It’s Easier than you Think

Simple & delicious recipes from the Cook School
by Jo Seagar with photography by Jae Frew
Random House - $49.99

‘Cooking is about developing an understanding of food.
A sense of confidence and assurance in the kitchen and simply the desire to make something absolutely delicious for friends to eat’

Jo Seagar’s abiding food philosophy is ‘maximum effect for minimum effort’ – the perfect mantra for today’s time-poor generation – and she brings this to bear again in her second collection of recipes, It’s Easier than you Think.
It’s Easier than you Think showcases Jae Frew’s stunning photography,
(I exagerate not), design par excellence and great food from Jo Seagar’s kitchen, taking the reader on a food journey through the day – from breakfast to lunch, dinner and dessert, with delicious forays into Jo’s signature areas of baking and making sweet treats.

In similar vein to her previous collection, Jo Seagar: The Cook School Recipes, her new book is a great collection of delectable, easy-to-do recipes, guaranteeing a pleasing and successful outcome for the busy home cook. It also includes invaluable advice on food presentation and preparation.

Jo Seagar’s recipes are straight-forward, well-written and inspiring, and her Cook School tips are invaluable. Her appeal is broad and ideal for cooks of all ages and abilities, with a special emphasis on café style food, which we all love to eat.

I found It’s Easier than you Think  a wonderful source of attractive and appealing dishes that even I can master ! I have realised that with Jo's help it really is easier than you think.

Mindful that there is a new generation of cooks emerging, Random House New Zealand recently launched a Facebook page for Jo Seagar, which you can find at www.facebook.com/joseagar, to help you cook with confidence and style.

About the author:
Jo Seagar and her husband Ross run Seagars at Oxford, their hugely successful café, cook school and kitchen shop. Jo’s passion is for simple, contemporary, ‘un-fussy’ food. She is the author of many best-selling cook books and has been the proud Ambassador for Hospice New Zealand since 1999. For more information about Jo Seagar please visit:
http://www.joseagar.com/.

And here are a couple of recipes to whet your appettite. My thanks to the publishers for making these available to beattiesbookblog.

Olive & Pepper Parcels
Serves 4

2 medium-large red peppers
½ cup pitted olives, chopped
1 medium courgette, grated
½ cup grated cheese
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
2 spring onions, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large handfuls baby salad leaves to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Slice the peppers in half through the stalk, remove the seeds and lay flat, open side up, in a roasting dish. Cut a little slice off the underneath of the peppers, pan side down, to make sure they sit flat.

Mix the olives, courgette, cheese, tomatoes and spring onions together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the pepper halves, pressing it down to ensure it is firmly packed.

Bake for 25–30 minutes. The peppers should still be quite firm but the filling melted and browned on top.

Serve for lunch or as a first course with a few salad leaves.

Honey-roasted Kumara & Ricotta Bake
Serves 6–8

2 tablespoons oil (rice bran or canola)
6 kumara, peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons runny honey
6 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, crushed
400g ricotta
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch spinach, washed and stalks removed
2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Coat a casserole or small lasagne dish with non-stick baking spray.

Place the oil and kumara slices in a roasting dish. Drizzle the honey over, turning the slices to coat both sides. Bake for 15–20 minutes until tender.

Mix the eggs, garlic and ricotta together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Line the base of the prepared dish with half the roasted kumara slices. Spread all the spinach over the kumara, then sprinkle with the chopped peppers and basil leaves. Pour over half the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with ½ cup Parmesan. Top with the remaining kumara, pour the rest of the ricotta over the top and scatter with the remaining ½ cup Parmesan.

Bake for 30–40 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.