Celeriac, hazelnut & truffle soup

Serves 6

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• small bunch thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 fat garlic clove, chopped

• 1 celeriac (about 1kg), peeled and chopped

• 1 potato (about 200g), chopped

• 1litre veg stock

• 100ml soya cream

• 50g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp truffle oil, plus an extra drizzle to serve

 

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a low heat. Tie the thyme sprigs and bay leaves together with a piece of string and add them to the pan with the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 mins until softened but not coloured.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip in the celeriac and potato. Give everything a good stir and season with a big pinch of salt and white pepper. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for around 30 mins until the vegetables are completely soft.

3. Discard the herbs, then stir through the cream, remove from the heat and blitz until completely smooth. Stir through 1/2 tbsp truffle oil at a time and taste for seasoning – the strength of the oil will vary, so it’s better to start with less oil and add a little at a time.

4. To serve, reheat the soup until piping hot, then ladle into bowls and top with the hazelnuts, some black pepper and an extra drizzle of truffle oil.

 

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Stir-fried festive cabbage

Serves 4

• ½ red cabbage, quartered and core removed

• 200g bag shredded kale, or cavolo nero, sliced and woody stalks removed

• 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

• 1 tbsp butter

• 2 tsp cranberry sauce

• 50ml red wine

• ½ orange, juiced and zested

 

1. Finely shred the cabbage – the quickest way to do this is in a food processor with a shredder attachment or using a mandoline.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, then add the cabbage and kale. Stir-fry over a high heat for 3-4 mins or until the cabbage starts to wilt, then add the rest of the ingredients.

3. Toss everything together really well, continue to cook for a further 4 mins and season before serving.

4. Keep warm in a low oven if needed or leave to cool, cover, chill and reheat in a pan or microwave the following day.

 

 

 

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Mushroom and Chilli Garlic Green Beans

8 servings

• 1 lb. mixed wild mushrooms, trimmed

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• salt and pepper

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced

• 1 lb. green beans, blanched

 

1. Heat oven to 200°c/7 gas . On rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and roast until golden brown and tender, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter with garlic and chilli on low, then cook until golden brown, 10 minutes. Toss beans with garlic butter and mushrooms.

 

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Low-fat Christmas pavlova

Serves 8

• 5 medium free-range egg whites

• 150g/5½oz caster sugar

• 250g/9oz Greek yoghurt

• 1 orange, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice

• drop of almond extract

• pinch cinnamon

• 200g/7oz raspberries

• 50g/1¾oz flaked almonds, toasted

• 1 square of dark chocolate

 

1. Preheat the oven to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the egg whites in a clean glass bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a teaspoon at a time and continue to whisk until you have stiff peaks and the meringue looks glossy.

3. Arrange 8 large spoonfuls of the mixture in a circle on the prepared tray in a ring to form a wreath. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 110C/90C Fan/Gas ¼ and bake for another 1½ hours.

4. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and leave until the meringues are cold.

5. Just before serving, make the topping. Mix together the yoghurt, orange zest and juice, almond extract and cinnamon.

6. Top the meringue with the yoghurt mixture and then scatter over the raspberries and almonds. Finely grate over the chocolate and serve.

 

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Turkey minestrone

Serves 6

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 100g smoked bacon lardons

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, finely chopped

• 1 celery stick, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 thyme sprigs

• 300g celeriac (or any other root veg), cut into cubes

• 200g potato, cut into cubes

• 400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 ½l chicken stock or turkey stock, (fresh is best)

• 350g cooked turkey

• 100g orzo

• 75g curly kale, shredded

 

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and fry over a medium-to-high heat for 4-5 mins or until golden, then set aside.

2. Put the remaining oil, the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt in the pan. Cook gently over a low heat for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veg is soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and herbs, and cook for 2 mins more

3. Tip in the celeriac, potato, borlotti beans and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 mins. Add the cooked turkey, orzo and the bacon, and cook for 10 mins.

4. Just before serving, tip in the kale, give everything a good stir and return to the heat for about 2 mins or until the kale has wilted.

 

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Coriander-Maple Glazed Carrots

4 servings

• 1 1/2 lb. rainbow carrots, halved crosswise and thick ends quartered

• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

• 1 1/2 tsp. whole coriander seeds, crushed

• salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp. grated lime zest, plus 1 tbsp lime juice

 

1. Place large rimmed baking sheet in oven; heat oven to 200°C/Gas 7

2. Toss carrots on the hot sheet with 1 tablespoon oil, then add coriander and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

3. Roast, tossing after 15 minutes, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Immediately toss with maple syrup, lime zest, juice and remaining ½ tablespoon oil.

 

 

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Low-sugar Christmas biscuits

Makes 36 biscuits

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened

• 60g/2¼oz soft brown muscovado sugar

• 1 free-range egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 275g/9¾oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp finely chopped candied peel

• halved blanched almonds, to decorate

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy. Crack in the egg and add the vanilla extract, then beat again.

3. Mix in the flour, cinnamon and candied peel until the mixture comes together as a dough.

4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in.

5. Using biscuit cutters or a glass, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. Decorate with the almond halves. To make into Christmas tree decorations, carefully make a hole in the top of the biscuit using a straw.

6. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes until deep golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

 

 

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Roast potatoes with paprika

Serves 6

• 1 ½kg floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Desirée), peeled and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size

• 100ml olive oil

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

 

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add the potatoes to a pan of cold salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 mins until partly tender.

2. Drain and steam dry for a few mins in a colander. Return the potatoes to the saucepan, and add the oil, paprika and plenty of salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, then shake the pan around to roughen the edges of the potatoes and thoroughly coat them in the paprika and oil.

3. Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin, making sure they are evenly spaced apart. Scrape in all the fluffy potato mess – these make the best crispy bits!

4. Roast the potatoes for 1 hr. 15 mins, turning halfway, until extremely fluffy and crisp.