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

- 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?

- 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.

- Bez, 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... Oops.

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

- I can do this!

- Here's the blender.

- Blenda Brethyn.

(blender whirs) - It will all be beautifully easy, I promise.

- You're my type of woman, Mary!

(upbeat music) - I know that many people lead such busy lives that cooking takes a back seat, and queen of daytime TV, Lorraine Kelly, is no exception.

- Okay, here we go.

- Thank you both so much.

Actually, Kate is gonna come to join me as we continue.

- [Producer] Stand by.

Vicky to read on cue.

- [Mary] Lorraine's daughter, Rosie, has asked for my help.

She's about to fly the nest, and as the cook in the family, she's worried how her mum will cope.

- I always feel a little bit nervous watching her, especially when it's not in the studio and it's outside.

- I just love her, so I think we'll get on like good pals.

- [Rosie] Yeah.

- [Mary] I'm determined to teach Lorraine some basics so Rosie can leave home with a clear conscience.

- (laughs) Mary!

And Rosie!

- [Rosie] And me, but mainly Mary.

- You look gorgeous!

- Am I allowed?

Am I allowed?

Mwah, mwah, mwah.

Mwah, mwah, mwah.

- I love a challenge.

- Well, this is the thing, because Rosie does all the cooking and not me.

I am absolutely useless.

- It will be a huge pleasure to teach you some very simple things that you'll enjoy.

- Right.

That's what it's all about, isn't it?

- I think that's why you don't do it, 'cause you don't like it.

- Well, if anybody's going to help me, it's gonna be you, Mary.

You can sprinkle some magic.

- I've got a bucket of magic.

- I can't really cook in my high heels, though.

Can I go and be comfy?

- [Rosie] The excuses have already started.

(all laughing) - I think we should, I'll go and get changed.

- Off you go.

(gentle music) So, Lorraine, what can you cook?

(Lorraine inhales) - You can do a chili.

- Oh, yeah, I can!

I can do a sort of- - 'Cause you just throw things in the pot, and then you can do that.

- I can do a sort of basic chili if you cut everything up for me and leave it in wee bowls.

- Now, wait a minute.

Can't you do it, chopping it up?

- No, I... Rosie does that.

(both laughing) - You have a little sous chef to oneself.

- I have a little sous chef, which is great.

But yeah, chili's a pretty basic one, really.

- What about baked beans?

- Oh, baked beans on toast is my absolute go-to.

Oh, absolutely, especially if I'm on my own.

- Sometimes you burn the toast, though.

- I know.

- Or don't toast the toast enough.

- Dear.

- It's never quite... - Never quite right, is it?

- Quite right.

- I think I need to help you.

- I think you do!

(gentle music) - There's no easier place to start than a stir fry, and this one is perfect for anyone like Lorraine who's new to cooking.

I promise you it's very, very easy.

The whole thing is done in no time, once you've done the prep.

- Right, see that's where... You're really good at that, because you do all the prep as if you're going to be doing a show.

Rosie always cuts everything up.

- I likes things in little bowls.

- She likes things in little bowls.

She does.

- You must endorse what I say, and don't let Mum wander off and do her own thing.

It's time Mum did it, so let's get going.

- It really is.

- Okay!

- Preparing all the ingredients first is the key to a good stir fry, starting with the rump steak.

They just need to be cut into strips, a little bit bigger than a pencil, and do it lengthways.

- Lengthways, right, okay.

- Cutting against the grain like this will make the steak so tender.

Try to do them in fairly even sized pieces.

- I think that might be a big ask!

(both giggling) Stop your giggling!

- Sorry!

- You're supposed to be helping!

- [Mary] A marinade will tenderize the steak even more and give it a deep, rich flavor.

This one starts with a tablespoon of soy sauce.

- [Lorraine] There it goes.

Boink!

- That was not a tablespoon.

- [Rosie] No.

- It didn't come to the top.

- [Mary] I'll do another wee half.

Next in is a small chili, finely chopped, and then the juice of half a lime.

- That goes in!

- Mix in the beef, and while that is marinating, we can prepare the vegetables.

Rosie, can you speed it up?

We'll be here all day!

(Lorraine laughs) Cutting everything roughly the same size will make it cook evenly.

- And I could actually do this before I took the dogs out for a walk, or before I would go to a wee exercise class, or before you do something, you get it all out.

- [Rosie] Uh-huh.

- What a busy day you have!

(Lorraine laughs) - With everything prepared, this will cook in a flash.

First into a hot pan goes a tablespoon of sunflower oil.

That's it.

And then in goes the meat.

- [Lorraine] Ta-da!

- [Mary] Spread it out.

That's it.

(meat sizzling) And then I'm going to season it like that.

And keep working at it.

- Oh, right.

- [Mary] Black pepper.

- Gosh, that's going fast, isn't it?

Oh, that's starting to look like something!

- And you're scratching across the bottom of the pan, so all the goodness has come out.

- [Lorraine] Ah, that's right, that's right.

- You're doing it!

- I'm doing it!

I'm cooking!

(both laughing) - [Mary] Steak done, a drop more oil in the pan, and it's on to the vegetables, starting with the onion.

- [Lorraine] Sizzle, sizzle!

- Give that a good stir, then add the rest.

That's it.

- It's all going in, it's all going in.

Maybe I should use two hands.

That might be better.

- There you go.

- Ta-da!

I like this!

This is great fun!

- So that's it!

- It's fun!

- Just keep turning that.

- Oh, thank you.

- Don't forget the last leaves.

(laughs) - [Lorraine] And just keep turning it?

- That's all right, isn't it, Rosie?

- It's good, it looks good.

- After three minutes, I'll add my Thai flavored sauce, made with freshly grated ginger, Thai red paste, sweet chili sauce, coconut milk, and cornflour.

It's a bit like making custard.

- I've never made custard in my life!

(laughs) I've never made anything in my life, that's the trouble.

- There's nothing tricky about this.

- No!

- It's easy to do.

In goes the sauce, all the whole lot in.

That's it.

And the sauce is almost bubbling, add the meat.

- What do you think?

Is that bubbling?

- [Mary] Oh, yes.

- I think it's bubbling.

- I can see bubbles, yeah.

It's bubbling.

- Oh, that smells great!

Wow!

- [Mary] Some fresh Thai basil will add extra flavor.

- I'm actually amazed at how easy that was, to be honest.

Have you just been kidding on all these years?

(all laughing) - For your first time, hasn't she done well?

- Really well.

- [Mary] Lorraine Kelly has made my fragrant Thai beef stir fry all from scratch.

Delicious.

- This is really good!

- It's very good.

- Well, it's been a sheer pleasure showing you this, because you're so enthusiastic!

- Thank you so much.

Because this is just great, and I can do this.

- [Rosie] Mm.

- So when you move out, I won't starve!

I don't feel so scared now.

(gentle music) - Lorraine gets the hang of things fast.

Here's another easy recipe that's perfect to build up her confidence.

It's very light, it's aromatic, and it has those lovely Thai flavors.

Simply pop a chicken breast into a liter of cold chicken stock.

If you put it into boiling stock, it'll toughen the outside of the breast.

Bring that to the boil, and then a very slow simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes.

While that poaches away, absorbing all the flavor from the stock, I've time to prepare the veg.

I've got two shallots here.

Now, these are banana shallots.

They're bigger than a normal shallot.

They're a lot easier to handle.

Shallots have a slightly stronger flavor than onions, and you can imagine it looks rather nice when you come across these little circles.

They add great interest to the soup.

Slice 115 grams of button mushrooms, and we're almost there.

This recipe, from start to finish, is about 15 minutes.

Very, very quick and easy, and so delicious.

Keep an eye on the chicken breast.

Overcooked, it can be tough and tasteless.

So to know when it's done, it should be firm, with just the slightest give in the middle, and as it cools, it'll finish cooking.

While that rests, a little magic to transform the stock into a scrumptious broth.

First of all, the shallots, in they go in their beautiful little rings.

Then those mushrooms.

(gentle music) And now to all the Thai aromatic flavors.

A couple of cloves of garlic, which I've grated.

Then I've got some ginger, again, that I've grated.

Half a red chili.

It's lovely to come across those flecks of red.

And to keep things easy, a shop-bought shortcut, Thai green curry paste.

I can certainly smell the lemongrass.

I can well remember going to Thailand with my husband, and I was bowled over by the food, it was so light and refreshing and aromatic.

I loved it.

To complete those Thai flavors, some sweet in the form of muscovado sugar, and salt from fish sauce.

Just simmer gently for five minutes.

(upbeat music) Finally, some pak choi.

It gives a wonderful color to the recipe.

But essential to put it in at the very end, otherwise it loses that wonderful crunch, and you might just as well have used spinach.

Just to slice the chicken and the prep's done.

This one chicken breast is going to serve six, and there really is plenty.

You don't need any more.

Now throw everything back in the broth.

Lovely.

A large squeeze of lime.

While that's just finishing cooking, I'm going to clear the decks.

Seems a lot of green about.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Thai noodle soup without noodles.

I cooked the egg noodles exactly as it said on the packet, and it's best to do them separately from the soup, because it's difficult to serve otherwise.

Beautifully fresh.

I can't wait to taste this.

Where's the chicken?

It's gone down to the bottom.

There's some.

How easy was that?

Some fresh coriander and this simple, satisfying soup is ready.

Right, here goes.

(upbeat music) It really is scrumptious.

There's a lovely crunch of that pak choi.

It's absolutely delicious.

The kitchen may be my domain, but I think I could easily make myself at home in Lorraine's dressing room.

This is your world.

- It's my little sanctuary, Mary.

- [Rosie] It's like a Tardis!

- It is, it's actually, there's quite a lot in here, isn't there, when you look at it.

- [Mary] Well, you do like a bit of color, don't you?

- I do, I do.

- As I look round.

- I think it was breakfast telly when it first started out, our boss always said that we had to look like eternal summer.

So I think that's kind of stuck with me.

- I've never seen so many clothes.

It's like a shop.

Tell me about this one.

- I love that.

That's my favorite.

I wore that for the Christmas show, and I really love it.

It's just really good.

I like a bit of blingy silliness.

- Oh!

- How about that?

- Mary, you have to take that.

That's you!

Oh, oh.

- Just a minute.

- It's a much, it's a much sought after thing!

- [Mary] What is it?

- It's Ben Shepherd as a blanket.

Every woman should have a Ben Shepherd blanket!

(laughs) It's a must-have!

- I am not going deeper!

I mustn't get distracted by Lorraine's wardrobe.

I'm here to help.

(gentle music) When Rosie leaves home and Lorraine needs something hearty after a long day in stilettos, this recipe couldn't be easier.

What's brilliant about this is most of the ingredients are in the store cupboard.

Roughly chop one onion, and if time is short, you could even use a bag of chopped supermarket veg.

Then to the red pepper, this is a good one.

Again, no fine dicing, just cut into bite-sized pieces.

That's all the chopping done, it's as easy as that.

I've heated the pan.

Two tablespoons of oil.

In goes the onion.

Red pepper not only is a lovely flavor, but it also gives that color.

A few minutes is all that it will take to release their flavor.

Then in goes the garlic.

Don't put it in too early because it burns quickly.

(vegetables sizzling) Next go in the spices, essential for the chili.

A tablespoon each of cumin, coriander, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, and a quarter of a teaspoon of chili.

That looks pretty colorful now.

Fry the spices for 30 seconds to bring them to life.

Oh, the smell is wonderful.

If you want the same results as I'm getting, do use measuring spoons.

That's something Lorraine wasn't used to.

What she will like is there's no more measuring here.

Just throw in two drained cans of beans.

I like to have mixed because you get all different textures, and colors too.

(gentle music) Then a can of chopped tomatoes.

And now, time for the liquids.

Passata, that's just sieved tomato, and it makes a lovely sauce.

Don't have to measure that.

In goes half a pint of vegetable stock and a tablespoon of tomato puree.

Well, that looks good, it's bubbling away.

Finally, one tablespoon of tasty sweet mango chutney.

And I'm nearly there, it was really easy.

This is a glorious bright red color, and I'm wearing the perfect shirt, because very likely, it will splash my shirt and it won't matter, will it?

It's made for it.

Add a little seasoning and cover to simmer for 40 minutes.

(gentle music continues) Oh, that looks at bit of all right.

Now, that has thickened up.

The starchiness of the beans has done that.

To make it extra special, a tin of sweetcorn will add color and crunch.

I think it perfects the dish.

But I have difficulty in opening these ring cans.

I haven't got the strength that I had before.

So if you just take a spoon and pull that up and over, and then, I can't pull that up, particularly on Darcy's dog food, I have difficulty, and I might have difficulty here, so let's put that in, and it will just pull up like that quite easily.

(upbeat music) Finally, some fresh coriander.

Looks so tempting, and no meat in sight.

Great for vegetarians.

But I think everyone will love it.

My mixed bean chili, an easy go-to any novice could rustle up with confidence.

And it's hot.

Well, I'm quite chuffed with that.

It really is delicious.

If you want it hotter, add more chili, but it's just right for me.

(chili bubbling) (gentle music) While Lorraine doesn't quite share my passion for cooking, there's one thing we both adore, our dogs, Ruby and Freddie.

So, this is part of your routine, as soon as you've finished work?

- Yeah, I like to take the dogs out.

We like to do that, don't we, Rose?

- [Rosie] Yeah.

- We're always armed with a poo bag.

- Me too!

- Every coat I've got on.

- Every pocket's got a poo bag, and treats in the pocket.

But I love wee sausage dogs, they're just wee characters, you know, they're just lovely characters.

- [Rosie] Go on, Ruby.

- Ooh, ooh, ooh.

- Come on.

- Hey, baby.

- Up, up, up.

- [Mary] Come on, then.

- Are you gonna show Mary a trick?

Down.

Over.

- Aw!

- Good girl!

Good girl!

- How cute!

- Did you see that?

- [Lorraine] So clever.

- Circus dog.

- Circus pup.

- Your life is so busy.

Do you ever relax?

- Um, taking the dogs out for a walk, that's relaxing.

What do you find relaxing?

- I think cooking, for me.

- Is it?

- Yeah, it's all the preparation and hosting.

If you plan, which I do like a plan, and I like a spreadsheet.

(Lorraine laughs) - So I don't find it relaxing, I would find it very stressful to cook.

- But we're going to teach you.

- We are.

- Okay.

- Like Rosie, I love to host, and I think fish is the easiest way to impress when you're new to cooking.

(upbeat music) Do you like fish?

- Love fish.

I really do, I think it's fantastic.

- Well, I'm going to leave the fish as fish.

I'm not mucking it about.

- Okay.

- I've chosen to do sea bream.

A filet takes so little time to cook.

It sees the pan, and you get the crispy skin, turn it over, and just finish it off when it's a pale brown.

- Fantastic.

- [Mary] Rosie and I are stepping back for this one.

Lorraine is starting with the delicious sauce, bringing 200 mil of double cream to the boil.

- Ah!

(laughs) Oh, no!

- Now I want her to add two level teaspoons of mustard and the juice of half a lemon.

Check no pips.

That's it, in it goes.

- No pips, no pips.

- That's it.

- Ta-da-da-da-da!

- Pepper and salt.

So that's your sauce.

Can you manage?

- Seriously?

Is that it?

- Bit of mustard thickens it up a bit.

- Right.

- [Mary] So that couldn't be simpler.

Now for the fish.

Pan frying is great for busy beginners like Lorraine.

First thing is to salt and pepper both sides.

- Never seen you do this.

- I've never done this, that's why.

(all laughing) - That's right.

And a little bit of pepper and salt on the other side.

- Ta-da-da!

I love fish, but I've never actually cooked it, to be honest.

- Well, I'll wait till the end to see whether you've liked it.

(both laughing) So there it is, all ready to go on.

Add oil first, then butter for flavor.

And it'll sizzle, I hope.

- Yes, it will.

- There we are.

I like the skin on, it keeps the flavor in.

Then always, skin-side down first.

- Oh, look at that!

- Ooh!

- Ooh, that's magic!

(laughs) - Then you just wait until the skin has become crispy and brown.

As with all fish, the important thing to remember is not to overcook it.

It's a great thing to have in your repertoire.

You could do this with salmon.

You could do it with any filet of fish.

- But it takes no time.

This is, again, it's easy and quick.

- Turn that over.

- Oh, come here, you wee thing.

- Use your spoon, Mum.

- Pretend it's like a pancake.

- Turn over!

Boing!

Yeah, I don't do them either.

- That is sheer perfection!

Look at that.

Rosie?

There we are.

- There we are.

- Over again.

- It's looking not too bad, isn't it?

- Yeah, great.

- Smells good.

- What do you mean?

It's looking really good.

There's no confidence here, come on.

- There's a lot more than there was, Mary, you've taught me well.

- It's so much better to just slightly under-cook it in the pan, and it will go on cooking it within its own heat.

- Ooh!

I'm making it more complicated than it should be.

There we are.

- Wonderful.

As a side, samphire is the perfect partner for sea bream.

It's beautifully salty.

- [Rosie] How do you know when it's done?

- So you just boil it for a few minutes.

- Right.

- If you overcook it, it loses its color.

That's it.

- [Lorraine] Yeah, so it's really quick.

- And it tastes so good.

Before serving, throw a handful of chopped chives into the creamy sauce.

Do you think it needs any more pepper and salt or lemon juice?

- I don't think so.

What do you think?

- I think it's fine.

- Mm.

- Time to plate up, and I think I'll do it.

Can you cut the lemon in half?

- Sure.

- Then a little bit of that on top.

- Ready with my lemon.

(both chuckling) - [Mary] And then samphire just there, and that really is- - Look at that.

- Really smart.

- That looks so good.

- [Mary] And takes no time to do.

- No, but it looks so impressive, that's the thing.

Do you know what, Mary, I think I could do this.

- There we are.

- Yeah.

- [Mary] Made in minutes, my simple sea bream on a creamy chive sauce is a guaranteed knockout for any kitchen novice.

- [Rosie] It looks very fancy.

- Mm-hm.

- Doesn't it?

- How about a taste?

Are you ready?

- I think so.

(upbeat music) That is really good.

You could pay a fortune for that in a restaurant.

- So crispy.

- Mm hmm, it's nice.

I need to taste some of this samphire though, because I've never had that before.

Mm.

- You've obviously enjoyed it.

All you've got to do now is put it to practice.

- There's no stopping me.

I'm going for it.

That's it.

- I know, I can't stop eating it.

- You're redundant.

(laughs) - You keep an eye on her.

(both laughing) - To finish things off, I have a sweet treat that will take the fear out of making pastry, and it's wonderful when you need to whip up something impressive in a flash.

This really is an express pie.

You don't have to blind bake the pastry, you don't have to pre-cook the filling.

I love the combination of apples and pears and lemons.

Nothing could be simpler.

So I've used Bramley apples, but if you've got some dessert apples that are getting past their best and the skin's a bit wrinkly, you could use those instead.

Apples ready, now on to the pears.

It's a nice combination, and very often, it's either apples or pears, and I think they go really well together.

Pears peeled, simply quarter, core, and roughly cube, just like the apples.

If you do have to do it ahead, you can just put a little bit of lemon juice over those and it'll stop them going brown.

I think this simple pie might entice Lorraine to baking.

So, this is a real shortcut.

In goes six tablespoons of good lemon curd.

Then give that a good stir, and that will stop it discoloring because of the lemon.

So, really very express and very quick.

So there's no need to sort of weigh out sugar or add other things to it, it's just lemon curd, and you can imagine lemon, apples, pears, absolutely delicious.

Put that aside, and another shortcut, shop-bought puff pastry.

I find it best just to press in three on top like that, and then get rolling.

Take time to roll out the pastry to about a quarter of a centimeter in thickness, turning to keep it even.

That's it.

You certainly don't need to go to the gym.

As the pastry spreads, make sure it doesn't stick by dusting a little extra flour.

I think that Lorraine would enjoy doing this because it isn't difficult, not having to make the pastry.

An easy tip, use a pan lid as a guide to cut the circle.

It doesn't matter if it looks a bit homely and not quite even.

At least they'll know you didn't go to the shops and buy it.

(upbeat music) There we are, all the way round.

Just pop on a lined baking tray and prick the pastry to stop it rising, then pile on the filling.

I'm gonna put this right in the middle, not quite to the edges, and I'll do that in one go.

There we are.

The lemon curd not only gives it a lovely flavor, but it gives it a nice shine and it makes it all stick together.

You can always push it out a bit later.

Better to keep it all towards the middle to start with.

Brush the edge with beaten egg to help it stick when folded.

Go around like that.

And you will notice that the lemon curd sort of flows out a bit.

It's all part of its charm.

If it drips over the top, it doesn't matter.

This is home baking.

To hold all that delicious filling in place, roll the edge, pinching the pastry to form a rim.

This is all very informal, you can do just what you like at the edge.

Just give it a twist at that roll, and away it goes.

Even do it with a fork if you wish, but it must give a rim so the lemon curd doesn't spill out.

Looks home-made, doesn't it?

A second brush with the egg will give it a shine when cooked.

I'm gonna take that spoon again and push it to the edges.

You couldn't have an easier, quicker pie to make.

Sprinkle demerara sugar for added crunch.

Then it's into a 200 fan oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, until gorgeously golden brown.

It's had its time and it's a good color.

Wow.

A dusting of icing sugar just makes it.

(upbeat music) There's nothing quite like the smell of an apple pie.

Did you hear that little bit of crunch then, going through the pastry?

How about that?

You'd be very proud if you'd made that.

I am anyway.

There we are.

The proof of my foolproof pudding is in the eating.

Let's see what Lorraine and Rosie make of it.

(smooth music) So, you were up at goodness knows what time this morning, sort of 5:30 or something.

I think this is a treat you deserve.

- Thank you, it's beautiful.

- Let's just cut through.

- Ooh.

- Oh, look at that.

Oh.

Oh, that's gorgeous!

Isn't it?

- Yeah.

- I think the combination of pears and apples is really good.

- This is great, and that tanginess of the lemon as well.

You know what, I think I could give this a go.

- You could do that.

- I'm not intimidated now, Mary!

I feel as if I could do anything!

- Thank you so much.

I feel like you're gonna be okay.

- I know!

I think I am.

- You now know how to cook.

- I do, and taught by- - Yeah, the best.

- You keep her up to scratch.

- Thank you.

- Here's to your successful cooking.

- Cheers!

- Cheers.

- Cheers, thank you so much, cheers!

- [Mary] Next time... - Whoa!

- Not too fast!

AJ and I soak up the peacefulness of the garden.

- I love it!

You're Mary Berry, she's Straw Berry.

- [Mary] And I show her cooking can be just as stress-free.

- This is very therapeutic.

Cin-cin.

Wherever you go, I follow.

- [Mary] I like to hear that.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (no audio)