How to make Naan Bread

You'll need this:
225g strong white flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 sachet fast-action yeast
4 tablespoons warm milk
1 tablespoon
sunflower oil
2 tablespoons
plain yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
Oil for greasing

Here's what to do:
1. Sieve the flour and salt together into a bowl and stir in the yeast.
2. Mix in the other ingredients and bring together with your hands.
3. Knead for 5 minutes, then leave in a warm place to double in size. This will take about 30–40 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to its highest temperature and heat some oil on a baking tray for 5 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 3 pieces and roll out each piece into a teardrop shape.
6. Remove the baking tray from the oven and lay each naan on the hot tray. Bake immediately for 4–5 minutes, or until they have ballooned and started to turn golden brown.
7. Serve warm.

Easy and Simple Lasagne Recipe

If your ragu sauce is already hot, then this lasagne only takes about 30–40 minutes to cook.

If the sauce is cold, it will take about an hour.

What you'll need:
1 quantity of ragu sauce,
16–18 sheets of lasagne
For the white sauce
425ml milk
2 level tablespoons cornflour
Salt and black pepper to taste
150g cheese, a mixture of Cheddar and Parmesan or any type

Here's how:
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/gas mark 6.

To make the cheese sauce
1. In a heatproof bowl or jug, mix 3 tablespoons of the milk with the cornflour to make a paste.
2. Heat the rest of the milk until hot, then whisk it into the cornflour mixture.
3. Pour the mixture back into the pan over a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it boils and thickens. Season to taste and stir in half of the cheese.

To make the lasagne
1. Put a ladle of ragu sauce in the bottom of a large, ovenproof dish or roasting pan, then add a layer of lasagne.
2. Carry on layering sauce then lasagne and finish with a layer of lasagne,
3. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the heat of the ragu sauce.
5. Leave to settle in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion
The ragu and cheese sauce also makes a tasty cannelloni. Fill tubes of cannelloni pasta with some of the sauce (allow 2–3 tubes per person) and place in an ovenproof tin. Pour the rest of the sauce over the cannelloni, top with the cheese sauce, and bake the cannelloni at 200˚C/gas mark 6 for 45 minutes.

Easy Bacon and Leek Pie Recipe

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5.
2. Butter a 20cm tin or pie dish.
3. Roll out just over half of the pastry and use this to line the base of the tin or pie dish.
4. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the bacon. Fry for 1 minute, then add the leeks. Cook gently until the leeks are soft. Season to taste, remembering that bacon is salty.
5. Sprinkle in the flour and stir into the buttery juices.
6. Add the stock gradually – use just enough to cover the leeks and thicken when mixed with the flour. You may not need to use all the stock.
7. Cool for 5 minutes, then fill the pie with the leek mixture.
8. Roll out the rest of the pastry to make the lid. Dampen the edges of the pie with water and lay the lid on, securing the edges by pressing them together.
9. Glaze the pie top with a little beaten egg or milk if you wish, then bake for 30–40 minutes in the preheated oven.
10. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients:
Butter for greasing
Half a quantity of
shortcrust pastry
25g butter
100g smoked
bacon, chopped
5 large leeks, sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon plain flour
150ml vegetable stock

How to make Pork, Sun-dried Tomato and Chicken Pie

Here's how:
1. Preheat the oven to 170˚C/gas mark 3.
2. Grease the tin well with butter. Roll out 2⁄3 of the pastry – not too thick
but thick enough to hold together when cooked; about 4mm is a suitable thickness. Use this to line the tin.
3. Put the pork in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put this in the bottom of the pie and press down evenly.
4. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the oil for frying or as a salad dressing. Put a layer over the pork, overlapping the slices slightly.
5. Put the chicken meat on top of the tomatoes and season with a little salt and pepper if you wish.
6. Roll out the rest of the pastry to make the lid. Dampen the edges of the pastry base with water and lay the lid on top of the pie. Crimp the edges together with your finger and thumb. Make 3 slits in the top to allow the steam to escape.
7. Bake the pie for 2 hours, the first hour at 170˚C/gas mark 3, the second hour at 160˚C/gas mark 2–3. You will know when it is cooked by piercing the centre with a knife: it should slide in easily and there should be very little residue left on the blade.
8. Allow to cool for 30–40 minutes before serving warm, or allow to cool completely and put in the fridge for a few hours, then serve cold with salad.

You'll be needing:
Butter for greasing
1 quantity of
shortcrust pastry
750g minced pork
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x 200g jar sun-dried
tomatoes in oil
500g uncooked chicken,
either thinly sliced
or diced

Easy Deep-filled Cheese and Onion Pie Recipe

This is a large pie and would serve 8 people.

You'll need this:
Butter for greasing
1 quantity of
shortcrust pastry
200g red Leicester
cheese, grated
200g mature Cheddar,
grated
50g crumbly Cheshire
cheese, crumbled
or grated
1 large onion, very
finely chopped
1 egg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground
black pepper
1 level teaspoon
mustard powder

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5.
2. Butter a large, deep pie dish, roll out just over half of the pastry and use this to line the dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix all the cheeses together with the onion. Mix until fully combined.
4. Beat the egg and whisk in the pepper and mustard. Stir into the cheese mixture.
5. Pile the cheese mixture into the pastry shell, then roll out the lid. Dampen the edges with water and lay the lid carefully on top of the pie.
Crimp or squeeze the edges together. Brush the top with egg and milk if you like a shiny finish.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden colour.
7. Allow the pie to rest for 10 minutes before serving with baked beans or a salad.

Easy Strawberry and Kiwi Tart Recipe

Ingredients:
Butter for greasing
Half a quantity of
shortcrust pastry
250g small strawberries,
hulled and halved
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and
sliced thinly, then
each slice halved
For the custard layer
250ml milk
2 tablespoons cornflour
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons
caster sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon
vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5.
2. Butter and line a deep 20cm pie or tart tin with pastry. Bake the pastry ‘blind’ by placing a circle of baking parchment at least 4cm bigger than the tin inside it and spread this with baking beans or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
3. Allow to cool while you make the custard. Put the milk, except for 3 tablespoons, in a saucepan and heat until it is warm. Remove from the heat.
4. Mix the reserved milk with the cornflour.
5. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking to combine, and stir in the vanilla.
6. Pour the custard back in the pan and stir in the cornflour paste. Mix in vigorously. Heat at a low temperature until the mixture comes to the boil, whisking all the time.
7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Put a disc of baking parchment over the custard to stop a skin forming on the top.
8. Spread the custard evenly over the pastry shell.
9 Arrange the strawberries on the custard in concentric circles, alternating with slices of kiwi fruit.
10 Refrigerate for 30–40 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion
If you want a glossy finish to the tart, warm some apricot jam in a pan then brush it over the fruit with a pastry brush.

Making a Shortcrust Pastry

Here's how:
1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl; lift the sieve as high up as possible so that the flour gets a really good airing.
2. Add both the fats and begin to rub the fat into the flour. If you find halfway through that the fat softens too much, put the bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes.
3. Keep rubbing in until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Keep it light and if your hands get hot, run your wrists under cold water, dry them and keep going. This stage may be done in the food processor.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix in with a knife; the pastry should start to form clumps. Add the other tablespoon of water and keep mixing in with the knife.
5. Bring the pastry together with your hands as lightly and quickly as possible. Don’t be tempted to knead it as it will end up tough and inedible.
6. When the dough forms a smooth ball, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes before use. When a recipe calls for half a quantity of the pastry, use half and freeze the other – or make something else with it.

You'll need this:
300g plain flour
1⁄2 level teaspoon salt
65g butter, cut into
small pieces
65g lard, cut into
small pieces
2 tablespoons cold water

Easy Hummus Recipe

Tahini, a sesame seed paste, is a nutty foil to the chickpeas in this easy Middle Eastern dip.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups canned chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
1⁄4 cup tahini
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade or in a large blender. Pulse or blend a few times to get everything chopped, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and puree or blend until smooth.

To store: Transfer to a nonreactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Variations: Substitute peanut butter for the tahini. Substitute any toasted nut oil for the olive oil. Add 2 teaspoons dried dill, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, or 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the other ingredients.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: Reduce the tahini and lemon juice to 2 tablespoons each; add 1 whole jarred roasted red pepper or pimiento.

Roasted Garlic Hummus: Omit the garlic and use the pulp from a whole head of roasted garlic (see page 460).

Serving Suggestions: After you’ve spooned the hummus into a serving bowl, drizzle extra virgin olive oil, toasted walnut oil, toasted pumpkin seed oil, or syrupy balsamic vinegar over the spread.

Making Tapenade in a Traditional and Quick Method

This chunky olive paste is perfect on toasted bread. Be careful: there’s a fine line between chopped and mushed. Use a high-quality, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:
2 cups pitted black olives, preferably
Kalamata or niçoise olives
2 garlic cloves, quartered
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon stemmed thyme
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The Quick method:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade; pulse until coarsely chopped.

The Traditional method:
Place the olives, garlic, capers, and thyme on a large cutting board, preferably one with a small trough at the edges. Rock a chef’s knife through the ingredients, rotating the knife slowly so that it cuts everything into small chunks. Gather the mixture together several times and continue chopping until minced. Place in a serving bowl; stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper.

To store: Spoon into a nonreactive container, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days; allow the spread to return to room temperature before using.

Green Olive Tapenade: Substitute pitted green olives, preferably a tart Greek olive, for the black olives.

Roasted Garlic Tapenade: Wrap 4 unpeeled garlic cloves in a small foil packet, then roast in a preheated 400°F oven until soft, about 25 minutes. Squeeze the pulp into the food processor or onto the cutting board before you chop the olives. Reduce the olive oil to 1⁄4 cup and the lemon juice to 1 tablespoon.

Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade: Replace half the black olives with sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and rinsed. Reduce the olive oil to 3 tablespoons.