Pesto and cheese christmas tree

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients
- 2 rolls puff pastry
- 3-4 tbsp pesto
- 100g your choice of cheese
- 1 egg

Directions


Unroll one roll of pastry and spread the pesto and grated cheese over it, then cover with the second roll of pastry. Cut a triangular shape with a 'tree trunk' bit at the bottom. Cut horizontal lines across the tree leaving the middle intact for the trunk. Twist each row of pastry on itself to make branches. Brush the tree with an egg yolk and place it in the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes.

Gluten free almond and pear muffins

Makes 5 small muffins

Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 1 pear
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions
Cut, peel and chop the pear into pieces, and cook it with a bit of water for 10-15 minutes. Pour all the ingredients in a bow and mix with a food processor leaving some small chunks of pear. Pour into a muffin tin and cook at 180C for abour 40 minutes.

Brownies

Serves 6

Ingredients
- 100g brown sugar
- 50g butter
- 20g cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 60g flour
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- pinch of salt

Directions
Melt the butter and mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a greased tin and bake at 180C for 20 minutes until still goey in the middle. Let cool for 15 minutes then cut and serve.

Pumpkin soup

Serves 2-3

Ingredients
- ½ a small pumpkin
- 1 potato
- 2 carrots
- oil
- ¼ onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 300ml vegetable stock
- 50ml double cream
- nutmeg
- salt
- pepper

Directions
Roughly chop the pumpkin into pieces and cook it in the oven covered in tin foil for 30 minutes, or microwave it for 5 minutes, then peel it.
In a pot heat the oil, finely chop the onion and garlic and lightly them. Add the pumpkin, the potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces, and the carrots, sliced. Add the vegetable stock and let simmer for about 20 minutes or till the potato is soft. Blend everything in a blender and pour back into the pot. Add the double cream, nutmed, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread. 

Broccoli and mushroom risotto

Serves 2

Ingredients
- 160g risotto rice
- olive oil
- onion, finely chopped
- garlic, finely chopped
- white wine
- vegetable stock
- 4 portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 60g broccoli, roughly chopped
- parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat the oil in a skillet and then lightly fry the garlic and onion. When brown add the rice and a dash of white wine and let the wine evaporate. Cover the rice in vegetable stock and add the broccoli and mushrooms. Let simmer and add stock as needed for about 30 minutes. Once the rice is cooked and has dried up and grated parmesan cheese.

Red bean stew

Serves 3

Ingredients
- 200g red beans, soaked overnight
- olive oil
- ¼ onion, finelu chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 50g broccoli, roughly chopped
- ½ cup passata or chopped tomatoes
- 300ml vegetable stock
- paprika
- oregano
- cumin
- salt
- pepper

Directions
In a skillet heat the olive oil and lightly fry the onion with paprika and oregano. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Cover and let simmer for about 1 hour till the beans are soft. Add water as needed. Serve with bread.

Cocoa and coconut cake

Serves 6

Ingredients
- 65g flour
- 35g shredded dried coconut, plus 2tsp for decoration
- 20g cocoa powder
- 100g (brown) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 30g butter, melted
- 65g milk
- 1tbsp vanilla extract
- 1tsp baking powder

Directions
In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the milk and butter, and then all the dry ingredients. Pour into a buttered cake tin and bake at 150C for about 40 minutes. Let it cool, remove from the tin and decorate with additional dried coconut.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Ingredients
- Pumpkin seeds
- Olive oil
- Salt

Directions
When cutting a pumpkin save the seeds and wash them to remove all pumpkin bits. Lay them out on a baking tray, drizzle them with oil and sprinkle salt over them. Bake for about 30 minutes at 120C.

Pumpkin muffins

Serves 4

Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ tbsp cinnamon
- ¼ tbsp ginger
- ¼ tbsp nutmeg
- ¼ tbsp cloves
- butter to grease the muffin tin

Directions
In a bow mix the pumpkin, egg and oil and beat lightly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Pour the mix into a greased muffin tin and cook for 30 minutes at 160C.

Pumpkin and potato curry

Serves 3

Ingredients
- oil
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 300g pumpkin, chopped
- curry powder to taste
- 100g green peas
- a handful of raisins
- salt
-pepper

Directions
In a skillet heat the oil and lightly fry the onion and garlic. Add the curry powder, potato and pumpkin and cook for 15-20 minutes. If it gets very dry add ½ cup of vegetable stock. Add raisins and green peas (if using fresh green peas add them together with the potato and pumpkin) and cook for another 15-20 minutes till the potatoes and pumpkin are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with basmati rice. 

Aubergine and courgette curry

Serves 4

Ingredients
- ¼ onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 augergine
- 1 courgette
- 1 jar tomato sauce (or passata)
- 1 can coconut cream (or dairy cream)
- curry powder
- cumin
- chili powder
- cardamom pods
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable (or olive) oil

Directions
In a skillet heat the oil. Finely chop the onion and garlic and lightly fry them. Add the spices to taste. Thinly slice the aubergine and courgette and chop into quarters and halves respectively. Add them to the pan. Once they're soft, add the tomato sauce and coconut cream. Cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with basmati rice. 

Coconut and honey cake

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 egg
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup flour
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ tbsp butter

For the topping:
- ½ cup dried shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup of milk

Directions
In a bowl, beat the egg, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt. Melt the butter and milk till they start to boil and add to the mix. Pour into a baking tin and cook at 180C for about 30 minutes.
While the cake is cooking, mix all the ingredients for the topping in a saucepan till it starts simmering.
Once the cake is cooked, take it out of the over, pour the topping over it and place in the oven on grill settings till the coconut is brown (about 5 minutes).

Gnocchi

Serves 4

Ingredients
- 500g potatoes
- 150g flour
- ½ egg
- salt

Directions
Boil the potatoes with the skin in salted water for 40 minutes until cooked but not too soft. Drain and remove the skin while still hot. Mash the potatoes and mix the mash potatoes, flour, a pinch of salt and ½ an egg. When you've obtained a homogenous dough, roll it into thin cylinders on a surface sprinkled with flour. Cut each cylinder into pieces approximately 1cm long. Let them set for at least 15 minutes and up to a couple of days.
To cook bring water to the boil and add the gnocchi. When they raise to the surface of the water they are ready to be scooped out. Season as you prefer, for example with double cream and grated parmesan or melted butter and sage.

Mixed vegetable quiche

Serves: 6-8 as starter, 4 as main course

Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry roll
- 2 eggs
- 100g double cream
- 50g gouda (or similar) cheese
- 1-2 tomatoes
- 2-3 portobello mushrooms
- ½ bell pepper
- 1
zucchini

Directions
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces or thin slices. In a bowl mix the chopped vegatable, cream, eggs and cheese cut into small cubes. Pour the mixture into the puff pastry rolled out in a baking tin and bake for 40 minutes at 180C.

Lemon drizzle muffins

Servings: 4 muffins

Ingredients:
- 50g butter
- 55g sugar
- 1 egg
- 60g flour
- 1 lemon

Directions:
Soften the butter and mix it with the sugar and egg. Beat well then add the flour and the zest of 1 lemon. Pour the mix into muffin liners in a muffin baking tin. Bake for about 30 minutes at 140C. In the mean time squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon.
While still hot, poke holes in the muffins with a form and pour the lemon juice on top to make the muffins moist. Cool and serve

Zucchini and taleggio cheese quiche

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 zucchini, sliced
- 100g taleggio cheese
- 70g parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 eggs
- 150ml double cream
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- ground nutmeg

Directions

Lightly fry the onion in olive oil in a skillet. Add the zucchini and cook for about 10 minutes till the zucchini are cooked but still crisp. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set to a side.
In a bowl mix the eggs, parmesan cheese, double cream and nutmeg. Add the taleggio cheese cut into small cubes and the zucchini.
Unroll the puff pastry into a baking tray and pour the mix inside. Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes until brown.

Lemon posset

Serves 2

Ingredients
- 150ml double cream
- 40g sugar
- juice of 1 ½ lemons
- strawberries (or other fruit) for decoration

Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat stir the double cream and sugar, and bring to the boil. Cook for a couple of minutes and add the lemon juice. Pour into clear glasses or bowl and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
Decorate the top with strawberries and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
60g butter
30g caster sugar
60g brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
175g flour
100g chocolate, chopped into small bits

Directions
Melt the butter and mix with the caster sugar and white sugar. Add the egg, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt, mixing. Gradually add the flour and finally the chocolate. Place dollops of dough on a baking tray at least 5cm apart and bake for 30 minutes at 180C.

Spicy bean stew

Serves 3

Ingredients
- 200g passata
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- 1 chili pepper, sliced
- curry powder
- cumin powder
- 1 glass coconut milk
- 200g cannellini beans (any bean will do)
- 100g green peas
- 100g spinach
- 180g basmati rice

Directions
Finely chop the onion and garlic and lightly fry in a large pan. Add curry and cumin powder to taste. Add the passata, beans, peas and pinach and siimmer for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the chili pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
Cook the basmati rice in water and serve with the stew. 

Nectarine tart

Serves 8-10

M shaped for Mathilde's birthday

Ingredients
- 100g butter
- 250g flour
- 200g sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 spoonfuls marmelade
- 3 nectarines

Directions
Mix the melted butter, flour, sugar and egg with your hands to form a ball. Flatten it with a rolling pin and cut it into any shape you like. Spread a thin layer of marmelade on top. Cut the peaches into thin slices and place the slices over the pastry slightly overlapping and covering it entirely.
Bake at 180C for 40minutes.