From comforting lasagnes to storecupboard bakes, fakeaway curries to soothing bowls of noodles, these 20 recipes from our star authors are the dishes you turned to most to help you cook your way through a year like no other.
Spicy Mushroom Lasagne from Ottolenghi FLAVOUR by Yotam Ottolenghi & Ixta Belfrage
Possibly one of the most enticing recipes in Ottolenghi's latest cookbook, this mushroom lasagne is filled with a complex, earthy ragù, made with umami porcini and meaty oyster mushrooms and enriched with cream. The ragù itself can easily be made vegan if you lose the cream, or served on its own with pasta or polenta. Layered up between sheets of pasta with both Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese, basil and parsley, and baked until bubbling, this is a vegetarian lasagne to feed a crowd.
From the book
Ottolenghi FLAVOUR
A guide to unlocking the complex flavour in simple vegetables
With a focus on creative cooking processes and clever ingredient pairing
Including recipes for everything from midweek meals to weekend feasts
Chicken Musakhan from Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley
This is a hugely popular national dish in Palestine, best eaten with your hands. Spiced roasted chicken is piled onto flatbreads with delicious chicken juices and softened onions, pine nuts and olive oil. Use your hands to tear apart the bread, scoop up some tender morsels of chicken and eat it all in one bite.
Order a copy of Falastin here.
Coconut Chicken Noodles: Ohn no Khauk Swe from The Rangoon Sisters by Amy & Emily Chung
“This is one of our favourite dishes; it is lightly spiced, comforting, rich with coconut and it certainly leaves an impression”, say the Rangoon sisters of this Burmese family favourite. Serve this rich turmeric and coconut chicken curry with noodles, chilli oil, shallots and plenty of lime wedges.
Order a copy of The Rangoon Sisters here.
Sardinian Pasta Shells from Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook by Ainsley Harriott
This typical Sardinian dish is made with sausage, tomato fennel and plenty of the classic Sardinian cheese; pecorino. Toss the sauce through pasta with more pecorino grated on top for a comforting dinner.
Order a copy of Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook here.
Roasting Tin Thai-inspired Salmon from Simple Comforts by Mary Berry
Salmon, vegetables and spicy coconut Thai-inspired sauce are all cooked together in one roasting tin in the oven, making this a really simple midweek dinner recipe that's full of flavour.
Order a copy of Mary Berry's Simple Comforts here.
Sausage and Mash Pie from Jamie Oliver: 7 Ways by Jamie Oliver
This simple pie not only has a mash topping, but a mash base too. Filled with a creamy sausage, leek and apple filling, this is a great dish to make when you've got an excess of spuds and a pack of sausages that need using.
Order your copy of Jamie's 7 Ways here.
Stuffed Aubergines in a Curry and Coconut Dal from Ottolenghi FLAVOUR by Yotam Ottolenghi & Ixta Belfrage
Slices of aubergine are roasted and stuffed with lime and mango-spiked paneer in this recipe, then rolled and baked in a spiced coconut dal, fragrant with curry leaves. You can even make the dal on its own, but we recommend going for the full dish for a crowd-pleasing weekend dinner.
Order your copy of Ottolenghi FLAVOUR here.
Lazy Lasagne from One Pot Vegan by Roxy Pope & Ben Pook
This vegan version of a lasagne takes away the faff of layering the different elements as it's made all in one pot. Break up the lasagne sheets and add them to the pan at random, tucking them in and under the sauce for a lazy lasagne that you can make midweek.
Order your copy of One Pot Vegan here.
Chicken in a pot with Lemon and Orzo from Cook, Eat, Repeat by Nigella Lawson
This is a simple one-pot dish that is as forgiving as it is versatile. “It's not in the spirit of things to be utterly specific with this kind of cooking”, says Nigella. Swap orzo for rice, barley or small pasta shapes if you like or dried tarragon for thyme. Either way, this will quickly become a family favourite.
Order your copy of Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat here.
All in One Chicken Paella from The Roasting Tin Around The World by Rukmini Iyer
With saffron rice, chicken, peppers and chorizo, this cheat's paella is cooked in the oven and requires no stirring for a hands-off fast track to your favourite Spanish dinner. The flavour only improves overnight in the fridge, says Rukmini, so be sure to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Order your copy of The Roasting Tin Around The World here.
Aubergine & Puy Lentil Bolognese from Table Manners: The Cookbook by Jessie Ware & Lennie Ware
“My mother, who rolls her eyes every time I offer a vegetarian alternative, had to text me after the Paloma Faith podcast to admit that ‘the bolognese was delicious, darling’”, says Jessie Ware of this tasty vegan alternative to spag bol. With Medjool dates, lentils, tomatoes, wine, stock and oregano, this is a rich and satisfying dinner.
Get your copy of Table Manners: The Cookbook here.
One-tin Korean-style Aubergines from The Roasting Tin Around The World by Rukmini Iyer
Aubergines are cooked on a bed of fresh basmati rice and cabbage for a simple, filling all-in-one traybake. What makes this is the spicy Korean-inspired dressing, made with gochugaru. These Korean red pepper flakes are readily available online or at specialist shops and well worth hunting around for. “Once you have a jar, you’ll find yourself scattering the flakes on everything (scrambled eggs are my favourite)”, says Rukmini.
Order your copy of The Roasting Tin Around The World here.
Chicken Katsu Curry from Fakeaway: Healthy Home-cooked Takeaway Meals by Chris Bavin
Looking for a healthier Japanese takeaway this weekend? This take on a classic Japanese dish consists of crispy coated chicken with a mildly spicy curry sauce, and it's delicious.
Order a copy of Fakeaway here.
Potato Rösti Quiche from Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain
This genius quiche recipe from Nadiya's latest cookbook is all about the base. Here, Nadiya grates different colour potatoes and presses them into the tin for a rosti-style base, filled with a creamy cheese and chive mixture. “Delicious and also super simple”, says Nadiya.
Order a copy of Nadiya Bakes here.
Cauliflower Cheese Pasta from Jamie Oliver: 7 Ways by Jamie Oliver
Creamy, cheesy pasta served with crispy garlicky breadcrumbs for extra texture, this is a brilliant storecupboard dinner celebrating the humble cauliflower.
Order your copy of Jamie's 7 Ways here.
Money Can't Buy You Happiness Brownies from Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain
This triple chocolate brownie contains a layer of salted, dulce de leche-coated nuts, and is topped with a zesty cheesecake mixture before it's baked again. Yes, you read that right.
Order a copy of Nadiya Bakes here.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies from Eat Green by Melissa Hemsley
If you haven't spotted Melissa's storecupboard cookies on your Instagram feed, where have you been? These simple biscuits are incredibly moreish and are great for clearing out the odds and ends in your baking cupboards. The dough freezes well too, so double up and save half for another time.
Order a copy of Eat Green here.
Granny's Gingerbread from Simple Comforts by Mary Berry
This is a cross-generational favourite, according to Mary Berry, whose grandchildren love this delicious, old-fashioned cake. Beautifully sticky but light in texture and not too dense, it's a hit for the whole family.
Order a copy of Mary Berry's Simple Comforts here.
Warm Chocolate Tahini and Banana Pudding from Cook, Eat, Repeat by Nigella Lawson
“A warm, soft and squidgy cake, it is both embracingly cosy and almost regally sumptuous”, says Nigella who has fully embraced the dream trio of chocolate, banana and tahini in this gooey pudding. Serve with tahini-whipped cream and date molasses. Oh yes.
Order your copy of Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat here.
White Chocolate Blondies from Stork: The Art of Home Baking by Stork
These indulgent dessert bars follow a similar principle to brownies, baked in a tin and removed from the oven when they're still slightly undercooked in the middle. Perfect with an afternoon cuppa.
Order a copy of Stork: The Art of Home Baking here.
Here's to the recipes 2021 will bring…
