Baked Cod with Mussels (6)

Creamy floury potatoes with fish from Diana Henry.

Butternut and Sage Lasagne Gratin (4)

A simple and quick version of lasagne from ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage. If you like you could use chicken stock or bone broth if you are not catering for vegetarians. Spinach, chard leaves or ham also make a good addition to the layers.

Quick Clam Stew (2-4)

These delicious oily and garlicky clams are from ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage. They can be served as a starter or a main. Instead of the chickpeas they can be tossed with pasta, or served with grilled bread or chips.

TV Chips (2)

Loaded chips to enjoy when you are in newed of comfort. Instead of tuna you could load these with Salsa Roja and Pickled Onions or with Mexican Sauce and Spring Onion Salsa. You need a flat baking tray and you want to spread the potatoes out as much as possible to crisp and colour evenly. The recipe is fro ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage.

Peshawari Bread and Butter Pudding (6-8)

An inspired combination of flavours from ” Desi Kitchen” by Sarah Woods. She developed this recipe with Eid in mind. I can’t think of a better way to break a fast!

Omelette Noodles with Red Pepper Sauce (2)

A very good recipe from ” MEzcla ” by Ixta Belfrage.

Giant Cheese on Toast (6)

A fancy cheese on toast for brunch . You can cut it up into quarters and serve with a crisp salad for lunch or dinner. Or you can cut into smaller squares and serve as a sharing snack. The recipe is from ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage and can be doubled for a crowd.

Prawn Lasagne with Habanero Oil (4)

A special lasagne with Mexican and Brazilian influences from ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage.

Porcini Ragu (2)

A delicious recipe for pasta from ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage. Make sure you prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking.

Oyster Mushroom Noodles (2)

A vegetarian noodle dish with Eastern European influences. Be patient when you are frying the onions- they need to be caramelised slowly so do not be tempted to rush them. My supermarket had no fresh egg noodles but they did have Lentil Protein Noodles and they worked well. Don’t be put of by the long list of ingredients- its quite easy to prepare. The recipe is from ” Mezcla” by Ixta Belfrage and is so good i will make it on repeat.

Pates a la Cevenole (6)

Comforting bowls of pasta with chestnuts and mushrooms . Use ready cooked vacuum packed or frozen chestnuts to save time and effort. The recipe is from Southern France and i found it in the excellent ” Simple” by Diana Henry. Its a winner.

Meringues for Queen Sophia (10)

A spectacular Eton Messy sort of pudding from ” Notes from a Small Kitchen Island” by Debora Robertson. You can make all the components the day before if you like, but remember to allow enough chilling time after you assemble the pudding. And if you don’t feel like making the caramel yourself just go for the Dulce de Leche option. Enjoyx

Christmas Tiramisu ( 6-8)

I still have a larder and fridge well overstocked with festive food offerings due to unavoidable but last minute plan changes in the numbers catered for at several points. So I have been searching around looking for new ways to use this up. Here’s a dessert offering from Matt Tebbutt .

Blackberry and Apple Trifles (4)

An easy trifle from Nigel Slater.

Eggs Benedict Strata (6-8)

Everybody loves Eggs Benedict, but lets face it making the Hollandaise Sauce can be a bit of a faff especially when you are hungover and hungry. This recipe is a riff on the traditional version from ” Notes from a Small Kitchen Island” by Debora Robertson. This savoury bread and butter pudding is even better if prepared the day before and then cooked the following day. If you like you can add some halved cherry tomatoes to the mixture and/ or serve rashers of crisp bacon and sizzling sausages alongside. And of course Bloody Mary’s to accompany – or Virgin Mary’s if preferred.

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