You ME and the DIET

Welcome to FEBRUARY

PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL If ever there was a

THE delicious. PROMISE

RECIPES THAT WORK Every recipe is rigorously tested

Style on a budget

These inspiring ideas will pep up your weeknight cooking routine without maxing out your credit card. Plus, they all need less than half an hour of hands-on time

Chicken breasts

Three fresh ideas for a pack of four chicken breasts – which will be your new weeknight favourite? 

RECLAIM YOUR LUNCH BREAK ...and try something new

Last month we talked about how vital it is to take a proper break in the middle of the day, especially when you’re working at home, for the good of your sanity and productivity. Continue the resolution in February by using your time productively – and create some batch-cooked soups ready to warm up and replenish the brain cells

The recipes SOUL SOUPS

The four recipes here are designed to be made ahead, portioned up and either chilled or frozen in batches. You’ll have an almost instant lunch ready to warm through when you need it, leaving the rest of your break free

HEALTH BITES

NEWS, NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE AND ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST

7 things GRANDMA was right about

Soggy grey veg and the over-use of lard are two of the culinary traditions our nation has happily left behind. But let’s not forget the healthier (and more sustainable) elements of our grandparents’ eating habits, says dietitian Juliette Kellow

Ching-He Huang’s good-for-you Chinese recipes

Time to press the reset button and welcome in the Year of the Ox on 12 February with vegan dishes that revive and restore body and soul

The FAST-DAY RECIPE

Indian-inspired spiced vegetables with chickpeas make for a satisfying and warming bowlful

TEST KITCHEN

Locked down at home, food editor Jen Bedloe and team test all the delicious. recipes, discovering nifty tricks, as well as trying out new products and gadgets and dreaming up ideas for leftovers. Here, they share all the best stu with you. It’s cookery gold

YOUR delicious.

New beginnings STAR EMAIL FROM: MECHELLE CLARK Karen’s

COOK IT LIKE delicious.

Your genius attempts at recipes from the mag – with a prize in the offing. Food editor and judge Jen Bedloe has pored over December’s entries

And now for... THE GOOD NEWS

GREAT THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW & STORIES TO RAISE A SMILE

“I love feeding people but it doesn’t stop there...”

Who knew there could be so much controversy around feeding a few ducks on the local pond? Or what’s in the bird feeder? When all is cosy and blanketed inside, January is a month to remember our feathered friends, says Debora Robertson

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Stylish choices for your home and table + general good stuff you need to know about right now

Would you judge someone by their shopping list?

Shopping for other people in lockdown, as Ellen Manning can testify, opens a weirdly intrusive window on private worlds. But does a person’s list of wants reveal more about them, or the prejudices of the friend or stranger taking a peek?

RESTORE

JASON FRIEND PHOTOGRAPHY LTD/GETTY IMAGES DOUBLE-CHOC PANCAKES 24

CHEERS!

Susy Atkins demystifies a trendy wine style and suggests special sips for Valentine’s night

“Our pancetta is all about the ‘magic woofle dust’”

The expert charcuterie makers at Capreolus know what it takes to create award-winning pancetta: happy pigs, a lot of care and attention – and a very special fermenting mixture

MEET THE Winner

A FEW WORDS FROM LARA "I’ve always loved

EAT WELL

MIDWEEK MEALS 82 O IDEAS FOR CHICKEN BREASTS

6 OF THE Gourmet escapes

After a year of almost zero travel, booking a break has taken on new significance. We asked the experts at the Good Hotel Guide to pick their best foodie escapes across the UK, all in gorgeous locations. Some specialise in home-grown produce, all champion local suppliers – and all are guaranteed to tantalise the taste buds. Which are you going to have on speed-dial?

LET THEM EAT RAW POTATO?

Those who think food poverty in the UK is no big deal need to spend a bit of time volunteering at a food bank one of these days, says writer Felicity Cloake

“This dish is a star, just like my grandma”

For recipe writer Alex Hollywood, spending time in the kitchen of her movie-star grandmother was the stu of romance and adventure – with recipes worthy of the silver screen

The world ’s best PANCAKES

“A stack of freshly made, flu y pancakes

A world of warming flavours

Drawing on her own European heritage and ingredients from the Far East, where her husband is from, Melbourne-based Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s menu is a kaleidoscope of tastes. The common denominator? Bold combinations of flavours and textures

Nicholas Balfe w rites to Jon Favreau

Succesful London chef Nicholas was feeling exhausted, overworked and struggling not to listen to the critics when he first saw Jon Favreau’s feelgood film, Chef. Seeing himself in Jon’s character, Nicholas was reminded why working hard is worth it – and that the best cooking comes from the heart

THE GENIUS INGREDIENT …IN YOUR BREAD BIN

Welcome to the most versatile leftover ingredient in your kitchen. These glorious Italian-influenced recipes all make the most of this everyday staple – follow the breadcrumb trail and you’ll find it leads to a house full of happiness

AVOCQADO BRING ON THE COLOUR!

Green is the shade of renewal and freshness – something we could all use a little of right now. We’re not suggesting you eat avocados every day, but their creamy, tasty good-for-you-ness – combined with inspiring recipes – is a moment of mid-winter good cheer

Italian comforts

Nothing says ‘food hug’ quite like Italian cooking, and it doesn’t need to be meaty to have the cosiness factor. Christine Smallwood’s lovingly collected classics are the sort of dishes you’ll return to again and again

Gill Meller's FAMILY-SIZE SNACK

PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY “Take everything that’s good about

Fish and chips tonight, darling?

THE  VALENTINE’S DINNER PHOTOGRAPH MAJA SMEND STYLING SARAH

FERMENTED VEG

If you’re keen to try your hand at the ancient art of fermenting, creating a jar or two of sauerkraut is a great place to start. James Strawbridge’s sunshine-bright, tangy kraut is full of flavour and has the additional upside of being good for your gut

It’s LOVE

Make their heart go all a-flutter this Valentine’s Day. Our red-velvet-meets-cheesecake recipe makes 18 cupcakes, so you can fill your cake tin with loveliness or freeze some – but, to be honest, they taste all the sweeter when you share them around

Battenberg cake

Getting the signature chequerboard e ect of this teatime classic requires a little know-how and a few tricks (it’s all about the central fold in the baking paper). It’s very do-able though, and our step-by-step guide will help your cake look good enough for a Hollywood handshake

Steamed pud goes GLAM

PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND. RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JEN

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Your big, beautiful Easter ıssue

ON SALE 26 FEBRUARY GREAT STUFF TO CELEBRATE (even

Cuppa time

There are prizes to be won and foodie fun to be had with our page of brain teasers

WIN! A luxury weekend break in Dorset

Enjoy two nights of relaxed indulgence at The Priory hotel in Wareham