This Spanish-inspired chicken tray bake with chorizo is ‘low-effort cooking with big flavour’

Dinner doesn’t need to be complex or performative, food writer and columnist Elizabeth Hewson believes. For most of us, cooking just needs to be familiar and grounding – the type of food that “feels like home”.

This is the message of her new cookbook, Home Food, a collection of elegant, achievable recipes designed for busy lives.

“Home food isn’t about impressing anyone. It doesn’t chase trends, viral moments or complicated techniques,” Hewson writes in the book’s introduction.

“It’s the food that gets us through – the meals that sustain us and provide something steady in the chaos. The dishes we’re happy to eat on repeat, the ones we build into our weekly rhythm, the ones that make us feel safe.”

It also means comfort, Hewson says – not necessarily in the sense of “heavy, cheesy, creamy food”, but in a dependable, delicious and satisfying way. Hewson is also behind the Saturday Night Pasta community movement and cookbook of the same name, which promoted self-care through the simple act of making pasta.

Her latest cookbook celebrates imperfection and improvisation in the kitchen, with recipes organised by everyday moods and routines: throw-together meals for low-energy nights, midweek pastas and one-pot dishes. Here, she shares four to try at home.

– Megan Johnston

Honey-glazed chicken with chorizo and chickpeas

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: chicken thighs are unmatched for their versatility and affordability. Here, they take on a Spanish twist, roasted with chorizo, capsicum, paprika and chickpeas. A drizzle of honey at the end transforms the chicken skin into something crispy, salty and sweet. This is low-effort cooking with big flavour. For the best results, use skin-on, bone-in thighs – it’s all about that golden, irresistible skin.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 chorizo (100-120g)
• 1 red onion, cut into 1cm wedges
• 1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded and cut into 1cm strips
• 1 yellow capsicum, halved, deseeded and cut into 1cm strips
• 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
• 1 sprig of rosemary (about 20cm long), leaves pulled off
• 4-6 chicken thigh cutlets, skin on, bone in
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• dried chilli flakes (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp honey or hot honey

METHOD

Get ahead: Prep everything in the dish 24 hours ahead, bring to room temperature, then bake and continue with recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional).
2. Roughly chop or squeeze out the chorizo into 1cm bite-sized nuggets.
3. Find a large, deep baking tray, big enough to fit the chicken in a single layer without touching. Toss the chorizo, onion, capsicum, chickpeas and rosemary together in the tray. Place the chicken on top, drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt flakes and dried chilli flakes, if using. Give everything a good toss, then spread it out evenly in the tray. Place the chicken on top, skin side up, ensuring that the skin is spread flat (it has a tendency to tuck under).
4. Roast for 30 minutes, then take it out and gently toss the chickpeas, capsicum, onion and chorizo in the juices, keeping the chicken skin-side up. Roast for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is golden, crisp and cooked through. Drizzle the honey over the chicken (about ½ tablespoon per cutlet) and roast for a final 5 minutes.
5. Remove the tray from the oven and serve with crusty bread and a simple green leaf salad.

Leftovers: This will keep in the fridge for three days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Serves 4

Happy Soup

Sweet potato, carrot and lime soup with crispy pita bread dippers

Having kids means using my marketing skills at dinner time. We’ve had Hulk-Smash Pasta, Monster Soup and now, Happy Soup. Sometimes it’s all about how you spin it. Happy Soup is a vibrant, orange delight, and its earthy sweetness makes it a hit at our dinner table. For the adults, I like to finish this with a smattering of fresh herbs and a drizzle of crispy chilli oil.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1-2 sweet potatoes (roughly 700g), peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 cups (500ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 makrut lime leaves
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 pita bread pockets (the kind that can be split open)
• 1 lime
• natural Greek or coconut yoghurt, to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. Place a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, followed by the onion and carrot. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veg start to soften. Add the sweet potato and garlic and toss them around, then pour in the stock. Scrunch up the lime leaves and add them in, along with the fish sauce and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, then cook with the lid on for 30 minutes, until sweet and soft.
2. Meanwhile, for the pita breads, preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Cut the pita breads into strips or long wedges. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, front and back, then sprinkle with salt flakes. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden and crisp.
3. Back to the soup. Remove the lime leaves, then blitz the soup in a blender or using a stick blender. Taste and adjust seasoning, then ladle into bowls. Zest the lime over the top and dollop on some yoghurt, if using. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and crisp pita bread dippers. Happy days.

Notes:

• If your soup is thicker than you’d like, add a splash more stock (or water) to help bring it to your preferred consistency when blending.
• I sometimes throw in a handful of baby spinach at the end if I want to boost greens, but this does change the colour from a happy orange to a more moody orange.
• I’ve paired this with crispy pita bread dippers, but yoghurt flatbreads also work well here.

Leftovers: This will keep in the fridge for four days; just add some extra liquid to thin it out when reheating. This also freezes exceptionally well for three months. Defrost with some extra liquid.

Serves 2-4

It’s-going-to-be-OK stew

A gentle, creamy, midweek chicken dinner

This is exactly what you need for those days that go off course. Unlike most stews, which need hours to simmer away, this one comes together quickly. You can dress it up with extra vegetables or flavours, but I love it just the way it is – gentle and uncomplicated. Since peeling and chopping garlic is my least favourite kitchen task, I smash the cloves in their skins and toss them in to gently perfume the stew, plucking the skins out before serving. Feel free to peel and finely chop your garlic cloves if you have more patience than I do.

INGREDIENTS

• 20g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g chicken thighs, roughly cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (250ml) white wine
• 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock or water
• 400-500g potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 3 bay leaves
• juice of ½ lemon (or to taste)
• ½ cup (125ml) pure (single/pouring) cream
• 125g baby spinach
• chopped flat-leaf parsley, chives or dill, to garnish

METHOD

Get ahead: You can prep the potatoes in the morning and leave them submerged in a bowl of water in the fridge. The chicken can also be cut and stored in an airtight container for three days.

1. You can make the stew up until the addition of the lemon, cream and baby spinach and refrigerate for three days. Reheat and add the lemon, cream and spinach just before serving.
2. Place a large saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and olive oil, then throw in the chicken pieces and brown on all sides – this will take roughly 5 minutes. Throw in the leek and garlic cloves and toss them with the chicken, then season with the salt. Cook for 2 minutes, until the leek starts to soften.
3. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer, using a spoon to scrape all the sticky bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock or water, followed by the potatoes, bay leaves and plenty of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, put the lid on and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
4. Check the potatoes are cooked by piercing them with a knife – they should be soft and offer no resistance. Turn off the heat then add the lemon juice, cream and baby spinach. Stir through to wilt the spinach. Fish out the garlic skins, and serve immediately with a good grind of pepper, an extra drizzle of cream, if you like, and fresh herbs.

Leftovers: This stew will keep in the fridge for three days. When reheating it, I like to add some extra stock, cream, lemon and baby spinach to give it more life.

Serves 4-6

A choc-chip vanilla self-saucing pudding

Sometimes, when all is still and quiet, a choc chip and vanilla pudding is the little treat you truly deserve. This pudding tastes just like choc chip cookie dough – comforting, nostalgic and irresistibly sweet. I prefer making this in the microwave for speed and texture, but I’ve given instructions for the oven too, in case that’s your preference. Just know that the cooking method you choose will affect the result. The oven creates a pudding that’s more caramelised and gooier, while the microwave produces a softer, puffier, spongier texture. I must say, this might be one of the rare times I actually prefer the microwave.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 30g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 tbsp full-cream milk
• 30g dark or milk chocolate, finely chopped (or choc chips)
• ¼ tsp salt flakes
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp hot water (not boiling, but close)
• ice-cream or thickened cream, to serve

METHOD

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, butter, vanilla paste and milk in a bowl. Mix until just combined, then fold through the chocolate and salt flakes. Grease a 500-600ml ovenproof or microwave-safe dish, roughly 18cm wide, with butter, then pour the batter in.
2. Combine the cocoa powder, 1½ tablespoons brown sugar and
   3 tablespoons hot water, and carefully pour it over the top. I know this all looks terrible – just trust me.
3. If you’re cooking this in the microwave, note that every microwave has different wattage, so cooking times can differ slightly. I have found, through many puddings, that in an 1100W microwave, 1 minute 20 seconds is the perfect cooking time. If your pudding needs more time, cook it further in 20-second intervals. You’re looking for a puffy, sponge-like pudding that’s just set on top, with a slight wobble thanks to the chocolate sauce.
4. To cook this in the oven, preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional). Bake the pudding on the middle shelf for 15-18 minutes. The pudding will be set on the top and gooey on the bottom, with chocolate caramelised around the sides.
5. Enjoy straight from the dish, with a big scoop of ice-cream or thickened cream on top.

Serves 1

This is an edited extract from Home Food by Elizabeth Hewson, photography by Nikki To. Published by Murdoch Books, RRP $45.00.