Cheesy Chard Gratin

Double cream turns green and flavoursome chard into something super-indulgent- be sure to mop up all the Gruyre sauce with some crusty bread

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 35 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  391

• Protein

  15g

• Carbs

  3g

• Fat

  36g

• Saturates

  22g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  1g

• Salt

  1.4g

Ingredients

• bunch chard, about 340g
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (or gluten-free alternative)
• 140g Gruyère, coarsely grated
• butter, for greasing
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Strip the chard leaves from the stalks, then cut the stalks into sticks. bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the stalks for 3-4 mins until starting to soften. Then throw in the leaves for a few moments too so that they just wilt. Drain well.
2. Mix the cream with the mustard, then toss through the chard with most of the Gruyère. Grease a medium gratin dish, spread the chard mix over, then scatter with the remaining Gruyère and the Parmesan. bake for 30 mins until bubbling and golden. Serve straight from the dish.

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Shallot Tatin

This twist on a classic apple dessert gives often-overlooked shallots star billing and makes a stunning vegetarian main course

• Cooking Time Prep 25 mins
  Cook 35 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  649

• Protein

  9g

• Carbs

  63g

• Fat

  40g

• Saturates

  21g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  21g

• Salt

  1.2g

Ingredients

• 450g shallots
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar
• 50g butter
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaf
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or a few grindings of cracked black pepper
• plain flour, for dusting
• 500g pack puff pastry

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour boiling water over the shallots and leave them until the water cools. (This makes it easier to slip the skins off.) Peel and halve the shallots, then set aside. Put the sugar in a 23cm ovenproof frying pan and heat until it dissolves and you have a sticky caramel. Add the butter, thyme and a splash of balsamic vinegar or cracked black pepper-take care as it will spit.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and put all the shallots into the pan, cut-side down. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and cut out a round 2cm larger than the pan. Drape the pastry over the shallots and tuck in the edges, so that it 'hugs' the shallots. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 25-30 mins until the pastry is puffed up and golden. Leave to rest for 1 min, then invert the tart onto a plate. Serve with a punchy salad of rocket and goat's cheese.

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Jewelled Wild Rice With Almonds

A simple rice salad makes a great side dish. Add cranberries and orange for sweetness, nuts for crunch and herbs for lots of fresh flavour

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6 - 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  457

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  82g

• Fat

  10g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  15g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• 25g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 500g pack wild & brown basmati rice
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1l vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large thyme sprig
• small pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 50g toasted flaked almonds
• finely grated zest ½ orange
• To serve cold
• olive oil
• lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the butter or oil in a flameproof casserole dish and gently cook the onion for 15 mins until just starting to turn golden. Add the rice and cranberries, and stir a few times until coated. Season well and pour over the stock.
2. Float the bay leaves and thyme on top of the stock, and put a circle of baking parchment on top of that. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for 45 mins until the rice is tender. Stir through the parsley, almonds and orange zest. Serve hot, or leave to go cold and serve as a salad, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

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Butternut Dauphinoise

This indulgent gratin of squash with bay, thyme and nutmeg, plus a robust cheese sauce makes a great main or side dish

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a main

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  372

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  14g

• Fat

  33g

• Saturates

  20g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  8g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• 300ml pot double cream
• 100ml whole milk
• 2 bay leaves
• a few thyme sprigs
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• whole nutmeg, for grating
• 1 tbsp salted butter, for greasing
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1.4kg unpeeled to give about 1.1kg prepared flesh)
• 50g mature Double Gloucester or other hard cheese

Directions

1. Put the cream, milk, bay, a sprig of thyme, the garlic and ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. Take the pan off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
2. Grease a large baking dish with the butter, then layer up the butternut squash, adding seasoning and a few thyme leaves as you go. Pour over the infused cream, leaving the bay and thyme on the top.
3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 mins. Uncover, press the squash as far under the level of the liquid as you can, then scatter with the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 mins more until the butternut is tender and the whole dish is bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 mins or so before serving.

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Rosemary & Olive Drop Scones With Goats Cheese

Tasty pop-in-the-mouth nibbles to impress guests with before dinner

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings 24

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  66

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  7g

• Fat

  3g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  0.31g

Ingredients

• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 200ml milk
• 1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
• handful black olive, stoned and chopped
• sunflower oil, for frying
• 175g firm goat's cheese
• 200g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Directions

1. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Make a well in the middle, pour in the eggs and a splash of milk then, using a balloon whisk or wooden spoon, start to draw the flour into the eggs and milk. Beat the mix until smooth, then stir in the rest of the milk until you have a smooth batter. Mix in the rosemary and olives.
2. Lightly grease a non-stick frying pan with oil and warm over moderate heat. Add a tablespoon of the mix and cook for 2 mins or until you see bubbles on the surface and it's golden underneath. Flip over and continue to fry for another minute. Do this in batches of 3 or 4, greasing the pan in between, then remove from pan and cool.
3. Heat grill to high and place the drop scones on a baking sheet. Slice the cheese into small pieces and arrange on top of each drop scone. Top with the tomatoes and grill for 5 mins until the cheese has melted and the tomatoes are heated through. Serve with a grinding of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, if you like.

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Goats Cheese & Cranberry Tartlets

These vegetarian tartlets make great finger food for a festive drinks party

• Cooking Time Ready in 55-60 minutes
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 20-24

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  132

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  8g

• Fat

  10g

• Saturates

  4g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  0.37g

Ingredients

• 375-425g pack ready-rolled puff pastry or 500g pack ready-made pastry rolled 5mm thick
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp cranberry sauce or a good-quality chutney
• 3 x 120g goat's cheese logs (such as Soignon Petit Sainte-Maure), at room temperature
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaf
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• rocket leaves, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Lay pastry on a floured work surface. Using a round 7.5cm round pastry cutter, cut out as many circles as possible.
2. Sit them on oiled baking sheets and score a circle about 2.5cm in from the edge of each disc by pressing gently with a 5cm cutter. Pierce the middle of each with a fork, brush with egg and top with a little cranberry sauce or chutney.
3. Slice the cheese 5mm thick so you have a slice per disc (discard end rinds). Lay a slice on each tartlet, then top with thyme leaves, a drizzle of oil and a twist of black pepper.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the pastry crispy. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm, garnished with rocket leaves.

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Open Ravioli With Squash & Porcini Mushrooms

Don't leave the vegetarians out this Christmas, with this special yet easy to manage recipe

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 2

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  504

• Protein

  17g

• Carbs

  49g

• Fat

  28g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  7g

• Sugar

  13g

• Salt

  1.61g

Ingredients

• 450g butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 25g butter
• generous grating nutmeg
• 25g vegetarian parmesan -style cheese, coarsely grated
• For the porcini dressing
• 1 tbsp finely chopped dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• To serve
• generous pinch saffron
• 85g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 1 fat garlic clove, shredded
• 100g bag baby spinach
• 4 sheets fresh lasagne, halved
• shavings of parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), optional

Directions

1. Put the squash and butter in a pan with 5 tbsp water. Tightly cover pan and cook for 15 mins until the squash is just tender, but not coloured. Roughly mash with seasoning, nutmeg and Parmesan.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put the chopped porcini in a small bowl with 3 tbsp boiling water. Cover with cling film and cook for 1 min in the microwave on High, then leave to cool. Mix 1 tbsp oil with the vinegar and soy, then add the soaked mushrooms with almost all of the liquid (leave the last drop behind as it might contain grit).
3. To serve, boil a pan of water with the saffron and some salt for 5 mins to extract some colour and flavour. Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms in the remaining oil. When they are nearly cooked, add the garlic so that it browns and crisps, but doesn't burn. Pierce the bag of spinach and wilt in the microwave for 1 min. Reheat the squash in the microwave, too.
4. Boil the lasagne for 1 min until just tender, then drain. Put 3 little piles of spinach on 2 warm serving plates. Top each with a square of lasagne, then a spoonful of squash-spread it out a little, add a few spinach leaves, then top with another square of pasta. Continue these layers until you end up with a stack of 4 layers of pasta on each plate, then top each with a spoonful of squash. Scatter round the garlicky mushrooms, Prepare ahead
5. The squash can be mashed and the dressing made up to 2 days ahead; keep them both covered in the fridge. To serve, reheat the squash in a pan or in the microwave and take the dressing out to come to room temperature generously spoon over the dressing, or allow guest to help themselves at the table, and sprinkle over some Parmesan shavings, if you like.

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Crisp Spinach Tart With Squash Wedges

This veggie filo pie with roast pumpkin is versatile enough for a quick dinner, packed lunch or buffet

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  645

• Protein

  24g

• Carbs

  64g

• Fat

  34g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  6g

• Sugar

  17g

• Salt

  2.78g

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 250g tub ricotta
• 200g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry and chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• ½ a 145g tub fresh basil pesto
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into wedges
• ½ a 240g pack SunBlush tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
• 270g pack filo pastry
• knob of butter, melted

Directions

1. Mix together the eggs and ricotta, then add the spinach, spring onion and pesto.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the squash in a little of the tomato oil, spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 mins. Unwrap the pastry and cover with a just-damp piece of kitchen paper. Mix the butter with 2 tbsp tomato oil.
3. Brush the butter mixture over 1 sheet of pastry, then place in a 23cm tart tin. Brush another piece of pastry with butter and place slightly further around the tin. Keep brushing and lining the tin (keeping the pastry covered when not using) until you have used up the pack and the tin is completely covered. Trim away any pastry overhanging the edges of the tin, then bake for 5-10 mins until starting to crisp. Spoon the spinach mixture into the tin and scatter with the tomatoes. Cook for 20-25 mins more alongside the squash until the tart is set and the squash is cooked through.

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Goats Cheese & Onion Pastries

Use a hearty shortcrust base then top with creamy cheese and crunchy walnuts and contrast with watercress salad

• Cooking Time Prep 50 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  546

• Protein

  14g

• Carbs

  27g

• Fat

  43g

• Saturates

  20g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  5g

• Salt

  1.8g

Ingredients

• For the onions
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 12 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tsp chopped rosemary
• For the pastry & topping
• 500g pack all-butter shortcrust pastry
• 4 Capricorn goat's cheese, halved (keep the rind on)
• 8 walnuts halves
• For the dressed watercress
• generous handfuls watercress
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp walnut oil

Directions

1. For the onions, heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onions, stir well, then cover and cook for 15 mins, stirring every now and then. Stir really well and add the sugar, lots of seasoning and the walnuts, olives and rosemary. Cook for 5 mins more, until soft and very golden.
2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Thinly roll out the pastry, then stamp out 8 fluted rounds with a 10cm cutter. Prick with a fork, then bake for 10 mins. Mix the dressing ingredients together. This can all be prepared a few days ahead.
3. Pile the onions onto the pastry rounds, top with goat?s cheese and place a walnut half on top of the cheese. Bake for 10 mins until the cheese is melty. Toss the watercress with the dressing, pile onto plates and serve the pastry on top.

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Mushroom & Tarragon Pate

This low-fat, easy pt is a perfect vegetarian starter

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  137

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  4g

• Fat

  12g

• Saturates

  7g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  0.38g

Ingredients

• 50g unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 100g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, plus extra to garnish
• 1 French stick ; extra vigin olive oil; mixed salad leaves, to serve

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large frying pan. Add shallots, leek and garlic, then gently fry for 7 mins until softened.
2. Increase the heat, add the chestnut and the shiitake mushrooms, then cook for 10 mins, stirring, until the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the mustard and crème fraîche, then season well. Cook for a further 2 mins then stir in the chopped tarragon.
3. Preheat the grill. Cut the French stick into diagonal slices, drizzle with a little olive oil, then grill until golden. Spoon the hot pâté on to the toasts, garnish with the extra tarragon, then serve with salad leaves.

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