Cooking? It's never too late to learn
I’s never too late to learn to cook. I am living proof. I didn’t start cooking until I was in my 30s. And now I’ve taught absolute beginners to make some tasty, impressive dishes in one day. They’ve gone from only being able to boil an egg (just!) to working on a street food stall. Anybody can cook – it just takes some enthusiasm and a little practise.
So if you’ve always wanted to treat friends to a delicious meal or to rely less on ready meals in your day-to-day life, my new book is for you. Before you know it, you’ll be dishing up delicious, simple meals with confidence.
The first thing you need to learn is my mantra: ‘It’s all fine!’ That’s the secret weapon. If you can relax and just take it easy, you’ll be fine. Learning to cook is a process and you might make some mistakes, but you’ll learn some lessons and maybe even improvise.
My hope is that after playing around with some recipes, you’ll start to trust your palate. You’ll even be able to do a bit of experimenting with spices and playing with the balance of heat and cool in your dishes. You’ll learn that you don’t need to be too exact. The biggest secret of all is that being a better cook is just about trusting yourself. You can do it!
How To Be A Better Cook: 100 Quick And Easy Recipes, by Lorraine Pascale, with photography by Maja Smend (HarperCollins, £25).
Serves 4 (or 8 if halved)
Ingredients
Method
Put a large pan of water on to boil with a pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling add the corn and let this bubble away for 5 mins. As this cooks, get the grill on really nice and hot (alternatively, you can cook the cobs on a griddle pan).
Once the cobs have cooked for 5 mins, remove them from the heat and drain well, dab with some kitchen towel to remove excess moisture and brush all over with the oil. Arrange on a grill rack and place them under the grill (or on a hot griddle pan, if using). Cook them for 6-8 mins, turning them from time to time so they catch a good and even colour.
As they cook, melt the butter over a low heat in the pan the corn was boiled in. Stir the garlic and chilli in with salt and pepper, cook for 1 min, and then set the pan aside.
Once the cobs have a good colour on them, remove them from the grill (or pan). Toss them in the garlic butter and then stick a corn-on-thecob holder in each end of each cob. Arrange them on serving plates, drizzling over any remaining butter from the pan, then sprinkle over the coriander and serve.
SIMPLE TORTILLA PIZZA BITES WITH TOMATOES, PECORINO CHEESE AND ROCKET
Serves 4
Ingredients
Method
Turn the oven on as high as it will go, making sure two shelves are set in place. Mine goes to 240C (fan 220C)/450F/ gas mark 8. Spray a bit of oil on two large baking sheets and place two tortillas down on each of them. Spray a little more on top of the tortillas and then rub the cut side of the garlic all over the tortillas. This gives the pizzas a little extra splash of flavour.
Divide the chopped tomatoes evenly among the four tortillas, spreading them out but leaving a 1.5cm border. Scatter over the chilli, if using, and divide the cheese and peppers evenly over the tops also. Pop both trays into the oven to bake for about 4-6 mins (depending on how hot your oven is) until the cheese has melted and the tortillas become crisp and golden on their edges. Swap the trays around on the shelves halfway through for even cooking.
Remove them from the oven and slide one onto each serving plate. Top with the rocket and basil, if using. Season with a little scattering of salt and pepper, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and some extra virgin olive oil, if you fancy it.PAN-FRIED SALMON WITH BROCCOLI, PEAS AND CHILLI WITH A WARM MAPLE, ORANGE AND GINGER DRESSING
Serves 4
Ingredients
Method
Bring a medium pan of salted water to the boil over a high heat (for the broccoli).
Put the oil in a large frying pan and place on the hob over a medium-to-high heat. Season the salmon fillets with a little salt and pepper and place them in the pan, skinside down first. Leave to cook for 3-4 mins, without moving.
Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 3 mins. Then add the frozen peas, put a lid on to bring it all back to the boil quickly, then once boiling, remove the lid and boil for 3 more mins.
Turn the salmon fillets over to cook on the opposite side for a further 3-4 mins.
While both of these cook, put all of the dressing ingredients into a small pan with a little salt and pepper. Bring to the boil over a high heat and then leave to bubble away for 2-3 mins before removing and setting aside.
Drain the vegetables well and tip them back into the pan. Toss the chillies through and then divide among the four serving plates. Once the salmon is cooked just how you like it (I find 3-4 mins per side is perfect), lay it on top of the veg, pour over the dressing, rip over the mint leaves and scatter over the almonds, if using, and serve.
So if you’ve always wanted to treat friends to a delicious meal or to rely less on ready meals in your day-to-day life, my new book is for you. Before you know it, you’ll be dishing up delicious, simple meals with confidence.
The first thing you need to learn is my mantra: ‘It’s all fine!’ That’s the secret weapon. If you can relax and just take it easy, you’ll be fine. Learning to cook is a process and you might make some mistakes, but you’ll learn some lessons and maybe even improvise.
My hope is that after playing around with some recipes, you’ll start to trust your palate. You’ll even be able to do a bit of experimenting with spices and playing with the balance of heat and cool in your dishes. You’ll learn that you don’t need to be too exact. The biggest secret of all is that being a better cook is just about trusting yourself. You can do it!
How To Be A Better Cook: 100 Quick And Easy Recipes, by Lorraine Pascale, with photography by Maja Smend (HarperCollins, £25).
CHARGRILLED CORN ON THE COB WITH GARLIC BUTTER AND CORIANDER
Serves 4 (or 8 if halved)
Ingredients
- 4 corn on the cob, whole or halved
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 60g butter
- 1-2 garlic cloves, very, very finely chopped
- 1 medium red chilli, very finely chopped
- 1 handful of finely chopped fresh coriander
- flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put a large pan of water on to boil with a pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling add the corn and let this bubble away for 5 mins. As this cooks, get the grill on really nice and hot (alternatively, you can cook the cobs on a griddle pan).
Once the cobs have cooked for 5 mins, remove them from the heat and drain well, dab with some kitchen towel to remove excess moisture and brush all over with the oil. Arrange on a grill rack and place them under the grill (or on a hot griddle pan, if using). Cook them for 6-8 mins, turning them from time to time so they catch a good and even colour.
As they cook, melt the butter over a low heat in the pan the corn was boiled in. Stir the garlic and chilli in with salt and pepper, cook for 1 min, and then set the pan aside.
Once the cobs have a good colour on them, remove them from the grill (or pan). Toss them in the garlic butter and then stick a corn-on-thecob holder in each end of each cob. Arrange them on serving plates, drizzling over any remaining butter from the pan, then sprinkle over the coriander and serve.
SIMPLE TORTILLA PIZZA BITES WITH TOMATOES, PECORINO CHEESE AND ROCKET
Serves 4 Ingredients
- spray oil
- 4 x 19cm wholemeal or white soft flour or corn tortillas
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and halved
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes (preferably the one with herbs)
- ½-¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 125g pecorino cheese (or a mature Cheddar), coarsely grated
- 285g jar roasted red and yellow peppers, drained (to give about 175g peppers)
- 70g bag of rocket
- small handful of fresh basil leaves (optional)
- 2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
- 2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Turn the oven on as high as it will go, making sure two shelves are set in place. Mine goes to 240C (fan 220C)/450F/ gas mark 8. Spray a bit of oil on two large baking sheets and place two tortillas down on each of them. Spray a little more on top of the tortillas and then rub the cut side of the garlic all over the tortillas. This gives the pizzas a little extra splash of flavour.
Divide the chopped tomatoes evenly among the four tortillas, spreading them out but leaving a 1.5cm border. Scatter over the chilli, if using, and divide the cheese and peppers evenly over the tops also. Pop both trays into the oven to bake for about 4-6 mins (depending on how hot your oven is) until the cheese has melted and the tortillas become crisp and golden on their edges. Swap the trays around on the shelves halfway through for even cooking.
Remove them from the oven and slide one onto each serving plate. Top with the rocket and basil, if using. Season with a little scattering of salt and pepper, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and some extra virgin olive oil, if you fancy it.
PAN-FRIED SALMON WITH BROCCOLI, PEAS AND CHILLI WITH A WARM MAPLE, ORANGE AND GINGER DRESSING
Serves 4 Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 x 175g sustainably caught salmon fillets
- 1 whole head of broccoli (about 400g), broken into bite-sized pieces
- 200g frozen peas
- 1-2 chillies, deseeded for less heat if preferred, finely sliced
- leaves from ½ x 28g bag of fresh mint
- handful of toasted flaked almonds (optional)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
- 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Bring a medium pan of salted water to the boil over a high heat (for the broccoli).
Put the oil in a large frying pan and place on the hob over a medium-to-high heat. Season the salmon fillets with a little salt and pepper and place them in the pan, skinside down first. Leave to cook for 3-4 mins, without moving.
Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 3 mins. Then add the frozen peas, put a lid on to bring it all back to the boil quickly, then once boiling, remove the lid and boil for 3 more mins.
Turn the salmon fillets over to cook on the opposite side for a further 3-4 mins.
While both of these cook, put all of the dressing ingredients into a small pan with a little salt and pepper. Bring to the boil over a high heat and then leave to bubble away for 2-3 mins before removing and setting aside.
Drain the vegetables well and tip them back into the pan. Toss the chillies through and then divide among the four serving plates. Once the salmon is cooked just how you like it (I find 3-4 mins per side is perfect), lay it on top of the veg, pour over the dressing, rip over the mint leaves and scatter over the almonds, if using, and serve.