Marcus Everyday: Easy Family Food for Every Kind of Day

200g kale, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

180g yellow split peas, rinsed well under cold running water

1 × 400ml tin coconut milk

sea salt

steamed rice, to serve

FOR THE SPICE BASE

2 onions, halved and sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated (use a Microplane if you have one)

4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (use a Microplane if you have one)

8cm piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and finely grated (or 1 tbsp ground turmeric)

1 green chilli, finely diced

2 bay leaves

12 green cardamom pods, bashed well

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp black mustard seeds

1 Heat half the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper then fry them in the hot oil for around 5 minutes. Once browned, but not cooked through, remove them from the pan and set aside. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat up to high. Add the kale and fry for 3–4 minutes until browned, then set aside.

2 Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add all the ingredients for the spice base, season with a little salt and cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant.

3 Add 300ml warm water and the split peas, stirring well. Cover with a lid and simmer gently over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.

4 Mix in the coconut milk then add the browned chicken and simmer for a further 15 minutes, covered.

5 Mix in the kale and cook for a further 5 minutes, covered.

6 Remove from the heat, discard the cardamom pods and bay leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Hasselback Potatoes with Red Wine and Pork Ragu (#ulink_8f738e8b-d8d0-5761-ba52-0203be89e2fc)

Hasselback potatoes are a firm everyday favourite in my household. They are pretty quick to prepare, and they are delicious – crispy on the outside and soft in the centre. They go very well with this pork ragu, which can be made ahead and chilled or frozen. The ragu can also be used as a very tasty pasta sauce, or in a lasagne, ready for a speedy midweek meal.

SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS

850g small–medium baking potatoes

40g butter, melted

100g Cheddar cheese, grated

FOR THE RAGU

1 tbsp vegetable oil

300g minced pork

6 smoked bacon rashers, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely grated

2 carrots, finely diced

300ml red wine

1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

200ml good-quality beef or chicken stock

1 bay leaf

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 To make the ragu, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced pork and bacon and fry for 7–9 minutes, until brown all over, breaking up any clumps of meat with a wooden spoon. Stir in the onion, garlic and carrots and continue to fry for another 10 minutes until the onion softens. Season with salt and pepper, pour in the wine and bring to the boil, to allow the wine to reduce completely. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently over low heat for up to 1 hour. Once cooked, remove from the heat, taste and add a little more seasoning if you like, and remove the bay leaf.