Review – Easy, Simple & Delicious by Sonia Cabano

Easy, Simple and Delicious is the second cookbook penned by Chef Sonia Cabano.

I received a copy to review and I am happy to report that it will make a great addition to any cook’s bookshelf.

The recipes are concise, easy to follow and accompanied by mouthwatering images.  There is a lot of variety in the recipes too, ranging from fresh, vibrant and healthy to slow roasts and amazing deserts.

The book is split up into four chapters.

Fresh – This chapter is about healthy eating without sacrificing on flavour or depriving yourself.  As I have started a weight-loss journey myself, I found this chapter particularly interesting.  I’m sure we all could use some new ideas when it comes to healthy eating.

Fast – In this chapter Sonia recognizes that most of us do not have endless hours available to toil away in the kitchen.  She believes that with a bit of forward planning anyone can cook quick, easy and healthy meals at home.  The recipe I chose to cook as part of my review, Toad-in-the-hole, is from this chapter.

Lazy – In today’s fast paced lifestyle it is easy for us to see food purely as fuel for our bodies.  Sonia believes it is important that we also realise that food made lovingly and with care also nourishes the soul.  I can totally relate to this as I really enjoy entertaining guests and sharing meals with friends.  In this chapter you will find meals perfect for those laid back Sunday lunches that sometimes turn into dinners!  Also included are recipes for baking and some delectable puddings.

Staples – This chapter was so popular that Sonia went on to base her third book, Relish, on its content.  It contains recipes for spices mixtures, stocks, sauces, condiments, salad dressings etc.  These “building blocks” will be a great addition to the home cook’s arsenal.

Recipe – Toad-in-the-hole

This is a British classic that immediately caught my eye as I was browsing through the recipes.  Sonia was kind enough to allow me to share her version of it with you. It epitomises the book’s title Easy, Simple and Delicious!

Ingredients

• 500 gm of pork bangers or any other kind of sausage
• 250 ml self-raising flour
• 2.5 ml salt
• 2.5 ml black pepper
• 2.5 ml dry mustard powder
• 2 large eggs
• 375 ml milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

In a mixing bowl, beat the batter together ingredients together until smooth and allow it to stand for 15 minutes.

Place the sausages in a lightly oiled roasting pan, roomy enough to fit them all in a single layer, with a 5 cm wide edge all round.  Roast for about 15 minutes until the sausages are just beginning to brown, but are not yet fully cooked.

Pour the batter over the sausages and return to the oven immediately.  I added some thyme and rosa tomatoes.

Bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until the batter has puffed up into a glorious brown, crusty pillow.  Serve immediately while hot.

Chef’s tip

Try adding some chopped sun-dried tomatoes or fresh vine tomatoes, pitted black olives, basil leaves and grated Parmesan to the batter, and use Italian fennel sausages. Or use diced and fried sweet peppers, rosemary and baby button mushrooms with chicken sausages.  Improvisation is half the fun!