Recipes "Make-ahead"

No-knead bread is a round, crusty white loaf made from flour, water, salt and a pinch of yeast. The dough is stirred together in the evening and left to rise overnight, and the next day it bakes in a…

Chana masala is a chickpea curry in a tangy onion and tomato sauce. It is a good weeknight dish, it costs very little, and it tastes even better the day after, which makes it a natural choice for…

Chili sin carne, "chili without meat", is a thick, spicy stew of beans, tomatoes and peppers. It feeds a crowd for very little money, freezes well, and goes with rice, tortillas, baked potatoes or…

Falafel are crisp fried balls of ground chickpeas and herbs, green inside, eaten in pita bread with salad and tahini sauce, or on their own as a snack. They take some planning, as the chickpeas soak…

Gazpacho is a cold, raw soup of tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, olive oil and vinegar, blended smooth. On a hot day it is the most refreshing thing you can eat, and it needs no cooking at all. It…

This potato salad has no mayonnaise. Warm sliced potatoes are soaked in a hot dressing of stock, vinegar, onion and oil, and turn silky as they drink it up. It is served lukewarm or at room…

Hummus is a smooth purée of chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), lemon and garlic. Spread it on bread, dip raw vegetables in it, or make it the centre of a meal with falafel, salad and pita. Homemade…

Mujaddara is a dish of lentils and rice cooked together and crowned with a big pile of deeply browned onions. It is cheap, filling and surprisingly rich in taste for such simple ingredients. Eat it…

Ratatouille is a slow stew of summer vegetables cooked in olive oil: aubergine, courgette, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Make it at the end of summer when these vegetables are cheap and ripe. Serve…

Dal is a dish of split lentils or peas cooked until soft, then finished with spices fried in hot oil. Made with red lentils, it needs no soaking and is ready in half an hour, which makes it one of…

Gratin dauphinois is thinly sliced potatoes baked slowly in milk and cream flavoured with garlic, until soft inside and golden on top. It is the classic side for a roast or a grilled steak, and with…

Banana bread is a moist, sweet loaf cake made with very ripe bananas. It is the perfect use for brown, spotty bananas nobody wants to eat, it keeps for days wrapped up, and it freezes well in slices…

French chocolate mousse is light and airy yet intensely chocolatey, made from just dark chocolate, eggs, a little butter and sugar. It is made several hours ahead, which makes it a good dessert for…

Coleslaw is shredded raw cabbage and carrot in a creamy, slightly sweet and sour dressing. It is the classic side for barbecues, burgers, sandwiches and fried chicken, and it keeps a day or two in…

Crêpes are very thin pancakes made from a runny batter of flour, eggs and milk. Eat them for breakfast, as a dessert or at a crêpe party, rolled around sugar and lemon, jam, chocolate spread or…

Minestrone is a thick Italian vegetable soup with beans and a little pasta or rice. It is a meal in a bowl and a good way to use whatever vegetables are in season: there is no single correct recipe…

The Spanish tortilla, tortilla de patatas, is a thick omelette of potatoes and onions slowly cooked in olive oil. Served warm or at room temperature, it is a lunch, a picnic dish, or tapas cut into…

Brandade de morue is salt cod beaten with warm olive oil, milk and garlic, then mixed with mashed potato into a soft, creamy purée. It is eaten warm on toast, or baked in a dish until golden on top…

Fishcakes are patties of flaked white fish and mashed potato, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. A pack of frozen pollock or coley and a few potatoes make eight of them, enough for four…

Heringsstipp is pieces of mild salted herring in a cold, creamy sauce with apple, onion and gherkin, served with hot potatoes boiled in their skins. Apart from the potatoes there is no cooking, and…

Quiche lorraine is a shortcrust tart filled with eggs, cream and smoked bacon, baked until just set. It is served warm or at room temperature, as a starter in thin slices or as a light main course…

Chili con carne, "chili with meat", is a spicy stew of beef, chilies and spices, here with tomatoes and beans. It is made in large pots for parties, game nights and cold weekends, and it tastes even…

Goulash is a beef and paprika soup-stew, red, warming and filling, with potatoes and vegetables. It is a one-pot dish for cold days, simmered slowly and better the next day.

Ragù alla bolognese is a thick meat sauce, cooked slowly for hours, with only a little tomato. It is the real ancestor of what the world calls "spaghetti bolognese". In Bologna it is served with…