Everyday Easy Lorraine's Fast, Fresh and Easy Food

I'm Lorraine Pascale and this is all about fast, fresh and easy food.

Delicious meals don't have to take a long time to make

and, for me, cooking from fresh ingredients is the way to go.

Great food can be fast and delicious with these effortless recipes

and a few simple shortcuts.

Follow my tips and, hopefully,

you'll never want to reach for a ready-made meal again.

Making quick, tasty food for everyday meals and last-minute entertaining,

it can all be so easy.

This show is all about easy, everyday cooking.

Come home from work, it's late.

I just want to cook something that's quick, simple and easy.

And these are some of my fast family favourites.

A fast flatbread that's great for serving with curries and dips.

A make-in-minutes midweek supper

of juicy pork chops with a tasty salad.

An everyday favourite from scratch,

pizza with three delicious toppings.

Easy bite-size treats, my peanut butter squares.

And a make-ahead pear, almond and amaretto tart.

Plus, I pick up a few pointers on making quick, easy

and exciting everyday food from another street food hero.

-Mmm. What an explosion of textures and flavours and...

-Exactly.

..all sorts of yumminess. Very unusual.

But first, I know how tempting it is to call in a takeaway sometimes.

But I'm going to show you how easy and speedy it is to make a curry classic at home.

Now, I'm partial to a good chicken tikka masala.

You can try and palm me off with a dhansak or a korma

but a chicken tikka masala gets my vote every time.

And I know how easy it is to reach for a jar of the stuff

but it's also really easy to make mine from scratch.

Start with 250g of basmati rice.

And then, boiling water on top.

Now, I use the absorption method

and, with this, you don't have to drain the rice afterwards.

You just pour in about a centimetre or two

of water above the level of the rice...

..like that.

Then turn on the heat to high.

I'm just going to add some curry powder.

Now, this is going to flavour the rice and give it a lovely yellow colour.

Good drizzle of oil in the pan.

Put it on a lowish heat.

Now, I can hear this is boiling and the lid is rattling...

So I just turn that down to a simmer

and let that cook gently away.

Meanwhile, chicken.

So into the pan.

SIZZLES

I love that sound.

I'm just going to leave that to colour

for about four or five minutes.

And what I'm looking for is it to caramelise a little bit,

go nice and brown, this is going to add flavour to the dish.

Spring onions.

Need two cloves of garlic.

And then a 2cm piece of ginger.

Right, now, the chicken is just going brown on the outside,

so I'm going to add the rest of the ingredients now.

Mm, flavours beginning to build

Then you want 350ml of single cream.

A little bit naughty

but it's worth it.

Then you want about 200g of tomato puree, so that's all of this.

So just stir it around like that, on this low heat.

Now the spices.

Now, garam masala, really easy to find in the supermarket.

Four tablespoons of this.

This is a fragrant blend of ground spices, such as cumin, coriander, cardamom and cloves,

often used in Indian cooking.

And then one tablespoon of paprika.

It's going to add a little bit of heat.

And then mustard. A teaspoon.

Now this adds more heat but just a different kind.

And this is just the base for your tikka masala.

You can alter it however you want, adding more spice, less spice,

throw a bit of chilli powder in, a bit of curry powder,

and just really make it your own.

Those lovely colours combining. Can't wait to eat this.

And the thing is, all these ingredients you can have in your cupboard,

so you can just make tikka masala whenever you feel like it.

Salt and pepper.

Now that is pretty much ready.

So I'll just check my rice.

There. Now that is beautiful. All the water's gone,

the rice is lovely and fluffy

and we're good to go.

With a little know-how and a few store cupboard ingredients,

everyday cooking really can be as simple and as delicious as this.

If you want a light alternative to a nan bread to go with your curry,

that just takes minutes to make...

..try my spicy Malaysian flatbread, called roti jala...

..which literally means...

It starts by making a basic pancake batter

with a few little twists.

You need 125g of plain flour...

..two teaspoons of curry powder...

..and a pinch of salt.

Gradually add 200ml of coconut milk.

Crack in one egg.

And mix into a smooth batter.

I find it easier to put the mix into a piping bag,

then drizzle into a pan of hot vegetable oil

in a loop-the-loop pattern.

Cook for a couple of minutes, until the underside starts to turn golden.

Carefully flip it over, like a pancake.

And cook on the other side for another couple of minutes.

You're looking for a soft yet crispy texture.

This would go very well with my curry.

But it's great on its own, too, with a few dips,

and so quick and easy to make.

Life can seem a bit crazy sometimes...

..so I think it's really important to keep things simple in the kitchen.

My next recipe is an instant classic

that you'll want to make again and again,

as it's so quick and easy and completely irresistible.

When I feel like a little snack or something for my lunch box,

I like to make my peanut butter squares.

And the brilliant thing is, except for heating up a little bit of chocolate,

there's no cooking involved.

MUSIC: "Hey ya" by OUTKAST

# My baby don't mess around

# Because she loves me so And this I know for sure. #

Melt 200g of chocolate in a bowl,

over a pan of simmering water.

In another pan, gently melt 150g of butter.

Tip 250g of digestive biscuits

and 200g of soft, light brown sugar into a blender...

..and blitz.

# Hey ya

# Hey ya... #

And add to the melted butter.

# Hey ya... #

Dollop in 300g of crunchy peanut butter...

..a teaspoon of vanilla extract...

..and stir.

Place into a lined, square tin

and spread evenly.

# Then what makes # What makes, what makes

# Love the exception? #

Pour over the melted chocolate.

# When we know We're not happy here

# Hey ya... #

Pop in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.

Once the chocolate is set, use a sharp, warm knife

to slice it smoothly into 16 squares...

..and serve.

Great for treats on the go.

I'm a really big fan of street food.

It's a simple, economical and fun way

of tasting delicious and authentic fare...

There you go, sir.

..from all over the world.

So I'm here, in London's Old Street, at Red Market,

a hub of street food.

I've come to find out about traditional Indian street food.

And there's not a korma or a vindaloo in sight.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-I'm Lorraine.

-I'm Gaurav.

-Nice to meet you.

-And I'm Sandhya.

-Hi.

-Hi. How are you?

-Nice to meet you.

Sandhya and Gaurav's food is quick to prepare,

packed full of fresh flavours and is all vegetarian, too.

So what are you going to make for me today?

-We're going to start with bhel puri.

-OK.

Bhel puri is a famous roadside snack from Mumbai.

-It's got puffed rice...

-Yeah.

-..crispy noodles,

-a lot of vegetables, also mixed spice...

-Mixed spice. OK.

-..called chaat masala.

-OK.

Coriander, pomegranate, tomatoes, mashed potato with onions.

The tasty mix is topped with three chutneys,

which they make here on the stall.

Mint and coriander,

lime and chilli

and date and tamarind.

When would you eat this in India? Is this a snack, or...

It's a snack, like something you'd have on the beach,

going shopping, on the way home

-with some chai.

-OK. Nice.

It's served in a paper cone with a little garnish

and it's certainly fresher than a cone of chips.

We top it with crispy chick pea noodle

and a bit of pomegranate, a bit of onion, and a bit of coriander.

-Coriander. Beautiful.

-That's it.

-Mmm. What an explosion of textures and flavours and...

-Exactly.

..all sorts of yumminess. Very unusual.

It is. I mean, most people think of Indian food,

and think of greasy and spicy and, you know, too much going on...

-Yeah.

-..whereas this one is very fresh

and all the flavours are really clean and the textures...

Lovely. I love it.

Another great Indian street food classic is a dosa...

..which is like a crispy, savoury pancake,

usually made with rice and skinned, split black lentils,

that are soaked overnight, ground into a paste,

mixed together with a little salt and water

and left to ferment for a few hours,

producing a light and bubbly batter.

You could easily whizz this up at home.

So, as a Brit, we're kind of more familiar with nan bread

-and that kind of thing...

-Exactly.

-How does that, sort of...

The kind of food, street food, you'd have almost every day.

-OK.

-So it might be your lunch, you know,

in a stall outside your office, you might pick up chai and a bhel puri, something like that.

Whereas curries, lentils, nan bread, roti,

-stuff like that, you'd have at home.

-Right. OK.

They fill the dosa with masala potatoes

but you could fill it with anything you like, from your favourite curry

to a vegetable side dish.

Street food is quite big in India. It's like, no matter what part of India you go,

the street food culture is so big,

so all the parts have got their own speciality,

so that's why we try to incorporate the best of all parts.

So we roll this up.

And so much cheaper, as well, than eating in a restaurant.

They serve the dosa with curried chick peas,

topped with more of their delicious chutneys and garnishes.

Dig in.

I mean, Indian street food is all about flavours and textures.

I'm going to have a little bite of this.

Mm. It's a really delicate flavour.

-Yeah.

-With a little hit underneath it.

-Quite different to the food you get in a restaurant.

-Exactly.

But it's still really beautiful.

Now this salad. Would you call this a salad? What would you call this?

Erm, we kinda say, chana chaat.

Chana is the chick pea curry and then chaat basically means

finger-licking street food.

It's a word that used to describe street food in India

but the technical translation is finger-licking.

That's so good.

I'm a really big fan of street food.

It's really easy to get a lot of flavour with very little effort.

Like my next dish, which is a simple and super tasty way

to liven up an everyday ingredient.

When my mates come over for a meal,

I like to give them something really tasty and a little bit different,

like my pan-fried pork chops

with a watercress, peach and stilton salad.

First, heat a little bit of oil

in two pans over a medium heat.

Scatter 3 tablespoons of fennel seeds over a plate...

..and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Lay the pork chops on top of the fennel seeds

and squish them down, turning them around so they're all covered.

Fry the pork chops for about five to six minutes,

each side, until golden brown.

And then it's on to the salad.

Place a large handful of watercress on each plate.

Add chopped spring onions.

Drain a tin of peach halves.

And slice.

Take a block of blue cheese, Stilton's my favourite...

..and crumble on top.

Now for the dressing.

Put three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a bowl.

And then grate in a 2cm piece of fresh ginger, skin an' all.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and a big pinch of mustard powder.

Add a big squidge of honey...

..and whisk it all together.

And that's all there is to it.

An easy and elegant everyday supper

that really does take minutes to make.

MUSIC: "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross

Now, for a gorgeously simple pudding

that's become an everyday classic in my kitchen.

It's ideal for making at the start of the week

and tucking into it whenever you fancy a treat.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Now look at that perfectly ripe pear,

which I'm going to use in my next dish,

which is great for everyday or for when mates come round.

So this next recipe is for my pear, almond and amaretto tart,

with lemon and stem ginger mascarpone cream.

And you wouldn't think that a recipe with all those ingredients is easy

but it really is.

And it starts with pastry.

You could use ready-made but my sweet, shortcrust pastry is so simple.

You'll need 125g of butter.

275g of plain flour.

Sugar.

Ground almonds.

Pinch of salt.

And one egg.

Then just blend into a soft dough.

Wrap the pastry in clingfilm

and pop in the fridge for about half an hour until firm.

Roll out into a rectangle on a floured surface.

Place into the tin.

And slice off any excess pastry.

I like to crimp the edges, using the handle of a wooden spoon,

for a professional-looking finish.

Then simply leave in the fridge for 30 minutes or so

to firm up.

Now I'll make the filling.

Starts with 100g of soft butter.

100g of caster sugar.

100g of ground almonds...

..and 3 tablespoons of flour.

It's just plain flour.

So this is a frangipane, it's called,

and it's an almond filling used a lot in French patisserie...

..and cakes and other bakes.

And it is ridiculously easy to make.

You just bung everything in a bowl and mix it together.

And now some amaretto.

It's an almond-flavoured liqueur...

..and it is rather tasty.

So just a splash,

then grab my spoon and mix it all together.

And that's ready to go into the pastry.

Right, this is lovely and firm,

so I'm going to fill it with the frangipane mix.

I like to use a pallet knife but you can use the back of a big spoon

to just spread it right into those corners.

It doesn't have to be perfectly level...

..but just make sure that it's spread over

and covering the base of the pastry.

Take three ripe conference pears...

..peel, halve

and de-core.

And, you know, you can use tinned pears for this as well,

but if you use really firm pears

then, even though it bakes for 45 minutes in the oven, they won't soften.

Right, that's all the pears in.

And now, it goes into the oven.

And now, the lemon and stem ginger mascarpone cream.

So we just need 250g of mascarpone cheese...

..50g of icing sugar.

..and then stem ginger.

You want to chop it up

as finely as you can.

And, you know, you can use fresh ginger and grate that in, too,

but fresh ginger will give a slightly stronger taste.

This taste is much softer.

And then vanilla.

Just a pinch of lemon zest.

That should do it.

And then just mix it all together. Now, the thing with mascarpone is,

if you over overmix it, it becomes really grainy.

Just mix it with as few stirs as is needed...

..to make sure everything's combined.

Now let's get that gorgeous golden tart out of the oven.

Now, this just gets a little finishing touch.

And I just think that looks so beautiful.

MUSIC: "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem feat. Rihanna

When it comes to everyday favourites that always go down well at home,

there's one recipe that tops them all.

It's a great stress-free supper to make at the end of a long day.

And once you've tasted home-made, you'll never reach for a ready-made one again.

For me, there's nothing faster, fresher or easier than a pizza,

especially when they're home-made.

I'm going to show you three of my favourite toppings,

but first, I need to make a basic pizza dough.

300g of strong, white bread flour.

About a teaspoon and a half of salt.

Fast action dried yeast, 7g.

Hole in the middle.

And then I'm adding 175ml of water.

And then 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

And then just mix it all together until it starts to form a ball.

And then just knead it, for about eight to ten minutes, by hand.

MUSIC: "Take A Chance On Me" by JLS

# But you cannot get past the fear... #

OK, now that is ready.

And, to test it, just prod it

and the dent will spring back all the way.

It means it's ready to go.

So now I'm going to divide this into three...

..take one piece,

and what I want is to roll it into a nice rectangle.

I mean, you can do it whatever shape you want, really.

But I kind of like those long flatbreads.

MUSIC: "The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry

There.

And then I'm going to get on with the other two.

# Talk about a future Like we had a clue

# Never planned that one day I'd be losing you... #

So first, my harissa, chilli and sausage pizza with fennel.

I'm going to start with the harissa.

So I need about two tablespoons of this.

Now harissa is this wonderful, spicy paste from North Africa.

I've got one chilli here, de-seeded...

..and finely chopped.

And then spring onion.

I've removed the casing

of two sausages.

# But in another life... #

And then fennel seed. So two teaspoons of this...

..this beautiful aniseed flavour.

# The one that got away... #

So, for this next one, I make a tomatoey paste...

..with passata

and 50g of these really spicy, small peppers...

..one clove of garlic

and just a little bit of fresh thyme.

And then give it a blitz.

Nice and easy.

Just a thin layer.

And I've got 70g of goat's cheese.

And then chorizo.

Right. For the third and final pizza...

..you need 100g of hummus.

All over, like that.

And then feta. Really quick, really simple.

Very, very easy.

And then these beautiful ribbons of courgette.

I've got about six cherry tomatoes, chopped in half.

A good amount of pepper

all over them.

And then salt.

Not too much on that one, cos the feta is quite salty.

Now they're ready for the oven.

Bake them for around ten minutes at 240 degrees Celsius.

Right, now they just get a couple more things to finish.

The hummus and feta pizza gets some balsamic drizzle.

Now, this is a glaze, so it's a little bit sticky.

You can find this in the supermarket. It's great on salads

or as a marinade, too.

And then just a sprinkling of fresh mint leaves.

A little basil for the chorizo pizza.

And some rocket leaves to finish the sausage one.

MUSIC: "So Good" by BoB

# I see us on a beach Down in Mexico... #

Home-made pizzas - so simple to make and guaranteed to please.

-Here you are.

-Looks so good.

Especially when you've got a houseful of hungry teens to feed.

GIRLS LAUGH

-Hummuses and anyone for...

-Yeah.

Get a bit of everything.

Mm. So good.

Everyday cooking really can be fuss-free and quick.

And I hope these dishes become everyday favourites in your kitchen.

So with these recipes, you'll have fast, fresh and easy food every day.

Great. Pizza!

-Mm.

-Ooh.

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