effortless

This super easy starter is a great one to bring out at dinner parties over the summer. It only takes 15 minutes to put together and serves six. Use whichever crisp, fresh vegetables are available

Crudités with chipotle aïoli

mayonnaise

garlic cloves, crushed

chives

chipotle paste

lime, juice only

vegetables

Mix the mayonnaise, garlic, chives and chipotle paste together. Season, then add just enough lime juice to balance the flavour. Spoon into a serving bowl or several smaller bowls.

Trim the vegetables to serve as crudités and arrange on a platter around the bowl or bowls of aïoli.

This punchy BBQ starter couldn’t be easier – wrap everything in a foil parcel and in a few minutes you’ve got spicy prawns bathed in their own sauce. Perfect served with the focaccia for mopping up the sauce

'Nduja prawns with focaccia

raw king prawns

’nduja,

garlic clove, thinly sliced

white wine

focaccia

flat-leaf parsley leaves

Heat the barbecue to high with the coals spread out in an even layer. Spread out a large piece of foil, then fold in half lengthways to make it sturdier. Gather up the sides, put in the prawns, ’nduja and garlic, and season. Pour in a splash of wine, then seal up the parcel so it’s completely sealed. Cook on the barbecue for 10 mins, occasionally turning the parcel. (If you’re not using a barbecue, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Parcel the prawns as above, put onto a baking tray and roast for 10-12 mins, or until the prawns are cooked through. Grill the focaccia to serve.)

While the prawns are cooking, put the focaccia slices onto the grill and toast for 30 seconds-1 min or until golden brown. Carefully unravel the foil parcel, check the prawns are cooked through then scatter over a few leaves of flat-leaf parsley and serve with the focaccia for swiping up the sauce.

We've put a spin on classic salmon en croûte with a luxurious lobster thermidor filling. Serve this as a centrepiece on Christmas Eve with buttered cabbage

Lobster thermidor en croûte

unsalted butter,

plain flour, plus extra for dusting

whole milk

bay leaf

finely chopped to make 1 tbsp tarragon

gruyère, finely grated

Dijon mustard

leeks, sliced

dry white wine

lobsters,

brandy

baby spinach

block ready-made puff pastry

egg, beaten

potatoes

Melt 50g of butter in a pan over a medium heat, then sprinkle over the flour and stir vigorously until you have a smooth paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, stirring continuously until you have a smooth white sauce. Add the bay, tarragon, gruyère and mustard, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.

In a separate pan, heat the tbsp of butter and fry the leeks for 15 minutes until very soft – add a splash of water during cooking to stop them catching, if needed. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated. Stir into the white sauce along with the lobster meat and brandy. Cover and chill for 3 hours, or overnight, until set solid.

Steam the spinach until wilted, then cool until you can handle it. Tip into a clean tea towel, wrap up and squeeze as much water as possible from the spinach.

Cut off a third of the pastry and roll out on a well-floured worksurface into a 20cm x 30cm rectangle. Transfer to a heavy baking tray lined with baking paper. Arrange the spinach over the pastry rectangle, leaving a 4cm border around the edge, then spoon the lobster filling down the middle of the spinach.

Roll out the remaining pastry as before into a 40cm x 30cm rectangle. Brush some of the beaten egg around the exposed pastry edges of the filled rectangle, then lay the larger rectangle on top. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers to enclose the filling and seal. Trim the excess and use the off-cuts to decorate the top, if you like. Brush the pastry all over with most of the remaining beaten egg, cut a large steam hole in the top and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Glaze the pastry with any remaining beaten egg and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden, puffed, crisp-based (lift a corner to check) and piping hot throughout. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Make a simple sweet, sour and sticky glaze using pomegranate molasses and chilli jam, then slather on shop-bought lamb kebabs for an effortless BBQ main

Pomegranate glazed lamb kebabs

cherry tomatoes, halved

½ onion, thinly sliced

flat-leaf parsley

sumac

olive oil

pomegranate molasses,

bulgur wheat

chicken stock cube

tbsp chilli jam

ready-made lamb kebabs

tbsp hummus

Make the salad by mixing together the tomatoes, onion, parsley, sumac, extra-virgin olive oil and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses in a bowl with some seasoning. Cook the bulgur wheat in a large pan of boiling water with the stock cube, following the pack instructions. Mix the pomegranate molasses and chilli jam together in a bowl to make a glaze.

Heat a barbecue until hot, with the coals spread out evenly. Lightly oil the lamb kebabs and grill on the barbecue for 8-10 mins, turning regularly, until charred and cooked through. Brush the kebabs with the glaze and cook for another minute until sticky. If you are not using a barbecue, cook the lamb skewers on a griddle pan over a high heat.

Spread the hummus onto a platter or two plates, pile on the tomato salad and top with the kebabs. Take to the table and serve with the bulgur on the side.

Fresh or frozen crabmeat is easy to buy and a mix of white and brown meat, often called 50/50, gives a good combination of texture and flavour. You could also use tinned crab for this effortless starter, ideal for a stress-free dinner party

Crab toasts

mixed white and brown crabmeat

tbsp baby capers

fennel bulb, finely sliced, (reserve the fronds)

lemon,

2-3 Crosta Mollica Linguette, snapped

Tip the crabmeat into a bowl, add the baby capers, fennel, the zest of 1 lemon and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Fold everything together and pile onto the flatbread. Snip the reserved fennel fronds and use these to garnish the toasts.

Throw everything for this no-chop chimichurri into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Pre-cooked puy lentils will soak up the piquant, herby dressing

Celeriac chimichurri salad

celeriac,

red onions,

green chillies

tbsp rapeseed oil

x 250 grams pouches Puy lentils

rocket

feta, crumbled

flat-leaf parsley, torn

coriander, torn

oregano

tbsp red wine vinegar

garlic,

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Tip the celeriac, onions and chillies onto a large baking tray, drizzle with the rapeseed oil and season. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until charred and cooked through.

Put the roasted chillies (remove the seeds and stalks if you prefer less heat) into the food processor with the parsley, coriander, oregano, vinegar, garlic, seasoning and 100ml of water. Pulse until finely chopped, then tip into a bowl and stir through the olive oil.

Heat the lentils following pack instructions and tip into a large bowl, then add half the rocket and half of the chimichurri, season and mix well.

Spread the remaining rocket over a platter, then top with the lentil mixture. Scatter over the celeriac and onion wedges, crumble over the feta and spoon over the remaining chimichurri.

Try our cheat's version of a classic spiced Swedish bun, flavoured with fragrant cardamom. Bread mixes are a genius shortcut – just add butter and spices for the ultimate swirl bun

Cardamom buns

ciabatta bread mixture

eggs

salted butter, softened

cardamom

golden caster sugar

Heat the milk in a small pan until just steaming. Put the bread mixture into a bowl and pour in the warm milk and crack in the eggs. Mix to a rough dough, then knead for 5 minutes on a lightly floured worksurface until smooth. Tip into a bowl and leave to prove for 1 hour 30 minutes-2 hours or until doubled in size.

Put the butter into a bowl with the cardamom and half the sugar, and beat with electric beaters until really soft.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured worksurface to ½cm thick, then spread over the butter in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top. Roll the dough up into a tight spiral, then cut into 12 logs. Butter a 12-hole muffin tin and put the logs into the holes with the spirals facing up, then leave to rest for 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and bake the buns for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden on the outside. Cool on a wire rack.

Whip up this antioxidant-rich acai bowl for a quick breakfast, snack or even a fruity midweek dessert. Top with nut butter, seeds and fresh fruit, if you like

Acai bowl

pack of frozen unsweetened acai pulp

banana

mixed berries

water

granola

nut butter

fresh fruit

hemp seeds

Run warm water over the frozen acai sachet to loosen it from the pack. Put the acai pulp (or acai powder and ice cubes), banana, berries and liquid in a blender, and blitz on high for 2-3 mins or until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into a bowl and top with your favourite toppings, such as granola, nut butter and fresh fruit. Hemp seeds provide additional protein.

This recipe is the epitome of easy and effortless, whilst still looking completely impressive and tasting amazing. What could be better?

This recipe is an extract from our new cookbook delicious. daily (HarperCollins, $45), out now.

Lemon and raspberry Eton mess cake

thickened cream

(60 grams) pure icing sugar, sifted

vanilla bean paste

mascarpone

store-bought meringue, crumbled

store-bought round sponge cakes

(160 grams) raspberry jam, warmed

raspberries

mint mint

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Here, creamy burrata and sweet, ripe tomatoes are paired with a punchy dressing of olive brine, lemon and black pepper. A simple but effective dish that's great served as a summery side

Burrata and tomato salad

green olives (we used Perelló Picante)

lemons, zested

burratas

double cream or stracciatella di burrata

mixed ripe tomatoes

basil leaves

Tip 6 tbsp of the brine from the jar of green olives into a jar with the olive oil and the zest of the two lemons. Season with plenty of black pepper and shake well. Cut the pith off the zested lemons, then cut the fruit into segments and add these to the dressing. Finely slice 8 olives from the jar and stir them through the dressing.

Blend 1 small burrata with 200ml of double cream or stracciatella di burrata until just thickened, then spread this over a platter. Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the burrata mixture. Slightly tear open the remaining 6 burratas and nestle them into the tomatoes, then spoon over the dressing, making sure it runs into the open burratas. Scatter over the basil, grind over some black pepper and serve with flatbreads or focaccia brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with grated parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative) and black pepper.

An elegant coupe glass transforms any drink or dessert – your dinner party guests will never guess this refreshing pud takes just five minutes to whip up

Strawberry sgroppino

strawberry

rosé

strawberry, finely sliced

Just before serving your main course, put a scoop of sorbet into each dessert or coupe glasses, then put the glasses in the freezer. When ready to serve, carefully pour a little rosé over the sorbet. Top with the strawberry slices.

An apple and raspberry crumble in 15 minutes? That's right – with our smart shortcuts this comforting pud will be on the table before you can say 'what's for dessert?'

Quick fruit crumble

dessert apples

raspberries (or any berries you have)

orange juice (optional)

oat biscuits

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel and finely slice the apples. Tip into a pan with the berries and slowly bring to a simmer, squashing the berries with the back of a spoon to release some of the juices. You shouldn’t need to add any liquid but you can add a splash of orange juice or water if it seems too dry. Remove from the heat.

Smash 3-4 oat biscuits in a food bag using a rolling pin. Tip the fruit into a baking dish, sprinkle over the crushed biscuits and put into the oven for a few minutes to warm through (if you're making this after cooking dinner, you can just use the residual heat of the oven). Serve with hot or cold ready-made custard.

Fill a shop-bought tart case with brandy-soaked dried fruit and two types of almond for an effortless festive dessert, best eaten with brandy butter

Christmas tart

tbsp almonds

sweet tart case

white marzipan

fruit

flaked almonds

flavoured cream

Sprinkle 2 tbsp of ground almonds over the base of the sweet tart case. Grate in 75g of white marzipan. Spoon over the mixed dried fruit or mincemeat. Sprinkle on 2 more tbsp of ground almonds and grate over another 50g of marzipan. Sprinkle over 25g of flaked almonds.

Bake at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 20-30 mins or until the almonds are browned and the fruit is plump – be careful not to burn the fruit. Serve with flavoured cream or brandy butter.

Try these three different kinds of bao for easy entertaining – we fill ours with fish goujons, breaded chicken or sweet potato and top with a sweet and sour slaw

Bao bun fillings

green chillies (deseeded, if you prefer)

coriander

spring onions

limes, juiced

tsp caster sugar

tsp fish sauce (optional)

sweet potato

breaded prawns

breaded chicken

bao buns

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. To make the sauce, chop 2 green chillies (deseeded, if you prefer) and tip into a food processor with a bunch of coriander, the spring onions, lime juice, caster sugar and fish sauce (leave this out of a portion of the sauce if you’re making the vegetarian bao). Blend, then tip the mixture into the rapeseed or sunflower oil and set aside.

Cut the sweet potato into large wedges, toss in oil and some seasoning, tip onto a baking tray and bake for 40 mins until brown at the edges and tender.

Cook the breaded prawns or fish goujons and karaage or breaded chicken following pack instructions.

Microwave or steam 18 bao buns following pack instructions until hot.

Fill the warm bao with either the chicken, prawns or fish, or sweet potato, some slaw (see recipe below) and green sauce.

This easy vegan one-pot sweet potato curry makes for a hassle-free dinner. The toasted coconut and coriander topping takes the flavours up a notch

Sweet potato and coconut tray curry

sweet potatoes

red onion

lemongrass

red chilli

tsp cumin

tsp coriander

tin coconut milk

kale

tin chickpeas

fish sauce or soy sauce

lime

rice

toasted coconut flakes

red onion or spring onion

coriander leaves

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Toss the sweet potatoes and onion together in a 30cm x 20cm roasting tin. Add the oil, lemongrass, chilli, cumin and coriander, and toss everything together along with some seasoning. Roast for 20-25 mins or until the sweet potatoes are lightly golden and just starting to become tender.

Stir in the coconut milk, 100-150ml of water, the kale and chickpeas, and mix well. Return the tray to the oven and cook for another 15-20 mins or until the curry has thickened slightly and is bubbling. Season with the soy or fish sauce, the lime juice and some salt, if needed.

Serve the curry directly from the tray, topped with the coconut flakes, onion, chilli and coriander leaves, with cooked rice or noodles.

Make these bang bang-style noodles using fresh pasta as a great cheat’s replacement for hand-pulled ones. Chiu chow chilli oil is the magic ingredient here, converting the sauce to a sweet, spicy, savoury sensation that coats the noodles

Top 16 effortless recipes from across the web

The most viewed effortless recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Crudités with chipotle aïoli

'Nduja prawns with focaccia

Lobster thermidor en croûte

Pomegranate glazed lamb kebabs

Crab toasts

Celeriac chimichurri salad

Cardamom buns

Acai bowl

Lemon and raspberry Eton mess cake

Burrata and tomato salad

Strawberry sgroppino

Quick fruit crumble

Christmas tart

Bao bun fillings

Sweet potato and coconut tray curry

Pork biang biang noodles

Top 16 effortless recipes from across the web

The most viewed effortless recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Crudités with chipotle aïoli

'Nduja prawns with focaccia

Lobster thermidor en croûte

Pomegranate glazed lamb kebabs

Crab toasts

Celeriac chimichurri salad

Cardamom buns

Acai bowl

Lemon and raspberry Eton mess cake

Burrata and tomato salad

Strawberry sgroppino

Quick fruit crumble

Christmas tart

Bao bun fillings

Sweet potato and coconut tray curry

Pork biang biang noodles

The most viewed effortless recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine