Veggie gravy

This is a rich hearty vegan gravy that goes really well with just about any traditional British comfort food. It’s perfect for my chestnut, mushroom and pecan roast; veggies sausages and mash; Yorkshire puddings; roasted vegetables; anything you would normally have gravy with basically!

It’s simple to make and can be frozen for up to 3 months; I like to make a big pan and keep a stock in the freezer so I don’t have to make a meaty version for the boys and a veggie one for my daughter when we have a Sunday roast. I do the same thing with nut roasts as they divide into about 6-8 slices and as only 3 of us eat it at a time, I can freeze the rest and use it next time.

Ingredients

Makes 1.3 L

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 onions, chopped

• 2 sticks of celery, chopped finely

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 8 g dried porcini mushrooms

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 2 tbsp Marsala wine

• 2 tsp dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1.5 L vegetable stock

• 4 tbsp cornflour

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan. Fry the onion, celery, carrot, porcini, bay and thyme gently for 20 minutes.

• Then add the Marsala and cook for 2 minutes, before adding the tomato purée, stock, Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and simmer for a further 45 minutes or until the carrots are really soft.

• At this point I used a hand blender to blitz the veggies before passing through a sieve, but you could just mash them through with a fork. Obviously you’ll have quite a bit of left over veggie matter, but you’ve squeezed out most of the good stuff!

• Mix the cornflour with a little water so it is all dissolved into a thick paste.

• Pour the gravy back into the pan and heat to a gentle simmer.

• Add half the cornflour mix, but make sure you whisk it in quickly with a fork or you’ll get lumps. Allow the gravy to thicken and add the rest of the cornflour gradually until you get the right consistency. It will take about 3-5 minutes for the cornflour to work. You may not need to use all of it, or you might want to add more depending on how thick you like your gravy!

• Add red wine vinegar, salt and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Tip

• If you don’t have Marsala, you could switch for sherry, vermouth, madeira or port.

Chestnut, mushroom & pecan roast

I know nut roasts are a bit retro, the original vegetarian alternative, but believe it or not they’ve come on a bit since those dense, claggy 80s originals. They’ve become a bit more imaginative since those days with less nuts and more veggies, sourdough crumbs instead of plain and added spices and herbs to make them a bit more interesting. I think the other thing that puts people off is the perception that nuts roasts are quite labour intensive, well, in this recipe I’ve tried to keep the chopping and ingredients to a minimum so it’s not too much work. You can also freeze a few slices so next time all you have to do is defrost!

The fact is this much maligned veggie alternative works really well in place of meat with a roast dinner. After mostly giving up meat last January, I’ve struggled to find a better stand in where roasts are concerned, yes you can buy a Quorn ‘joint’, but it’s never going to be as interesting as a slice full of veggies, spices and nuts; or be as nutritionally diverse.

I’ve tried a few recipes (Felicity Cloake, Jamie Oliver and BBC Good Food) over the last few months and taken inspiration from all of them to create this one. The mushrooms, chestnuts and pecans make a good rich base with a few veggies for freshness crunch and flavour, plus paprika and oregano for depth. I have used plain, rather than smoked paprika (which is used in a lot of nut roast recipes) as I think it works better with traditional British roast flavours.

If you’re making this for Christmas I definitely recommend you make my gravy too as they work perfectly together even if I do say so myself!!). Both can be made ahead and frozen, which is exactly what I’m doing as I’ll be cooking turkey and making a meaty gravy so I don’t want too much work to do on the day!

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 300g chestnut mushrooms, blitzed

• 180g cooked chestnuts, blitzed

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 ½ tsp paprika

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 carrots, grated

• 100g fresh breadcrumbs

• 150g pecans, roughly chopped

• 150g mature cheddar, grated

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment, or I like to use a liner as they just slot in.

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions and celery, frying gently for 20 minutes.

• While they’re cooking blitz the chestnuts in a food processor and then put in a bowl, do the same with the mushrooms - both should be a rough bread crumb like texture, so not pulverised! If you don’t have a processor, just chop finely.

• Turn up the heat a little and add the mushrooms to the pan for 10 minutes until all their water has evaporated and the mix is fairly dry.

• Then put in the garlic and cook for another minute, before adding the chestnuts, oregano and paprika. Allow the paprika to warm for a minute to release it’s flavour, then add the tomato purée mixing well before adding the carrots, breadcrumbs, pecans, cheese, salt and finally the beaten eggs.

• Spoon the mix into the tin, press it down reasonably firmly so it sticks together and cover with tin foil. Place in the oven for 30 minutes then remove the tin foil and put back in for another 15 minutes.

• Serve with my vegan gravy, roasties and lots of greens.

Vegan bolognese

I’ve been working on a good vegan bolognese sauce for a while now as it’s harder to really get a rich flavour into a soya mince sauce. I tried again last night, thinking carefully about which ingredients would bring the right depth of flavour and it turned out really well. My veggie daughter loved it and my carnivore son begrudgingly admitted it was ‘decent’, although this was partly due to the fact that it didn’t have any lentils in it! He is a very reluctant ‘flexitarian’ ie. forced to eat more veggie food than he’d like because that’s what I cook all the time! So if he likes something then it’s a big win for the veggies ;-)

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 onions, chopped

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced

• 1 kg soya mince (I used a mix of Plant Pioneers / Vivera)

• 350ml red wine

• 100g sun dried tomatoes, chopped

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp celery salt

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• A good grind of black pepper

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook for 10 minutes on low. Then add the red pepper for a further 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before putting the soya mince into the pan. Mix well and then turn up the heat and pour in the wine. Allow to bubble and cook off any harsh alcohol flavours and then add the sun-dried, puréed and tinned tomatoes, crumbled stock cube, Worcestershire sauce and celery salt.

• Fill both empty tomato tins with water and pour into the pan. Mix well and cook with the lid off for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the red wine vinegar and seasoning and cook for 5 minutes.

'Chicken' supreme with rice

You can’t get a much more family-friendly veggie recipe than this - it’s classic comfort food which works really well in the colder months and should satisfy even the most committed meat eaters. My carnivore sons who are not especially enamoured with Quorn will eat this without complaint!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 50g butter

• 50g tbsp flour

• 900ml semi skimmed milk

• 1 ½ tsp vegetable bouillon

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• 6 Quorn chicken fillets, sliced or cubed

• 200g frozen peas or sweetcorn

• 220g brown rice or 280g white rice

Method

• First make the bechamel sauce. Add the butter to the pan, melt and then tip in the flour, mix thoroughly and allow to warm through for a minute.

• Start pouring the milk in slowly, 50ml at a time at first, so you don’t get lots of splashing as you whisk it in. Quickly add the next 50ml and repeat until you’ve got to about 300ml and then you can start adding 100ml at a time.

• Once you’ve poured in all the milk leave on a low heat for 15 minutes to cook through and get rid of the floury taste, but whisk or stir regularly so the bottom doesn’t stick and cause lumps.

• Cook the rice as per the instructions on the packet.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and add the Quorn pieces, cooking for for 6-8 minutes until browned on at least a couple of sides.

• Add the Quorn and peas to the white sauce for 5 minutes, or until the peas have warmed through.

Mince pies

I don’t often make mince pies, but this year there’s no stopping me! I’ve already made two batches of 18 - and eaten most of them myself I think! This recipe gives you double the amount of mince that you’ll need for one batch as it’s a good way to save time and effort if you want to make them again. If not just halve the mincemeat ingredients. I’ve reduced the candied peel content in this recipe and added some almonds instead as this is how I prefer the mix, but you could tweak to suit your tastes.

I based the mincemeat recipe on Mary Berry’s as she switches suet for butter, which I think works really well, and I always go back to Jamie Oliver’s sweet short crust pastry as it’s very reliable and I never have any problems with it.

Ingredients

Makes approx 18

Pastry

• 250 g organic plain flour , plus extra for dusting

• 50 g icing sugar , sifted

• 125 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 1 large free-range eggs , beaten

• 1 tbsp milk

Mincemeat

• 50g raisins

• 50g dates

• 50g sultanas

• 50g dried cranberries

• 50g mixed peel

• ½ apple, peeled & chopped into small cubes

• 50g butter

• 30g whole almonds, toasted & roughly chopped

• 120g light brown soft sugar

• ½ orange - juice and zest

• 1 lemon - juice & zest

• 2 tbsp brandy

Method

Pastry

• I use a food processor to make pastry as it’s quick and easy, but you can do it by hand if you prefer.

• First add the flour and icing sugar to the processor and pulse to break up any lumps.

• Then add the butter (take out of the fridge at the last minute) and pulse a few times so the mix turns into a rough bread crumb like texture with the butter evenly distributed through the flour.

• At this point I take out the blades and use a fork to gradually mix in the eggs. Add ½ tbsp of milk and see if the pastry will come together, if it is still a bit crumbly then add the other ½.

• Gently bring the mix together with your hands and tip out onto a clean side. Push the pastry together with your hands to make a round disc ensuring that the mix has properly stuck together, but don’t knead or ‘work’ the pastry at all.

• Wrap tightly in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Mincemeat

• First measure out all the ingredients then put in a large pan and heat gently.

• Simmer for 10 minutes and leave to cool.

• The mix will keep up to 3 months in sterilised jars.

Mince pies

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Roll out the pastry, making sure the rolling pin and side are lightly floured to avoid sticking. Turn the pastry ¼ clockwise each time you roll. And be gentle so you don’t over work and make it tough; keep the rolling to a minimum, but obviously you can’t avoid a certain amount!

• Cut the first 12 x 8-9cm circles and then cut the stars to go on top. You should have enough pastry for a further 6 pies.

• Put the pastry circles into a bun tray and add a small teaspoon of mincemeat (approx 12g) so they are about ¾ full. Don’t overfill as they’ll bubble up too much.

• Then put the stars on top, pressing down lightly on the edges and brushing with milk.

• Place in the oven for 18-20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes.

Homemade granola

Making your own granola is really quick, easy and way cheaper than buying it off the shelf. You can also add the exact mix of ingredients that you like, so no more disappointing bits of dried pineapple to come across. I’m quite particular about the types of dried fruit I like in granola or muesli, I only really like sultanas, raisins and dates, I’ll tolerate a bit of apricot, but that’s about it! So it’s better to make my own, plus I can also add loads of nuts as they’re always a bit scarce in shop-bought packets.

With this recipe you can pick and choose the ingredients that you like to make your own ‘perfect granola’. Switch the nuts, seeds and fruit if there are others that you prefer; if you stick to these proportions you’ll still get a good balance. Same with the spices and vanilla extract, you don’t have to add them if they’re not your thing, the granola will still taste great.

Ingredients

Makes approx 1kg, or 20 servings

• 400g oats

• 200g raisins, or any dried fruit you prefer

• 100g almonds, hazelnuts, cashews or pecans

• 50g pumpkin seeds

• 50g sunflower seeds

• 40g flax seeds

• ½ tsp cinnamon, optional

• 1 tsp ground ginger, optional

• 2 tsp vanilla essence

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 170g runny honey or maple syrup

• 50g desiccated coconut

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc

• Weigh out all the dry ingredients and put all of them, except the desiccated coconut, into a large bowl.

• Put the coconut oil and honey into a pan and gently warm until melted then pour onto the dry ingredients, mix well.

• Tip the granola onto one, or two baking trays so it is a max of about 2 cm deep and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

• Check and turn the mix and put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes, keeping a careful eye on it as you don’t want it to turn too brown. You might need to put it back in for another 5 minutes or so, but watch like a hawk it will suddenly turn! The mix should turn a pale golden colour.

• Serve with Greek yoghurt and homemade fruit compote. Or it work well sprinkled on top of overnight oats or muesli.

superseedy overnight oats

I always think that overnight oats are a nice alternative to porridge as I don’t always fancy a hot breakfast, and they have the bonus of being ready straight away in the morning. You just need to do a little prep the night before. Today I topped with blueberry compote, peanut butter and banana, but there are lots of other options you could try: any kind of fruit compote, chopped nuts or seeds, fresh or dried fruit, desiccated coconut, nut butter or yoghurt.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 200g oats

• 680ml nut milk or organic whole

• 25g flax seeds

• 25g chia seeds

• 25g sunflower seeds

• 25g pumpkin seeds

Blueberry compote

• 200g frozen blueberries

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a lidded tub and leave in the fridge overnight.

• Gently warm the frozen fruit in a saucepan for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly so the heat is distributed evenly, then add the honey if using. Allow to cool.

• Top with compote, peanut butter, banana and a sprinkle of extra sunflower seeds.

Cauliflower, chickpea & feta fritters

Introducing my new favourite fritter; I first made this recipe ages ago and never returned to it. Not sure why as it’s a good un! Anyway, here it is making up for lost time as it’s back with a bang of flavour! Serve with roasted new potatoes, homemade slaw or a green salad. This recipe includes two dips as they’re both very quick to make, but you can choose one or the other. You could also just serve with Sriracha sauce, instead of making it into a mayo.

Ingredients

Makes 10-12 fritters

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

• 1 small cauliflower, weighing about 850g leaves removed

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tin 400g chickpeas

• Handful of parsley, chopped

• 140g feta, crumbled

• 4 tbsp plain flour

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil approx

  Lemon yoghurt

• 8 tbsp yoghurt

• Juice & zest of 1 lemon

• Pinch of salt

Sriracha mayo

• 1 ½ tbsp sriracha sauce

• 6 tbsp mayonnaise

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc. Place the cauliflower florets on a large baking tray and spread so they have a little room between each one, use two trays if any are touching. If you don’t leave enough space around vegetables when you’re roasting them then they will steam and go soggy rather than browned and caramelised.

• Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil over the cauliflower and then sprinkle over the spices and a sprinkle of sea salt, mix well. Roast for 15 minutes and then turn and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

• Set aside to cool and turn the oven down to about 80ºc - you’ll need it to keep the batches of fritters warm later.

• Next drain the chickpeas and dry well with kitchen roll. Blitz in a food processor for a few seconds, so they resemble breadcrumbs.

• Chop the cooled cauliflower into small pieces; you don’t want big chunks as the fritters won’t stick together.

• Put the chickpeas, parsley, crumbled feta, flour and salt into a large bowl and mix well. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and then add to the mix.

• I use a large ice cream scoop to measure and shape each fritter, but you could do it with a big spoon or with scales - aim for about 70-80g each.

• Line a baking tray with parchment and put the raw fritters on it as you make them.

• Make the dressings before you cook the fritters.

• Heat 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan and spread around before adding the first fritters. You’ll need to cook them in batches so the pan doesn’t get over crowded; I do 4-5 each time and I usually need to add about ½ tbsp of oil for each new batch so they don’t stick. Cook for 5 minutes each side on a medium heat until golden brown.

• Put each batch on to another large tray and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

TIP

• Once you’ve shaped the raw mix, you can freeze the fritters at this stage. Find a tray or plate that will fit in your freezer and line it with baking parchment, space out the fritters on it and put in the freezer. Allow to harden for about 1 hour and then bing them off with a knife and transfer to a bag. This way they won’t stick together in a big lump. Defrost thoroughly before cooking.

Leek & sweet potato soup

My original plan to was to make classic leek and potato soup, but seeing some sweet potatoes in the veg rack I ended up taking a left turn and I’m really glad I did as I love this recipe! It makes a hearty nutritious soup with lots of flavour that’s quick and easy to make. I think I’ve decided I’m more of a chunky soup person in general as I really like my food to have different textures and this soup definitely ticks that box. I’ve been eating it for lunch all week and I haven’t even needed any bread as it’s really filling. I’ve used spicy paprika for flavour and to give a kick with some additional chilli to bring the heat level up a notch. But if you prefer it milder, just leave out the chill flakes.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 large sweet potatoes

• 2 large leeks, slices

• 1 large knob of butter

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 1 ½ tsp hot paprika

• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

• 120g red lentils

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 1.1L water

• 50g kale, chopped

• ¾ tsp sea salt

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Fresh parsley to serve, optional

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc.

• Put the sweet potatoes on a tray and bake for approx 45 minutes. Check that they are completely cooked through before removing from the oven. Set aside to cool a little so you can peel off the skin and mash.

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks, cooking on low with the lid on for 20 minutes until softened.

• Next add the garlic and stir in well before mixing in the paprika and chilli. Allow the spices to warm for a minute so they release their flavour and then add the lentils, sweet potato, crumbled stock cube and water.

• Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on stirring occasionally.

• Stir in the kale and cook for a further 5 minutes.

• Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the salt.

• Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Tip

• The spiced paprika I used is blended with cayenne pepper.

Berry power smoothie

If you’re a regular on my blog, you’ll know that I love a smoothie for breakfast. Today I threw together berries and nuts with creamy oat milk and added protein powder to keep me going until lunch. I always use frozen fruit as it’s so much cheaper and works better in a smoothie as it naturally chills the drink without the need for ice.

Ingredients

Protein: ~27–29 g
Fibre: ~8–9 g

Serves 1

• 30g strawberries

• 30g blueberries

• 30g raspberries

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp almond butter

• 2 tbsp organic whey or pea protein (to provide ~20 g protein)

• 200 ml nut milk (I like Plenish drinks)

Method

• Blitz!

Chocolate orange & almond fridge cake

As it’s the start of December today, I thought I’d share my first Christmas recipe of the season. It’s a dead easy one and you can either scoff it yourself, serve as little after-dinner treats on the big day or make for friends and family as gifts.

Fridge cakes make great presents as they look really festive chopped up in clear gift bags (there are lots of biodegradable options!) and tied up with ribbon. These would be lovely treat to leave one someone’s doorstep this Christmas - we all need cheering up a bit at the moment!

Using the quantities below, you should be able to make gifts for 4-6 depending on how you divide it up. I used a 20 x 20cm tray, but if you want to make a larger batch (23 x 30cm) then just double the recipe.

Ingredients

• 75g cranberries

• Juice of ½ & zest of 1 orange

• 250g dark chocolate

• 90g unsalted butter

• 75g golden syrup

• 130g digestive biscuits

• 1/4 tsp almond essence

• 80g whole almonds

Method

• Zest the orange, then juice ½ and pour over the cranberries. Leave to soak over night if you can, otherwise for at least 30 minutes.

• Keep the zest in a small lidded tub if you’re soaking overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Line a 20 x 20cm baking tin with parchment.

• Put the almonds on a baking try and place in the oven for 6 minutes. Once cooled, crush in the tray with the end of a rolling pin.

• Put the chocolate, butter and syrup in a large heat proof bowl and melt over a pan of boiling water stirring regularly. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl as the chocolate will get too hot.

• Once the chocolate mix is melted remove from the heat, add the orange zest, stir and leave for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

• Break up the biscuits in a bowl using the end of the rolling pin again, but make sure you leave some larger pieces for texture.

• Drain the cranberries and add to the chocolate along with the biscuits, almond essence and ¾ of the almonds.

• Mix well and scrape into the tin and press down lightly with a spatula, then sprinkle over the remaining almonds.

• Leave to cool for 15 minutes and then put in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set.

• Chop and then transfer the pieces to an air tight container or gift bags.

• Store in the fridge.

Lentil bolognese

If you’re looking for a vegan alternative to a bolognese sauce this recipe is a good place to start. It’s protein rich and and after testing several times I think I’ve got a good depth of flavour. To do this I’ve used a few extra ingredients, but don’t be put off as they’re all easy to buy and the sauce cooks itself after you’ve fried the onions - I promise!

I always find that you need make a little bit more effort to get the right texture and flavour in vegetarian dishes, so it’s worth having ingredients that bring umami or a deep savoury taste in your cupboard if you want to cook like this more regularly.

Things I keep in stock are: nutritional yeast, veg stock cubes, vegetable bouillon, Marmite, Worcestershire sauce (veggie or normal if you aren’t strict like me!), dried porcini mushrooms, soy, miso, olives, toasted seeds or nuts, capers, plus vinegars or citrus to give dishes a lift before serving. To add zing I use balsamic (which also adds umami), red/white wine or cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and zest.

This recipe is for a big batch of sauce that you can use in a few different ways. It’s always a win for me if I can get a couple of meals out of one recipe as it saves time in the kitchen and it’s always nice to get ahead of yourself. If you split the sauce in half you can serve it with pasta, courgetti, roasted squash wedges, baked sweet potato, or as a pie topped with cheesy mash, sweet potato or puff pastry. This time I went for tagliatelle and a ‘cottage’ pie with Maris Piper mash, but it would also work really well with sweet potato or squash mash.

And now on to the all important question: how the hell do I get my kids to eat it? Well, my trick is to use a hand blender to blitz either part or all of their portion so they’re not too freaked out by the lentils! Not rocket science and probably not in any parenting manual, but it’s one way to get/trick my (very picky) 15 year old son into eating something that isn’t a/ breaded b/ beige. The other obvious thing to do is serve with a mound of cheese as I find most things become more child-friendly covered in melted cheddar.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 aubergines, 2 cm cubes

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

• 2 red onions, small dice

• 2 celery sticks, small dice

• 2 large cloves of garlic, grated

• 600g mushrooms

• 175ml red wine

• 250g green lentils

• 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 vegetable stock cube or 2 tsp veg bouillon

• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian)

• 500ml water

• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

• 1 1/4 tsp sea salt

• Handful of fresh basil leaves, stalks reserved and chopped

• Parmesan to serve

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc.

• Put the aubergine on a large tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, turning half way and adding a little more oil if needed. Set aside when cooked.

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large pan and cook the onions and celery on low heat for 20 minutes then add the garlic for a further 1 minute.

• While the onions are cooking, put the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until they resemble a rough crumble. I usually do 3-4 quick pulses.

• Turn the heat up a little and add the mushrooms and red wine to the onion mix. Allow to bubble for 5 minutes, to burn off the alcohol and some of the water from the mushrooms.

• Then pour in the lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano, stock cube, Worcestershire sauce, water and basil stalks; cook with the lid on for 30 minutes

• Add the roasted aubergine and then cook for 20 minutes with the lid on adding the red wine vinegar for the last 5 minutes.

• Add the salt and basil leaves.

• Serve with parmesan or feta.

Courgette, pea & spinach soup with lemon feta

I always miss the green vegetables of spring and summer at this time of year, so I wanted to find a way of using them without the environmental impact of cooking with unseasonal ingredients. It’s a compromise as I’ve used fresh courgettes, but in November they don’t have to travel much further than Jersey, along with frozen peas and spinach which are much cheaper for you to buy and work really well in soups.

I love the bright salty taste of the lemon feta as it really lifts the flavour of the soup, so it is really worth adding that element if you can. A good vegan alternative to feta here would be a plant based plain yoghurt; just add the lemon zest and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, grated

• 2-3 courgettes (approx 800g whole), sliced

• 400g frozen peas

• 300g frozen spinach

• 1 handful basil, stalks chopped, leaves reserved

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 500ml water

• 1 3/4 sea salt

• 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus zest

• 200g feta, crumbled

Method

• Preheat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions on a low heat for 15 minutes.

• Next mix in the garlic and cook for about a minute, before adding the courgettes.

• Cook for 20 minutes with the lid on until the courgettes have softened, then add the peas, spinach, basil stalks and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add the basil leaves and then blitz with a hand blender until smooth.

• Now add the salt, lemon juice and a good grind of black pepper.

• Mix the feta and lemon zest in a bowl.

• Serve with a sprinkle of feta and a wedge of buttered sourdough toast.

Aubergine & chickpea tagine with spiced cous cous

Aubergines are one of my favourite vegetables. I know this is a bit controversial as people seem to love or hate them, but my theory is that a lot of the haters have tried aubergine that is under-cooked when it’s hard, spongy and tasteless. Aubergines need to be cooked for quite a long time to soften and release their sweet slightly smoky flavour. They’re best when you roast or fry them to caramelise the outside, or roasted whole so the inside becomes soft enough to turn into a smokey dip. This tagine has an equal amount of red pepper and red onion in it, so although aubergine is in the title, the flavour is comprised of a mix of all 3 vegetables. So this recipe is ideal for someone who isn’t completely convinced about the wonders of the mighty aubergine (to reference Mr Ottolenghi), although I can’t begin to imagine why! Did I mention that I bloody love them?!

 Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 3 aubergine, chopped into 2cm cubes

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 red onions, sliced

• 3 sweet peppers, sliced

• 3 large cloves garlic, grated (I use a Microplane)

• 1 dried ancho chilli, chopped (makes about 1 tbsp)

• 2 tsp ras el hanout spice mix

• 2 x 400g tinned cherry tomatoes

• 1.5 tsp vegetable bouillon

• 60g sultanas or raisins

• Handful of coriander, stalks chopped, leaves reserved

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained. If you use dried, soak and cook 130g

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp honey or maple

• 1.5 tsp sea salt (if you’re using fine grain table salt reduce by half and go from there)

Cous cous

• 1/2 onion, chopped finely

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 100g cherry tomatoes, small dice

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 180g cous cous

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon

• 800ml boiling water

• 200g crumbled feta, optional topping

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°c

• Spread the chopped aubergine on a couple of large baking trays and drizzle with the olive oil, plus 1/2 tsp sea salt, mixing well.

• Roast for 25 minutes, turn then put back in the oven for 8 minutes until at least one side is browned and the pieces are soft all the way through.

• Meanwhile add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large pan or casserole, heat and cook the onion and pepper together for 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

• Mix in the ancho chilli and ras el hanout spice blend and stir, allow to warm through for a minute.

• Put the aubergine pieces into the pan with the tinned tomatoes, vegetable bouillon, sultanas, coriander stalks and a full tin of water. Leave to simmer with the lid half on for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add the chickpeas, red wine vinegar and honey simmer for 15 minutes without the lid..

• While the tagine is cooking start to make the cous cous. First heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the chopped onion on a low heat for 15 minutes before adding the tomatoes and garlic, cook for 10 minutes.

• Add 1/2 tsp ground cumin and warm for about a minute.

• Turn off the heat and add the cous cous, vegetable bouillon and boiling water to the onions and tomatoes when the tagine has about 10 minutes left to cook. Put the lid on and leave the cous cous to absorb the water for 6-8 minutes. Fluff with a fork when ready.

• Serve the tagine and cous cous with crumbled feta and coriander leaves.

Tip

• I like to roast the aubergine pieces as I find it easier than frying them all in batches, plus it means I use a lot less oil. But you can pan fry if you prefer.

• Dried ancho chilli - I bought mine from Waitrose.

• Ras el hanout - I get my blend from local supplier Spice and Green, but they do mail order so it is probably worth asking if they can send to you. If not you’ll find a version stocked in most supermarkets. Ottolenghi do their own that you can order too - here or make your own using this Epicurious recipe.

• I have used tinned cherry tomatoes for their sweetness and extra flavour, but tinned plum would work fine as a sub.

• If you’re using dried chickpeas cook as per the instructions and then add to the sauce with the tinned tomatoes as they will be firmer and need a little more time to soften.

Butternut squash, lentil & Stilton salad

This is a really nice dish to make when the weather’s cold, but you still fancy a salad. It can be eaten warm or cold (room temp is best), as part of a spread or just on its own. 

Remember this one after Christmas when you can’t stand anymore turkey and you’re wondering how to use up all that Stilton in your fridge. It’s easy to make and won’t take you too long to prep.  It’s also very nutritious, so that’s a win, win, win.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 20 ml lemon juice (approx 1 lemon)

• 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

• 1 butternut squash (approx 1kg), chopped into 3cm wedges

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 150g dried green lentils

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• Handful of parsley, chopped

• 60g stilton, crumbled

Dressing

• 60ml olive oil

• 20ml lemon juice

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc.

• Place the sliced onions into the lemon juice so they can pickle while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

• Chop the squash, spread out on two large trays, and drizzle over the olive oil. Mix to coat well, sprinkle with sea salt and put in the oven for 25 minutes. Turn and put back in for a further 25 minutes.

• While the squash is roasting, simmer the green lentils for approx 30 minutes (check the packet for instructions) with 1 vegetable stock cube and a generous pinch of salt. Drain well and put back in the pan.

• Mix all the dressing ingredients and pour 2/3 on to the warm lentils and sprinkle in another 1/4 tsp sea salt.

• Layer the salad on a large platter: squash, lentils, stilton, parsley, repeat finishing with the cheese and herbs then top with pickled onions.

Tip

• Use the small green lentils which look like Puy as they stay firmer. Larger green lentils like these are better for making dal. I buy mine in 2kg bags from Real Food Source. They’re really good value and great quality. Or Tesco do a smaller bag if you don’t want to commit to a big one!

Pecan & almond muesli

I always find that museli off the shelf has either too much of one ingredient or not enough of another, so I like to make my own. It’s so easy and way cheaper than buying shop bought; the only effort you have to make is toasting a tray of nuts and seeds then you’re done. This batch will last me absolutely ages for a fraction of the price.

Ingredients

Makes approx 1kg

• 500g oats

• 70g desiccated coconut

• 150g raisins, or any dried fruit you prefer - need to add 120g

• 70g pumpkin seeds, toasted

• 70g sunflower seeds, toasted

• 100g pecans (almonds, hazelnuts or cashews if you prefer), toasted

• 100g flaked almonds, toasted

• 50g flax seeds

• 150g buckwheat flakes, optional

• 50g quinoa flakes, optional

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc.

• Tip the nuts and seeds on to a large tray, spread them out and them place in the oven for about 7 minutes. Keep checking every 2-3 minutes if you put them back in as they can turn very quickly. Put a timer on! My trick is not to put the timer on, get distracted and burn 5 quids worth of nuts!

• Leave the nuts and seeds to cool before adding to a large bowl or tub with the rest of the ingredients.

• Serve with fruit compote, nut butter and slices of banana. It also works well to mix with coconut or Greek yoghurt instead of milk.

Tip

• I added the buckwheat and quinoa flakes to vary the texture a bit, but if you don’t have them it’s not a major problem. The muesli will still be great with just oats.

• But if you want some variation, other alternatives for the base are: wheat, barley or spelt flakes, bran or jumbo oats

Blueberry pancakes with maple yoghurt

We’re big pancake fans in our house and these fluffy blueberry fellas have become a new favourite weekend brunch. It’s totally worth the effort of whisking the egg whites as it makes the pancakes really light and they’re a nice change from the classic thin crêpe style (which we usually make).

I’ve used 50:50 plain flour and wholemeal spelt as a/ I just can’t bloody resist a healthy angle and b/ it adds a subtle nutty flavour plus extra protein and fibre. But if you don’t have spelt you could use ordinary wholemeal, or even just plain. I won’t judge you.

Ingredients

Makes 10 x 12cm pancakes

• 300g frozen blueberries

• 6 tbsp plain yoghurt

• 75g wholemeal spelt flour

• 75g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 large free-range egg

• 250ml milk (plant or dairy)

• 150g fresh blueberries

• Maple syrup (or honey), optional

Method

• Preheat the oven to 60ºc if you want to make the pancakes in batches, and then serve them together. Line a tray with greaseproof paper and put each batch on without overlapping as much as possible.

• First, put the frozen blueberries in a pan and heat for 3-4 minutes with the lid on and then another 5 without. They should have softened, so you can mash them with a fork and add a little maple syrup if you want to sweeten them. Set aside in a bowl to cool off.

• Put the flour, baking powder, and milk in a large bowl.

• Separate the egg white into another smaller bowl and add the yolk to the flour mix.

• Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks; when you lift out the whisk, the peak flops to the side.

• Whisk the flour mix until smooth, then fold in the whites with a large metal spoon.

• Heat 1 tsp of light olive oil in a large frying or pancake pan and then add just less than a ladle full of the mix, forming a 10-12cm circle - it doesn’t have to be that precise; I’m just giving you a guide!

• You can add the blueberries to the mix before cooking, or I like to quickly put about 7 or 8 into the pancake when it first goes into the pan, pushing them down firmly so I get inky blue dots after cooking.

• Cook for about 1 minute per side on medium heat. You’ll know when it’s ready to turn when lots of bubbles form on the top surface. I always check the underside to make sure it’s golden brown as well.

• Flip with a large spatula and cook the other side for a minute or two.

• Serve with a blob of compote, yoghurt, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

  Tip

• You might have a little compote left over, which is no bad thing as it’s lovely on porridge, muesli or overnight oats.

Winter salad with Stilton & pecans

I know I’m a little early with a Winter salad as we’re not quite there yet, but I wanted to share this recipe that I made for my December supper club guests last year. I just remade it for lunch today to double check the recipe and I ploughed through both plates I was enjoying it that much!

Although the recipe has Stilton in, you could easily make a plant-based version of this salad as the dressing is vegan; to make it creamy I’ve used silken tofu rather than egg yolk or a cow’s milk product. I actually find it a little less sickly than a regular ‘mayo’ style dressing as it’s lower in fat. Obviously you’d need to sub the Stilton and I would either add extra pecans, toasted cashews or use a vegan cheese.

• *A note about the dressing: the recipe makes double the amount you need for this salad. The reason I have done this is that silken tofu is usually sold in boxes weighing 300-350g, so I created a recipe to use it all up rather than leaving half a packet to go off in the fridge! I really like silken tofu in ramen or miso soup, but I don’t make them that regularly, so rather than risk wasting the other half, I prefer to make a big tub of dressing that can be used with other things. It lasts a good 10 days (if not longer). Just think of it as of vegan mayo and use it in place of ‘normal’.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a starter or side

• 1/2 sweetheart cabbage

• 50g sprouts

• 50g curly kale

• 15g parsley, roughly chopped

• A good pinch of sea salt

• 70g stilton or gorgonzola, crumbled or chopped in 1cm cubes

• 45g pecans

• I small apple, chopped in 1cm cubes

Dressing

• I packet of silken tofu (300-350g)

• 140ml olive oil

• 1 small garlic clove 

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 2.5 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp lemon juice (approx 1.5 lemons)

• 1/2 tsp table salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 120ºc.

• Spread the pecans on a baking tray and toast for about 6-8 minutes - keep an eye on them, I’ve lost count of the amount of nuts I’ve burnt. (That sounds a bit wrong now I’ve written it down.)

• Finely shred the cabbage and sprouts using a sharp knife, mandolin or a food processor (slicing attachment).

• Cut the tough stems from the kale and chop the leaves finely; mix all the vegetables and parsley in a large bowl with a good pinch of sea salt.

• Make the dressing by blending all the ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Depending on the weight of your silken tofu you might need to add a little extra oil/vinegar to loosen the mix. The texture should be thick, but just pourable, like a slightly runny mayo.

• Break the cooled pecans into small pieces and add to the vegetables reserving about 1/3 for topping the salad.

• Same for the cheese, add to the bowl and keep a 1/3 to one side.

• Lastly chop the apple into 1cm cubes, add to the bowl and mix well, before pouring in 160ml of the dressing.

• Stir well to coat and then serve, topping each plate with extra stilton and nuts.

This is how thin I like the veggies to be shredded

Tip

• If you want to prep this ahead, then get all the components ready and keep them in separate air tight boxes; mix just before serving. The apple will need a squeeze of lemon to prevent it from oxidising and going brown, or you can chop at the last minute.

• Keeping the various ingredients separate until serving is a trick I use for lots of salads. This means I can get organised earlier in the day and I don’t have much to do when friends arrive for dinner. It also works well to keep a salad fresh if you’ve prepped a batch for lunches during the week.

Homemade tortilla chips

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 with dips

• 3 tortilla wraps (I use Mission Deli 50:50 wholemeal/white)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Generous pinch of table salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Pour the olive or sunflower oil into a small bowl.

• Place the tortilla wraps on a baking tray, brush well with the oil on both sides, then use scissors to chop in half and then into rough triangles.

• Spread evenly on two large trays, sprinkle with sea salt and place in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Check and remove any that have browned on both sides (usually the ones on the outside of the tray), turn the rest and place back in the oven for 2 minutes

• Serve with any kind of dip you like! Try my roasted tomato & red pepper, pea & broadbean or romesco.

  Tip

• Use any kind of tortilla you prefer - seeded works really well.

Apple pecan porridge

I love the combination of these autumnal flavours; apple, pecan and maple go so well together! I made a vegan version with plant milk, but you can use whatever kind you prefer.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• ½ apple, diced

• 1 tsp maple

• ⅓ cup / 35g porridge

• 3 cups / 235ml nut milk or organic whole

• 12g pecans, broken up

  To serve:

• ½ tbsp maple

• Apple slices for topping

Method

• Put the apple in a pan with 1 tsp maple syrup and cook on low for 3 minutes with the lid on.

• Next add the oats and milk, bring to the boil and then simmer for 3-5 minutes. The length of time you cook the oats for will vary on the type - check the packet instructions for precise times. Bigger oats will take a lot longer and you won’t need to precook the apple.

• Serve with pecans, a drizzle of maple and apple slices to look pretty.