The original recipe uses 1/2 the can of both the pumpkin pure and condensed milk, so I’ve doubled it here to make two pies. After all two pies are always better than one! I’ve also added grated fresh ginger for an extra zing, but you could add ground ginger, mixed spice and ground black pepper.

Makes 2 x 9inch pies
Each pie serves 6
For the filling:
110g of sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 large thumb sized piece of ginger, finely grated
1 x 822g tin of Libby’s Pumpkin Puree
1 x 397g tin of condensed milk
4 large free range eggs

For the pie bases:
2 sheets of ready to roll shortcrust pastry
A little butter to grease
Tin foil
Ceramic baking beans or dried pulses

Preheat the oven to 220˚C and grease two 9 inch pie tins with a little butter.

Roll out the sheets of short crust pastry and press them into the two pie tins. Prick the bases with a fork and tidy up the edges by crimping them with your fingers, this doesn’t have to look perfect.

Place one sheet of tin foil or grease proof paper in the base of each pastry lined pie tin and tumble in some ceramic baking beans or any dried pulse will do.

Place the pie tins in the oven to cook for 10 minutes. Remove the tin foil and baking beans and place back in the oven for a further 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

While the pastry is cooking, mix together all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl.

Divide the pumpkin mix between the two tins, reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C and place back in the oven to bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the pies come out clean.

Allow to cool before serving.

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This is my basic risotto recipe, which is essentially a blank canvas for  any ingredients you want to add. Try mixing through roasted squash and  crispy pancetta, or an Arrabiata sauce for a delicious alternative to  mushrooms.

Serves 4
200g of Chanterelle mushrooms
1 litre Chicken stock
150g butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
300g risotto rice
75ml white wine
150g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Fry the mushrooms in half the butter until slightly coloured. Allow any water from the mushrooms to fry off. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour the stock into a saucepan and simmer gently. Melt the remaining butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and gently fry for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the rice and stir until it is coated.

Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until nearly evaporated, then start adding the warm stock, about two ladlefuls at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Continue to add the stock until the rice is tender and has a creamy coating. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Add the remaining butter, mushrooms and grated Parmesan cheese and gently stir though. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or truffle oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

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This is the dish you can make when you invite the parents around to show them you really can make it on your own, and that you don’t need your mother to wash your socks anymore! Chicken thighs are a good, cost-effective cut of meat and will hold really well in the freezer, so pick up a few packs.

Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 chicken thighs
2 red onions, sliced into thick slices
5 carrots, cut into rough chunks
3 celery sticks, cut into rough slices
400g tin chopped tomatoes
600ml chicken stock
2 teaspoons English mustard
1 teaspoons dried oregano
Sea salt and ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large, high-sided pot until it’s really hot. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. There should be enough oil and fat left in the pan, but if not just add another little drop.

Add the red onions and fry until soft. Add the carrots and celery and cook for three to four minutes, stirring every now and then.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and stir though with the mustard and oregano. Add in the browned chicken and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and place the lid on and simmer gently for 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve in deep bowls with some thick, crusty bread to soak up the juices.

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I think these blackberry crumb slices match the fruit perfectly! They are most definitely and bit more rustic looking than most cake slices, but are full of warm sponge and juicy flavours. Both the cake mix and the crumb topping are extremely easy to make and great for baking with kids!

Makes 24 delicious slices
115g butter, at room temperature
175g caster sugar
1 large free range egg
280g self raising flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
125ml milk
300g of fresh blackberries (you could use frozen if you’re stuck)

For the sweet crumb topping
115g caster sugar
85g plain flour
zest of 1 lemon
75g of butter

Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas Mark 5.

Grease a rectangular baking tin and line it with parchment paper. If you’re stuck for parchment paper you could probably get away with greasing the tin and flouring it instead.

Using a hand mixer, in a bowl beat together the sugar and butter until pale. Add in the egg whisking to incorporate the mixture little by little.

Using a wooden spoon fold in the flour, cinnamon and milk. Mix gently until you have a sticky dough like mixture.

Spread evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking tin, this requires patience as the dough can be sticky, but bear with it you’ll get there! Then arrange the blackberries on top. Set aside while you prepare the sweet crumb topping.

Add all the ingredients for the sweet crumb topping to a bowl and rub the dry ingredients into the butter with your fingertips as you would with pastry. Keep mixing until you have a mixture that resembles rough breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle the crumb topping over the blackberries in the baking tray and place in the oven on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into 24 pieces.

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This a surprisingly tasty soup, which is wonderfully cleansing. Used originally as part of a weight-loss diet, I make it regularly as a really substantial lunch. This recipe makes a generous amount – I freeze half the soup and keep the rest in the fridge.

Serves 8
3 onions, chopped into chunks
2 green peppers, chopped into chunks
1 bunch of celery, chopped into chunks
1 iceberg lettuce, chopped into chunks
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
800ml/1½ pints vegetable stock
300g/10½oz lentils or soup mix
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Add all the ingredients to a large pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Blend the soup to a smooth consistency with a hand blender; you may need to add a little extra stock if the soup is too thick.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

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Mushrooms can have the marmite effect on some people, you either love them or hate them. In my case I love them and while you can pick them up quite easily in most supermarkets, nothing is more satisfying than picking them yourself. If you are lucky enough to come across a bumper load of them in the forest, in my opinion you have to enjoy them straight away cooked as simply as this.

Serves 2 generous portions
A good handful of chanterelle mushrooms per person
A good knob of butter
A little sea salt and ground black pepper to season
1 clove of garlic
A good glug of extra virgin olive oil
4 slices of nice chewy sourdough bread, toasted

In a large pan melt the butter over a medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms and fry until lightly browned and tender. This about 5 minutes depending on the amount you have in the pan. Some mushrooms will throw off a lot of water, but don’t panic just continue to cook until all the water is gone. Season with a little sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Try not to over season as you really want to allow the natural flavours to shine through.

While the mushrooms are cooking toast the bread, when it turns golden drizzle with a little olive oil and rub vigorously with the clove of garlic, finally season with a little sea salt.

Top the toast with the hot and tender mushrooms and serve straight away!

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One thing I love about Chinese cooking is the fantastic spices that are used, I remember first coming across star anise and thinking it was one of the coolest spices I had ever seen and that was before I had even tasted it! If you haven’t used it before, don’t be put off, it’s really easy to use, just bash it in a pestle and mortar until you have a fine aromatic powder. The combination of ingredients in this recipe makes a wonderfully sticky and delicious dish.

Serves 2
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of rice wine
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon of ground star anise
2 large duck breasts

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, rice wine, garlic and star anise. Toss the duck breasts in the marinade until completely coated, cover and place in the fridge to marinade for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time.

Place the duck on an oven tray and cook for about 25 minutes at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 or until cooked all the way through.  Make sure to baste the breasts with the juices during the cooking time.

When the duck is cooked, place the tray under a hot grill to caramelise the duck skin for 1-2 minutes. Cut into thin slices and serve with a drizzle of the juices.

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Garlic and mushroom is a classic combination and works super in this tasty pasta dish. Crumbling the goats cheese over the hot pasta creates a creamy coating and leaves the dish with a distinctive tangy taste. The dish only takes the time to cook the pasta and is perfect to make a little extra and stick in a lunchbox for tomorrow.

Serves 4
250g of wholemeal penne pasta
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic chopped finely
1 onion chopped into thin half moon slices
150g of mushrooms sliced thinly (Approx. 6 large mushrooms)
75g of goats cheese
A generous pinch of black pepper
A generous pinch of sea salt

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This is a really tasty starter dish which is perfect for preparing the ingredients ahead of time and simply assembling them at the last minute to create a pretty impressive salad. If you don’t want to roast the beetroot yourself, you can by precooked vac packed ones in the supermarket.

Serves 6
6 medium sized beetroot
75g pine nuts
250g goats cheese, cut into bitesize pieces
60g rocket leaves
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Half a clove of garlic, minced
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

You can cook the beetroot ahead of time if you wish, simply wrap them in tinfoil, place on an oven tray and bake for about an hour at 190C/Gas Mark 5 or until you can insert a fork smoothly.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then peel with knife and slice into quarters.

On a large frying pan, over a medium heat, toast the pine nuts, until golden brown, make sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quite easily. In a large bowl whisk together the Dijon mustard, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, arrange the beetroot quarters and goats cheese pieces on each plate.  Toss the rocket leaves in the dressing and place a little on each plate. Finally scatter each plate with the toasted pine nuts and serve straight away!

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Normally I make this herb paste for a full roast chicken, but I find pre-portioned chicken legs and thighs are perfect for entertaining as you don’t have to fuss around with carving. The great thing about this dish is that you can prepare the two trays a few hours ahead of your guest arriving and pop them in the oven just before they arrive! If you don’t grow your own herbs you can pick up little packets for about €1 in most supermarkets which are really handy for one off dishes. I love roasting whole garlic bulbs but if it’s too much garlic for you just leave these out.

Serves 6
6 Chicken legs and thighs
4 red onions, peeled and quartered
2 bulbs of garlic,with the top sliced off
4 cloves of garlic
40g or a large handful of fresh herbs, basil, rosemary, thyme
6 medium sized parsnips, peeled and quartered
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon of honey
A good drizzle of olive oil
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

In a pestle and mortar or a food processor, blitz the mixed herbs, garlic cloves, and a little olive oil.  Add a little more olive oil until you have a loose paste.

Place the parsnips on a large roasting tray with the thyme, drizzle with honey and oil and spoonful of the herb paste.  Toss together until everything is combined.
On another roasting tray arrange the chickens pieces, garlic bulbs and red onion.  Add the rest of the herb paste and toss everything together until the the chicken and onions have a nice coating of herbs.

Place both roasting trays in the oven at 190°C/Gas Mark 5, for about 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked right through.  The parsnips will cook slightly quicker than the chicken so you may need to take them out of the oven before the chicken.

Serve the chicken straight away, with the parsnips, red onion, garlic and an little drizzle of the juices.

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This recipe is a fresh take on the Swedish Cinnamon Buns which have been so popular on the blog and in the book! Inspired by Leila Lindholm (my current hero!) who uses blueberries in the filling, I decided it would be great way to use up the last of my leftover frozen berries. This recipe makes a lot of buns, but they freeze really well in ziplock bags and can reheated straight in the oven.

Makes about 40 buns
400ml/14fl oz milk
110g/4oz butter
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
110g/4oz sugar
750g/1½lbs flour
½ teaspoon of salt
1 egg, beaten
A handful of flaked almonds

For the filling:
200g of butter, at room temperature
150g of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
450g of mixed frozen berries
2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Melt the butter in a large pot gently on a low heat and then add the milk. When the mixture is lukewarm, remove from the heat and add the two sachets of dried yeast, sugar and salt. Slowly incorporate the flour one cup at a time; be patient, as the mixture will eventually come together and you won’t be left with a sticky mess forever! You may need to add less or more of the flour to get the right consistency. When the dough has taken shape and is no longer sticky, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes.

Leave the dough to rise in the bowl covered with a damp cloth for 45 minutes. Try and find somewhere warm, as the yeast will do its job a lot quicker.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a small bowl beat the butter with cinnamon and sugar until you get a light and creamy consistency. In another bowl combine the berries and icing sugar. You may have to zap the berries in the microwave to defrost them first.

When the dough has risen, cut it in half and roll it into a rectangle about 5mm thick, and then spread half the creamy butter filling all over. Top with half the berry mixture and spread evenly over the dough. Then, from the long side, roll the dough so you get a snail effect and slice into approximately 15–20 pieces. Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.

Place the slices in paper wrappers face up and bake the rolls in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for about 10–15 minutes or until they are a light brown colour. Remove from the oven brush with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Place back in the oven for another 5-6 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and the almonds are toasted.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack, if you can wait that long!

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I have a handy dandy Magimix food processor and it makes this recipe so simple and takes only minutes to prepare. If you don’t have one, it’s no big deal but it makes this easy recipe a little more time consuming. This crunchy coleslaw is the perfect accompaniment to any meat or poultry dish.

Serves 4-6 people
3 carrots, grated
1/2 head of red cabbage, finely chopped or coarsely grated
3 spring onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoon of mayonaisse
1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
A good pinch of ground black pepper

Add all the vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the wholegrain mustard, ground black pepper and mayonaisse and using a large spoon combine all the ingredients until the carrot and cabbage is evenly coated.

Transfer to a large serving dish, cover with cling film and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve. The coleslaw should last 2-3 days kept in the fridge.

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I’m totally in love with this dish at the moment, its a perfect summer garden dinner. I normally just serve this as a side dish but you can beef it up by adding a few eggs to the dish and baking them until cooked. I can’t tell you tell you just how tasty this little recipe is, you will just have to try it!

Serves 4
Approximately 16 baby potatoes
300g of chorizo.
2 red onions, finely sliced.
Juice of 1/2 lemon.
A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.  Remove from the heat and drain.

Place a large frying pan over and medium high heat and add the chorizo, you shouldn’t need any oil. Fry the chorizo slices for 2-3 minutes until they are really red and crispy.  Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon.

With the back of a fork or a whisk, combine the chorizo and lemon juices.  Add the red onion to the pan and stir through. Finally chop the potatoes into bitesize pieces and add to the pan gently tossing so that all the ingredients are combined.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and serve warm as a tasty side dish.

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Depending on the dried mushrooms you buy, you can use the water you soak them in as part of the stock added in this recipe- Simply substitute half the beef stock with the mushroom water. If you don’t have dried mushrooms, they are not essential but give a real depth to the sauce, so feel free to substitute with any fresh mushrooms available to you.

Serves 4 people
40g of dried mixed forest mushrooms
4 steaks
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil (plus a little extra for the steaks)
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
250g of button mushrooms, sliced thinly
125ml of white wine
250ml of beef stock
4 tablespoons of cream
A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the dried mushrooms with water and then submerge in a bowl with warm water and leave for 20 minutes. Prepare the steaks by drizzling them with a little olive oil, sprinkle over a generous amount of ground black pepper, cover and set aside.

When the dried mushrooms have finished soaking, heat a large pan over a medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Fry the garlic and onion for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until they become soft.

Add the white wine, continue to cook and reduce the liquid by half. Then add the beef stock and simmer for a further 2 minutes or until the liquid begins to thicken slightly.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream until combined.  Season with sea salt and black pepper and set aside.

Heat a large griddle pan over a high heat and cook the steaks for 2-3 minutes either side for medium rare steak, depending on thickness.

Remove the steaks from the pan and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Serve them with the tasty mushroom sauce and some steamed veg.

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Good homemade bread never fails to impress. There is just a freshness that you can’t compare to store bought, plus the the smell of a freshly baked loaf wafting around the house, just can’t be beaten!

Makes 2 focaccia loaves
750g of strong white flour
2 teaspoons of salt
15fl oz of lukewarm water
1 x 7g sachet of dry yeast
2 tablespoons of olive oil

For the topping:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 garlic cloves, very finely minced
1 red onion, sliced into half moon pieces

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and with the back of a spoon make a well. Pour the water into the well, and stir through the yeast and oil. Allow to stand for 10 minutes and then slowly combine the wet ingredients with the flour, incorporating in small amounts at a time, until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Oil the mixing bowl, place the dough back in, cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and knead for a further 2-3 minutes.

Seperate the dough into two pieces and form into a flat rectangular bread, place into two oiled baking trays. Mix the garlic with the olive oil and spread over the surface of the the bread dough. Poke parts of the dough with your thumb and then pres the onions on top. Place in an oven at 220oC/425oF/Gas Mark 7 for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.

When the bread is done drizzle with a little extra olive oil and enjoy!

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Recipe from “Swedish Homecooking” by Catarina Lundgren Astrom and Peter Astrom.

I’m told this is a traditional Swedish recipe from one of the largest islands off the coast of Sweden. It’s an extremely distinctive dessert, full of flavour which is definitely worth a try.

Serves 2
60g of Japanese rice
240ml of water
1/4 teaspoon of salt
480ml of whole milk
120ml of cream
2 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of saffron
4 eggs
50g blanched almonds

Boil the rice with the water and salt in a covered saucepan until the water is absorbed.

Add the milk and cream and let the rice mixture simmer over a low heat until soft, about 30-40 minutes.  Stir every now and then so it doesn’t catch at the bottom.  You may need to add a little extra milk if needed.

Preheat the oven to 220oC.

Let the mixture cool a little.  Stir in the sugar and the saffron.  Add the eggs to the rice, one at a time.  Then add the almonds.  Pour the rice mixture into a buttered oven-proof dish.

Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for approx. 30 minutes.  Serve the saffron pancake lightly cooled, with whipped cream and blackberry jam.

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