Wouldn’t it be great if someone could write a cookbook that takes everyday supermarket ingredients and provides us with not one, but 10 easy ideas for a meal using them?
Well folks, it’s just happened and the book: Easy 10 by Amy Sheppard was published this week.
Amy understands how we shop. Creatures of habit, we often buy the same basic staples every week and then inevitably cook the same old recipes. She takes 10 of the top supermarket ingredients and offers 10 delicious dinners for each one, with a few ‘cheats’ and twists along the way, and always with budget in mind.
About Amy
Amy Sheppard is a food writer, social media influencer and mum of two boys. She writes recipes and creates videos for brands, including recent collaborations with Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Boursin and Pyrex. She has been featured in The Sunday Telegraph, ‘You’ Magazine, The Sun, The i Paper, Daily Express, The Stylist, The Guardian and many more.
She is the author of The Savvy Shopper’s Cookbook and HOB. You can find her here: @amysheppardfood
The Ten
The top 10 are: chicken, potatoes, ready rolled pastry, lentils, mince, cheese, tinned fish, pasta, sausages and rice – our beloved favourites, but Amy is here to spice up our repertoire and inspire us to create really tasty dishes in a matter of minutes. The chapter structure of the book means that you can find just the recipe you need instantly, and each recipe comes with tips and swaps – ways to make the meal veggie or gluten-free and options for air-frying.
Easy 10 delivers simple, delicious dinner ideas for busy people who want to cook from scratch, but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. Easy 10 by Amy Sheppard (Quadrille, £22), Photography © Dan Jones
To whet your appetite, try one or two of these:
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND HUMMUS DAHL
“If you’ve always wanted to try making dahl, this is an easy cheat’s version, a stripped-back recipe with butternut squash for texture and red pepper hummus for creaminess! It’s a quick way to add incredible flavour and has a lovely thick consistency. Serve as is, or with rice if you want it to go further.”
FEEDS 4
oil, for frying
1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2–3cm (3⁄4–11⁄4in) cubes
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g (101⁄2oz) dried red lentils, rinsed
400g (14oz) can coconut milk
400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
700ml (24fl oz/3 cups) vegetable stock
180g (61⁄4oz) red (bell) pepper hummus
2 Tbsp milk
fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TIPS & SWAPS
Use ready-prepped butternut squash cubes for an even easier dinner.
You can omit the hummus to make this. It’s less creamy, but still lovely without.
Make extra and freeze into portions as this makes a really good lunch on busy autumn days when you need something warming.
1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, lidded, non-stick saucepan. Add the butternut squash cubes and red onion and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes, turning regularly.
Stir in the spices and the garlic and fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
2. Add the rinsed red lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes
and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, stir thoroughly and bring to the boil. Place the lid on the pan and simmer over a medium heat for 25 minutes. Take the lid off, give it another good stir and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the lentils and squash are tender. Stir in 90g (3oz) of hummus.
3. Divide between 4 bowls. Mix the remaining hummus with the milk and drizzle over the dahl. Finish with ground black pepper and fresh coriander, if you like.
PIRI PIRI HALLOUMI PASTA
FEEDS 4
1 Tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp piri piri seasoning
225g (8oz) halloumi, cut into 1–2cm (1⁄2–3⁄4in) cubes
375g (13oz) dried rigatoni (or other pasta shape) oil, for frying
For the sauce
1 large red (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
1 onion, finely sliced
1 Tbsp tomato purée (paste)
1 Tbsp piri piri seasoning
200g (7oz) soft cheese
80g (23⁄4oz) fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
salad, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TIPS & SWAPS
I’ve used reduced-fat halloumi and soft cheese in this before and I honestly couldn’t notice the difference.
You can swap the halloumi for diced chicken breast, if you like, but it may need a little longer to cook through depending on the size of your pieces, so make sure you double check.
You can use the spiced halloumi in a wrap with salad and mayo if you fancy a quick lunch.
I’m a bit addicted to piri piri seasoning – I find myself adding it to a lot of dinners at the moment. It’s got quite a kick to it, so be careful with your measurements! You can use any pasta you like in this, including spaghetti, but I really like it with rigatoni.
1. Mix together the flour and piri piri seasoning in a bowl. Add the halloumi cubes and use your hands to ensure they are dry and coated on all sides.
2. Add the halloumi to a large, dry, non-stick frying pan (skillet) and fry for 3–5 minutes over a medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp all over.
3. At the same time, add the pasta to a large saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for about 10 minutes or until just tender. Reserve 150ml (5fl oz) of the starchy pasta water before draining.
4. Remove the halloumi and add a little oil to the pan. Add the red pepper and onion and fry for 5 minutes over a medium heat until soft. Stir in the tomato purée and the piri piri seasoning. Fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously, then stir in the soft cheese.
5. Slowly add the reserved pasta cooking water to the sauce, a little at a time, stirring until combined and heated through before adding more. Stir in the spinach and halloumi and season with salt and pepper. Gently heat through. Finally, add the drained pasta and stir until all the ingredients are combined. Finish with a little more black pepper and serve with a salad.
SMOKY SAUSAGE AND BEAN CHILLI
“If chilli is a regular dinner in your home, this one is going to make a really nice change. I usually serve it with rice and maybe a few nachos on the side, but it also works well on a baked potato with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top. This is the perfect dinner for serving round a campfire.”
FEEDS 4
oil, for frying
450g (1lb) Cumberland sausages, skins removed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tsp runny honey
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1⁄2 tsp hot chilli powder
400g (14oz) can cherry tomatoes
400g (14oz) can mixed beans (drained)
250ml (9fl oz) chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TIPS & SWAPS
If you fancy more veg, stir in 60g (21⁄4oz) of fresh spinach and a handful of frozen sweetcorn before bringing it to the boil and simmering.
You can use chicken sausages rather than pork for this if you prefer.
If you want to make this milder and more smoky rather than hot, omit the Cajun seasoning and chilli powder, increase the amount of smoked paprika to 1 tablespoon and add 2 teaspoons of ground cumin.
1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, deep, non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Tear the sausages into 6 or 7 pieces and add to the pan. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the pieces start to colour and are no longer pink. Add the onion and red pepper and fry for another
5 minutes.
2. Drain off any excess fat and stir in the honey, paprika, Cajun seasoning and chilli powder. Fry for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes, beans and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir all the ingredients together and bring to the boil. Simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the sausages are cooked through. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
