roasts and oven bakes

The good thing with oven cooking is you usually have time to go off and do something else while the meal cooks. It’s worth remembering, though, that some things do require a little attention; for example, if you are roasting vegetables, in particular, they benefit from being turned over at least once during cooking so that they brown evenly.

boston ribs

with a crisp green salad

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Turn on the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

2 Put the ribs in a single layer in the roasting tin. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

3 Mix1 tbsp brown sauce with 2 tbsp ketchup and brush over the ribs. Return them to the oven for a further 15 minutes until brown.

4 Remove the ribs from the tin and stir the cans of beans, a sprinkling of onion granules and 2 tbsp black treacle into the juices in the tin. Lay the ribs over the top. Cover with foil and return to the oven for 40 minutes, stirring once after 20 minutes. Put plates in the oven for the last 10 minutes to warm.

5 While the ribs are cooking, make a green salad and French dressing.

6 Spoon the ribs and beans on the warm plates and serve with crusty bread and the green salad, tossed with the French dressing.

salmon puffs

with tomato and basil sauce

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Cut the ends off the carrots and courgettes. Peel the carrots. Then, using a potato peeler, pare strips off both vegetables, until all of them are in ribbons. Prepare and cook the potatoes whole.

2 Open the can of salmon, drain off the liquid and tip the fish on to a plate. Divide into four portions, discarding any skin and bones.

3 Put about 300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups passata in a small ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with dried basil and a little pepper. Stir, cover with a lid or foil and put on the shelf just below the centre of the oven. Turn the oven on to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.

4 Cut the pastry into four squares. Put a portion of fish and a spoonful of creamed mushrooms on each. Sprinkle with pepper.

5 Break the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Using a pastry brush, paint a little egg all round each square, then fold in the ends, then the sides, to seal completely.

6 Wet the baking sheet all over. Put the pastry parcels well apart on it, folded sides down. Brush all over the top of the pastry with the beaten egg.

7 Bake for about 15 minutes on the shelf above the centre of the oven until puffy and golden brown. Put plates and serving dishes into the oven to warm.

8 Boil about 2.5 cm/1 in of water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Add the carrot and courgette ribbons, cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes until just tender. Drain in a colander, transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

9 Check the potatoes are cooked, then drain in the colander in the sink. Put in a warm serving dish, cover with a lid and keep warm.

10 Cut the lemon into 8 wedges.

11 Put a salmon parcel and a little hot passata on each warm plate. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with the potatoes and carrot and courgette ribbons.

top tip!

toad in the hole

with sage and onion sauce and shredded savoy

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Pour in enough sunflower oil to cover the base of a roasting tin. Cut the sausages apart with scissors and lay them in the tin. Put in the oven to brown, while you prepare the batter.

2 Put 100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain flour in a mixing bowl and add a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3 Pour 150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup milk in a measuring jug. Top up with water to 300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups.

4 Make a hollow in the centre of the flour and break in 2 eggs. Pour in half the milk and water mixture. Whisk with a balloon whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the remaining milk and water.

5 Remove the baking tin from the oven and pour in the batter around the sausages. Return to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

6 While the batter is cooking, chop the onion.

7 Put in the smaller saucepan and add 300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups water and a knob of butter or margerine. Put over a high heat until the water boils, then turn down the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

8 Using the mixing bowl you made the batter in (to save washing up!), put 3 tbsp plain flour and 3 tbsp dried milk into the bowl. Whisk in 6 tbsp water. Add a good sprinkling of dried sage and some salt and pepper. Put the plates in the oven to warm.

9 Prepare and cook the cabbage.

10 Stir the blended flour and milk mixture into the cooked onions, bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time until thick.

11 When the toad is cooked, cut into four and transfer to the warmed plates. Spoon the sage and onion sauce over and serve with the shredded cabbage.

top tip!

traditional sunday roast

with all the trimmings

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

cooking times and condiments

Meat

Cooking time

Preparation for cooking

Condiments

beef

(medium)

15 mins per 450 g/1 lb

plus 15 minutes over

rub with oil,

sprinkle with pepper

horseradish sauce,

English mustard

beef

(well-done)

20 mins per 450 g/1 lb

plus 20 minutes over

rub with oil,

sprinkle with pepper

horseradish sauce,

English mustard

lamb

20 mins per 450 g/1 lb

plus 20 minutes over

sprinkle with pepper

mint sauce or

redcurrant jelly

pork

25 mins per 450 g/1 lb

plus 25 minutes over

score the rind with a sharp

knife in strips, rub with oil and salt, stand rind-up on

an old saucer in the tin

apple sauce,

sage and onion

stuffing

chicken

20 mins per 450 g/1 lb

plus 20 minutes over

pull off any fat round the

edge of the body cavity,

rub skin with oil and salt

bread sauce,

parsley and thyme

stuffing

1 Turn on the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Weigh the meat and calculate the cooking time, then prepare the meat for the oven (see chart above). Put the meat on the centre shelf and note the time it will be cooked.

2 1½ hours before the meat will be ready, put 2 tbsp oil in a roasting tin and place on a shelf near the top of the oven.

3 Prepare the potatoes and parsnips and cook together for 3 minutes only.

4 Strain the potatoes and parsnips in a colander over a bowl to save the cooking water for the gravy. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and add the part-cooked potatoes and parsnips. Turn over in the oil, then return to the shelf near the top of the oven.

5 If you are serving stuffing, make it up according to the packet directions. Shape into balls and arrange around the pork or chicken for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Make up the packet of bread sauce, if appropriate.

6 Turn the potatoes and parsnips to brown the other sides.

7 When the meat is cooked, remove from the oven and transfer to a carving dish. Leave to rest while you make the gravy and cook the vegetables.

8 Prepare and cook the carrots and a green leafy vegetable. Keep warm in covered dishes in the oven. Put plates, a carving dish and serving dishes, if using, to warm in the oven.

9 Stir about 3 tbsp flour into the fat and juices in the roasting tin. Add about 450 ml/¾ pt/2 cups vegetable cooking water and gradually stir in until smooth. Put over a fairly high heat and cook, stirring all the time with a balloon whisk, until thickened and smooth. Add gravy block or browning and salt to taste. Thin with a little more water, if necessary.

10 Carve the meat into slices. Serve with the vegetables, gravy and chosen condiments.

top tips!

nut and herb roast

with roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Prepare and boil the potatoes for 3 minutes only. Lift the part-cooked potatoes out of the water and leave to drain. Leave the potato water in the pan.

2 Pour about 2 tbsp oil in a roasting tin. Put in the top of the oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 until sizzling. Remove from the oven. Put the potatoes in the hot oil in the roasting tin. Return to the top shelf of the oven to cook.

3 Finely chop the onion. Put in a mixing bowl.

4 Break up the bread into very small pieces and add to the onion. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, a good sprinkling of dried mixed herbs and 150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups chopped nuts.

5 Boil the kettle and measure 150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup boiling water in a measuring jug. Stir in 1 tsp Marmite or Vegemite and a good knob of butter or margarine until melted. Pour into the bowl and mix well, adding 1 tsp sunflower oil.

6 Brush a loaf tin with oil, then turn the mixture into the tin and press down well. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 40 minutes until crisp on top and hot through.

7 While the nut roast cooks, cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding the thick central stalk. Bring the potato water to the boil again and cook the cauliflower for about 5 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander in the sink, then put in an ovenproof dish.

8 Make a basic white sauce. Grate some Cheddar cheese until you have a good handful. Stir most of it into the sauce and pour over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Turn on the grill (broiler). Put the cauliflower cheese under the grill for about 5 minutes until golden on top and bubbling. Put plates to warm, either under the grill or in the oven.

9 Loosen the edge of the nut roast with a round-bladed knife, then turn out on to a warm dish. Cut into slices and serve with the roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese.

top tip!

shepherd’s pie

with golden cheesy topping

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Chop the onion and dice the carrot.

2 Cut the hard V-shaped core out of the cabbage, then grate the cabbage on the coarse side of a grater.

3 Prepare and boil the potatoes.

4 As soon as you have put the potatoes on the heat, put the lamb in a saucepan with the chopped onion and carrot. Cook over a fairly high heat, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon until the meat is no longer pink and all the grains are separate.

5 Add enough water to cover the meat, then crumble in the stock cube and stir. Add the cabbage and stir. Season well with salt and pepper and add a good sprinkling of dried mixed herbs. Cover with a lid and heat until the mixture is bubbling rapidly. Turn down the heat to fairly low and let it bubble gently for 20 minutes.

6 When the potatoes are tender, tip into a colander in the sink to drain, then tip the potatoes back in the saucepan.

7 Add a good knob of butter or margarine and a splash of milk and mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Add a little more milk, if you like, but don’t make it too soft.

8 Grate some Cheddar cheese to make a small handful.

9 Add a handful of frozen peas to the meat mixture. Mix 3 tbsp flour with 4 tbsp water in a cup until smooth. Stir into the meat mixture and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste and add more seasoning, if necessary.

10 Turn on the grill (broiler) and put plates under to warm. Spoon the meat mixture into a flameproof dish. Top with spoonfuls of the mashed potato, then very lightly spread it out over the top to cover completely, using a fork.

11 Sprinkle the cheese over the potato. Put under the hot grill for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is turning golden brown. Serve hot.

top tip!

marmalade-glazed bacon

with winter vegetables

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Put the bacon joint in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the bay leaf. Cover with a lid and place over a high heat until it boils. Take off the lid and use a draining spoon to skim off as much of the white scum from the surface as you can.

2 Turn down the heat until the water is only very gently bubbling. Cover again and leave to cook for 40 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

3 Peel the onions but leave whole. Prepare and cut the potatoes and carrots into large chunks.

4 When the meat has been cooking for 40 minutes, add the vegetables all round the joint and cook for a further 10 minutes.

5 Turn on the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Carefully lift out the vegetables with a draining spoon and place in a roasting tin. Add 6 tbsp cooking water. Sprinkle all over with 2 tbsp caster sugar and a little salt and pepper. Lift out the meat and place in another tin. Leave until it is cool enough to touch, then carefully pull or cut off any rind and smear the surface with 2 tbsp orange marmalade.

6 Measure about 450 ml/¾ pt/2 cups of the cooking water and pour round the joint.

7 Put the vegetables on the top shelf of the oven and the meat underneath. Cook for about 40 minutes until the meat and vegetables are golden brown. Twice during cooking, tilt the vegetable tin and spoon some of the liquid over the vegetables to keep them moist.

8 While the meal is cooking, put the plates and a carving dish in the oven to warm. Trim the ends off the watercress stalks, rinse and pat dry on kitchen paper (paper towels).

9 Transfer the cooked bacon to the warm carving dish. Cut as much as you need into slices. Transfer to the warm plates and spoon some of the cooking juices from the meat tin over. Add the vegetables, garnish with watercress and serve with mustard.

top tip!

greek lamb

with village salad

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Turn on the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Put the lamb in a large roaster baster or flameproof casserole dish.

2 Peel and cut the potatoes into very large pieces. Arrange around the meat.

3 Put a squeeze of garlic purée on the skin of the lamb and rub all over. Sprinkle with pepper and dried oregano.

4 Pour enough water around the meat to come about 1 cm/½ in up the sides. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt. Crumble the stock cube into the water.

5 Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours. At the end of the cooking time, put plates and a carving dish in to warm.

6 While the lamb cooks, prepare a mixed salad. Top with a few olives. Cut the cheese into crumbly cubes and scatter over. Sprinkle with a little dried oregano and salt and pepper. Trickle about 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp wine vinegar over.

7 Transfer the lamb and potatoes to the carving dish. Chop the parsley.

8 Put the pan of cooking liquid on the hob over a high heat and boil, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until it is slightly reduced in quantity and thickened.

9 Cut all the meat off the bones and place on plates with the potatoes. Spoon the liquid over and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with the village salad.

moussaka

with cabbage and carrot vinaigrette

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Chop the onion.

2 Put in a large saucepan with the minced meat. Cook over a fairly high heat, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink and all the grains are separate.

3 Add 300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups water. Crumble in the stock cube and add a small squeeze of garlic purée and a good squeeze of tomato purée. Stir well. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper, dried oregano and ground cinnamon over the surface and stir in. Heat until the mixture boils rapidly, then turn the heat down to moderate and let it bubble gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4 Meanwhile, slice the aubergine, discarding the stalk end. Put about 1 cm/½ in water in a medium saucepan and let it come to the boil. Add the aubergine slices and boil for about 4 minutes until tender.

5 Tip into a colander in the sink, then rinse the aubergine with cold water and let it drain again.

6 Layer the meat mixture and aubergine slices in an ovenproof dish, finishing with a layer of aubergine.

7 Turn on the oven to 190°C/375ºF/gas mark 5. Grate enough Cheddar cheese on the coarse side of the grater to make a large handful.

8 Break an egg into a bowl and whisk in the yoghurt and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese.

9 Spoon over the aubergine and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the top is set and golden brown. Put plates in to warm towards the end of the cooking time.

10 While the moussaka is cooking, cut the thick central stalk out of the cabbage and peel the carrots, cutting off all the ends. Grate the cabbage and carrots on the coarse side of a grater. Put in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with about 3 tbsp olive oil,1 tbsp vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Stir well. Serve with the moussaka.

top tip!

italian-style pork

with mozzarella potatoes and green salad

serves 4

storecupboard ingredients

shopping list

extra equipment

1 Scrub the potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Thread two on each of two skewers and place in the oven at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

2 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole over a high heat. Add the pork and brown on both sides. Pour off any remaining oil. Sprinkle with a little dried onion.

3 Spoon the can of soup over the pork and sprinkle with dried basil, salt and pepper.

4 Cover with a lid and place in the oven with the potatoes. Cook for 1½ hours.

5 While the potatoes and pork cook, make a green salad and French dressing.

6 Grate the Mozzarella cheese. Put the plates in the oven to warm.

7 Remove the potatoes from the skewers. Make a large cross-cut in each and squeeze to open slightly.

8 Transfer the potatoes to the warm plates. Put the cheese on top and sprinkle with dried basil. Spoon the pork on to the plates, stir the sauce and spoon over. Serve with the green salad separately.

top tip!