Man-sized meals for the biggest appetites

Now Lucinda shares her winning strategies for how to sate the seemingly insatiable and get men to manage the kitchen.

Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys aims to bring back the family meal. As well as delicious family recipes there are tips and survival strategies for any situation.

Along with her cooking techniques, strategies and recipes, Lucinda provides empowering advice on how to cook for the men in your life, to feed men's spirits as well as fill their bellies.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1 small tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups brown or green lentils

teaspoon dried thyme

1 small bay leaf

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

4 cups water, plus more if needed

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Croutons (optional)

loaf day-old bread

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

teaspoon coarse salt

Heat a large soup pot over high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and one teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and saut until the vegetables are lightly caramelised, about five minutes. Add the tomato and cook for two minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another two minutes.

Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and the remaining two teaspoons salt. Add the broth and water, and bring to a boil, skimming and discarding any foam as it rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed, thin the soup with additional water or broth for the desired consistency. Serve in a bowl topped with fresh croutons.

To make the croutons, cut the bread into in cubes. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook until it sizzles, about 50 seconds. Add the bread and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about two minutes. Discard the garlic. Sprinkle the croutons with the salt and serve over the soup.

Vinegar Glossed Chicken

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup best quality red wine vinegar

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

(about 1 tablespoon minced)

5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces

(each part should be cut in half)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

cup chicken broth, plus more as needed

At least 15 minutes, but up to two hours, before cooking, combine the vinegar, garlic and rosemary to marinate.

Thoroughly season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat a 14-inch skillet (or two smaller skillets) over high heat and swirl in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down. Don't crowd the chicken; leave space around each piece. Work in batches if necessary. You should hear an immediate sizzle when the chicken pieces hit the pan. Don't move them; it takes a couple of minutes to sear the chicken so it doesn't stick. Brown all sides; this will take 10 minutes per batch. Regulate the heat so it stays high but does not burn the chicken. Place all the browned chicken back in the skillet.

Add the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat, simmer, and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and pour in the vinegar mixture. Swirl the pan and stir around as the vinegar evaporates to form a simmering glaze, eight to 10 minutes. Serve immediately or reheat with some extra broth.

Apple Crisp

Satisfy his sweet tooth with a big, bubbling pan of a buttery, crisp-topped fruit dessert. If you're pie-shy, try this first. There's a lot of room for variation, and it doesn't require precision for success. Sliced fruit – pears or any type of stone fruit such as peach, plum or nectarine work well – fills a buttered baking dish, and a quick topping is sprinkled on before it bakes. Oats and nuts in the topping make this a reasonable healthy dessert, too.

Fruit

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 apples, 2 tart and 2 sweet

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Topping

cup rolled oats

cup brown sugar, light or dark

cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

teaspoon coarse salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter,

cut into small pieces

Optional Topping Add-ins

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 400F. Position a rack in the centre of the oven.

To prepare the fruit, place the lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, core and cut the apples into -inch wedges, tossing the pieces in the lemon juice as they are cut, to prevent browning.

To the apples, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Toss to combine and pour into a buttered 8in x 8in square or oval baking pan. Scatter the butter on top.

Make the topping in the same bowl. Combine the oats, brown sugar, nuts, flour, salt and optional spices. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, a fork, or two knives. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and bake on the centre rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is dark golden and the apples are bubbling. Cool slightly on a wire cooling rack. Scoop out with a large spoon to serve in bowls.

Fruit and topping variations

The rule of thumb is three parts fruit to one part topping to create a good texture. The topping is dry to absorb the juices. For a pear version, use four or five peeled Bosc pears. Switch lemon juice for lime, omit the cinnamon and double the ginger in the topping. For peaches or nectarines, peel and slice six pieces of fruit, and toss in orange juice instead of lemon. Add one teaspoon of orange zest to the topping and increase the flour by cup.

Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys (19.99) is published by Artisan. To order from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop, call 0800 0153232 or go online at www. yorkshirepostbookshop. co.uk. Postage and packing is 2.75.