Top recipes for May 2013

Every month we round-up your top 20 recipes as voted by you. What one will you be making this May? From cakes to family meals, we've got plenty of delicious recipes to keep you occupied in the kitchen this month...

Sweet potato, red onion and chilli soup

Every month we round-up your top 20 recipes as voted by you. What one will you be making this May? From cakes to family meals, we've got plenty of delicious recipes to keep you occupied in the kitchen this month...

Every month we round-up your top 20 recipes as voted by you. So if you fancy trying something new - take a look at the most popular recipes on goodtoknow right now.

From cakes to family meals, we've got plenty of delicious recipes to keep you occupied in the kitchen this May and with bank holiday weekends to look forward to you'll have plenty of time to get experimenting.

It seems like spring has finally sprung and the sun is here to stay (we hope we haven't spoken too soon!) and have plenty of spring recipes to tempt your taste buds.

Whether you're in the mood for making a classic dessert, like Eton mess or fancy trying a new soup for your mid-week lunch, like our sweet potato, red onion and chilli soup - you'll be spoilt for choice this month.

If there are any recipes that you'd like to make or save for later, store them in your very own online recipe book. And don't forget if you make any of our recipes share them with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Now, click through our gallery of the top 20 recipes for May to see all the most popular recipes on goodtoknow this month

20. Sweet potato, red onion and chilli soup

Good for: When you fancy something different for lunch.

Flavours: A rich, thick soup with a smooth texture and a spicy red chilli kick.

Time it takes to make: 25 mins

Why we love it: Soup doesn't have to be boring, this delicious recipe is the perfect example of how to jazz up your lunch time. You don't need to spend hours waiting for it to cook either, just a handful of ingredients and 15 mins on the hob and it's ready to be enjoyed.

Top tip: If you don't want your soup to be too spicy, stir through some sour cream to diffuse the heat - it gives the soup a delicious creamy finish too.

Get the recipe: Sweet potato, red onion and chilli soup

19. Courgette, tomato and mozzarella gratin

Courgette, tomato and mozzarella gratin

Good for: A summery spin on your usual sides.

Flavours: Creamy mozzarella with fresh courgette and rich tomato.

Time it takes to make: 45 mins

Why we love it: The combination of this trio of ingredients is such a simple one but we guarantee it will become one of your go-to recipes when you fancy something fresh and healthy as a starter or side.

Top tip: If you want to serve it as a main and are feeding more than 4 people, double the ingredients or add some cooked chicken.

Get the recipe: Courgette, tomato and mozzarella gratin

18. Chicken and chorizo pasta

Chicken and chorizo pasta

Good for: A speedy week-night supper.

Flavours: A classic tomato-based sauce with spicy, meaty flavours from the chorizo.

Time it takes to make: 20 mins

Why we love it: Ready in just 20 mins, this recipe uses chorizo to give standard tomato pasta a delicious Spanish twist. It proves you don't need to spend out on lots of different ingredients to give your meals a delicious new spin.

Top tip: You need to buy whole chorizo sausages for this dish rather than the sliced variety.

Get the recipe: Chicken and chorizo pasta

17. Eton mess

Eton Mess Recipes

Good for: When you're in the mood for something sweet and simple.

Flavours: Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, a creamy blend of meringue with fresh chunks of strawberries.

Time it takes to make: 10 mins

Why we love it: If you've never made Eton mess before you really must try it. It's such a simple dessert to whip up. You simply crumble some meringues (shop-bought or homemade), whip up some cream and add some strawberries - easy!

Top tip: If you want to bulk up your Eton mess recipe; raspberries, blackberries and blueberries would work a treat.

Get the recipe: Eton mess

16. Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana

Good for: Making something different with your chicken.

Flavours: Tender chicken breasts covered in a crisp, cheesy breadcrumb coating.

Time it takes to make: 50 mins

Why we love it: It can be hard to think of new ways to cook chicken - especially when you look in the cupboards and there isn't much in. Bread and cheese are all you need to turn your meat into this dish - and we've normally always got those in, right?

Top tip: Instead of frying your chicken breasts you could cook them under the grill or bake them in the oven to cut down on calories.

Get the recipe: Chicken parmigiana

15. Carrot and banana cake

Carrot and banana cake

Good for: When you've got bananas browning in the fruit bowl.

Flavours: A super-soft moist sponge with a dense fruity flavour.

Time it takes to make: 1hr 30 mins

Why we love it: If you're getting fed up of the same old carrot cake this is a great way to give it a twist - add some bananas! Not only do the bananas add a great flavour, they also make the sponge extra moist - a delicious quality bake.

Top tip: Top this tasty treat with dried bananas or grated carrot for a rustic finish.

Get the recipe: Carrot and banana cake

14. Paul Hollywood's crusty cob loaf

Paul Hollywood's cob loaf recipe from The Great British Bake Off

(Image credit: The Great British Bake Off)

Good for: Perfecting your baking skills.

Flavours: A thick crusted loaf with a spongy, soft centre.

Time it takes to make: 2hrs 30 mins

Why we love it: Paul Hollywood is the king of bread recipes so if you want to bake a perfect loaf - this is the recipe to try. Impress when you've got guests coming over by serving it straight from the oven - it's much better than shop-bought loaves!

Top tip: When proving the dough leave it in a warm place not overly hot though otherwise the yeast won't work properly.

Get the recipe: Paul Hollywood's crusty cob loaf

13. Slimming World's chicken and leek pie

Slimming World's chicken and leek pie

Good for: Feeding the whole family when you're eating healthily.

Flavours: Cheese-coated mash tops a tangy chicken, leek and veg filling.

Time it takes to make: 1hr 30 mins

Why we love it: Chicken and leek are a dream combination. The tangy veg brings lots of flavour to the meat - and the light stock-based filling is a healthy way to cook chicken in a pie.

Top tip: When cooking your sweet potato and potato together make sure you cut them into similar size chunks so they cook at the same time.

Get the recipe: Slimming World's chicken and leek pie

12. Rhubarb crumble

Crumle with rhubard

Good for: Treating your family at the weekend.

Flavours: Tangy rhubarb filling with a buttery, oat topping.

Time it takes to make: 1hr

Why we love it: How good does this classic rhubarb crumble look? We're sure the whole family will love it too! It doesn't take much to make this dessert either, especially not with our step-by-step recipe - 45 mins in the oven and voila!

Top tip: If you want to save time you can buy already made crumble mix instead of making your own.

Get the recipe: Rhubarb crumble

11. Potato salad

Potato salad

Good for: Serving at a BBQ.

Flavours: Creamy, soft potatoes with fresh tarragon and tangy chives.

Time it takes to make: 25 mins

Why we love it: If you're looking for a simple and easy side dish that the whole family will tuck into without any complaints, this recipe is the one. This potato salad is great for serving at a BBQ alongside chicken or steak.

Top tip: Leave the skins on the potatoes to add more flavour to the dish - plus you'll be getting more fibre too.

Get the recipe: Potato salad

10. Slimming World's tuna penne niçoise

Slimming World's tuna penne niçoise

Good for: When the sun is shining at lunch time.

Flavours: Soft egg, tuna chunks, fresh greens, sweet cherry tomatoes drizzled with a wholegrain mustard-based dressing - delicious!

Time it takes to make: 25 mins

Why we love it: This recipe turns tinned tuna into a fancy salad that you can serve to your friends when it's your turn to host lunch. Packed with protein, this dish will keep you full until dinner time.

Top tip: If you don't have penne you could use spaghetti or any other kind of pasta instead.

Get the recipe: Slimming World's tuna penne niçoise

9. Rocky road

Rocky road recipe

Good for: Keeping the kids occupied at the weekend.

Flavours: A rich chocolate flavour with gooey marshmallow, crunchy biscuit and Malteser chunks.

Time it takes to make: 2hr 45 mins

Why we love it: Homemade rocky road is much better than shop-bought as you can add all sorts of sweet treats to the mix. Leftovers would be perfect served with ice cream for dessert the next day - that's if there are any leftovers of course!

Top tip: Try adding chopped nuts and dried fruit for a fancy version.

Get the recipe: Rocky road

8. Asparagus carbonara

Asparagus carbonara

Good for: When you're looking for something quick but delicious.

Flavours: Deliciously fresh combination of asparagus and parsley with a simple creamy sauce.

Time it takes to make: 25 mins

Why we love it: This recipe is a much healthier than your average pasta dish as it has a simple lower-fat sauce and healthy dose of vegetables.

Top tip: If you decide to use fresh tagliatelle, reduce the cooking time - fresher pasta will cook much quicker.

Get the recipe: Slimming World's asparagus carbonara

7. Giant rainbow cupcake

Giant rainbow cupcake

(Image credit: Picasa)

Good for: Special occasions.

Flavours: You can flavour the sponges and buttercream - this amazing recipe is all about the visuals!

Time it takes to make: 1hr 35 mins

Why we love it: How impressive does this cake look? With 9 mouth-watering layers of bright sponge, this cake is sure to get the kids jumping for joy when you cut into it. It's a real crowd pleaser and it tastes delicious - win-win!

Top tip: If you have any sponge left, don't throw it away - blitz it and make rainbow cake pops!

Get the recipe: Giant rainbow cupcake

6. BBQ tandoori chicken

6. BBQ tandoori chicken

Good for: Sharing with friends and family in the sunshine.

Flavours: A flavoursome marinade made with a blend of cumin, coriander and chilli.

Time it takes to make: 35 mins

Why we love it: We just love chicken, especially when it's covered in this deliciously spicy marinade. Plenty of flavour, without too much effort, serve these tasty chicken bites to your family and your taste buds will be dancing all night.

Top tip: You could try this marinade on other meats such as turkey, beef or lamb instead.

Get the recipe: BBQ tandoori chicken

5. Hairy Bikers' steak and ale pie

The Hairy Bikers' steak and ale pie

Good for: Cold evenings in.

Flavours: Chunks of tender beef in a rich, meaty sauce with juicy vegetables and a crisp crust.

Time it takes to make: 1hr 40 mins

Why we love it: The family are just going to love this thick, deep-dished pie - plenty of meat, plenty of pastry - and plenty of veggies too (but don't worry - it's so tasty, they'll never notice!) All you need is a large plate and some even larger appetites.

Top tip: You could buy ready-made puff pastry to speed up the cooking process.

Get the recipe: Hairy Bikers' steak and ale pie

4. Victoria sponge

Victoria Sandwich

Good for: When you fancy baking a classic.

Flavours: A soft, vanilla-infused sponge with a tangy raspberry jam and fresh cream filling.

Time it takes to make: 35 mins

Why we love it: Nothing beats a classic Victoria sponge recipe - once you find the perfect one, it will never let you down. Served with fresh strawberries, this cake is a great way to start celebrating the spring sunshine with your friends and family.

Top tip: If you want to save this cake for a special occasion, freeze the unfilled sponge in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Get the recipe: Victoria sponge

3. Basic cupcake mixture

Woman's Weekly basic cupcake mixture

Good for: Decorating with the kids.

Flavours: Moist and soft vanilla sponges.

Time it takes to make: 40 mins

Why we love it: These cupcakes are so simple to make, you can adapt the recipe to suit your tastes - like adding in lemon juice and zest to make lemon cupcakes, for example. They're also great for practising your cupcake decorating skills seriously or messily with the kids.

Top tip: If you want to keep all of your cupcakes the same height when baking, use the same spoon or an ice cream scoop to fill your cases.

Get the recipe: Basic cupcake mixture

2. Hairy Bikers' Spanish-style chicken bake

Photo: Spanish style chicken bake

Good for: A Spanish-themed night with the family.

Flavours: A spicy, tomato-based dish with powerful Spanish flavours of chorizo and paprika.

Time it takes to make: 1hr 15 mins

Why we love it: You needs to be in Spain? This tasty dish will make you believe you're sitting in a Spanish restaurant - all you need is a little sunshine! This handy tray bake is also made in just one dish, so it's a little holiday from the washing up too!

Top tip: You don't need to use oil in this recipe, the chorizo is packed with natural fats.

Get the recipe: Hairy Bikers' Spanish-style chicken bake

1. Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake

Mary Berry's three cakes in one - lemon drizzle loaf

Good for: When you've got your family over at the weekend.

Flavours: Tangy lemon cake with a light sponge and crisp lemon-infused icing.

Time it takes to make: 55 mins

Why we love it: Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake is a perfect recipe for all bakers. If you're new to baking, it will help you produce delicious results - fuss-free. If you're more experienced, it will teach you how to perfect a classic - you can even pretend you're in the Bake Off tent!

Top tip: If you fancy experimenting with the flavour of this recipe you could add lime to the mix too or try this recipe using orange instead of lemon for a orange drizzle cake.

Get the recipe:

Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake

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Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies