Cook - Ready, Steady, Cook 365: A Recipe for Every Day of the Year

Ready Steady Cook is Britains favourite cookery programme and this book showcases 365 simple seasonal recipes, one for every day of the year.

From light summer bites such as a Orange, Watercress and Melon Salad, to Smoky Sausage Cassoulet, perfect for an autumnal supper, there are recipes to suit every season, as well as festive favourites such as Roast Goose and Foolproof Yorkshire Pudding. Recipes for snacks, side dishes, drinks and desserts complete this cookbook.

All of these mouth-watering recipes follow the Ready Steady Cook trademarks of simplicity of method, good, fresh ingredients and, most importantly, can be made in 20 minutes or less.

Ready Steady Cook 365 is the cookbook that you can turn to with confidence that you will find the right recipe for your day.

Ready Steady Cook has been inspiring the nation to cook quick, simple and mouthwatering dishes in minutes for over 15 years. Its success comes from watching well-loved chefs cook up culinary feasts that you can recreate yourself at home. This new collection will become, like the programme, a long-term favourite in your kitchen it presents a different dish for every day of the year, with 365 of the very best recipes created on the show.

Organised into spring, summer, autumn and winter, RSC 365 will help you follow the seasons and eat the best ingredients at the best times of the year. Each part is split into chapters with starters, light meals, accompaniments, vegetarian, poultry and game, meat, fish and seafood, desserts and drinks and cocktails. Some of the recipes can be cooked in 20 minutes, while others can be whipped up in ten and weve selected particular recipes to suit special occasions such as Mothering Sunday, Valentines Day and Halloween.

Youll find a wonderful variety of flavours and styles, from dishes from the East, such as Miso mullet and Oriental style sesame duck, to the West Quick lamb cobbler and Chocolate drop scones, for example; from the north Fillet steak with whisky sauce to the south Pea and onion bhajis; European classics such as Lemon and Parmesan risotto and Sausage cassoulet, and tangy American treats like Quesadilla triangles and Cajun-style salmon. Youll find modern twists on traditional favourites such as Toad in the hole with venison sausages and Caramelized ground rice pudding, plus good old-fashioned Sausages and mash with onion gravy, and Rhubarb and stem ginger crumble.

Ready Steady Cooks fresh and fun approach to cooking has proved that cooking on a budget can be tasty and healthy all year round. It has inspired its viewers to get creative in the kitchen and not to be afraid of using new ingredients to cook delicious, affordable meals quickly and easily. 365 is the perfect recipe book for dipping into, and we havent limited the dishes to specific days of the year. Simply pick the recipes that suit the ingredients you have in your storecupboard, or that are available in your local supermarket and cook yourself a tasty seasonal treat thats as quick and easy to cook as it is to eat.

These rich little souffls are much simpler to make than they appear. You could use any soft blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola or Dolcelatte.

Serves 2

25g (1oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

25g (1oz) plain flour

120ml (4fl oz) milk

2 eggs

50g (2oz) Cashel Blue cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Lightly butter the insides of two 120ml (4fl oz) ramekins. Melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the flour and cook over a low heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, little by little, stirring well after each addition. Return to the heat and cook for 45 minutes until smooth and shiny, stirring occasionally.

Allow the white sauce to cool slightly, then separate the eggs; place the egg whites in a bowl and set aside. Crumble the Cashel Blue cheese into the white sauce and stir in the egg yolks to combine. Season to taste. Using an electric beater, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Beat a third of the egg whites into the Cashel Blue mixture until just blended, then add the rest and gently fold in.

Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 810 minutes until cooked through, well risen and golden brown avoid opening the oven door during cooking time. Transfer the souffls onto serving plates and serve immediately they dont hang around!

If you dont have cooking rings for this dish, a four-hole Yorkshire pudding tin is a useful substitute.

Serves 2

4 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen

50g (2oz) butter, melted

225g (8oz) baby spinach leaves

225ml (8fl oz) double cream

2 egg yolks

100g (4oz) freshly grated Parmesan

50g (2oz) pine nuts

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Place two 10cm (4in) metal cooking rings on a large non-stick baking sheet. Cut down each filo sheet into a square of approximately 15cm (6in). Brush with melted butter and layer two in each ring at an angle to each other to form a crown. Press down firmly into the ring and bake for 23 minutes until crisp and lightly golden.

Meanwhile, put the spinach and remaining butter in a small pan and wilt, draining off any excess liquid. Place the cream, egg yolks and Parmesan in a bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste and fold in the spinach.

Remove the filo cases from the oven and divide the spinach mixture between them. Bake for another 45 minutes until the tarts are just set and the filo is golden brown.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a few minutes, tossing to ensure they cook evenly. Remove the cooked tarts from the oven, transfer to warmed plates and scatter over the toasted pine nuts to serve.

Serve this with toast soldiers spread with butter. Long thin slices of toasted flavoured breads also make a nice change: try herby focaccia, black olive or sun-dried tomato ciabatta, or cheese and onion loaf.

Serves 2

2 large eggs

a knob of unsalted butter

1 tbsp soft cream cheese

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp caviar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

thin strips of smoked salmon and snipped fresh chives, to garnish

Carefully crack the top off each egg and drain into a bowl, reserving the shell. Season the eggs and lightly beat together with a fork.