The weekend menu #5: easy recipes from great chefs

Who can be bothered to plan a three course meal at the weekend? Lovefood can, that's who! (With a little help from three of our best chefs).

This week we’re all about speed. It’s the last weekend of the Olympics (boo), so we'll be plonked in front of the telly for most of it. But we’ve got to celebrate all those gold medals somehow, so let’s knock up a speedy dinner party for four. First, a chuck-it-all-together green summer salad from Richard Buckley; Dermot O’Leary’s quickest ever crab linguini for main; and a sweet marmalade omelette from Gizzi Erskine for pudding.

We’ve thought about our menu suggestion carefully, ensuring that the dishes complement each other, suit the season, and make the most of everything on your shopping list. There’s a shopping list to print off, and we’ve worked out how much the whole dinner will cost for four people, too (our supermarket of choice this week is Waitrose).

Starter: Tenderstem, apple, and toasted hazelnut salad

Chef Richard Buckley describes his salad as “a great example of vegetables as comfort food – it’s sweet, satisfying and tangy”. Flash fry Tenderstem, then combine with watercress, crisp slices of apple, toasted hazelnuts, and a yoghurty horseradish dressing, whisked together in a matter of seconds.

Time taken to prepare and cook: 10 minutes
Cost for four: £6.43

Main: quick crab linguini

A miraculous main, made in minutes. Dermot O’Leary cheats with chilli puree and garlic puree, frying them in a pan together before adding flaked white crab meat, a slosh of white wine, and a generous knob of butter. You can do all that whilst boiling your linguini, then all it takes is a touch of fresh basil on top to garnish.   

Time taken to prepare and cook: 15 minutes
Cost for four: £8.03

Dessert: marmalade omelette

Yes, you read right! Why should omelettes be just for breakfast? Gizzi Erskine makes hers marmalade flavoured and adds sugar to the batter for sweetness – there’s a glug of Cointreau in there too. Just cook them as you would normally, but serve topped with crème fraiche and icing sugar instead of ketchup!

Time taken to prepare and cook: 10 minutes
Cost for four: £5.04

Total time spent in the kitchen: 35 minutes

Total cost: £19.50

…we’ve assumed that you have rapeseed oil, a splash of white wine, and a sprinkle of caster sugar at home. A whole bottle of Cointreau (used in dessert) costs £16.50, so it’s not worth buying just for this recipe unless you're feeling flash. It has plenty of other uses in other puds though so is an investment.

Let us know if you make our menu – we’d love to hear how you get on in the comments box below! Even better, post photos of your creation onto our Facebook wall.

Also, what would YOU like to see in the weekend menu? A particular theme or ingredient, maybe? As ever, talk to us in the comments box below.

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