The weekend menu #1: 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 going with a starter from South African chef Reuben Riffel; a Richard Corrigan main; and a pudding from Great British Menu star Mark Hix. 

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. For example, we’ve used egg yolks in our main, and put the leftover egg whites into pudding. There’s a shopping list to print off, and we’ve worked out how much the whole dinner will cost for four people, too.

Starter: apple and pear salad

A light, summery start which takes just 10 minutes to prepare. Toss thin slices of apple and pear together with baby spinach, crumbled feta, toasted walnut halves, and matchsticks of beetroot. Drizzle over a walnut oil and thyme dressing for a final touch.

Time taken to prepare: 10 minutes
Cost for four: £7.52

Main: chicken chasseur

Beautiful yolky mounds of homemade pasta, topped with scoops of buttery chicken, cooked in a casserole pot with garlic, mushrooms, wine, fresh chicken stock, and thyme. You’ll need a pasta machine to make the tagliatelle, or just buy it fresh from a shop if you don’t own one.

Time taken to prepare and cook: 1 hour
Cost for four: £16.56

Dessert: Bramley apple snow

A recipe which dates back to the 17th century,apple snow is made by whisking egg whites together with a little sugar and cream together, then gently folding the fluffy mixture into smooth pureed apples. Serve with shortbread fingers, or apple crisps.

Time taken to prepare and cook: 20 minutes
Cost for four: £1.75

Total time spent in the kitchen: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total cost: £25.83

…we’ve assumed that you have plain flour, olive oil, a drop of red wine, and caster sugar at home already.

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 creations onto our Facebook wall. 

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

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