Draw mealtime inspiration from books by Mary Berry, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Ainsley Harriot.
Mary Berry
Haddock and shrimp feast
Sserves 4
A knob of butter
1tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions, chopped
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
150g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
225g long-grain rice
200ml white wine
600ml hot vegetable stock
4 x 125g haddock fillets, skinned weight
150g baby spinach leaves
Juice of 1 small lemon
2tbsp chopped dill
2tbsp chopped parsley
100ml pouring double cream
2 x 50g pots of potted shrimp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
You will need a deep flameproof and ovenproof casserole dish, with a lid, that is wide enough for the haddock pieces to sit side by side.
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4.
Heat the butter and oil in the casserole dish. Add the onions and celery and fry for about 10 minutes over a medium heat. Then add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for two minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat it in the vegetable juices, then fry for a couple more minutes. Pour over the wine and hot stock, then season and bring to the boil. Do not stir the rice.
Transfer the dish, uncovered, to the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
Season the pieces of fish and sit them on top of the rice – do not overlap the fillets. Bake for another eight to 10 minutes until the fish is just done, then transfer the fish to a warm plate.
Add the spinach to the casserole dish and place it on the hob. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the spinach has just wilted. Remove the lid and stir, then add the lemon juice, herbs and double cream. Stir again and check theseasoning.
Warm the potted shrimp in a saucepan until the butter has melted. Return the haddock to the pan, spoon the shrimp on top and serve piping hot.
Onion, artichoke and sage open tart
Serves 6
4tbsp olive oil
4 large onions, sliced into thickwedges
1tsp light brown sugar
1tsp balsamic vinegar
400g mixed mushrooms (such as chestnut, shiitake, button), thickly sliced
375g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten
75ml pouring double cream
2tsp chopped sage
1tsp chopped thyme leaves
100g mature Cheddar cheese,grated
175g chargrilled artichokes, drained and cut intolarge pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
You will need a large baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper.
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas mark 7.
Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry over a high heat for three to four minutes. Cover the pan and cook the onions gently for about 20 minutes until soft. Remove the lid and continue to fry for a minute to evaporate the liquid.
Add the sugar and vinegar and fry for another couple of minutes until golden. Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside to cool.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and place over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for two minutes. Cover the pan and cook for three to four minutes, then remove the lid and fry over a high heat to evaporate the liquid. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and add them to the onions.
Unroll the pastry on to the lined baking sheet and cut off a 2cm strip around the edge. Brush over a border of 2cm around the large sheet of pastry with some beaten egg. Sit the pastry strips on top, pressing them down lightly to make a raised border. Prick the base inside the border with a fork and brush the border with a little more beaten egg.
Whisk the cream into the remaining egg in a bowl. Add the herbs and season. Stir in the gratedcheese.
Spoon the onions and mushrooms on to the pastry, keeping them inside the border. Scatter the artichokes over the top. Season well and spoon the egg mixture on top of the vegetables.
Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Serve hot, with
a dressed tomato salad.
Warm chicken and dill salad with mustard Parmesan dressing
Serves 4-6
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1tbsp paprika
1tsp runny honey
2tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
½ large iceberg lettuce, very finely shredded
1 large bunch of dill, leaves removed and chopped
6 spring onions, thinly sliced
6 dill pickles or gherkins (from a jar), finely chopped
For the dressing
200g full-fat crème fraîche
Juice of 1 large lemon
2tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp sugar
25g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
To serve
1 heaped tbsp of Parmesan shavings
25g pea shoots or micro herbs, to decorate
Method
Put the chicken into a bowl with the paprika, honey and a tablespoon of the oil. Season well and toss to coat all the chicken pieces.
Heat a large frying pan and add the remaining oil. Fry the chicken pieces briefly over a high heat until golden-brown and just cooked through – take care not to overcook them. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for five minutes.
Scatter the lettuce over a large serving plate and sprinkle with the dill, spring onions and pickles. Arrange the warm chicken pieces ontop.
Measure all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until combined. Check
the seasoning.
Pour the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with Parmesan shavings and microherbs.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Curried Beany Cullen Skink
Serves 4
2tbsp olive or vegetable oil
2 medium leeks or onions, trimmed, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 bay leaves (optional)
1 rounded tbsp medium-hot curry powder or paste
300ml whole milk
500ml veg stock
300g smoked haddock or pollock fillet, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
400g tin cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
About 200g baby spinach (or regular spinach, tough stalks removed, leaves roughly chopped)
2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or coriander (optional)
Black pepper
Method
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the oil and then the leeks or onions, garlic, bay leaves if using, and curry powder or paste. Sweat, stirring regularly, for three to four minutes.
Pour in the milk and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for a further two to three minutes.
Add the smoked fish and beans followed by the spinach, adding it a handful at a time as it wilts down in the simmering soup. By the time the spinach is wilted (in just a few minutes), the fish will be cooked.
Add the chopped parsley or coriander if using, and season with a few twists of pepper (the smoked fish should make it salty enough). Ladle into warm bowls andserve.
Kipper variation
You can use kipper fillets instead of the smoked haddock or pollock.
Veggie variations
Add sweetcorn (frozen or even tinned) or peas, instead of, or as well as, the beans.
And, of course, potatoes can replace the beans for a classic cullen skink – peel and roughly chop the spuds, add them to the simmering stock and cook until just tender before adding the smoked fish.
Store cupboard tomato and bean soup
Serves 4
1tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 x 400g tins whole tomatoes
250-300ml hot veg stock (optional)
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped, or 1tsp smoked sweet paprika, or a good dash of chilli sauce (optional)
2 x 400g tins white, black or kidney beans, or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sea salt and black pepper
Optional extra veg
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stem, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
To finish (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Place a large saucepan or a small stockpot over a medium heat. Add the oil and, when hot, add the onion with a pinch each of salt andpepper.
This is also the time to add any or all of the optional extra vegetables – carrot, celery, pepper and/or fennel. Turn the heat down a little and sweat the vegetables for about five minutes to soften a little.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, crushing them with your hands as you drop them in, and picking out the little white stalky ends if they bother you.
Add the stock, if you like, and the chilli, paprika or chilli sauce, if using.
Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to reduce, stirring a few times and mashing the tomato down a little with a fork or spoon as it cooks.
Before adding the beans, you can part-blitz the soup with a hand blender if you like – either roughly, or until smooth. Or just leave it chunky and unblitzed (my preference).
With the back of a spoon (or your fingers), break up the beans slightly, before stirring them into the soup.
Simmer gently for another five minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper and ladle into warm bowls. Finish with a trickle of good olive oil and a grinding of pepper.
Seedy almond cake
Makes 8 slices
125g unsalted butter, softened
70g soft light brown sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange or lemon (optional)
100g wholemeal cake flour/ fine plain wholemeal flour
2tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds
25g sunflower seeds
25g poppy seeds (optional)
3 medium eggs
3tbsp milk or water
About 20g flaked almonds or pumpkin seeds (or a mix)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas mark 4. Line a 20cm round springform cake tin with baking paper.
Method
Put the butter and sugar, and the orange or lemon zest if using, into a large bowl or a free-standing electric mixer. Use an electric hand whisk or the mixer to beat for a couple of minutes, until light andfluffy.
In a second bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, sunflower seeds and poppy seeds, if using.
Add an egg and a spoonful of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mix and beat until evenly blended. Repeat to incorporate the remaining eggs.
Tip in the remaining dry ingredients and fold together gently but thoroughly, finishing by folding in the milk or water to loosen the batter a little.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it gently and evenly. Scatter with the flaked almonds and/or pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until risen and golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool, at least a little, on a wire rack.
Remove the cake from the tin and cut into slices to serve. It will keep in an airtight tin for up to five days, but you will most likely finish it well before then.
Ainsley Harriot
Mediterranean sea bass and potato bake
Serves 4
4 sea bass fillets, skin on
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced,
1 for squeezing
4 large waxy potatoes (Désirée), peeled and thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2tbsp olive oil
120ml white wine
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
3tbsp chopped fresh flat-leafparsley
2tsp fresh marjoram or oregano leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Fresh bread, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6. Line an ovenproof dish with baking parchment. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Set aside.
Layer the potatoes and onions in the bottom of the lined dish, season well with salt and black pepper, add a layer of tomatoes, sprinkle over the garlic, then place a few lemon slices on top.
Drizzle over the oil, squeeze over some more lemon juice and pour in the wine. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, two tablespoons of the parsley and sprinkle over half of the marjoram leaves. Season well, cover with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and lay the fish fillets in the dish skin-side up. Sprinkle with the remaining marjoram and bake uncovered for a further 12 to 14 minutes.
Use a spatula or fish slice to carefully remove the fish, cover loosely with foil and keep warm. Bake the vegetables longer, until the potatoes turn golden-brown.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately, scattered with the remaining fresh parsley, with some fresh bread on the side.
Penne with artichokes, peppers, spinach and almonds
Serves 4
400g dried penne pasta or other short pasta of choice
175g jar chargrilled artichoke hearts in olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium–hot red chilli, finelychopped
3 roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced
50g Spanish or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
35g chopped almonds, lightly toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
100g baby spinach leaves
2tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
Zest from 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Handful of flaked almonds, lightly toasted, to garnish (optional)
Method
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil, add the penne, stir once, then cook until al dente, according to the packet instructions.
Meanwhile, strain the olive oil from the jar of artichokes into a large frying pan, then cut the artichoke hearts into quarters and set aside.
Set the frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the artichoke hearts to the pan along with the red pepper strips and olives, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Cook for two to three minutes to warm through, then stir through the almonds and a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Cook for a minute, then add the spinach to the pan, a handful at a time, and allow to just wilt down.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the vegetables along with two tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, stirring to combine. Add the parsley and lemon zest and check forseasoning.
To serve, share the pasta among warmed pasta bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, if needed, and scatter with the parsley and toasted flaked almonds, if using.
Marjoram-roasted vegetable, lentil and halloumi bake
Serves 4
2 courgettes, cut into 2cm slices
1 red onion, cut into 8 thin wedges
1 medium aubergine, cut into small cubes
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 red chilli, deseeded and finelychopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plusextra for drizzling
2tsp fresh marjoram leaves (or 1tsp dried oregano)
400g tin lentils, drained and rinsed
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
250g cherry tomatoes
250g block halloumi, thickly sliced
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
8-10 basil leaves, shredded, with a few reserved whole for garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
Put the courgettes, onion, aubergine, red pepper, chilli and garlic into a large, shallow baking dish, drizzle with a tablespoon of the olive oil, season well, then scatter over half of the marjoram and toss together. Roast for 16 to 18 minutes.
Remove from the oven and toss through the lentils and balsamic vinegar, then stir in the cherry tomatoes and sit the halloumi slices on top. Drizzle with anothertablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle over the lemon zest and remaining marjoram.
Roast for a further 16 to 18 minutes until the tomatoes start to blister and release their juices and the halloumi is golden around the edges. If you like, you can brown the halloumi a little more under a hot grill for one to two minutes after baking.
To serve, drizzle with a little oil, squeeze over the lemon juice and scatter with the fresh basil.
This article was updated on 5 March to remove Tom Kerridge recipes according to licensing restrictions.
