Our Jamie gets cooking some family favourites

Back in the era of black and white TVs, it was hard to get excited about grey cooking shows with even greyer food.

But then again, we were limited by what we could buy at the supermarket. This was a time when the thought of clicking a list on a computer and having food brought to your door was the stuff of science fiction.

Thankfully in 2020 we’re inspired by no end of cooking series, and ingredients, all available at the flick of a switch. However, the more sophisticated cooking becomes, the more we want old fashioned dishes presented in a way that won’t leave us confused. And given the fact Jamie Oliver is the king of plain speaking, there’s little wonder Channel 4 are always keen to greenlight another series from one of Essex’s best loved chefs.

He recently challenged himself to create new dishes which he hoped would become new family favourites. Now, in this series, the oven jockey makes problem-solving meals for every need, from quick, tasty dinners to useful staples to add to our regular repertoires. He also shows us easy but extra-special family favourites and crowd-pleasers.

All of the dishes take inspiration from the average weekly shopping basket and use ingredients many of us already buy. With a glimpse into life at the Oliver household, his latest project aims to inspire us all with easy ideas for simple, affordable, delicious meals.

For the first episode, Jamie aims to reinvent the roast chicken – a British staple that many cook each week. Oliver offers fresh inspiration by teaming it with flavour-packed Cumberland sausages and tasty veggies, creating a delicious one-pan roast dinner.

With the help of ingredients that many have in the fridge, Jamie also puts a British twist on the classic spag bol by using pale ale and Cheddar cheese to create an easy, cheap and tasty batch-cook recipe. And if that’s not enough to inspire, there’s also a fun take on pasta prep that the kids – and adults – will love.

“We’re really excited to share this new series,” enthuses Samantha Beddoes, Executive Producer at the Jamie Oliver Group.

“We’ve all been spending more time cooking at home and need a bit of inspiration to mix it up a bit to keep it interesting. Jamie has been at home too, and this new series offers a glimpse into what he’s been cooking for his own family, creating meals that work for real family life.”

Jamie is thrilled with the new strand, which was filmed in his garden at home with some of the crew he’s worked with for more than 20 years.

As he explained recently on social media: “I really wanted this series to be truly useful to YOU right NOW… with a feeling of calm and reflection but also bouncing off of new ideas I’ve been dreaming up for new family favourites.”

All we at home need to do is make a few notes, and hope some of Jamie’s enthusiasm rubs off while we juggle those ingredients and cooking times. Good luck.

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