Cheat

Cheat

Cheating certainly doesn't mean any reduction in flavour or quality of the finished dish: all it does is free your time up by using a brilliant shop-bought ingredient. What could be simpler?

The Delia Online Cookery School: Avocado Mousse with Prawns and Vinaigrette is included in this collection, and you can watch how to make vinaigrette in our video. Just click the image to play.

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Summer Trifle with Raspberries

This is a moveable feast, because any combination can be used - all strawberries, or strawberries and raspb...

This is a moveable feast, because any combination can be used - all strawberries, or strawberries and raspberries mixed, or even a few redcurrants would be a great add...

Quick Moussaka

If we were talking journalese here this recipe would be called a cut-and-paste job. Everything here is r...

If we were talking journalese here this recipe would be called a cut-and-paste job. Everything here is ready-made, and all we cheats have to do is add in some subtl...

30 minutes - 35 minutes

Asian Steak Sandwiches

No not bread sarnies. These are slices of sticky, fragrant marinated steak, served wrapped in lettuce le...

No not bread sarnies. These are slices of sticky, fragrant marinated steak, served wrapped in lettuce leaves. NOTE: This recipe is from the book Delia's Ho...

Asparagus with Nearly Hollandaise

Hurry, hurry. The English asparagus (best in the world) season is very short, so best to eat as much as ...

Hurry, hurry. The English asparagus (best in the world) season is very short, so best to eat as much as we can, while it’s freshly picked. Hollandaise can be tricky...

Avocado with Prawns and Vinaigrette

The mousse is a lovely pale pistachio colour, whiich provides a beautiful contrast to some pink juicy prawn...

The mousse is a lovely pale pistachio colour, whiich provides a beautiful contrast to some pink juicy prawns. If you buy the prawns in their shells, you can u...

Banana Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

This is a lightened-up version of the old English classic that used leftover bread. Cheats just need to ...

This is a lightened-up version of the old English classic that used leftover bread. Cheats just need to grab some dried breadcrumbs and throw it all together. Serve...

35 minutes - 45 minutes

Black Bean and Jalapeno Dip with Potato Wedges

Another little off-the-shelf gem for nibbles or a starter, or even for a few people to share a quick lunch....

Another little off-the-shelf gem for nibbles or a starter, or even for a few people to share a quick lunch. NOTE: This recipe is from the book Delia's How to Cheat ...

Butterscotch and Banana Sundaes

I love Spanish turrón, the brittle, crisp almond confection, and it’s particularly good chopped and sprinkl...

I love Spanish turrón, the brittle, crisp almond confection, and it’s particularly good chopped and sprinkled over really good-quality vanilla ice cream and ...

Calamares Fritos (Fried Baby Squid)

These are so simple – they take seconds to cook and are good served with Tracklements’ Chilli Jam. I buy...

These are so simple – they take seconds to cook and are good served with Tracklements’ Chilli Jam. I buy mine ready-prepared (still frozen from the fish counter at ...

Cauliflower Cheese and Broccoli Soup

A lovely fresh-tasting soup this. You can choose the cheese here – basically whatever you have: Roquefor...

A lovely fresh-tasting soup this. You can choose the cheese here – basically whatever you have: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Cheddar – but this one’s made with Parmesan s...

Chocolate Rum Gateau

This recipe, originally invented for Comic Relief is the busy person's chocolate dessert, which is made in ...

This recipe, originally invented for Comic Relief is the busy person's chocolate dessert, which is made in an instant but tastes like you slaved all day. It freezes...

Cheats' Chocolate Trifle

This one’s either for people who don’t like to cook or for devoted cooks who nonetheless need something rea...

This one’s either for people who don’t like to cook or for devoted cooks who nonetheless need something really speedy. First, you need to zip round the supermarket ...

Cheats' Risotto Milanese

This makes a wonderful accompaniment to dishes such as Ossobuco and Italian Braised Beef with Gremolata. ...

This makes a wonderful accompaniment to dishes such as Ossobuco and Italian Braised Beef with Gremolata. The Delia Online Cookery School: You can also watch how to ...

Cheats' Turkey with Stuffing

Have no fear you cheats out there, you can have a very laid-back traditional turkey Christmas lunch of the ...

Have no fear you cheats out there, you can have a very laid-back traditional turkey Christmas lunch of the highest order with very little effort and you won’t even hav...

2 hours 20 minutes

Chicken Véronique

Another little treasure, this one, which I think goes particularly well with plain buttered noodles. The...

Another little treasure, this one, which I think goes particularly well with plain buttered noodles. The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to prepare garlic in...

Cincinnati 5-ways Chilli

My friend Matt Gocher, who gave me the original non-cheat recipe, is positively one of the country’s leadin...

My friend Matt Gocher, who gave me the original non-cheat recipe, is positively one of the country’s leading chilli experts. Here, the chilli is cooked very slowly ...

Coffee Ricotta Mousse

A variation on the Chocolate Ricotta Mousse recipe, see below, here given quite a dark, adult coffee flavou...

A variation on the Chocolate Ricotta Mousse recipe, see below, here given quite a dark, adult coffee flavour. NOTE: This recipe is from the book Delia's How to Chea...

Creole Prawns

As Creole cooking only ever uses green peppers (and the colour’s nice), I’ve included a fresh pepper here. ...

As Creole cooking only ever uses green peppers (and the colour’s nice), I’ve included a fresh pepper here. Otherwise, the equivalent amount from a jar of roasted pe...

Frankfurters and Hot Potato Salad

While this is not exactly a cheat recipe, it does embrace thephilosophy of always having store-cupboard ing...

While this is not exactly a cheat recipe, it does embrace thephilosophy of always having store-cupboard ingredients to hand. If you're working and don't have the ti...

Gnocchi Carbonara

This is something new, but also something very old. My first ever cookery book was published in 1971. Ca...

This is something new, but also something very old. My first ever cookery book was published in 1971. Called 'How To Cheat At Cooking', it was a book for people who...

6 minutes - 10 minutes

Gnocchi with Spinach

If speed is of the essence, I cannot think of a quicker way to feed four veggies more handsomely. ...

If speed is of the essence, I cannot think of a quicker way to feed four veggies more handsomely. Vegetarians might like to know that a vegetarian parmesan-st...

Lobster Risotto

This one is so classy that no-one will ever suspect it’s a bit of a cheat. Waitrose sells squat lobster ...

This one is so classy that no-one will ever suspect it’s a bit of a cheat. Waitrose sells squat lobster tails in brine, but you can also use cooked dressed lobster,...

Minestrone with Orecchiette

The cheating element come from having most of the vegetables ready prepared and the beans ready cooked. ...

The cheating element come from having most of the vegetables ready prepared and the beans ready cooked. I'm not pretending it's totally authentic but, believe me, t...

35 minutes - 40 minutes

Panang Red Seafood Curry

There are a lot of red curry pastes out there, but this is the best. If you would like it more fiery, ad...

There are a lot of red curry pastes out there, but this is the best. If you would like it more fiery, add a little extra paste. The Delia Online Cookery School: ...

10 minutes - 12 minutes

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