Pumpkin & walnut bread

Ingredients  1 1/2 cups wholemeal bread flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup/240ml pumpkin, 1/2 cup /240ml   butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp   cinnamon, 1/2 cup walnuts. (Optional - 2 cups sugar)

Serves: 12 slices Preparation: 2 hours


At this time of year I go pumpkin crazy, making soup, bread, pasta dishes and pies. I even made pumpkin chips last year but the least said about that the better... this bread can be made sweet or savoury and is equally glorious. It's also something I always make at the same time as pumpkin soup because it only requires a small amount of pumpkin. Waste not want not!


1) Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and pith with a spoon. Make sure all the stringiness has been removed. Peel away the skin with a chef's knife and cut the flesh into cubes. 


2) Roast in the oven in an ovenproof dish with a lid for 50 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the roast pumpkin and blend until smooth. 


3) Sieve away the excess juice - this, along with the juice in the ovenproof dish should make about a pint of liquid. The liquid remaining from this recipe, along with the rest of the pumpkin puree is perfect for Pumpkin Soup.


4) Sift together the flour, salt, spices, nuts and baking soda. (if you are making sweet pumpking bread, add the sugar at this stage)


5) Melt the butter and mix into 1 cup of the pumpkin puree. Beat in the eggs and 1/4 cup of the pumpkin juice.


6) Combine the wet and dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Pour into a loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes at 180 degrees or until a skewer comes out clean.

Baby leek pizza

Ingredients 200g very strong white bread flour     (grade 00), 1/4 tbs salt, 1/2 a sachet    of yeast, 1/4 tsp honey, 1 tbs olive   oil, 130ml warm water, 4 baby leeks, 100g mozarella, 100g cheddar, oregano.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes


I managed to get hold of some baby leeks today and fell in love with the sweet, delicate flavour of these tender young strips of yumminess. Smothering them with a mixture of gooey mozzarella and sharp cheddar made this a perfect lunchtime snack.


1) For a quick pizza dough: sift the flour and salt together and pour onto a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre and after dissolving the yeast, oil and honey in warm water, pour into the centre and mix with a fork until it is gradually combined. Dust your hands with flour and kneed until a smooth, elastic dough has formed. Set aside.


2) Slice the ends from the leeks and quarter the stalks.


4) Sautee in a teaspoon of butter for about 3 minutes until soft.


5) Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted surface until thin and even.


6) Arrange the leeks directly onto the top of the dough, brushing any excess butter onto the dough surface and top with a mixture of grated mozarella and cheddar.


7) Bake for 8-10 minutes and serve with a sprinkling of oregano.

Coconut tart

Ingredients 8 hob nob biscuits, 2 tablespoons     butter, 2 eggs, 350g Rachel's Organic coconut yoghurt, 2 squares dark chocolate.

Serves: 6 Preparation: 30 minutes


This coconut yoghurt is absolutely divine and has been cause for some serious foodspiration ever since the lovely people at Rachel's Organic introduced me to it. I think this tart is the perfect combination of salty base, creamy filling and the evocative tang of bitter chocolate.


1) Crush the biscuits into crumbs and stir in two tablespoons of melted butter.


2) Pack the biscuit mix into pastry cases and blind bake for 5 minutes at 200 degrees.


3) Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add the coconut yoghurt. Pour the mixture into the tart cases and top with a sprinkling of grated dark chocolate.


4) Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees - the filling should have set but should wobble when shaken. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Guinness pie

Ingredients 250g plain flour, 1 tsp salt 250g butter 450g stewing steak, 2 white onions, 1tsp grainy mustard, 1 tablespoon chopped sage, 1 tsps honey, 1 pint Guinness, 3 rashers bacon, mushrooms.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour and a half

1) To make the pastry - Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and mix in about 100ml cold water until you have a firm rough dough. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to chill.

2) Dice the onions and sautee them in 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir the stewing steak into about a quarter of a cup of flour, then add into the pan to seal the meat and form a fine roux that will be the base of the gravy.

3) Pour in the pint of Guinness and stir through thoroughly until it has been completely incorporated. At this stage add the bacon and mushrooms, chopped into slivers.

4) Flavour with the sage, honey and mustard then simmer on the hob for about 15 minutes. 

5) Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it's no more than 1cm thick.  Line the pie dish with half of it and blind bake for 10-12 minutes.

6) Spoon the meat and onions into the pie dish using a slotted spoon which will ensure that there's some sauce left to make gravy with (add a little water to thin it down, then simmer on a low heat as the pie is baking) but also distributes enough into the pie.

7) Cover the pie with the remaining pastry, poking a steam hole in the centre and ensuring the edges are pinched tight to seal it shut. Bake for 30 minutes and serve smothered with the gravy.

Mole Quesadillas

Ingredients Quorn Mince, 1 white onion, dark chocolate, tomato puree, mixed beans, red wine, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, olive oil, Rachel's organic Greek yoghurt, cheddar/Mexicano cheese, 1 tortilla.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 1 hour

Another great way of serving Mexican Mole when you have leftover tortillas - this is one of my ultimate hangover remedies.

1) Melt 4 squares of dark chocolate in a pan (I used some chilli and lime chocolate from BonBon to give this some extra heat) and add 1 finely chopped white onion and a glug of olive oil

2) When the onions have just begin to soften add the packet of Quorn mince (you could use some cooked, drained beef mince if you are not a vegetarian) and stir thoroughly until the chocolate has coated the onions and beef.

3) Add in 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of chopped coriander. Stir thoroughly and add in a glug of red wine.

4) Add in the mixed beans - red kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans and haricot beans (Tesco sell "taco beans", 2 cans of which are perfect) and stir well

5) Add salt, tomato puree and chopped chillis to taste

6) Fold a tortilla in half and spoon the Mole and some grated cheese into the centre. Press the edges closed and grill until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese melted. Serve cut into wedges with a dollop of greek yoghurt or soured cream.

Enchiladas

Ingredients Quorn Mince, 1 white onion, dark chocolate, tomato puree, mixed beans, red wine, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, olive oil, Rachel's organic Greek yoghurt, mozarella, 6 tortillas.

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour

1) Melt 4 squares of dark chocolate in a pan (I used some chilli and lime chocolate from BonBon to give this some extra heat) and add 1 finely chopped white onion and a glug of olive oil

2) When the onions have just begin to soften add the packet of Quorn mince (you could use some cooked, drained beef mince if you are not a vegetarian) and stir thoroughly until the chocolate has coated the onions and beef.

3) Add in 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of chopped coriander. Stir thoroughly and add in a glug of red wine.

4) Add in the mixed beans - red kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans and haricot beans (Tesco sell "taco beans", 2 cans of which are perfect) and stir well

5) Add salt, tomato puree and chopped chillis to taste

6) Slice each tortilla in half and add 2 tablespoons of the Mole to the centre of each. Roll the tortilla into a tube and rest them side by side in an ovenproof dish. This mixture should fill 12 tortilla halves.

7) Add the greek yoghurt and grated mozarella into a milk pan with a pinch of salt and stir on a low heat until the cheese is incorporated. Pour over the tortilla rolls and add extra cheese and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

8) Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

Yoghurt spiced chicken

Ingredients 8 Chicken legs, tablespoon cumin, tablespoon turmeric, 300ml Greek yoghurt, salt, black pepper.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 2 hours


1) Stir the turmeric and cumin into the yoghurt and season with salt and black pepper. Pour in the chicken legs and stir, making sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.


2) Roast the chicken in the oven for one and a half hours at 170 degrees

Yoghurt roast potatoes

Ingredients Potatoes (floury ones like Maris Piper are best), Rachel's Organic Greek yoghurt.

Serves: 8 Preparation: 2 hours

When making a roast chicken or roast beef, roast potatoes are so easy to pop in with the meat and allow to crisp up in the fat and meat juices. Being a vegetarian I don't eat roast potatoes because they're never the same without that perfectly crispy coating that comes from being cooked in fat... but that was until I decided to try coating them in yoghurt before roasting them... I'm pleased to say that they're even BETTER cooked this way!


1) Peel and slice the potatoes into quarters, then parboil for 7 minutes in salted water.


2) Strain the potatoes in a colander and rough them up a little with a fork. Allow to cool to room temperature in a bowl whilst you pre-heat the oven.


3) Stir in a few tablespoons of yoghurt until they are coated, then bake them in the oven for an hour and a half either alone, or with your joint of meat.

Carrot & walnut bread

Ingredients 1 carrot, handful of walnuts, 350g plain flour, 150g wholemeal flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 300ml Rachel's Organic Greek yoghurt, 125ml milk.

Serves: 8 Preparation: 2 hours

This is one of my favourite breads - it's light and rich with flavour, makes amazingly crunchy toast and goes absolutely perfectly with my pumpkin soup.


1) Mix the flours together and add the salt and bicarbonate of soda.


2) Grate the carrot and finely dice the walnuts then add in to the flour mix.


3) Stir through the yoghurt and add the milk little by little until a soft, sticky dough is formed.

4) Form a rough ball with the dough and dust with flour. Bake on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or until a good crust has formed which sounds hollow when you tap it.

Roast aubergine & chickpea salad

Ingredients 5 baby aubergines, 1 can chickpeas, 5 baby plum tomatoes, cumin, Rachel's Organic coconut yoghurt, parsley, coriander, salt, basil oil, 1 onion.

Serves: 8 Preparation: 1 hour


1) Cut the stems from the aubergines and slice them in half. Sprinkle with salt to draw out the bitter juices then drizzle with basil oil and bake for 30 minutes in the oven at 200 degrees.


2) Pour the can of chickpeas into a pan and boil for 5 minutes. Strain into a colander and remove the shells.


3) Peel and finely dice one white onion and sautee in butter for 5 minutes. Add a handful of finely chopped parsley and coriander. 

4) Add the chickpeas back to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of Rachel's Organic coconut yoghurt and 5 baby plum tomatoes cut into quarters.

5) Simmer, stirring frequently until the chickpeas are soft, then serve with the aubergine and more yoghurt.