Why make life hard for yourself in the kitchen at this time of year? The trauma of returning to work and school after those lovely, stretchy Christmas and new year days is surely sufficient pain without inflicting culinary pressure on your domestic life. With this in mind, we’ve turned to our resident chef, Mark Moriarty, and his rich canon of easy and delicious recipes, many of which will dirty no more than one pot or can be prepared in advance in a hassle-free slow cooker. With the help of these clever, warming and skilled dishes, you’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time after dinner, victoriously landing on the sofa to take in a bit of January television before you can say, “hand me that leftover tin of Quality Street”.
The slow cooker is indeed your special friend at this time of year, and these recipes from the “throw it all in there and bang it on” school of cooking will demonstrate why. Say hello to Lamb ragù with pappardelle and mint and Cassoulet with Camembert cheese and goodbye to evening stress.
Sticking with the slow cooker but moving to Asia, you could consider Pork vindaloo with steamed rice, which will gently gain its vinegar- and spice-filled flavours over three hours while you attend to your many other duties.
If you fancy fast rather than slow, try these two takes on minced beef dinners, both of which Mark promises will offer appealing alternatives to your everyday spag bol. Yuk sung with chilli, roast garlic and lettuce (which could be bulked up with potatoes) has been one of his most-viewed recipes, while Mongolian stir-fried beef with sesame and noodles should help to use up leftovers in the fridge.
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If Bolognese with beef mince is still your thing however, try this version, a recipe for Rigatoni beef ragù, “the go-to for a hug in a bowl”.
Sticking with simple but joy-filled pasta dishes, we have Mark’s midweek go-to recipes for Bucatini with fennel, capers and pine nuts and Sausage, courgette and rosemary rigatoni. As he says himself, “These dishes are quick, filling and full of flavour, because hectic lives still deserve delicious food.”
For more Spanish influences, try this Chicken and chorizo rice bake, the beauty of which is that it can all be cooked in a single casserole dish, ideally one that can be thrown into the dishwasher at the end.
And if you’re yearning for summer (who isn’t?), lean into these dishes from last June, both of which can be prepared in advance and be reheated when you fall in the door after work.
Sesame and miso baked salmon bowl with peanut and carrot coleslaw uses a selection of Asian ingredients worth adding to your store cupboard, while Hot and sour chicken and sweetcorn broth with egg and noodles is a good Monday dish for using leftover Sunday roast chicken.
