(bright music) (birds chirping) - I know cooking can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it doesn't need to be.

- But to be honest, it's all a bit stressful.

- So in this series, I'm joining some wonderful familiar faces.

- Mary!

- [Mary] Each with their own dilemmas in the kitchen.

- Would you like some turkey dinosaurs?

- [Mary] Not a lot.

I'm going to show them how it's done with easy new recipes.

- I'm your sous chef.

I love this.

- [Mary] In the most glorious locations.

- You are a natural.

- All right, Mary.

- Both, you've gotta multitask!

- [Mary] Dishes anyone can whip up.

- Wow!

I like cooking with you.

- [Mary] I've recipes for beginners.

- I've never made anything in my life.

That's the trouble.

- [Mary] Those who find cooking stressful.

- There's no messing about here, is there?

- I told you it was quick.

Would like to entertain more.

- Oh.

(both laugh) - [Mary] Or in need of some inspiration.

- I can do this.

- Here's the blender.

- Blend a breath in.

- It will all be beautifully easy, I promise.

- You're my type of woman, Mary!

(casual upbeat music) - TV presenter AJ Odudu keeps a calm head when dancing in front of millions on Strictly, or hosting live TV.

But like so many when it comes to cooking, she's anything but relaxed.

Hopefully spending time on this productive allotment will change all that.

Hello, AJ.

It's lovely to meet you.

You found us all right?

- Oh, I certainly did.

Here we are.

- AJ loves to garden as much as I do.

I want to show her that cooking can be as stress-free as a sunny afternoon pottering amongst your plants.

So how are your gardening skills?

- Well do you know what?

I call myself a bit of a beginner.

I like to grow just a few bits and bobs.

Very good with palms, very good with herbs.

For me, cocktails.

- Well, I would like you to use your herbs for cooking.

But how are your cooking skills?

- I do like to cook a little bit, but to be honest, it's all a bit stressful.

- Well, I'm going to cook with you, and I promise you, it's not gonna be stressful, it's gonna be fun.

- Come on!

- Come on!

Let's go.

- [AJ] Wherever you go, I follow.

- [Mary] I like to hear that.

(AJ humming and giggling) I'm going to start with one of my favorite stress-free recipes that brings the calm of the garden into the kitchen.

- I see some prawns.

I like that.

- Oh, well that's lucky.

If you find the kitchen daunting, this dish takes no time at all.

My light and luscious tiger prawn coriander courgetti.

You didn't get to be like that without eating very, very healthy.

- You know it.

- Is that important to you?

- Yeah, I like balance, basically.

So if I'm indulging, I'm indulging.

- Well, there's no donuts today.

- There's no donuts today.

- I'm kicking off with the courgetti.

A spiralizer or even a vegetable peeler will do.

So you take the courgette, and put it like that, and just.

- Right.

It's like a pencil sharpener.

- This recipe calls for six more courgettes.

- This is very therapeutic.

- It's good, isn't it?

- [AJ] It's really clever.

- [Mary] So do you do a bit of gardening at home?

- Well, actually, I have grown a few things in the past.

Onions, tomatoes.

Me mum grows tomatoes in her backyard in Blackburn.

She's so good at them.

My dad's good at potatoes.

And I'm good at growing mint and rosemary for me cocktails.

- [Mary] AJ's also a dab hand with the spiralizer.

(AJ humming) (casual upbeat music) Next on the list are three large cloves of garlic.

- So do we need all of this?

- Well, do you like garlic?

- I love garlic.

- Well there, we'll use all three.

(AJ laughs) I'm slicing six spring onions while keeping an eye on AJ.

- I'm just trying not to break my nails at the same time.

No one wants nails in it.

- [Mary] For a little kick, half a red chili will do.

- How do I cut the chili?

Do you want it sliced like that?

- No, no, no.

- Or do you want it?

- That's right.

- There?

- Yup.

If I might say so, you're a very good student.

You're listening hard and questioning, and doing.

- I do like to listen and learn.

Don't be deceived by my big gob, Mary.

- Aw.

(AJ laughs) Now tell me, is your mum a good cook?

- Definitely, her best dishes are all of the Nigerian dishes.

Egusi soup, stew, jollof rice.

I mean, I felt really lucky growing up, having all of these amazing dishes, and I bet your kids felt the same.

- There's nothing like sitting round with your family.

They all talk when they're eating, and you hear so much more what's going on life, don't you?

- Yeah, absolutely.

And you know, they just have the best birthday cakes ever.

- I used to do the basic cake, and they did the decoration.

- Oh, that's so sweet!

- Right, we must get on.

- Okay, fine, fine, fine.

- Right.

If the preparation was stress-free, just wait to see how easy this dish is to cook.

Spring onions in first.

Look at them.

Sizzle sizzle, how about that?

- Oh, that sound.

- Now, can you put your garlic in?

Then in with the chopped chili.

- Straightaway?

- Yes.

- Oh, there's no messing about here, is there?

- No.

I told you it was quick.

(AJ laughs) Add two thirds of the courgetti.

Now give that a good stir, and keep turning, because it's a stir fry.

- Oh, I see.

Oh, the prawns are going in!

- Yup.

- Wow!

- And a little bit of pepper and salt.

- Seasoning.

I love it.

- Do you love it?

- I love it.

- Now is this not quick?

We're almost there.

- It's quick, easy, and it looks really healthy.

- [Mary] After it cooks for a few minutes, a squeeze of fresh lemon.

- In it goes.

Yum.

- Before adding the rest of the courgetti which will hold a little firmer.

Lastly, the coriander.

So that's it.

- That is it.

- [Mary] Without any hassle, AJ has whipped up this tiger prawn and coriander courgetti.

Now for a taste.

Mm!

This is delicious.

- Mm!

As your pupil, I got, what?

Five gold stars for this?

What's the record?

- Oh, at least.

(AJ laughs) (bright music) Whether you grow vegetables as a relaxing hobby, or just as a fan of eating them, my next recipe is perfect.

Comforting and indulgent, yet so easy to make.

Humble pie, showing off humble vegetables.

If you're a cauliflower cheese fan, you're going to love this.

And no skill needed.

It's stress free.

Simply add two sliced leeks to boiling salted water for four minutes.

And I'll get on with the cauliflower.

I've got a really good sized cauliflower here, and they're such good value, are cauliflower.

And I'm going to make that into sprigs, so it helps to start off by cutting out the stalk.

That's it.

If you want to grow cauliflower at home in the garden or in the allotment, be aware that caterpillars love it, and so do pigeons.

Pop the cauliflower into the pot and boil for a further three minutes.

When ready, drain well and leave to cool.

And now to my white sauce.

Start with 55 grams of plain flour and the same of melted butter.

Mix it well.

I've heated up 450 ML of milk.

So in goes a little of it to start with.

Then at once, beat it with a whisk, and in a very short time, it becomes thick and smooth.

I've made so many white sauces in my time, and I've learned that if you have hot milk, it makes it much easier, much quicker, and there's no likelihood of you having lumps in it.

Just add gradually until there's a beautifully smooth sauce.

Now for the cheese.

Coarsely grated Parmesan.

55 grams.

And 115 of really well-flavored cheddar.

For the best cheese sauce, a couple of tablespoons of Dijon mustard is a must, as is seasoning, of course.

That's it.

Off the heat.

And also allow to cool.

So, I've got a cold sauce, cold vegetables.

So first of all, I'm going to put the cauliflower and leeks in.

If you have a lot of leftover vegetables, you can make this humble pie with those.

150 grams of frozen peas will add a splash of color.

And then lastly, some button mushrooms that I've just tossed in butter and cooked.

Gently fold it all in together.

(gentle music) Time to turn it into a pie.

Oh, it's quite a weight.

So tip that in.

Important to have the vegetables and the sauce cold, because if you put the pastry on top, it melts the pastry if it's hot.

And there's nothing more delicious than flaky, buttery puff pastry, shop-bought, of course.

Now to make that pastry stick, I'm going to just put a little beaten egg round the edge of the pie dish.

My mother would always do it just with her fingers, like this, all the way around.

Bit messy.

I'll be a bit smarter and use a brush.

And then it's so easy just to lie the pastry over, and trim.

That's it.

And I'm going to just put a fork round the edge to press it down, to make sure the pastry doesn't slip in.

An egg wash will make the pastry golden brown, with a small hole to let the steam out.

And now for my magic topping.

I've saved a strip to do this.

You must think this is very strange, but I promise you, it's very effective.

So take a sharp knife, and I'm going to make it like spaghetti or noodles.

Dip into the remaining egg, and arrange them across the top, as higgledy-piggledy and as carefree as you like.

I think children would love to do this.

You can just imagine what a mess they'll get in.

(bright music) Look at that.

All that's needed now is a preheated 180 fan oven, and the patience to wait for 45 minutes.

This mouthwatering pie can be made a day ahead.

Just keep it in the fridge, and glaze before cooking.

I've had a little check, and the pie is ready.

(bright music) Gorgeous golden brown.

Doesn't that look amazing?

And you'll never see another one like that.

It's totally original.

This simple dish is so heartwarming, I can't wait to tuck in.

Gosh that is good.

I've called it humble pie, but I think it's really rather special.

(soft music) (gentle uplifting music) As AJ's keen on growing herbs, here's a chance to broaden her horizons with a veg that can also be used to flavor dishes.

- Whoa!

- Not too fast!

(AJ laughs) This is where we're going to do the planting.

That's right.

- There we go.

- Add a little bit of that lovely compost.

In under three months, these fennel seedlings will bring so many recipes to life.

It's a step up from your mint in the garden.

(AJ laughing) See if you just, that's it.

- [AJ] My little nephew Sebastian does a bit of gardening.

- How old is he?

- [AJ] Eight years old.

- [Mary] So he comes and helps in your garden?

- [AJ] Yeah.

- It sounds to me as though you get your family in to do the work, and you're like me giving you instructions today.

(AJ laughs) Right, that looks good.

Would you like gloves?

Because let's have a look at your nails.

You'll lose those rings in there.

I'll be the first to ferret for them for you.

(AJ laughs) Right.

With these, we'll have a row about eight inches apart.

I love growing fennel.

Press it firmly down, that's it.

Its fronds can be used as a herb, the bulb as a veg, and its seeds dried as a delicious spice.

Do you like fennel?

- [AJ] I do like fennel.

- It's lovely in salads, lovely roasted.

I like to roast potatoes alongside fennel.

Delicious.

- Yeah, delicious.

I tell you what, you run a tight ship here, don't you?

Ooh.

- That looks good.

- Thank you!

- And you've only got another 16 plants to plant.

- [AJ] Ah, Mary.

(laughing) - [Mary] Fennel is the perfect accompaniment for chicken, and this foolproof way of cooking it takes all the pressure off.

Don't we love things all in one pot?

It makes it so simple, and washing up is a dream.

And spatchcocking is one of the easiest ways to cook a chicken.

That's because taking the backbone out makes it quicker to cook, and easier to carve.

So at the moment, that's breast side up.

Turn it over.

And that reveals the backbone.

So take some kitchen scissors, and just go straight through.

Make sure the scissors are sharp, and then this will be a dawdle.

Cut down there, and we're halfway there.

Repeat along the other side, and pull away the backbone.

So there's my chicken beautifully spatchcocked.

Job done.

After a good hand wash, fry off one large onion, some of that delicious sliced fennel, and a red pepper roughly chopped up.

Keep that turning for four or five minutes.

And you know, people often say to me, oh, I don't like fennel.

It tastes of aniseed.

As soon as you cook it, it loses that aniseed flavor, and it just is absolutely scrumptious, I think.

Add three cloves of grated garlic.

100 ML of wine, well that's a glassful, isn't it?

Delicious.

Well, I think that was a bit mean.

That's it.

I'm punching up the color and flavor with a tin of chopped tomatoes.

Then a couple of tablespoons of sun-dried tomato paste.

This is a fairly strong flavor.

It adds so much.

Then two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce.

Gonna give that a good stir.

It's bubbling up, and the smell is wonderful.

It's a lovely feeling, that we haven't got a lot of pots and pans all around us.

We've just got one pot.

Time to add the spatchcocked chicken.

And spread it out, see?

So it all cooks evenly.

There it is.

The chicken will be beautifully flavored by that garlic, and all the fennel, and the vegetables.

It really does work well.

(bright music) Slices of lemon and a few bay leaves will add to the taste.

Then into a 180 fan oven to start the cooking.

After 20 minutes, add a little extra zing with a sprinkling of paprika and a drizzle of honey.

20 minutes later, and it's done.

Bursting with a myriad of flavors, my one pot chicken with fennel.

That looks terrific.

Those vegetables all beautifully tender, gorgeous color.

Mm.

That is so good.

It will go with couscous, it will go with mashed potato, it will go with baked potato.

Full of flavor in that sauce, and the chicken.

So good.

In fact, irresistible.

(wind rustling) (bright music) When AJ graduates from pots to her own allotment, she may well struggle with keeping our feathered friends from helping themselves.

I'm old school.

Instead of using nets, I want to show her an easier technique that's been around for generations.

The humble scarecrow.

- Let's protect what we have planted, and then we can eat it.

- You like eating.

I know that.

(AJ laughing) There we are.

It's not finished yet.

- [AJ] Wow.

I actually love its outfit.

- [Mary] It may not look scary in its charity shop attire, but the birds will think differently.

Here's some.

- Oh, thank you.

- [Mary] Put it down at the front.

- Shove it in it?

We're giving it a nice big bust.

- Yup.

How about that?

- How about that?

- Now, we ought to do a face on the front here.

Big eyes, and I want lashes like you've got.

(AJ laughing) - Should we give it some fake eyelashes?

- [Mary] Big eyelashes.

- [AJ] Say no more.

- Oh, that's good.

Oh.

Perfect.

- [AJ] Lashes, lashes.

- And a smiley face, laughing at all the birds.

- Look at that.

She looks so happy.

I love it.

- How about you giving her a name?

- Well, we've just stuffed her with straw.

You're Mary Berry.

She's Straw Berry.

- Oh, that's a good name.

- Here she comes.

- That's it.

Hat's on top.

- Nice finishing touch.

- And you like a bit of sparkle.

I remember Strictly.

How about decking her out in that little bit?

- Oh my gosh.

A touch of Strictly sparkle.

Listen, I never got the glitter ball, but Straw Berry has.

- Oh, there we are.

(AJ laughs) Okay, come on.

If AJ enjoyed that, she'll definitely get a kick out of my next recipe.

Made with barely any effort, a rich spicy aubergine bhuna.

First of all, if you take that red chili, you know exactly what to do with it.

We're gonna have half, take the seeds out, and chop it up.

- [AJ] Wicked.

- [Mary] And I've got a couple of onions.

In they go.

- [AJ] Mm!

- [Mary] Now to grate four cloves of garlic.

- [AJ] Right, chili's chopped.

- Can you give that a stir?

- Absolutely.

- Keep it moving.

- Yes, chef.

(bright music) - Add the garlic.

And grated ginger.

Two potatoes got your name on it here.

And put those chilis in.

- Peel the potatoes, get the chili in.

Do this, do that.

Wow, you're stepping up now.

- I best not ask her to cut the aubergines up, then.

You are pretty good at that.

That's very quick.

- Very good at peeling potatoes.

I can't lie.

Thing is once you're from a big family, you can't take ages in the prep.

You just gotta go come on, chop chop.

- Right, all the vegetables need to be the same size.

So look what size I've cut these up, fairly big.

You do the same with the potato.

- Okay, so that they all cook at the same time.

- That's it.

Gosh, that's a bit of knowledge coming through there.

Time to bring this dish to life with a tablespoon of cumin.

Tablespoon of coriander.

- Yeah.

- And a tablespoon of curry powder.

And then some turmeric, two teaspoons.

- Mm.

- [Mary] That just adds to the color and the flavor.

- My gosh it smells so good.

- Sort of aromatic, doesn't it?

- Mm!

- [Mary] So what do you do with your spare time?

- Obviously I like to go out for dinner with friends and family.

I'm impartial to a cocktail or a few, but I do like just puttering around the house.

- So it's all very relaxing until you get in the kitchen?

(AJ laughs) - Literally.

That is exactly my life.

- So the aubergine are absorbing all those spicy flavors.

In goes your potato.

Then we'll put the liquid that will help it all to cook through.

300 ML of vegetable stock.

- Mm!

- I like that noise, don't you?

- I love that noise.

- Here we are.

- It's the noise of success.

Successful cooking.

- [Mary] A tablespoon of tomato puree.

And I like mango chutney in the curry.

It gives a little bit of sweetness.

And then have more mango chutney on the side.

- Oh, I like that.

You like to double up.

- [Mary] Season, add fresh tomatoes for that splash of color, and pop the lid on.

- We just leave it like that?

- Yes, and we can have a cocktail, or whatever you have- - I love that.

In between.

You're my type of woman, Mary.

- [Mary] What a relaxing way to spend half an hour, great company, and lovely surroundings.

Look at that.

- Oh my word, that looks so good.

- [Mary] I'm really pleased.

Keeping the veg chunky means they've kept their shape.

I think AJ is rather keen, too.

- I'm just gonna add a couple of spoons.

You know me, being a Northern lass, I love my potatoes.

- Serve with a delicious cooling raita, a mix of natural yogurt, cucumber, and mint.

That's a bit of all right, isn't it?

It's just the amount of sauciness to it.

- It's decent, Mary.

That's what we'd say in Blackburn.

Bit decent, that.

- Bit decent, okay.

- I mean, I can't believe that we've done all of that in one pot, nice and easy.

It's delicious, it's colorful, it's healthy.

So easy to make as well.

- Basic ingredients, no stress.

- I love it.

(exciting music) - Come autumn, allotments like this will have a glut of apples, and I have a classic recipe that AJ will love.

This apple crumble is very easy.

Few ingredients, and you can use up those apples that perhaps are a little bit damaged and bruised.

Gently cook one and a half kilos of apples in two tablespoons of water, and 30 grams of butter.

For the perfect apple crumble, don't add the sugar until the end, because if you add it, it draws the moisture out of the apple, and you get rather too much runny liquid.

Six minutes should do the job.

Soft but still holding their shape.

The smell of cooking apples on a Sunday morning I can remember from my childhood.

And it was always made fresh, and then when the joint came out, in went the crumble.

It's a classic British pudding.

Everybody loves it.

Either with custard or with cream.

Now you can see it's just beginning to get soft.

That looks perfect.

And now I'm adding the sugar, 175 grams of light muscovado sugar, and that gives a lovely flavor.

That's it, take it off the heat.

I've got a nice shallow dish.

Everybody wants to get crumble and apple.

If you do a great deep dish, you get a lot of apple, and hardly any crumble.

That's not what I want.

I want equal amount.

Tip in the apples, and level them out.

Now for the perfect crumble.

175 grams of plain flour, and then 115 grams of butter.

No substitutes, proper butter.

That's it.

Now just rub it in with your fingers.

And you can do this in a processor, you can do it with a mixer.

But it's very relaxing doing it just by hand.

55 grams of demerara sugar will add to the sweetness and crunch.

There it is, just like breadcrumbs.

And relaxing cooking is just what we want here.

AJ will enjoy this recipe.

Another sprinkle of sugar for good measure.

My top tip for a perfect apple crumble is to have a double cooking time.

Start off hot so you get the crumble looking that gorgeous golden color, lower the temperature in order to get that crumble cooked right through.

So in for 20 minutes at 180 fan, then turn it down to 160 for another 20 minutes.

(bright music) Gosh, that was lucky.

To me, that is sheer perfection.

It's just gorgeous golden brown, bubbling away.

It's got my name on it.

It really is absolutely beautiful.

The top has a lovely crunch to it, and it is cooked all the way through.

Oh so simple, made from ingredients that cost very little, and the result is brilliant.

(bright music) Back on the allotment, and we're using a traditional press to use up the rest of the apples.

- So I just twist it like this?

- That's right.

And then it squashes the apples down, and the juice should come out.

That's it.

- Oh my gosh, it gets harder.

A glass for you first, Mary?

- [Mary] Just a half for me, thank you.

- [AJ] Okay, okay.

- Oh, that's wonderful.

- Ah, tastes delicious.

- It is so fresh, isn't it?

I hope you've enjoyed your day.

- I really have.

It's been an absolute blast.

And I really am gonna try those recipes.

- And they're all stress free.

Keep to your promise and cook when you get home.

- I will get cooking!

I'll do it!

(laughing) Thanks, Mary.

- A pleasure.

- Chin chin.

- Be wonderful.

- Mm!

(bright music) - Next time.

You're an absolute natural.

I'm treading the boards with Michael Ball.

- I'm your sous chef.

I love this.

- [Mary] Cooking adventurous recipes.

- I think we're a good team, Mary.

- We're all right, aren't we?

- [Michael] Yes.

- [Mary] That'll shake up his repertoire.

- Who wouldn't be smiling cooking a key lime pie with you?

(bright music continues) (bright music continues) (no audio)