and cut out the shape. 350°F, Gas mark 4. into a large mixing bowl.
Use the
medium holes
Tilt the bowl slightly
as you beat.

5. Sift the flour into the 6. Put the bowl onto a

orange. Try not to grate bowl. Add the margarine damp dishcloth. Beat the
any of the white pith and brown sugar. Break mixture firmly with a
underneath. Scrape the the eggs into a cup, then wooden spoon, until it is
rind into the bowl. pour them in too. light and fluffy.

188
7. Scrape the mixture out
of the bowl into the loaf
tin. Smooth the top with
the back of a spoon to
make it level.

8. Bake the loaf for about

40 minutes, until it rises
and turns golden. Leave it
for a few minutes, then
turn it onto a wire rack.

9. Sieve the icing sugar

into a bowl. Mix in some
orange juice, a little at a
time, until it is like runny
glue. Pour it over the loaf.
Chocolate cobweb cake
Makes about 10 slices
2 rounded tablespoons of cocoa
4 tablespoons of hot water
225g (8oz) soft margarine
225g (8oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1 level teaspoon of
baking powder
50g (2oz) ground rice
For the icing:
225g (8oz)
plain chocolate
lOOg (4oz) butter
50g (2oz)
white chocolate
two 20cm (8in)
round tins

To make a different
pattern, do straight lines
across the cake and then
spread them with a
skewer.
1. Draw around the tins on 2'. Turn your oven on to 3. Put the margarine, sugar,
baking parchment or 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4. eggs, flour, baking powder
greaseproof paper. Cut out Put the cocoa into a small and ground rice into a
the circles. Grease the tins bowl. Add the hot water large bowl. Beat well, then
and put a circle in each one. and mix until it’s smooth. stir in the cocoa mixture.

4. Put half the mixture 5. For the icing, melt the 6. Turn one cake flat-side up
into each tin. Bake the plain chocolate in a bowl and spread on half of the
cakes for 25 minutes until over a pan of hot water icing. Put the other cake on
they rise. Turn them out (see page 149). Cut up the top. Cover the top and sides
onto a wire rack to cool. butter and mix it in well. with the rest of the icing.

Get someone to
help you spoon
in the chocolate.

7. Break the white 8. Leave the chocolate for 9. Hold the bag over a
chocolate into pieces and five minutes, then take plate and snip off a tiny
put it in a heatproof bowl two small plastic bags and corner. Be careful or the
Melt it over a pan of hot put one inside the other. chocolate will start to run
water. Stir as it melts. Spoon in the chocolate. out immediately.

Tilt the bag

between each
circle to stop the
chocolate
running out.

10. Gently squeeze the 11. Drag a skewer or the

bag as you draw a circle tip of a knife from the
in the middle of the centre out to the edge. Do
cake. Add more this several times to make
circles around it. a cobweb pattern.

191
Index
The sign (v) after a page number, means cake, continued,
that the recipe is vegetarian. If it has an gooey chocolate fudge, 42 (v)
asterisk too, (v)*, the recipe is suitable for layered lemon, 184 (v)
vegans (see page 98). marble, 182 (v)
testing, 149
adding salt and pepper, 4 cake tins,
apple cake, 186 (v) lining, 179
apple pizza, 94 (v) preparing and greasing, 147
apricot and orange loaf, 188 (v) cakes,
simple sponge, 180 (v)
bacon and chicken pasta, 68 calzones (folded pizzas), 92
baked, carbonara, spaghetti alia, 54
cheesecake squares, 172 (v) cauliflower, cutting, 125
eggs, 132 (v) cheese,
Spanish omelette, 126 (v) adding cheese to a sauce, 59
baking, and bread pudding, 104 (v)
sheets, 146 and tomato tart, 116 (v)
tips, 148 bites with tomato sauce, 128 (v)
banana and nut slices, 178 (v) crunchies, 101 (v)
bean, grating, 4
dip, 102 (v) macaroni, 58 (v)
sauce, with tortillas, 136 (v) omelette, 14 (v)
soup, Mexican, 110 (v)* cheesecake,
beating, lemon and honey, 36
a mixture, 4 squares, baked, 172 (v)
eggs, 148 cheesy,
beef, beef burgers, 10
burgers, 10 sausages, 122 (v)
goulash with tagliatelle, 32 spinach flan, 20 (v)
biscuits, gingerbread, 158 (v) tortellini, 65
black bean sauce with tortillas, 136 (v) Chicago pizza pie, 86
bolognese sauce, with penne, 60 chicken,
bolognese sauce, soya, 114 (v)* and bacon pasta, 68
bread, pan-fried, 22
and cheese pudding, 104 (v) roast, with vegetables, 34
Italian, 108 (v) chocolate,
pizzas, 18 brownies, 174 (v)
breadcrumbs, making, 100 chip cookies, 154 (v)
breadsticks, 103 (v)* choux buns, 168 (v)
breaking eggs, 133 cobweb cake, 190 (v)
buns, fudge cake, 42 (v)
chocolate choux, 168 (v) melting, 149
fruity, 166 (v) refrigerator cake, 162 (v)
burgers, chopping,
cheesy beef, 10 an onion, 5
veggie, 118 (v)* parsley, 9
chunky vegetable goulash, 124 (v)
cake, cleaning mushrooms, 51
apple, 186, (v) cookies, 46 (v)
carrot, 44 (v) hazelnut, 155 (v)
chocolate cobweb, 190 (v) peanut butter, 150 (v)
chocolate refrigerator, 162 (v) cooking pasta, 53

192
cooling cakes and cookies, 147 hazelnut cookies, 155 (v)
corn flake crunch, 152 (v) healthy eating, 144
courgette and tomato pizza, 90 (v) honey, measuring, 37
cracked wheat risotto, 112 (v)* hot apple pizza, 94 (v)
creamy fish pie, 12
croustade, mushroom, 120 (v) Italian bread, 108 (v)
crumble,
fudgey fruit, 38 (v) kebabs, lamb, in pitta pockets, 24
nut, 142 (v) kneading dough, 79
crunchies, cheese, 101 (v)
crunchy cheese omelette, 14 (v) lamb kebabs in pitta pockets, 24
crushing garlic, 5, 55 layered lemon cake, 184 (v)
crusty bread ‘pizzas’, 18 leek and potato soup, 8 (v)
cutting, leeks, preparing, 98,122
cauliflower, 125 lemon,
peppers, 100 and honey cheesecake, 36
cake, layered, 184 (v)
dough, lining and greasing a cake tin, 179
kneading, 79
patterns, 93 macaroni cheese, 58 (v)
pizza, 78, 82 macaroons, 164 (v)
making,
eggs, breadcrumbs, 100
baked, 132 (v) stock, 61
beating, 148 Margherita pizza, 82 (v)
breaking, 133 marshmallow crispies, 153
cheese omelette, 14 (v) measuring,
separating, 148 honey, 37
Spanish omelette, 126 (v) liquids, 48
whisking whites, 173 solids, 48
syrup, 159
filo pastry, using, 141 with a spoon, 3
fish, pan-fried, 22 meat, pan-fried, 22
fish pie, 12 meatballs in tomato sauce, 70
flan, cheesy spinach, 20 (v) Mexican bean soup, 110 (v)*
flapjacks, 160 (v) minestrone soup, 72
florets, cauliflower and broccoli, 98 mini pizzas, 84
folded pizzas (calzones), 92 mozzarella and tomato salad, 6 (v)
folding in, 183 mozzarella cheese, 51
fruit crumble, fudgey, 38 (v) mushroom,
fruity buns, 166 (v) and garlic pasta, 56 (v)
fudgey fruit crumble, 38 (v) croustade, 120 (v)
mushrooms, preparing, 51
garlic, preparing, 5
gingerbread biscuits, 158 (v) Neapolitan pizza, 80
gooey chocolate fudge cake, 42 (v) noodles with tofu skewers, 130 (v)
goulash, nut,
beef, with tagliatelle, 32 and banana slices, 178 (v)
chunky vegetable, 124 (v) crumble, 142 (v)
grated mozzarella cheese, 51
grating cheese, 4 omelette,
greasing and lining a cake tin, 179 baked Spanish, 126 (v)
omelette, continued potato and leek soup, 8 (v)
crunchy cheese, 14 (v) prawn and pepper pilaff, 30
onions, prawn pizza, 88
chopping, 5 pudding, bread and cheese, 104 (v)
softening. 111
orange and apricot loaf, 188 (v) quick Margherita pizza, 82 (v)
oven, 2
ravioli with tomato sauce, 64
pancakes, stuffed, 16 refrigerator cake, chocolate, 162
pan-fried meat or fish, 22 rice,
parsley, chopping, 9 cooking, 107
pasta, tropical spiced, 106 (v)*
how to cook, 53 ricotta and spinach pasta shells, 66 (v)
shapes, 96 risotto, cracked wheat, 112 (v)*
types of, 52, 53, 96 roast chicken with vegetables, 34
pasta sauces, rolling out dough, 149
alia carbonara, 54 rubbing in butter or margarine, 39
bolognese, 60
bolognese, soya, 144 (v)* salad,
carbonara, 54 summer, 7 (v)
cheese, 58 (v) tomato and mozzarella, 6 (v)
chicken and bacon, 68 salmon, pan-fried, 22
garlic mushroom, 56 (v) salt and pepper, adding, 4
fresh tomato, 28 (v) sausages,
green vegetables, 62 cheesy, 122 (v)
spicy sausage, 57 vegetarian, in batter, 134 (v)
tomato, 64, 70, 80 scones, 170 (v)
peanut butter cookies, 150 (v) separating eggs, 148
pecan squares, 176 (v) shaping burgers, 11
peeling, shortbread, 156 (v)
apples, 187 sifting, 4
potatoes, 4 simple sponge cakes, 180 (v)
penne with bolognese sauce, 60 cherry and coconut, 181 (v)
peppers, chocolate, 181 (v)
cutting, 100 lemon, 181 (v)
stuffed, 138 (v) slicing,
pilaff, prawn and pepper, 30 peppers 89
pizza bases, 50 tomatoes, 100
making, 78 softening onions, 111
scone, 82 soup,
traditional, 78 leek and potato, 8 (v)
pizza, Mexican bean, 110 (v)*
apple, 94 (v) minestrone, 72
bread,18 soya bolognese sauce, 114 (v)*
calzones, (folded pizzas), 92 spaghetti
Chicago, pie, 86 alia carbonara, 54
courgette and tomato pizza, 90 (v) cooking, 53
Margherita, 82 (v) Spanish omelette, baked, 126 (v)
mini, 84 spiced rice, tropical, 106 (v)*
Neapolitan, 80 spinach,
prawn, 88 and ricotta pasta shells, 66 (v)
tomato and courgette, 90 (v) cheese flan, 20 (v)

194
spinach, continued tomato sauce, 64, 70, 80
strudel, 140 (v) fresh, with pasta, 28 (v)
steak, pan-fried, 22 with cheese bites, 128 (v)
stir fry, with meatballs, 70
vegetable, 26 (v) with ravioli, 64
with vermicelli, 74 tomatoes, slicing, 100
strawberry trifle, 40 (v) tortellini, cheesy, 65
strudel, spinach, 140 (v) tortillas with black bean sauce, 136 (v)
stuffed, traditional pizza base, 78
pancakes, 16 trifle, strawberry, 40 (v)
peppers, 138 (v) trimming vegetables, 63
syrup, measuring, 159 tropical spiced rice, 106 (v)*
tuna and tomato pasta salad, 76
tagliatelle with beef goulash, 32
tart, cheese and tomato, 116 (v) vegans, 98
tasty cookies, 46 (v) vegetable stir fry, 26 (v)
testing a cake, 45, 149 vegetables, preparing, 98
three-bean dip, 102 (v)* vegetarian sausages in batter, 134 (v)
tofu skewers with noodles, 130 (v) veggie burgers, 118 (v)*
tomato, vermicelli, with stir fry, 74
and cheese tart, 116 (v)
and courgette pizza, 90 (v) weights and measures, 48
and mozzarella salad, 6 (v) whisking egg whites, 173
and tuna pasta salad, 76

This edition first published in 2002 by Usborne Publishing Ltd, Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill,
London EC IN 8RT, England, www.usborne.com Copyright © 2002, 1999, 1998, 1997 Usborne Publishing Ltd.
The name Usborne and the devices © (g) are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Printed in Dubai.

195
'

I
 THE USBORNE
BEGINNER'S
COOKBOOK
This book is packed full of very easy, yet delicious
recipes. Simple step-by-step instructions tell you how
to prepare the ingredients and show you exactly
what to do.You will be amazed at how easy it is
to make tasty meals, vegetarian dishes and
tempting cakes and cookies.

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The recipes in this book are also available as four separate titles:
Cooking for Beginners, Pasta and Pizza for Beginners,
Vegetarian Cooking for Beginners and
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This book has a new cover design. Its contents are unchanged.

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