Fast food with fresh ideas

Simple recipes will have fathers smiling

IT is Father’s Day on Sunday and what better gift than whipping him up a delicious treat that is quick and easy to make?

With no more than five ingredients a recipe and a cooking time that will not exceed 10 minutes, Cook Fast Eat Well, by Sue Quinn, features more than 160 recipes that are ideal for time-poor cooks or for parents wanting to cook with kids.

“Many cookbooks and television cooking shows would have us think that tasty meals necessarily involve long list of ingredients and several hours’ commitment in the kitchen,” Ms Quinn says.

“During the process of devising and testing the recipes for this book, I realised how wrong this is.

“I was amazed at how little time it takes to prepare wonderful plates of food with a handful of ingredients; complex and arduous definitely doesn’t mean tastier.”

The handy cookbook includes a list of ingredients to keep in the pantry so you are always prepared for some super-quick cooking. Serves 2 generously Preparation: 6 minutes Equipment: food processor or blender, large saucepan INGREDIENTS 1 ripe avocado A handful of basil leaves 1-2 garlic cloves 35g pine nuts 400g gnocchi METHOD Boil a full kettle. Peel the garlic cloves and place in the food processor or blender. Scoop in the avocado flesh and add the pine nuts, basil, 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and some salt and black pepper. Blitz until smooth. Pour the boiling water into the saucepan, season generously with fine sea salt, and add the gnocchi. Cook according to the packet instructions, then drain. Stir through the avocado pesto and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.