Simple Too by Yotam Ottolenghi and Verena Lochmuller
The wait is over! After an eight-year gap, Simple Too, the sequel to Yotam Ottolenghi’s highly popular Simple,Simple Too, the sequel to Yotam Ottolenghi’s highly popular Simple has arrived. Over three million home cooks worldwide bought Simple. I would predict that Simple Too will match that, as it is packed full of 135 new flavoursome recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes, cooked in one pot or prepped ahead, all with that highly creative flair that we have come to expect from Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born, London-based British chef.
The gorgeous, coloured photographs of each dish by Jonathan Lovekin, so artfully arranged, made my mouth water.
Simple Too includes recipes for every part of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. At the end is a chapter of Fundamentals including spring onion oil, pine nut vinaigrette, green salsa and mushroom sprinkle, which would enhance many dishes, as well as Meal Plans for every kind of occasion.
Weekend pancakes with date butter syrup
Yotam Ottolenghi used to be known for complicated recipes with long lists of ingredients that took hours to prepare, but being a dad of two growing boys has dramatically changed the way he cooks. In Simple Too he has included recipes that his boys love, lots of pasta, potato wedges, and meatballs, so other families can enjoy them too.
His pancakes are a favourite for Sunday breakfast. The recipe makes a big batch of twenty-two pancakes which can be reheated during the week. But all of them are invariably demolished by lunchtime by his ravenous boys and their friends. The buttery date syrup is a luscious spread and will become a favourite in our whanau too.
Baked Chicken Thighs with yoghurt and za`atar
This is the easiest recipe in the book. The chicken thighs are simply marinated in yoghurt and za`atar, which adds a herby punch and light acidity. You can prepare the thighs a day in advance and put them in the fridge in a baking tray, ready to go in the oven for an hour. It’s a brilliant recipe for when you know it is going to be one of those frantically busy days and need a fuss-free dinner which can be served up simply with loads of bread, or rice and green beans.
We tried it, and liked it very much, and I would definitely cook it again.
Braised halloumi with tomatoes and beans
Tray bakes are very popular right now as it’s so easy to put all the ingredients together in one dish and the washing up afterwards is a doddle.
Swirling through a mixture of crushed garlic, thyme leaves, grated lemon zest and za`atar once it came out of the oven was the magical Ottolenghi touch which made this dish so special.
Chickpeas with Baharat and orange
This is another easy one-pan dish which can be eaten warm or at room temperature and will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The chickpeas add nuttiness, the baharat warmth, the tarragon and yoghurt freshness and tang, the olives add brine, and the slices of orange a citrusy tang. All these flavours mingle together beautifully as it bakes. When it is done, all you need to go with this dish is a dollop of yoghurt alongside and rice/ flatbreads. I will come back to this recipe often.
Aubergine, pear, and ginger salad
This salad won a rave review from my brother who loves good food. ‘Restaurant quality,' he commented as he tucked happily in. It was more time-consuming to put together than my usual salads, but you can prepare the aubergines and roasted cashew nuts earlier in the day and add them to the rest of the salad ingredients just before serving. It will be my new go-to salad for entertaining family and friends.
Salmon with apricot and coriander pesto
A family favourite for a special family dinner in our house has long been baked salmon smothered in basil and pine nut pesto. This apricot and coriander pesto made a delicious change and is sure to become a new family favourite.
The desserts
His co-author, Verena Lochmuller, Head of Product Development at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, is a trained pastry chef who loves baking, so I expected the desserts they chose to include to be luscious. Yotam’s famous chocolate cake makes a re-appearance, but this time it is embellished with a rich cinnamon- and rum-flavoured cream. Others which caught my fancy were bananas in pyjamas served with a tahini crumble, ginger peach puffs, and blueberry and orange clafoutis.
I had been busy all weekend trying out Yotam’s recipes, so I chose the simplest dessert. Before starting, I took a deep breath and followed Yotam’s lyrical advice for when you feel a little frazzled: ‘stop, listen to the soup bubble, the egg crackle or, possibly, even the rhubarb grow.’ It made me smile and feeling relaxed again I simply put the strawberries in an ovenproof dish and roasted them with some muscovado sugar, sumac, a sprig of mint and a little vanilla extract. And they were delicious with a scoop of ice cream!
The recipes I have tried so far from Simple Too have been a joy to cook and tasted amazing! And there are many more I am keen to try. I will treasure it and use it often to bring some of that Ottolenghi magic to my family table.
Reviewer: Lyn Potter
Ebury Press
