Chestnuts with Cinnamon, Chilli & Maple Syrup

There’s nothing like hot, sweet chestnuts to give you that Christmas feeling. This recipe is a quick and easy version that can be done in about 8 minutes. It uses ready-to-eat whole chestnuts, which you can get from Tesco, and most other supermarkets. The chilli powder adds a slight warmth without being overpowering, and you…

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Best Vegan Gravy

I first learned to do vegetarian gravy properly long before I gave up eating meat. It was a huge eye-opener for me. The knowledge that you could make really good gravy without using meat stock went against everything I’d been brought up to believe. At that point it was my job to make the gravy,…

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Vegan Sausages with Kale and Beans

Frozen vegan sausages don’t always have to be cooked in the oven and then served with chips. Sometimes you might want to do something a little more adventurous with them. There’s also nothing wrong with using pre-made, frozen sausages in a whole variety of healthy vegan meals. Just remember, if you were eating meat, you…

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Whole Wheat Mushroom and Kale Tartlets

These are a great little party piece if you happen to be having a buffet. You could even roll them out for that Boxing Day family gathering you’re just beginning to worry about. The recipe is for whole wheat pastry, which you can make from scratch. If you’re short on time, or if you want…

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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Caramel Slices

I made these for a buffet we were having recently. The idea behind them was a soft chocolate filling on pastry with a caramel topping, all cut into small squares for people to pick at as and when they wanted them. This is not a quick dessert to make, but the results are worth the…

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Oven Roasted Figs With ‘Blue Style’ Cheese

Remember the pineapple and cheese cubes on sticks we used to get at parties? Well think of this as the posh version. Your social cred will go up mega points if you serve these at your next bash, plus they take no time at all. Prep time: Maybe 5 minutes if you stop for a…

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Poached Pears with Blueberry Compote

Let me say this right from the start: These babies are better if you eat them the day after you make them. There, now I’ve said it, you can feel free to ignore me. Nobody will judge you here. At the very least you want to let it all go cold, so a couple of…

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Vegan ‘Chicken’ Nuggets

This is a little something for kids and grown-ups alike. Sure, you can buy these already frozen in the supermarket, but nothing beats making them yourself. For one thing, you know exactly what’s going into them. It’s surprisingly easy to make a chicken substitute, but there is one ingredient you’ll need that you won’t find…

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Sundried Tomato and Black Olive Bread

Breadmaking has been a passion of mine for about 30 years. I was a teenager when I first learned to combine flour and water to make a dough, that adding yeast would make it rise and just enough salt would give it the perfect flavour. I learned that bread didn’t happen quickly. It had to…

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