baking & roasting

preparation tipsSide dishesPotatoes, pasta and rice are all sidedishes that can accompany a maincourse.Potatoes are available in a wide rangeof waxy, semi waxy and floury varieties.The waxy ones are best for salads,boiling and roasting, whilst semi waxyvarieties lend themselves to bakes andgratins. Floury potatoes are starchierthan other types, and are especiallygood for dumplings, soups, purées andfor grating.Potatoes can also be baked in their jakketsor in foil. For a simple side dishthat can be cooked in the ovenalongside other dishes, wash thepotatoes, prick the skin and bake forapprox. 50 minutes at 160°C.Rice is a light side dish that is alsoeasily cooked in the oven. Calculateapprox. 40–50 g of dry rice per personfor a side dish, or 70–80 g per personfor a main dish. When cooked, riceexpands to about 3 times its dryvolume. Wholemeal rice requires 5–10minutes longer to cook than white rice.Pasta is highly versatile, and availableboth fresh and dried in many shapesand sizes. It is ideal for bakes, and isalways a good store cupboard ingredient.Wholemeal pasta is a healthyalternative, but it will take about 5-10minutes longer to cook than the whitevarieties.242