Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line the base of the tin with a disc of baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. As wholesome and attractive as its charming author, (…) it is well thought out and accessibly written, with the emphasis on relaxed family meals. (…) Ideal for anyone who needs to cook on a regular basis but hasn’t much experience.’ – Sunday Telegraph on Homecooking

Place the cake on a serving plate and tip the icing into the middle of the cake, allowing it to spread itself, then cut into slices to serve. In her new book, bestselling TV cook, Rachel Allen shares her ultimate fast and easy family recipes. Celebrity Chef Rachel Allen recently launched Panasonic’s new microwave and breadmaker with some fun hands-on cooking sessions. Easy Meals contains 180 family friendly recipes for any night of the week. And even better, as well as being mouth-wateringly delicious they are simple enough for even the most novice of cooks. Pan-fried fish is another speedy dinner and is perfect for this time of year. Take a small vine of cherry tomatoes (still on the stalks) and cut into quarters. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a hot oven. While the tomatoes are cooking, pan fry the fish and add salad to serve.

Method

Rachel Allen is a bestselling cookery writer, TV chef and celebrated teacher at the world-famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland. Raised in Dublin, Rachel began to study at Ballymaloe at the age of 18, remaining after graduation to cook at the Ballymaloe House Hotel and Restaurant. She then set off to cook around the world, returning afterwards to Ballymaloe to work at the cookery school. It was there she found her passion for teaching, where she continues to lecture to this day. Rachel is a popular figure in the culinary world, with an international audience for her bestselling cookery books and food writing, her live demonstrations, and her much-loved television programmes. Quiboa or couscous (Isralei or pearl) – these make a great base for many salads, and are great served with roasted vegetables and seeds

To extract the cardamom seeds from the pods, place the pods on a chopping board, lay the flat side of a large knife flat side over the top and press down to lightly crush. Remove the seeds and discard the pods. Lightly crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar. Peel ginger root with the tip of a teaspoon. This is really fast and easy and it doesn’t remove too much peel.

Ingredients

With her finely-etched patrician features and delicious recipes, Rachel manages to do what Nigella Lawson never could. She makes us believe we can do what she does…’ – Irish Post Rachel’s first book and accompanying TV series, Rachel’s Favourite Food, was published and broadcast in 2004. She has since published a wide range of successful cookbooks, including Bake, Easy Meals, Cake, Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen, and most recently All Things Sweet, each with an accompanying television series. Rachel’s books (14 in total) have sold in excess of 1 million copies worldwide, and her series for RTE and the BBC have been broadcast in 30 countries. Additionally, Rachel was co-host of Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen, has appeared on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, and currently co-hosts The Restaurant alongside Marco Pierre White for RTE. Rachel has also been a guest on multiple international programmes including NBC’s Today.