CONTENTS
ABOUT THE BOOK
Add a little Mary magic to your cooking with 120 brand-new recipes from the inspiring new BBC series.
Delicious family suppers, tempting food for sharing and plenty of sweet treats, all made with everyday ingredients and a clever twist.
Featuring Mary’s no-nonsense tips and techniques, each chapter ensures perfect results and a satisfying finished product. In addition, Everyday includes helpful sections on planning ahead, a handy recipe finder and information on freezing and cooking times for each dish.
With her trademark no-fuss guidance, the nation’s best loved cook will show you a recipe for every day.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Berry is the nation’s favourite baker and author of over 70 books, including the bestselling Mary Berry Cooks, Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites, Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking and Mary Berry’s Baking Bible. She was the much-loved judge on the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off and has been teaching the nation to cook for over four decades.
Cordon Bleu trained in Paris, Mary began her career as a magazine cookery editor before publishing her first cookery book in 1966. Mary is also an AGA expert and taught AGA masterclasses for many years from her home with Lucy Young.
In 2009 Mary was awarded the highly coveted Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2012 she was made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
INTRODUCTION
Cooking every day for yourself and the family means preparing dishes that are both straightforward and enjoyable to make. The inspiration behind this new collection of recipes that I’ve put together is just that: dishes made using everyday ingredients, for easy preparation and cooking, but often with a simple twist to give interest and variety.
Organising meals and preparing food can be quite a balancing act: with all the demands of a busy life, you need to be able to cook without thinking to some extent, yet you don’t want to get stuck in a rut, producing the same dishes day in day out. You need fresh ideas but nothing so unusual that it means spending a great deal of time and effort in the kitchen. This new collection of recipes is all about making everyday dishes that little bit different but with the minimum of fuss. Food does not have to be complicated to taste and look great, so I’ve tried to ensure that each ingredient list is as short as possible and that it uses familiar ingredients rather than anything too obscure or tricky to source. Just using familiar ingredients in a different way can make a weekday meal a bit more special or give added oomph to a dish for a special occasion and still be healthy.
So many more ingredients are available these days, compared with when I first started cooking, that it is not difficult making adaptations to your cooking. New ingredients soon cease to be faddish and become familiar. It wasn’t so long ago that bulgar wheat was an unusual ingredient, for instance, but now that’s regarded as a staple, and quinoa is fast becoming one too. You’ll see that I’ve used a mixture of both grains in two delicious, super-healthy salads – the Herbed Quinoa and Bulgar Wheat Salad with Lemon and Pomegranate here and the Warm Bulgar Wheat and Quinoa Broccoli Salad here. British food today reflects influences from a wide range of different cultures, making it easy to inject variety into your cooking, from Mexican-inspired chilli dishes, including the chicken samosas here, to touches of Asian cuisine, as you’ll see in dishes like my Fragrant Light Prawn Curry here or the Crispy-skinned Duck Breasts with Pak Choi and Pineapple Sauce here.
Asian-inspired recipes can be the best ones to turn to when time is short. Stir-fry dishes are tailor-made for the busy cook: as well as being very healthy for you, with all those lightly cooked vegetables, they are full of lovely fresh flavour and varied texture. I’ve included a few of them in this collection, such as the Chicken Stir-fry with Teriyaki Sauce here or my Five Spice Salmon Stir-fry here. Moving from the Orient to the Mediterranean, pasta is super-quick too, of course – wonderfully comforting as well as richly flavoursome. It makes an excellent vegetarian option – see my Fresh and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella and Basil here, for instance, or the creamy Orzo with Broad Beans, Peas, Lemon and Thyme here for a tasty alternative to risotto.
Speedy dishes are all-important, but everyday cooking is also about giving pleasure to others, your family and friends, and I’ve included some old favourites here, from cottage pie and beef stew to Chicken Dijon and Lamb Fricassee with Pearl Barley (see pages here, here, here and here). But even well-loved dishes can be jazzed up a little bit to keep them interesting. For a change, I’ve made the cottage pie with venison rather than beef mince, for its lean meat with deeper flavour and colour. My Beef and Ale Stew with Horseradish Dumplings is hearty and warming, perfect for feeding a crowd, but the dumplings, cut in cross-section, form lovely spirals from the horseradish sauce – sure to delight your guests. Meanwhile, the Smoked Haddock and Cauliflower Gratin here is effectively two dishes in one: fish pie and cauliflower cheese. A combination of two comforting classics, it is bound to go down well.
And for finishing off a meal, what gives greater pleasure than a delicious pud? Puddings and desserts may not be something you produce every day, but they can provide a much-needed touch of indulgence, from a simple rice pudding or crumble (see here and here) to a show-stopping dessert like Paris–Brest, a decadent ‘wheel’ of cream-filled, ganache-covered choux pastry (see here), or the White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake (see here) with its lovely contrasts in colour and texture.
When it comes to saving time, why not let your oven do the work for you? A long cooking time in a recipe shouldn’t put you off making it as it means that, once you’ve popped the dish in the oven, you can then forget about it for a while and spend your time doing other things. In the meantime, the oven works its magic to blend flavours together and wonderfully improve them. My Chilli con Carne here may not seem so different, but the long, slow cooking makes it meltingly tasty; even better if you prepare it a day ahead. For a vegetarian option, there’s the Squash and Black Bean Chilli here, using black beans instead of the more standard kidney beans, or the gorgeous Melanzane Pasta here, with its delicious layers of lasagne, béchamel sauce and aubergine – one of my favourite dishes for preparing ahead, and adding pasta to the aubergine classic makes it a great family bake.
Entertaining guests is more about cooking once in a while than every day, but with a bit of forward planning, it can be worked into your daily routine without too much hassle. Many of the starters and sharing dishes included in this book can be knocked up in minutes yet look impressive too – such as the vibrant Beetroot Houmous here or the Thai Crab Poppadom Canapés here. Others can be prepared well in advance, such as the spectacular Two-sided Herbed Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Pâté here. I’ve included a number of suitable main dishes that can be prepared in an hour or less, and there are some ultra-quick puddings too, such as the Mojito Cheesecakes or Scots Whisky Cream here and here.
To help you get the best out of each recipe and build up a repertoire of helpful tricks and techniques, I’ve included a wealth of tips, at least one to accompany each recipe. For this new collection, I’ve also provided a recipe finder (see here) to help you locate the dishes that are best suited to your needs according to the occasion and the time you have available, along with some sample menu plans (see here). In addition, each recipe includes preparation or cooking times, so you can see at a glance how best to fit it into your day. In the section that follows this introduction, I’ve also laid out a few general tips on planning your meals – as important, in my view, as the ingredients you select – and some guidelines about choosing ingredients to ensure the best results from your cooking.
Having everything to hand is so helpful, too. This is where your store cupboard and freezer come into their own, as you’ll see in the sections here and here. Do take a quick look through these pages to see what might be useful to stock up on before you embark on the recipes themselves. Having a full range of spices makes cooking any kind of curry or spicy dish so much easier, for instance. And did you know that, with a little preparation, you can freeze most fresh fruit and vegetables, including herbs? Fresh herbs can be frozen in small portions and defrosted quickly. Like spices, they can make all the difference to a recipe, whether in delicious sauces or dressings or just added as a garnish at the end. Fish also freezes well and if you keep a packet of panko breadcrumbs in your store cupboard, or a bag of whizzed-up breadcrumbs in your freezer, you are well on the way to making the Very Posh Fishcakes (see here), crisp on the outside and with a gorgeous tangy sauce within, or the homemade Fish and Chips with Tartare Sauce (see here) – much better than any takeaway!
I do hope you enjoy the recipes I’ve brought together here as much as I’ve enjoyed developing them. And I hope, by trying them, that you will feel encouraged to liven up your own cooking and experiment with different techniques, giving you the confidence you need to step out of your comfort zone, expand your repertoire and create dishes that will become your own family favourites, making everyday meals into something extra special.
Mary Berry
EVERYDAY COOKING
For me, the first and crucial step in making everyday cooking easier is to put more time and effort into forward planning and preparation. You’ll find that it pays dividends by making you into a better and more confident cook too. I’m a firm believer in preparing ahead: the more organised and efficient you can be as a cook, the more likely it is that the finished dish will look and taste delicious. If you have a clear idea of the finished dish before you start cooking, ensure you have the correct ingredients to hand and set aside enough time to cook, you are almost guaranteed to create something special.
The second step to better cooking is all about flavour and presentation. Learn to trust your judgement – this does take time and practice but it can only improve with experience and by exploring new dishes. Flavour, texture, colour and seasoning are the four most important factors in any dish. Always taste your dishes before serving and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
STEP 1: HOW TO BE AN ORGANISED COOK
Planning ahead makes life so much easier, giving you time to cook without feeling rushed. Here are a few time-saving tips to help you become better prepared and more relaxed in the kitchen.
Meal planning: It is a good idea to plan the week’s meals ahead, if you can. This means that you need spend less time shopping day to day, giving yourself more time to cook. It also gives you more time for yourself. With this in mind, I’ve devised a few menu plans, based on recipes in this book, that you might like to try – see here.
Recipe checklist: If you are following a new recipe, read it carefully before shopping to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment you need before you begin cooking.
Store cupboard: Keep a well-stocked store cupboard and top up essentials on a monthly basis in order to keep shopping trips to a minimum. If it is well stocked, you should only need to shop for fresh ingredients during the week. See here for a list of items that I keep in my own store cupboard and ‘Simple Ways to Boost Flavour’ below for a little more detail about some of them.
Make the most of your freezer: Used cleverly, the freezer can save you time, money and reduce the stress of cooking day to day. It offers multi-purpose storage, enabling you to keep handy ingredients for weekday meals, such as stock, extra pints of milk or homemade breadcrumbs, and prepare dishes ahead if you’re planning a celebration. For general tips on what to freeze and how to organise your freezer, see here.
Batch cooking: If you’re making a casserole, soup or stew, it’s always worth making extra so that you can freeze portions to enjoy at a later date.
STEP 2: HOW TO MAKE THINGS TASTE AND LOOK BETTER
SELECTING INGREDIENTS
Buy the best ingredients you can afford: The quality of the ingredients you use is key to the success of your finished dish. If you begin with great-tasting, fresh ingredients, the resulting dish is much more likely to taste good too. Buy the freshest fruit and veg you can find locally, or you may be lucky enough to grow your own. Choose British meat and sustainably sourced fish.
Eat seasonally: Fruit and vegetables are at their very best when in season, and they have so much more flavour, crunch and vibrancy, which allows you to keep recipes simple and let the taste of the ingredients shine through.
Variety: Don’t be afraid to try new ingredients. We are lucky to have access to a wealth of foods from all over the world, each adding to the texture, flavour and colour of a dish.
SIMPLE WAYS TO BOOST FLAVOUR
Spices: Don’t underestimate the importance of spices – they can transform your cooking, providing an instant flavour boost. Use them in curry pastes, marinades or spice rubs, or add a little to soups, casseroles or pasta to lift the flavour or add warmth.
Fresh herbs: If you have a garden, many herbs are easy to grow at home, or indeed on a sunny windowsill, but if not, most are widely available at your local green grocer or supermarket. Once you get into the habit of using them, it is hard to go back because they really do add an extra dimension to your cooking.
Hardier herbs, such as bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and sage, are usually added at the beginning of cooking and are excellent for boosting the flavour of many dishes, especially soups, slow-cooked stews, pasta sauces or hearty roasts.
Softer herbs, such as basil, tarragon, parsley, coriander and mint, are usually added at the end of cooking to provide freshness. These softer herbs can also be whizzed into pestos, sauces and dressings or added to salsas and herb butters, which are an easy way to transform plain fish, meat or vegetables from something ordinary into something special.
Lemons and limes: Often, a squeeze of juice is all that is needed to balance the flavour at the end of cooking. With Asian dishes, in particular, it can be difficult to balance the flavours of salty, sweet and sour, and a little squeeze of citrus juice can help pull everything together.
Oils and vinegars: Good-quality oils and vinegars are essential to great-tasting vinaigrettes or dressings; these will make all the difference to a salad. There’s no need to spend a fortune: you can get very decent extra-virgin olive oil for salads at a reasonable price. Vinegar is an often under-utilised store-cupboard ingredient, but it is an essential in my kitchen: a splash of vinegar can help balance a sauce or a gravy and it can also be used to make a quick pickle or dipping sauce. I mainly use white wine vinegar. I rarely use nut-flavoured oils as their shelf life is short.
Wine and spirits: Midweek, everyday family meals don’t call for these, but when you’re cooking for a special occasion, a splash of white wine or brandy can transform an ordinary sauce into something more luxurious.
Condiments: Like many a cook, I find the number of bottles and jars in my store cupboard just keep on growing! There is such a range of different flavours, all so versatile and extremely handy for enhancing any dish. Whether it’s tomato ketchup for adding depth to a casserole or pasta sauce, redcurrant jelly to give a touch of sweetness to a gravy, or horseradish sauce for making a speedy dip, condiments are a brilliant addition to the store cupboard and invaluable to the home cook.
Seasoning: Although this is very much down to personal taste, a basic level of seasoning is vital for any savoury dish. If you are cooking from scratch, you will need to add a little salt and pepper to start with, then check the seasoning of the finished dish and add a little more if it needs it, and if in doubt, ask for a second opinion.
COLOUR, TEXTURE AND PRESENTATION
As the old saying goes, ‘We eat with our eyes first’, and it’s worth taking some time to think about what your finished dish will look like before you begin cooking.
Colour and texture: Select dishes that complement each other in terms of texture and colour, providing contrast and variety.
Avoid repetition: If you have chosen a first course that uses a particular ingredient, such as pastry or cream, for instance, you should avoid pastry or cream in the rest of the menu to ensure that variety is maintained throughout the meal.
Side dishes: These should counterbalance the main dish. If your main course has a fairly plain or pale-coloured sauce, for instance, you should choose side salads and vegetables that add some colour to the plate and provide a difference in texture.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Herbs: If your recipe contains fresh herbs, it can be a good idea to save a few to use as a garnish before serving.
Cheese: If your recipe contains cheese, reserve a little to sprinkle or crumble on top of the dish at the end and, if appropriate, brown in the oven or under the grill.
Black pepper: A few simple grinds of black pepper can be all that is needed to finish off a dish.
Dressings and sauces: Be careful not to drench salad leaves in dressing as this can make the leaves soggy and they will look messy when served. Toss the salad with some of the dressing and, once served, drizzle with a little extra if needed. Similarly, when serving meat with a sauce, place the meat on the plate first, then spoon over the sauce to avoid adding too much.
PLATING AND SERVING
Plate size: Take time to decide whether to serve your dish on a plate or in a bowl, and choose the correct size, depending on whether you are serving a starter or main course. When serving a cake, choose the right-sized cake stand or plate so that there is enough room to slice it.
Presentation: If there are lots of separate elements in a dish – such as a starter consisting of prawns, quail’s eggs, smoked salmon slices, lamb’s lettuce and lemon wedges – decide how you are going to present them on the plate before you begin serving.
Serving: Be as neat as possible when serving food – serve it slowly and with care.
RECIPE FINDER
In this collection of recipes, you’ll find something to suit every occasion – from weekday family suppers to weekend crowd pleasers and special occasion feasts. I’ve designed this recipe finder to help you navigate your way through the recipes in this book, making it easier for you to track down exactly what you’re looking for.
MAKE EVERY DAY DELICIOUS
When time is short, preparing a nutritious family meal or whipping up dinner for unexpected guests can be challenging. Here you’ll find inspiration for the speediest of midweek suppers, prep-ahead crowd pleasers and quick and easy treats.
30-MINUTE MEALS
Quick and flavour-packed, these simple suppers are ideal for midweek cooking and are ready in 30 minutes or less.
Chicken Stir-fry with Teriyaki Sauce here
Fillet Beef Salad with Asian Dressing here
Five Spice Salmon Stir-fry here
Fragrant Light Prawn Curry here
Fresh and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella and Basil (V) here
Griddled Chicken Carbonara here
Orzo with Broad Beans, Peas, Lemon and Thyme (V) here
Spaghetti with Courgettes, Tomatoes and Chilli (V) here
PREP-AHEAD CROWD PLEASERS
These comforting family favourites are perfect for preparing in advance. They take a little bit of time and effort to prepare, yet are very simple to make; indeed, many are slow-cook one-pot dishes that, once on the go, require little attention.
Beef and Ale Stew with Horseradish Spiral Dumplings here
Homemade Pizza with Parma Ham and Goat’s Cheese here
Chilli con Carne here
Lamb Fricassee with Pearl Barley here
Mary’s Sausages here
Melanzane Pasta (V) here
Potato, Leek and Cheese Pie (V) here
Ragù Bolognese with Pappardelle here
Smoked Haddock and Cauliflower Gratin here
Squash and Black Bean Chilli (V) here
Tartiflette here
Venison Cottage Pie here
Winter Vegetable Soup (V) here
LOW-PREP WINTER WARMER PUDDINGS
During the chillier months it is lovely to be able to treat family and friends to an occasional pudding, and these are some of my favourite British classics – easy to make and irresistible to eat.
Blackberry and Apple Crumble Pie here
Classic Rice Pudding here
Peach Sponge Pudding here
Pear and Apple Crumble here
Steamed Golden Apple Pudding here
Sticky Toffee Pudding here
EASY TEATIME TREATS
These simple bakes are fairly quick to whip up and involve only simple techniques, so are perfect for less experienced bakers or for making with children.
Ginger and Mango Spiced Muffins here
Hummingbird Cake here
Lemon and Pistachio Shortbread Biscuits here
Mixed Seeded Snaps here
Orange Oat Cookies here
Sultana Scones here
EXPRESS ENTERTAINING
Our busy lives don’t always allow us the luxury of planning ahead, so I’ve included these recipes for exactly those situations, when you are short of time but keen to make something special for friends or family.
QUICK FIRST COURSES AND NIBBLES
Simple, delicious, and easily assembled.
Beetroot Houmous (V) here
Thai Crab Poppadom Canapés here
Guacamole with Coriander (V) here
Mushroom Bruschetta (V) here
Individual Smoked Salmon and Prawn Starters with Avocado here
EXPRESS MAINS
All of these dishes are ready in 1 hour or less.
Crusted Crab and Cod Fillet with Chive Lemon Sauce here
Fish and Chips with Tartare Sauce here
Chicken Breasts with Red Pepper and Goat’s Cheese here
Chicken Dijon here
Chicken Satay Salad here
Chicken, Squash and Fennel Bake here
Chicken Thighs with Garlic Cream Cheese here
Crispy-skinned Duck Breasts with Pak Choi and Pineapple Sauce here
Golden Fried Crab and Basil Spaghetti here
Herb-crusted Lamb Cutlets with Creamy Mint Sauce here
Rack of Lamb with Salsa Verde here
Marsala Mediterranean Chicken Thighs here
Panang Chicken and Rice Stir-fry here
Sea Bream with Samphire and Chives here
Spiced Chicken Legs with Roasted Onions here
Tarragon-Crusted Sea Bass here
Yuzu Salmon with Buttered Leeks here
SUPER-SPEEDY PUDDINGS
These puddings can all be prepared in a matter of minutes.
Melon and Pineapple Salad with Lime Syrup here
Mojito Cheesecakes here
Passion Fruit and Banana Eton Mess here
Rosy Fruit Compote with Yoghurt and Honey here
Scots Whisky Cream here
MAKE ENTERTAINING EXTRA SPECIAL
Whether you’re planning for a celebration, cooking for friends at the weekend or having a family get-together, here are some impressive recipes that you can prepare ahead to make life simpler.
PREP-AHEAD STARTERS AND NIBBLES
These are delicious with drinks, and will give you more time with guests.
Artichoke and Garlic Dip (V) here
Celeriac Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Poppy Seed Croutons here
Curried Beef Samosas here
Dill, Herring and Quail’s Egg Canapés here
Dough Balls with Garlic Herb Butter (V) here
Ginger and Chilli Tiger Prawns with Dipping Sauce here
Griddled Halloumi with Beetroot Chutney (V) here
Herbed Blinis with Peas and Pancetta here
Jerusalem Artichoke and Celery Soup (V) here
Mushroom and Thyme Pâté (V) here
Olive Tapenade (V) here
Parsnip, Coconut and Lemon Grass Soup here
Portobello Mushrooms with Double Cheese Topping (V) here
Smoked Haddock and Asparagus Chowder here
Smoked Salmon, Red Pepper and Spinach Bites here
Spiced Chicken and Chicory Boats here
Spicy Mexican Samosas here
Sun-blushed Tomato and Basil Tapenade (V) here
Three Beetroot Salad with Mozzarella and Basil (V) here
PREP-AHEAD MAINS
Impressive but easy to prepare in advance.
Aubergine and Taleggio Bake (V) here
Glazed Ham with Fresh Piccalilli here
Marinated Harissa Prawns with Spiced Rice here
Plum Tomato, Olive and Marjoram Tart (V) here
Roast Leg of Lamb with a Garlic and Thyme Rub here
Sausage and Herb Plait here
Very Posh Fishcakes here
PREP-AHEAD DESSERTS
These desserts all have a real wow factor.
Apple and Lemon Galette here
Chocolate and Hazelnut Torte here
Fresh Strawberry Tartlets here
Paris–Brest with Double Chocolate here
Profiteroles with Warm Chocolate Fudge Sauce here
Rainbow Meringues here
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake here
FREEZE-AHEAD PUDDINGS
Make a batch for the freezer and you’ll always have a homemade dessert on standby for any impromptu guests.
Mango and Passion Fruit Sorbet with Mint Salsa here
Rhubarb and Ginger Ice Cream here
PREP-AHEAD TEATIME TREATS
These beautiful cakes are perfect for a celebration or a special afternoon tea.
Chocolate Reflection Cake here
Lemon Meringue and Strawberry Cupcakes here
Orange Drizzle Cake here
Toffee Cupcakes here
Walnut Brittle and Coffee Cake here
Weekend Fruitcake here
MENU PLANS