Easy Chestnut Mushroom, New Potato and Leek Pie

I’ve created this pie with ready-to-roll pastry to make it as easy and non-time-consuming as possible. You can, of course, make your own pastry if you prefer, but the idea behind this is to keep it simple. Chestnut mushrooms are easily accessible and a perfect size for a chunky pie, when cut either in half…

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Three Ways with Pizza

I was thirteen years old when I first learned to make pizza. I was visiting family in Leicester when, on a visit to a book store, I came across Antonio Carluccio’s An Invitation to Italian Cooking. I bought the book, published the year before, after a brief flick-through of its glossy pages, and set to…

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Pumpkin and Lemon Drizzle Cake

If you had frozen any pumpkin from the autumn season, then you’ll be able to get some out of the freezer for this recipe. If not, butternut squash will make a good substitute. The squash won’t be quite as moist as the pumpkin, so you may need to add a little more moisture into the…

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Coffee, Banana and Walnut Pie

This is a wonderful chilled, sweet pie that uses tofu as its base. Tofu is great for taking on the properties of eggs when baking tarts and pies as it sets firmly, like an egg-based pie would. The dessert is gluten-free, but you can use a standard vegan pastry base if you have no issues…

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Vegan Cheese, Ham and Sundried Tomato Slices

These are basically vegan pasties, which is kind of like the Holy Grail of vegan junk food. At the time of writing this I haven’t been able to find any that you can buy (although the recent arrival of the Greggs sausage roll is a welcome step in the right direction). So, until the day…

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Avocado Chocolate Cheesecake

If you want to impress family and friends with a chocolate dessert, this one will do it. This rich and creamy, beautifully soft chocolate cheesecake has a chocolate oat biscuit base and a deep, firm chocolate layer on top. This dessert is so chocolatey that I was able to say chocolate three times in one…

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Fried Tofu with Rice Noodles and Black Bean Sauce

Noodles and black bean sauce has always been one of my favourite Chinese dishes. I used to eat it on Shaftsbury Avenue when I was in my early twenties, in those Chinese restaurants that were permanently busy and where they would cram you in at tables next to complete strangers to eat your food (It…

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Kale and Dill Wraps with Aubergine, Pineapple and Black Beans

These are the standard chickpea flour wraps, but with the addition of kale and dill to the batter to give it a green colour, and to get a little extra veggies in us. This is done by adding the kale, dill and some lime juice to water and blending together until completely smooth. That then…

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Roasted Red Pepper and Aubergine Pasta Sauce

Pasta sauces are great for those nights when you just want to throw something together with the minimum fuss possible. I came up with this one when I suddenly found myself with a load of people to feed and not much time (or many ingredients) with which to do something creative. This dish was literally…

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Stir-Fried Tofu with Aubergines

Great food doesn’t have to keep you tied to the kitchen for a whole evening. Sometimes you just want to get in and get it done, which is one of the many reasons stir-fries are great. This one is packed with flavour and can be ready to eat in the time it takes you to…

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