Ingredients

• 3 chicken legs, bone-in, skin removed
• 3 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
• 3 ginger, half grated, half cut into strips to serve
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 star anise
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed using a pestle and mortar
• 3 green cardamom pods
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cinnamon stick
• 6 red onions, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp full-fat yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ghee (or 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ lime

Method

1. In a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat put the chicken, grated ginger, garlic, star anise, black cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green cardamom, black peppercorns, dried red chillies, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and half the chopped onions. If it becomes too dry, add a little water (no more than 4 tbsp). Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is almost cooked through.
2. Add the yoghurt and stir-fry on a high heat until the yoghurt dries up. Now add the ghee (or oil and butter) and, when hot, add the remaining onions, turmeric, freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
3. Continue to cook over a high heat until the sauce is dryish and the second half of the onions are nearly soft (although be careful not to overcook).
4. Garnish with the ginger strips, fresh coriander, green chilli, garam masala and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
• 2 tbsp oil
• 6 pork sausages
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 450ml fresh chicken gravy
• 150g kale, shredded
• 3 leeks, finely sliced
• ½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2-3 tbsp whole milk
• 50g smoked or ordinary cheddar, grated

Method

1. Boil the potatoes for 12 mins or until tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a shallow casserole or deep skillet (20-25cm). Pinch the sausages out of their skins into large pieces, directly into the pan, and fry over a medium heat for 7-8 mins or until golden brown. Add the flour and stir everything together, cooking for 1 min. Pour in the gravy and 100-200ml water (depending on how thick you like your gravy), bring to a simmer, then add the kale and cook for 5 mins. Remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then the leeks and fry for 5-10 mins until tender, adding a small splash of water to help them cook. Heat your grill to its highest setting.
4. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir though the leeks, mustard and milk, and season. Spoon and swirl the mash on top of the sausage mixture, then scatter over the grated cheese and grill for 3-5 mins or until golden and bubbling.

Ingredients

• 5 medium tomatoes (a mixture of different colours looks nice)
• 1 aubergine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 courgettes (we used 1 green and 1 yellow)
• 20g grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative

For the pastry

• 150g butter
• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 4 tbsp polenta
• 50g extra mature cheddar, coarsely grated
• Small bunch of thyme, leaves picked
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method

1. The night before making the tart, wrap the butter for the pastry in foil, and freeze until solid – this will make it easier to grate. To make the pastry, put the flour in a large bowl and mix in half the polenta, the cheese, thyme (reserving a few leaves to serve) and a good pinch of salt. Using a coarse cheese grater, grate in the frozen butter – try to handle it as little as possible so it doesn’t get soft – and stir it in with a knife as you go. Give the mixture one last stir to make sure all the butter is coated with flour, then quickly stir in 125ml very cold water. Gently bring together with your hands (splashing in a little more water if it looks dry), then wrap in baking parchment and chill for 30 mins.
2. Slice the tomatoes to roughly the thickness of a £1 coin (use a mandoline, if you have one). Reserve about half of the tomato slices for the top of the tart, then roughly chop the rest into chunks.
3. Heat the grill to high (or you can use the flame of a gas hob). Pierce the aubergine four or five times with the tip of a knife and grill (or hold over the gas flame using tongs), turning often, for 8-10 mins, or until the skin is charred and the aubergine is soft and collapsing. Leave to cool a little.
4. Heat half the oil in a pan over a low-medium heat, and cook the onions with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until the onions start to caramelise. Meanwhile, scrape the skin off the aubergine (don’t worry if some pieces cling to the flesh – it will add a smoky flavour). Roughly chop the aubergine flesh.
5. Add the garlic and aubergine to the onions and cook for another 5 mins, or until any liquid released from the aubergine has evaporated. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar, season, and continue to cook for 5-10 mins until thickened. Leave to cool, then chill until ready to use. Can be prepared up to a day ahead.
6. Slice the courgettes to roughly the thickness of a £1 coin. Put in a bowl and toss with a good pinch of salt. Leave for 10 mins.
7. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside (or a 30cm shallow skillet pan, if you have one). Roll the pastry out on a large sheet of baking parchment dusted with a little flour, to a circle about 35cm wide. Trim the edge if you want a neat finish.
8. Drain any liquid from the courgettes, then tip onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Pat dry to remove as much moisture as you can. Sprinkle the remaining polenta over the pastry, then top with the chilled tomato and aubergine mix. Spread it out using the back of a spoon, leaving a 3cm border around the edge.
9. Arrange the reserved tomato slices and the courgettes in overlapping concentric circles on top of the tart. Brush the vegetables with the remaining oil, season and sprinkle with the parmesan. Fold the pastry edge over the veg slightly, pressing gently to seal. Brush the pastry edge with the beaten yolk.
10. Carefully slide the tart, still on the baking parchment, onto the hot tray or into the skillet pan. Bake for 45 mins until golden, then scatter with the extra thyme leaves, if using. Leave to cool a little and serve just warm, or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 butternut squash
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 rosemary sprigs, needles picked and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 125ml white wine
• 400ml vegetable stock
• 3 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 150g crème fraîche
• ½ small bunch of sage, ½ leaves picked, ½ finely chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan over a low heat and slowly fry the onions, carrots and celery for 10-15 mins until soft but not golden. Meanwhile, peel the squash and cut the neck from the bulb. Halve the bulb, remove the seeds and chop into 3cm pieces. Finely slice the squash neck on a mandoline or with a sharp knife into 2mm-thick slices. Stack these in order as you slice.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. When the onions are tender, stir in the garlic and herbs. Fry for 1 min, then add the parsnips and chopped squash. Cook for another 5-8 mins until the veg has just softened, then sprinkle in the flour. Stir well, then mix in the wine. Bubble for a few minutes, then add the stock and beans. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the mustard and crème fraîche. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes until the sauce thickens – it needs to be quite thick or the squash will sink. Remove from the heat, fold in the chopped sage, lots of black pepper and a little salt.
3. Starting from the outside edge, arrange the squash slices over the stew from largest to smallest in a tight spiral, working into the middle. Top with the sage leaves, drizzle with a little oil and bake for 35-40 mins until the squash is tender, the filling bubbling and the veg soft. Serve with spinach and roasties.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 300g kale
• 300g wholemeal pasta (penne or mafalda work well)
• 4 tbsp reduced-fat soft cheese
• 4 tbsp fresh or jar pesto, or vegetarian alternative

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the onions for 10 mins until softened and beginning to caramelise. Add the kale and 100ml water, then cover and cook for 5 mins more, or until the kale has wilted.
2. Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the onion mixture, soft cheese and pesto, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season.