The force of nature that is Alice Zaslavsky has added to her already impressive collection of books with the bright and inviting Weeknights with Alice. Finding inspiration for what to cook, day in, day out can prove a challenge for even the best of us, and I know I speak for many when I say that I find it all too easy to get into a rut. I like returning to old, tried and tested recipes, but I’m always grateful to add to my stable of stalwarts. Alice Z is a particular help on this front, as her focus (as ever) is on accessible recipes that can jog us out of our meat-centric ways; indeed, her new book is subtitled ‘Smart, speedy dinners, starting with the veg’. It’s not a vegetarian book, perhaps I should add, but a rich source for vegetarians and, indeed, all of us.
Australians have the edge on us when it comes to the quality of their produce, but there is so much for home cooks over here to learn from, and make the most of the vegetables we can get. And what I find with her recipes is that they are just as good as a starting point for ideas as they are for following to the letter. Since I’m rather lazier than her, I value that and her accommodating versatility. Let me tell you about some of the recipes in the book. We are most definitely approaching Soup Season in the Northern Hemisphere, so I shall begin with her glorious Carrot, Turmeric & Red Lentil Sunset Soup. Then, I have to bring you news of her ‘Yam Yam’ One-Pot Noodles; her Spiced Sweet Potato & Chick Pea Curry + Pumped-Up Paratha; Tomato, Spud & Chipolata Tray Bake; Grate, Bake’n’Shake Beet Risotto; Hawker-Style Red Curry Eggplant [Aubergine] Noodle Soup; Mushroom Stroganoff Fettuccine; Spinach & Cheese Pan Pies + Hot Honey Drizzle; Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls; One-Pan Golden Cauli Pilaf; and Fennel & Fish Tin Bucatini. I’m very hungry now! The recipe I’m thrilled to be sharing with you today is one that, frankly, has my name all over it. Indeed, anyone who knows me could flick through this book and immediately say which recipe I’d go for: it’s the Chicken, Grape & Radicchio Tray Bake.
Weeknights with Alice by Alice Zaslavsky is published by Murdoch Books, £20.00, www.murdochbooks.co.uk
Photo by Rochelle Eagle.
