Hello September! It’s back to school and back to the weekly routine, and sometimes it’s hard to know what to cook, right? We asked our chefs and experts for the perfect midweek meals, afterschool snacks, top tips for dealing with fussy eaters and how to spend less time in the kitchen…

Ainsley Harriott’s top tip for saving time in the kitchen…

“If you're making a meat or veggie sauce, make 4 times the amount and freeze the rest. Each one can be defrosted as you need it and you have a pasta sauce one day, a chilli the next, a lasagne, a cottage or veggie shepherd’s pie.... and everyone knows a sauce tastes better the next day!”

Pasta perfection! Romano pepper and herb penne from Mary Berry…

This penne is a ten out of tenne! I think we can all agree that pasta is a winner, loved by families up and down the country and Mary Berry has the perfect midweek meal.

Crispy Parma ham, red peppers and fresh herbs is such a lovely flavour combination and with a splash of veggies, bursting with flavour, we think this recipe is a great all-rounder. You can swap out the Parma ham for rashers of streaky bacon, or take the meat out completely and enjoy a delicious veggie version. or box up the leftovers and take it to work the next day! Plus, why not take this dish to the next level and serve with warm garlic bread and bundles of fresh salad for the perfect alternative Sunday lunch, this dish brings back all the fresh flavours of summer that you can enjoy into the autumn and winter!

Crispy Parma ham, red peppers and fresh herbs is such a lovely flavour combination. Swap the ham for thin rashers of streaky bacon, if you prefer.
 

You will need:

• 275g (10oz) penne pasta
• 6–7 slices Parma ham, snipped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 150g (5oz) roasted red peppers in oil (from a jar), drained and chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 200g (7oz) full-fat crème fraîche
• 1 × 30g packet of flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
• 1 × 30g packet of basil, leaves roughly chopped
• 30g (1oz) Parmesan, finely grated

Method:

• Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the Parma ham for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the oil to the pan, along with the spring onions, peppers and garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
• Add the crème fraîche and bring to the boil, then add the drained pasta with half the crispy ham, most of the herbs and some salt and pepper. Toss over the heat for a few minutes.
• Add the cheese and a splash of the reserved cooking water if the sauce seems too thick, and sprinkle over the remaining crispy ham and herbs to serve.
   

It’s steak time! Rib eye steak with chips and béarnaise sauce by James Martin…

This recipe is definitely a midweek treat, or perfect pleaser for the weekend! You can’t go wrong with a classic dish, and James Martin is here to help with his Rib eye steak served with chips and béarnaise sauce. Pop your favourite chips in the oven and dice up some freshly cut salad leaves and serve your sizzling steak alongside your béarnaise sauce, or sauce of your choice.

You will need:

• 2x 150g rib eye steak
• 25g butter, cubed
• ¼ oxo stock cube
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
• 50ml white wine vinegar
• 1 small bunch tarragon
• 200g butter, clarified
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 lemon juice only
• few sprigs tarragon
   

Salad leaves:

• French dressing
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbs Dijon
• 200ml veg oil
• 1 small bunch tarragon
• splash of water
   

Method:

• Heat a non-stick fry pan to hot, season the steaks, melt the butter, when foaming, add the steaks and cook for 2 minutes, crumble over oxo cube then flip over and cook for 2 minutes.
• Dice 1 shallot finely, add to a pan with ½ the tarragon and vinegar bring to the boil then drain off.
• Rest the steaks on a warm plate.
• In a bowl over a pan of simmering water whisk the egg yolks with the vinegar and slowly add the butter whisking continuously.
• Whisk the salad ingredients together and dress the leaves.
• Serve the steaks with salad on the side, spoon over sauce, and add the chips to the side.
• Top tip season with a beef stock cube slightly is a great tip and makes steak taste amazing also allow to relax the steak after cooking for 5 minutes before serving to allow the meat to relax.
   

Midweek zing! Chris Bavin’s Teriyaki salmon…

Bring flavours of the east to your kitchen, with Chris Bavin’s simple recipe for Teriyaki salmon. This is a fantastic dish to whip up if you’re short on time but want a light and delicious meal. Pair with sushi, sticky rice of your favourite noodles and add a splash of greens with tenderstem broccoli or pak choi (Chinese cabbage).

For a deeper flavour, marinate the salmon in the sauce overnight before you get cooking – great if you’re short on time! Serve with quick or leftover rice and you’ve got a speedy fusion of eastern flavours at home.

Good Food, Sorted by Chris Bavin is published by DK. Out now, £18.99. DK.com. 

You will need:

• 2cm (3⁄4in) piece of fresh or frozen root ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce or honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 4 x 150g (51/2oz) salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil

To serve:

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• some chilli, deseeded and chopped, to taste                              
• small handful of coriander
• 4 slices of lime
• sushi or sticky rice, cooked according to the packet instructions
• pak choi or tenderstem broccoli

Method:

• In a dish that is large enough to fit the salmon, mix together the ginger, garlic, soy, chilli sauce or honey, sesame oil, and the zest and juice of the lime. Place the salmon fillets in the sauce and turn them over to cover them completely. At this stage, you can cook the salmon, as below, or cover it with cling film and marinate it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Take the salmon out of the marinade, letting any excess sauce drip off and keeping this to one side, then put the salmon in the pan, skin-side down.
• Cook the salmon for 3 minutes then pour in the reserved marinade and turn the salmon over to cook for another 3–4 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick and sticky, simply add a tablespoon of water.
• Once cooked, sprinkle over the sesame seeds, chilli, and coriander and serve with a slice of lime, the cooked rice, and the pak choi or broccoli.

Love your leftovers!

Transform your leftovers into delicious flatbreads. Mix 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce with 1 tbsp mayonnaise. Add lime zest and enough lime juice to loosen the sauce slightly. Warm a flatbread and top it with salad leaves, cucumber batons, radishes if you have them, and the leftover salmon, then add the dressing and a few sesame seeds.

Chris’s top tips for fussy eating kids…

“Fussy eating is generally about control; children have very little control in their life but one area they can have control is over what they will and won’t eat. As parents it can have us pulling our hair out!

My top tip is to give some input on what they want to eat, whether that be taking them shopping to pick out any fruit or vegetable, then find a recipe that uses that ingredient and try to let them help in the kitchen. I know it is daunting sometimes, the mess and the worry that they might hurt themselves, but by involving them and giving them ownership over the meal that you have made together really will increase the chances that they will try it.

Use the foods that they do like to expand their horizons, if they like pancakes - they could try Yorkshire puddings. If they like pasta - they could try noodles. If they like mash - they could try fishcakes, the list goes on!

Communal eating is something I am a great believer in, that way you can put lots different dishes on the middle of the table and let the kids choose what and how much they eat - This still gives them control, but they aren’t overwhelmed but a big plate of food that they convince themselves they don’t like.”

Taste the Caribbean! Ainsley Harriott’s Spiced corn, lentil & butternut squash chowder…

Keep hold of the summer sunshine with this colourful dish, bursting with flavours of the Caribbean. Taste the perfect blend of spices, mixed with the sweetness of the corn and squash - this recipe will be sure to brighten up your week as those dark evenings roll in.

This dish can be served as a soothing starter or load it up and serve it as a main with freshly baked bread.

Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a starter.

Ainsley Harriott's Caribbean Kitchen, published by Ebury Press, photography Dan Jones.

You will need:

• 1 large white onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 200g yellow split lentils
• 200g butternut squash, roughly diced into 2cm chunks
• 700ml vegetable stock
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, halved
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 x 200g tin sweetcorn, drained
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• 2 tsp red chilli oil, to garnish
• a small handful of flat-leaf
• parsley, roughly chopped, to garnish
   

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and sweat for 7–8 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
• Add the cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute, then add the split lentils, squash, stock, milk, chilli and thyme. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the squash is tender and the lentils are soft, but not mushy.
• Add the sweetcorn, season with salt and pepper and bring the soup back to a simmer. To serve, spoon into warm bowls and drizzle over a little chilli oil and a sprinkling of parsley.

Slice it up! Tom Kerridge’s Puff pastry pizza…

Who doesn’t love a pizza? This is simple recipe is a great informal dinner and just as good for lunch the next day. Serve it in the middle of the table for a showstopper of a dish and, because you’re using shop bought pastry, it’s very easy to make and sure to save you precious time in the kitchen.

Swap the crème fraiche for your favourite cheese, add more meat or substitute it for your favourite vegetables for a veggie twist. Let your creativity loose, get the kids involved and design your perfect pizza. This quick and easy recipe is the ultimate midweek treat for the whole family! Why not get the kids involved and have a go at topping your pizzas with your favourite fresh veggies, herbs and cheeses.

You will need:

• 200g bavette steak, thinly sliced
• 50g cornflour
• About 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons beef extract
• 60g Onion jam (see p. 291) or use a good-quality bought one
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
   

For the base:

• Plain flour, for dusting
• 500g all-butter puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon double cream
   

For the sour onions:

• 3 small red onions
• 100ml cider
• 100ml cider vinegar
• ·50g demerara sugar
   

 For the crème fraîche topping:

• 75g crème fraiche
• 75g soft blue cheese, such as dolcelatte, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

To finish:

• Some fresh watercress

Method:

• Start with the base. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the puff pastry to a circle of approximately 28cm in diameter. Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• To make the sour onions, start by cutting the peeled onions into sixths lengthways, leaving the root on so the wedges remain intact – they should be about the size and shape of orange segments.
• Place the cider, cider vinegar and demerara sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and add the onion segments. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 5–8 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Turn the onions over and cook for a further 5 minutes until soft. Remove the onions from their cooking liquid and place on a baking tray. Give them a blast with the blowtorch until charred around the edges. If you haven’t got a blowtorch, why not?! In that case, stick them under a hot grill instead. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Take the pastry out of the fridge and pierce all over with a fork. Mix together the egg yolk and double cream and brush this on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry rises and is crisp and golden. Turn the oven down to 110°C/Gas Mark ½ and continue to ‘dry’ the pastry out for a further 15 minutes. Be careful that it doesn’t burn!
• While the pastry’s baking, cook the beef. Dust the steak strips in cornflour, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the steak and fry until crisp; this will take about 6–8 minutes. Don’t crowd the pan – you may need to fry the meat in batches to brown it properly. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt and cayenne pepper while still warm.
• Once the pastry is crisp and dried out, remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Turn the oven back up to 180°C/Gas Mark 
• Brush the pizza base with the beef extract. Spread a layer of the onion jam on top, add the beef and return to the oven to warm through for about 5 minutes.
• Put the crème fraîche and blue cheese into a mixing bowl and whisk until thick. Fold in the chives and season – if the mixture’s too thick, add a little water to loosen it up.
• Cover the top of the pizza with the charred red onions. Spoon some of the crème fraîche and blue cheese mixture on top, scatter on some watercress and serve.

After school snacking! Peanut Butter and Banana Oat Bars by Chris Bavin…

Finding snacks for the kids that aren’t full of sugar but are still appealing and delicious can be difficult to find. Luckily, Chris Bavin has just the recipe to please the little ones.

These oat bars are great snacks for on the go and are suitable for freezing, so you can have an endless supply of tasty treats for the walk home from school or when they get in.

Good Food, Sorted by Chris Bavin is published by DK. Out now, £18.99. DK.com. 

You will need:

• 200g (7oz) jumbo porridge oats
• 120g (41/4oz) plain flour, white or wholemeal
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• good pinch of salt
• 75g (21/2oz) raisins
• 3 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 large tbsp peanut butter or any other nut butter you have
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 375ml (121/2fl oz) milk – can be dairy, nut milk, soya, or coconut
• 3 tbsp honey

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4). Place the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, raisins, and coconut in a large bowl and mix together.
• Mash the bananas and peanut butter together then add the egg. Beat the egg into the mixture, making sure everything is well combined, then add the vanilla, milk, and honey.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix together well, then pour the mixture into a lined 20cm x 20cm (8 x 8in) tin and bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out of the centre clean. Leave to cool in the tray then cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Feed the freezer!

Freeze the cooked bars in an airtight container, slotting greaseproof paper between them to stop them from sticking together. Thaw at room temperature then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chris’ top tip for saving time in the kitchen…

“There are so many great ways to save time in the kitchen. The best way I save time in the kitchen is by cooking more food than I need to give me plenty of leftovers. For example, if you are making a ragout, why not make twice as much and put half in the fridge or freezer, that way the next time you need it - all you have to do is heat it up!”

The countdown is on until the BBC Good Food Show Winter returns to Birmingham’s NEC this November. With a Christmas cracker of a line-up, hundreds of handpicked artisan and independent producers,  brand-NEW masterclasses and fabulous entertainment, it’s the ultimate day out this season you don’t want to miss!

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See you soon,

BBC Good Food Show HQ.