Miguel Barclay's Easy One Pound Meals

If you've been inspired to get more creative in the kitchen during lockdown your local McColl's should stock all you need to get started. We've hand-picked some recipes from Miguel's Super Easy One Pound Meals which will inspire even the least confident chefs – all you need is a pan and positive attitude!

THAI OMELETTE

Miguel says: The key to making this dish special is to add a small pinch of curry powder to the beaten egg. This immediately transforms a regular omelette into a fancy Thai-style street food delicacy.

To make 1 portion:

3 eggs, beaten
Pinch of curry powder
Sesame oil
¼ carrot, cut into matchsticks
½ spring onion, cut into strips
A few beansprouts
Drizzle of soy sauce
Salt and pepper

To cook:

Heat a splash of sesame oil in a frying pan, pour in the beaten eggs and fry for a few minutes until 80% cooked, then add the carrot, spring onion and beansprouts to the middle, drizzle over a little sesame oil and soy sauce, then fold the omelette over the filling and continue to cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and serve with another drizzle of soy sauce to finish.

Miguel Barclay's Easy One Pound Meals

CHEESY HAM & LEEK PIE

Miguel says: This is comfort food at its best! A luxuriously gooey cheesy sauce with a flaky pastry lid and all made with the very minimum of effort. Using regular sandwich ham, this recipe shows that cooking on a budget does not have to compromise on your enjoyment of food.

To make 1 portion:

½ leek, chopped
1 tsp plain flour
200ml milk
Handful of grated mature Cheddar cheese
1 slice of thick-cut ham, torn into chunks 1 small square of puff pastry
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

To cook:

Preheat your oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Fry the chopped leeks in an ovenproof dish or pan* in a splash of olive oil over a medium heat for a few minutes until soft. Add the flour and cook for a further minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously, and cook until you have a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper and add the ham. Top the filling with a piece of puff pastry cut to the same size as the top of the dish or pan, score it lightly in a criss-cross pattern to make it look pretty, and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

*If you don't have a pan with an ovenproof handle, then just use your normal pan and transfer the filling to an ovenproof dish before adding the puff pastry lid.

Miguel Barclay's Easy One Pound Meals

RADIATOR FOCACCIA

Miguel says: You're not going to believe that you can make such beautiful bread so easily. I've even taken out all the kneading steps so you won't get your worktop messy. This really is the simplest bread you'll ever attempt and your radiator does most of the hard work for you.

To make 1 portion:

250g strong flour
200ml lukewarm water
7g sachet of dried yeast
A few cherry tomatoes (on the vine)
A few spring onions 1 tsp dried oregano Olive oil
Salt and pepper

To cook:

Grab a bowl and throw in the flour, water and yeast along with a big pinch of salt. Mix it all together using a spoon to create a wet dough. Transfer the dough to an oiled baking tray, wrap with cling film and place in a warm place, like next to a radiator, for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. After the dough has risen, unwrap the tray, drizzle over some olive oil and spread the dough out to fill the whole tray. Make lots of indentations in the dough using your fingertips then add the tomatoes and spring onions, pushing them into the dough. Sprinkle over some salt and pepper, along with the oregano and a splash more olive oil, then bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipes from Super Easy One Pound Meals by Miguel Barclay