10 TV TIMES
Nadiya Hussain on her
time-saving tricks, her love
of tinned veg, and the best
meal she’s ever had
PHOTOS: ALAMY, BBC, BBC/OUTLINE PRODUCTIONSNEW COOKERY
Nadiya’s Time to Eat
MONDAY / BBC2 / 8PM
COOKERY
‘I think
of one
meal
as two!’
I love losing
myself in
a bucket of
popcorn
T
here’s no denying
that Nadiya Hussain
is one very busy lady.
After shooting to fame
with her quirky flavour pairings and
flair for presentation on The Great
British Bake Off in 2015, the Luton-
born star has gone on to write books,
present and judge foodie TV shows
and speak at cookery events.
Nadiya’s life is just as busy away
from the cameras, too, as she’s mum
to three adorable children with
husband Abdal. We’re exhausted just
thinking about her head-spinning
schedule, so how does she find time
to fit everything in? Inventive
shortcuts, she says!
And in her new six-part series for
BBC2, Nadiya’s Time to Eat, she will
be sharing her favourite ones with us.
Along the way, Nadiya will also be
making home visits to overstretchedparents with some time-saving
recipes, and investigate how many
of her go-to ingredients, from
mushrooms to Marmite, are made.
Nadiya, 34, tells TV Times more...This sounds like our type of
cooking show! What inspired it?
Prepared meals can ease some of the
worry of having to cook fresh every
day. I believe if we plan ahead, having
meals ready in the freezer can be as
convenient as takeaway. I always
like to think of one meal as two.
During the time you take to cook
one meal, you could have also made
another to stick in your freezer. It’s
fresh, you know what you’ve put in
it, and all it needs is warming up.
Not that I’m saying we shouldn’t
treat ourselves to a takeaway
occasionally. I love putting my feet
up and not worrying about cooking!What are your all-time top
kitchen time-savers?
For any dish that requires cooked
onions, buy frozen chopped onionsor even ready-fried onions. Don’t
throw away any wilting herbs –
zap them in the microwave for 10
seconds and they dry instantly. Then
crush in the palm of your hand and
store for another day. Also, tinned
vegetables take away preparation
time, especially for root vegetables
like potatoes and carrots.How about general housekeeping
tips – any favourites?
Next time you squeeze the juice of
half a lemon into anything, keep
the flesh. Fill it with baking soda or
bicarbonate of soda and pop into
the back of the fridge in a bowl to
keep your fridge smelling clean!You also discover how some
of our favourite foods are
produced. Did anything
surprise you?
Yes, that baked beans
are filled into the
cans raw and then
pressure-cooked in
the cans!Have you any advice for cooking
for a fussy eater?
One of my three kids used to be very
fussy. It was frustrating and I often
did all the wrong things, like telling
him he had to finish his meal. I soon
realised it wasn’t working. Now I
leave him to it. The best way for me
has been to lead by example. Sitting
together to eat and being relaxed
has made it easy for him to enjoy
his food. Be patient, it will happen.
Now I can’t stop him eating!What do you like to do with all
your saved time?
I love reading, bike rides or going to
the movies with the kids and losing
myself in a bucket of popcorn.If TV Times were coming
round to dinner at the last
minute, what quick and
easy meal would you make?
For starters, we’d have
Parmesan scones with
salmon paste. Our main
would be meatloaf