emma lewis

Prepare this easy lasagne ahead of time and save in the freezer, uncooked, for when you need it during a busy week. Then just bake for an extra 45 mins.

Classic Lasagne

tbsp olive oil,plus

lean beef mince

pack prosciutto

tomato sauce

hot beef stock

nutmeg

pack fresh lasagnesheets

quantity of our white sauce

ball mozzarella,torn into thin strips

Classic lasagne

To make the meat sauce, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-non-stick-frying-pans">frying pan</a> and cook 750g lean beef mince in two batches for about 10 mins until browned all over.

Finely <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-paring-knives">chop</a> 4 slices of prosciutto from a 90g pack, then stir through the meat mixture.

Pour over 800g passata or half our basic <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/339605/tomato-sauce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tomato sauce</a> recipe and 200ml hot beef stock. Add a little grated nutmeg, then season.

Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins until the sauce looks rich.

Heat oven to 180C/fan/160C/gas 4 and lightly oil an ovenproof dish (about 30 x 20cm).

Spoon one third of the meat sauce into the dish, then cover with some fresh lasagne sheets from a 300g pack. Drizzle over roughly 130g ready-made or homemade <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2982678/white-sauce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">white sauce</a>.

Repeat until you have 3 layers of pasta. Cover with the remaining 390g white sauce, making sure you can’t see any pasta poking through.

Scatter 125g torn mozzarella over the top.

Arrange the rest of the prosciutto on top. Bake for 45 mins until the top is bubbling and lightly browned.

Use this great mince recipe as a base for bolognese or cottage pie - freeze a batch ready to whip out for last-minute dinners

Multi mince

olive oil

beef

back bacon rashers, chopped

onions, finely chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

milliliters red wine

beef stock (from a cube is fine)

thyme

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. When hot, tip in the mince and cook for 10 mins until browned all over, breaking up any lumps with the back of a spoon. Tip onto a plate. You may need to do this in batches.

Add the bacon to the pan with the onions and garlic, then cook for 7 mins until the bacon is cooked and onion softened. Return the mince to the pan, then pour in the red wine, stock and thyme leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 mins until the mince is tender and the sauce has reduced down. Once cool, can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Make a delicious spag-bol in less than half an hour

So-simple spaghetti bolognese

carrot,

plum tomatoes

basil,

recipe Multi mince(see 'Goes well with' below)

spaghettior other long pasta

breadcrumbs

Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan. Tip in the carrot and cook for 5 mins to soften. Scoop out the tomatoes from the can and add to the pan, and cook for 5 mins more. Pour over the tomato juice and basil, then simmer for 15 mins. Whizz together in a blender until smooth. Can be frozen for up to three months.

Heat through with the Multi mince. Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions. Reserve some of the cooking water, drain and tip the pasta into the pan along with the sauce. Toss together, thinning with pasta water, if needed, and serve with the extra basil leaves on top and the breadcrumbs.

This vivid risotto is simply baked in the oven, so there's no need to spend lots of time at the stove stirring

Creamy beetroot risotto

fresh beetroot

butter

onion, finely chopped

garlic clove, finely chopped

risotto rice

milliliters white wine

vegetable stock

(or vegetarian alternative)

tbsp soured cream

dill

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Peel and trim the beetroots (use kitchen gloves if you don’t want your hands to get stained) and cut into large wedges. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 1 hr until the beets are soft.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture bubble away for 5 mins.

Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins until the rice is soft. Remove the beetroots from the oven. Whizz ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beetroot purée and chopped beetroot through the risotto, then serve with some soured cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.

Make our easy veggie lasagne using just a handful of ingredients. This classic Italian-style pasta bake is sure to become a family favourite

Roasted vegetable lasagne

red peppers,

aubergines,

tbsp olive oil,

½ quantity tomato sauce (see below)

fresh lasagne sheets

½ quantity white sauce (see below)

ball mozzarella (or vegetarian alternative)

cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lightly oil two large baking trays and add the peppers and aubergines. Toss with the olive oil, season well, then roast for 25 mins until lightly browned.

Reduce the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly oil a 30 x 20cm ovenproof dish. Arrange a layer of the vegetables on the bottom, then pour over a third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets, then drizzle over a quarter of the white sauce. Repeat until you have three layers of pasta.

Spoon the remaining white sauce over the pasta, making sure the whole surface is covered. Scatter over the mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Bake for 45 mins until bubbling and golden.

A fresh and fragrant salad complements a Mediterranean antipasti spread for relaxed summer eating

Minted courgette salad

red onion

lemon

courgettes

mint leaves

Mix the onion and lemon juice together with some seasoning and set aside for 10 mins. When ready to serve, use a vegetable peeler to slice the courgettes into thin ribbons. Put into a bowl with the onion and lemon juice, zest, mint and oil. Carefully toss together and serve.

Make this classic side dish with a crispy crust and buttery, garlicky centre. Our cheesy garlic bread toasts are delicious served with lasagne, soups and plenty more.

Garlic bread toasts

ciabatta loaves

garlic

parsley

Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Toast the crust side for 2 mins until really crispy. Mix together butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Spread over the cut bread halves. Sprinkle over the Parmesan. Just before serving place on a baking sheet, then cook under a hot grill for 5 mins until toasty and lightly golden. Let it cool for 1 min before cutting into thick slices.

Children love anything breadcrumbed and simple schnitzels won't disappoint

Pork schnitzel

eggs

sage leaves, finely chopped

pork chops

tbsp butter

Tip the sage leaves and breadcrumbs onto a plate, then mix together with a little seasoning. Pour the eggs onto another plate. Pat the pork dry, then coat each chop in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip away. Then dip in the breadcrumbs until well covered. Cook or wrap in cling film or freezer bags and freeze.

To cook, defrost completely if frozen. Place the chops on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush with a little of the butter. Cook under a medium grill for 7-10 mins until browned. Then turn over, brush with more butter and cook for a further 7 mins until crisp, browned all over and cooked through. Serve with green beans, fresh peas and some mashed potato mixed with grated cheddar.

Crisp iceberg lettuce and peppery watercress make a fresh springtime salad

Green salad with buttermilk dressing

buttermilk

mayonnaise

watercress

iceberg lettuce

First make the dressing. Mix together the garlic, buttermilk and mayonnaise. When ready to serve, arrange the watercress and iceberg on a plate. Drizzle over most of the dressing, serving any leftovers separately for guests to help themselves

Make a batch of these low-fat bagels to help stave off mid-morning hunger pangs

Homemade bagels

sachet dried yeast

tbsp sugar

tsp salt

bread flour

poppy, fennel and/or sesame seeds

Tip the yeast and 1 tbsp sugar into a large bowl, and pour over 100ml warm water. Leave for 10 mins until the mixture becomes frothy.

Pour 200ml warm water into the bowl, then stir in the salt and half the flour. Keep adding the remaining flour (you may not have to use it all) and mixing with your hands until you have a soft, but not sticky dough. Then knead for 10 mins until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and put in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover loosely with cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1hr.

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 10 pieces, each about 85g. Shape each piece into a flattish ball, then take a wooden spoon and use the handle to make a hole in the middle of each ball. Slip the spoon into the hole, then twirl the bagel around the spoon to make a hole about 3cm wide. Cover the bagel loosely with cling film while you shape the remaining dough.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and tip in the remaining sugar. Slip the bagels into the boiling water - no more than four at a time. Cook for 1-2 mins, turning over in the water until the bagels have puffed slightly and a skin has formed. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain away any excess water. Sprinkle over your choice of topping and place on a baking tray lined with parchment. Bake in the oven for 25 mins until browned and crisp - the bases should sound hollow when tapped. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then serve with your favourite filling.

Grate potatoes into a hash brown-style patty and cook in the oven for a convenient and tasty side dish

Oven-baked rösti cake

rashers streaky bacon

½kg Maris Piper potato

onion

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Dry-fry the bacon in a pan for 5 mins until crisp, then chop into small pieces. Boil the whole potatoes for 5 mins, drain, then place in a bowl of chilled water.

When cool enough to handle, pat the potatoes dry and roughly grate into a large bowl. Toss with the oil as you go, to stop them from sticking. Roughly grate the onion and squeeze out any excess juice, then stir into the potatoes along with the bacon.

Place a baking sheet in the oven for 5 mins to warm through. Liberally grease a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with butter. Scatter the potato over the tin, trying not to pack it down, then dot all over the top with butter. Place on the hot baking sheet and bake in the oven for 1 hr 20 mins until the potatoes are cooked through and crisp on top.

For a perfectly moist and succulent turkey, follow Emma Lewis's tips for a creamy mascarpone stuffing

Creamy lemon, pancetta & rosemary turkey

turkey

pack each rosemary and thyme

lemons

pack pancetta

pot mascarpone

onions

tbsp flour

turkey stock

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Wash the turkey and pat dry. Strip the leaves from half the rosemary and thyme stalks and finely chop. In a bowl, combine the lemon zest, chopped herbs, pancetta and mascarpone. Season well.

Halve the zested lemons and stuff into the cavity, along with the remaining herb sprigs. Use your hand to loosen the skin lying over the breast of the turkey, to create a pocket. Push the mascarpone mixture under the breast skin to create a thick, even layer.

Put the onion slices into a large, flameproof roasting tin, place the turkey on top and cover loosely with foil. Cook for 3-3¾ hrs, until the juices of the bird run clear. Baste every 30 mins and uncover for the last 30 mins if needed, to brown the bird. When cooked, take the turkey from the oven, remove from the tin and leave to rest on a platter, covered loosely with foil, for 30 mins.

To make the gravy, pour away any excess fat from the roasting tin and discard the onion slices. Set the tin over a medium heat, then sprinkle over the flour. Stir through and cook for 2 mins. Slowly whisk in the wine and stock. Bring to a boil, scraping the bits from the bottom, then simmer over a low heat for 15 mins. Serve the gravy with the turkey.

Try a traditional Mexican favourite with this spicy and varied recipe

Chicken enchiladas with red mole sauce

boneless, skinless chicken breasts

ancho chillies

tbsp oil

almonds

tsp raisin

oregano

tsp cumin

cinnamon

dark chocolate

pack fresh tortillas

Put the chicken in the pan, then pour in 300ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce down to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from water (saving the liquid) and when it’s cool enough to handle, shred with your fingers or a fork.

Halve the chillies, pull out the seeds and discard. Place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 20 mins until softened, then discard the water, roughly chop the chillies then put into a blender.

Heat a frying pan and tip in the tomato. Cook for 5 mins, until the tomato skins start to blister and turn brown. Add to the blender. Heat the oil or lard in the same frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and almonds for 5 mins. Stir in the raisins, oregano, cumin and cinnamon, then cook 2 mins more until the onion is softened, the almonds are golden and the raisins have puffed up. Tip into the blender with 100ml of the chicken poaching liquid and give it a good whizz.

Pour the mixture back into the pan, stir in 350ml of the poaching liquid and chocolate and let it simmer for 20 mins. To serve, soften the tortillas in a microwave for 30 secs then pile the chicken on top, spoon over the sauce and roll up. Serve scattered with coriander leaves, limes and more chopped almonds.

Marble cake is a classic childhood cooking memory. Whether using lurid colours for a psychedelic finish, or just chocolate and vanilla, it's a teatime treat

Chocolate marble cake

butter, softened

caster sugar

self-raising flour

tbsp milk

tsp vanilla extract

cocoa powder

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper.

If you want to make life easy, simply put 225g butter, 225g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 225g self-raising flour, 3 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract into a food processor and whizz for 1-2 mins until smooth.

If you prefer to mix by hand, beat 225g butter and 225g caster sugar together, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Fold through 225g self-raising flour, 3 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mixture between 2 bowls. Stir 2 tbsp cocoa powder into the mixture in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately.

When all the mixture has been used up (and if young kids are doing this, you’ll need to ensure the base of the tin is fairly evenly covered), tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren’t any air bubbles.

Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the tin a few times to create a marbled effect.

Bake the cake for 45-55 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

Make our easy vegetarian lasagne using just a handful of ingredients. You can use ready-made tomato sauce and white sauce, or batch cook the sauces and freeze them

Vegetarian lasagne

lasagne sheets

mozzarella

garlic cloves, sliced

carrot, roughly chopped

tomato purée

white wine

tomatoes

basil, leaves picked

plain flour

milk

To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and carrot. Cook for 5-7 mins over a medium heat until softened. Turn up the heat a little and stir in the tomato purée. Cook for 1 min, pour in the white wine, then cook for 5 mins until this has reduced by two-thirds. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and add the basil leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool then whizz in a food processor. Will keep, cooled, in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for three months.

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the plain flour, then cook for 2 mins. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring to the boil, stirring. Turn down the heat, then cook until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Will keep, cooled, in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for three months.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lightly oil two large baking trays and add the peppers and aubergines. Toss with the olive oil, season well, then roast for 25 mins until lightly browned.

Reduce the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly oil a 30 x 20cm ovenproof dish. Arrange a layer of the vegetables on the bottom, then pour over a third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets, then drizzle over a quarter of the white sauce. Repeat until you have three layers of pasta.

Spoon the remaining white sauce over the pasta, making sure the whole surface is covered, then scatter over the mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Bake for 45 mins until bubbling and golden.

Goose fat, vegetable oil and polenta - the secrets to the perfect roast potatoes every time

Right-every-time roasties

2kg King Edward potato

tbsp plain flour

polenta flour

tbsp goose fat

vegetable oil

Cut the potatoes into quarters, or eighths if really large – you want to end up with even-size 5cm pieces. Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and boil for 5 mins, just until the outside of the potato starts to soften. To check, try scraping a potato with a fork – it should be easy to make a mark but you shouldn’t be able to slide it into the flesh. Drain really well.

Return to the pan and scatter over the flour and polenta (if using) and a little salt. Place a lid on top of the pan and give it a couple of good shakes, coating the potatoes in the flour and polenta and lightly crushing the sides.

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Place the goose fat and oil in a roasting tin large enough to hold all the potatoes in one layer and heat in the oven for 5 mins. Quickly tip the potatoes in and return to the oven. Cook for 30 mins, turning once, then increase the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cook for 20 mins more or until crisp all over. Sprinkle with a little more salt, then serve.

The perfect Asian-inspired pre-dinner nibble, perfect for a Christmas get-together with friends

Top 25 emma lewis recipes from across the web

The most viewed emma lewis recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Classic Lasagne

Multi mince

So-simple spaghetti bolognese

Creamy beetroot risotto

Roasted vegetable lasagne

Minted courgette salad

Garlic bread toasts

Pork schnitzel

Green salad with buttermilk dressin...

Homemade bagels

Oven-baked rösti cake

Creamy lemon, pancetta & rosemary t...

Chicken enchiladas with red mole sa...

Chocolate marble cake

Vegetarian lasagne

Right-every-time roasties

Sesame beef wraps

One-pan chicken couscous

Classic lasagne

Creamy pesto chicken

Afternoon tea sandwiches

Baked potatoes

Lebkuchen

Christmas red cabbage

Caramelised shallot mash

Top 25 emma lewis recipes from across the web

The most viewed emma lewis recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Classic Lasagne

Multi mince

So-simple spaghetti bolognese

Creamy beetroot risotto

Roasted vegetable lasagne

Minted courgette salad

Garlic bread toasts

Pork schnitzel

Green salad with buttermilk dressin...

Homemade bagels

Oven-baked rösti cake

Creamy lemon, pancetta & rosemary t...

Chicken enchiladas with red mole sa...

Chocolate marble cake

Vegetarian lasagne

Right-every-time roasties

Sesame beef wraps

One-pan chicken couscous

Classic lasagne

Creamy pesto chicken

Afternoon tea sandwiches

Baked potatoes

Lebkuchen

Christmas red cabbage

Caramelised shallot mash

The most viewed emma lewis recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine