• 125 g butter, softened
• 70 g castor sugar
• 80 g light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
• 150 g cake flour
• 60 g rolled oats
• pinch of fine salt
• 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 100 g dark choc discs, roughly chopped

1.) Cream the butter and sugars for a few minutes until well combined and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.

2.) Add the flour, oats, salt and baking powder. Mix until just combined. Mix in the sesame seeds and dark chocolate. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3.) While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

4.) Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and arrange these on your tray. Flatten slightly with your palm.

5.) Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until they’re golden and baked through. Leave to cool before serving.

Date cake

• 250 g pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 5 ml (1 tsp) bicarb
• 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
• 100 g butter, room temperature
• 160 g light brown sugar
• 50 g molasses
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs
• 200 g cake flour
• 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
• 1.25 ml (¼ tsp) fine salt
• vanilla ice cream, to serve

Toffee sauce 

• 130 g light brown sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
• 80 g butter
• pinch of fine salt
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

1.) Preheat the oven to 170ºC and grease a deep 20 cm square oven dish.

2.) Place the dates in a bowl. Sprinkle the bicarb over the top and cover with water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes. Pour the dates and water into a food processor and blend into a paste, (alternatively you can mash by hand). Set aside to cool.

3.) Cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix in. Add the eggs one at a time and mix in. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix in. Fold in the date paste.

4.) Pour the mixture into the greased dish and bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Have the sauce ingredients ready to use during the last part of the baking time.

5.) Prepare the sauce during the last 10 minutes of baking time. Place the sugar, cream, butter and salt in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Allow to boil gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

6.) Remove the pudding from the oven and use a skewer to poke holes all over the surface. Pour the hot sauce over the pudding. Leave to stand for 5 – 10 minutes to allow the sauce to soak in, then serve warm with ice cream.

Spinach and ricotta pasta

• 300 g pasta tubes
• 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
• 125 g button mushrooms, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 125 g baby spinach
• 500 g ricotta
• 50 g finely grated parmesan
• 5 ml (1 tsp) finely grated lemon zest
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato sauce

• 5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil
• 1 shallot (about 70 g), finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
• 50 ml red wine
• 410 g tin tomato purée
• 50 g tomato paste
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100 g grated mozarella

1.) Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for half of the time suggested on the packaging (for me this was 6 minutes). You want the pasta to be par-cooked but still firm to make filling easier. Drain and set aside to cool.

2.) To make the filling, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté gently for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

3.) Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the same pan. Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid, chop finely and add to the bowl with the mushrooms.

4.) Add the ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest and nutmeg to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Spoon the filling into the pasta tubes and set to one side.

5.) To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the shallot and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook for another minute. Stir in the wine and simmer until all the liquid has reduced. Stir in the tomato purée, tomato paste, stock and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened, stirring regularly.

6.) While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 190°C. Check the seasoning of the sauce, then pour into a large oven dish. Arrange the stuffed pasta tubes in the sauce, ensuring that they are mostly covered by the sauce. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes.

7.) Remove the cover from the dish and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve.

Filling

• 1 kg butternut cubes (about 3 cm)
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil + extra for frying
• 10 ml (2 tsp) ground cumin
• 5 ml (1 tsp) chilli powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 5 ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves
• 200 g baby spinach leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 100 g plain chevin

Phyllo

• 5 sheets of phyllo pastry
• 50 g butter, melted

1.) Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a baking tray. Place the butternut in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, cumin and chilli. Season well with salt and pepper and toss everything together. Arrange on the tray and roast for 30 minutes until just cooked and starting to caramelise. Set aside to cool.

2.) While the butternut is roasting, heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 8 – 10 minutes to soften. Add the thyme, spinach and garlic, and continue to cook until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.

3.) Place the butternut and onion mixture in a bowl, and gently toss together. Break the chevin into small chunks and gently fold through. Set aside.

4.) Preheat the oven to 190ºC and grease a 20 cm round oven dish. Brush a sheet of pastry with butter and lay it in the dish, butter side down, with the edges hanging over the sides. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry, rotating them slightly each time so that they’re not laid directly on top of each other.

5.) Spoon the filling into the dish, then fold the overhanging pastry up and over the filling to cover it, scrunching it as you do. Brush the remaining butter over the top.

6.) Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes or until the phyllo is golden and crispy.

Stewed fruit

• 75 g white sugar
• 375 ml (1½ cups) water
• 300 g apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite sized chunks
• 300 g pears, peeled, cored and cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 ml (1 tsp) orange zest
• 4 shortbread cookies

Vanilla custard

• 2 large egg yolks
• 40 g castor sugar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla paste
• 15 g cake flour
• 250 ml (1 cup) cream
• 250 ml (1 cup) full cream milk

1.) To make the fruit place the sugar and water in a pot. Stir over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Add the apples, pears, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest. Stir and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2.) While the fruit is simmering, prepare the custard. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk on high speed for 2 minutes until thick and pale. Add the vanilla and flour, and whisk in.

3.) Place the cream and milk in a saucepan and heat until boiling point. As soon as bubbles appear remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly pour half of the milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot while whisking and return to the heat. Stir continuously over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not allow the custard to boil.

4.) Spoon the custard into four serving bowls. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fruit from the syrup and spoon onto the custard. Crumble a shortbread cookie over each bowl and serve immediately.

Carrot and pineapple loaves

• 432 g tin crushed pineapple
• 3 large eggs
• 300 g light brown sugar
• 180 ml (¾ cup) sunflower oil
• 250 g cake flour
• 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
• 5 ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
• 1.25 ml (¼ tsp) fine salt
• 10 ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger
• 125 g finely grated carrot
• 100 g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Cream cheese icing

• 100 g butter, softened
• 175 g full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• 240 g icing sugar
• decorations (optional – see suggestions above)

1.) Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line the base of two 23 cm loaf tins and grease well.

2.) Place a sieve over a bowl and empty the contents of the pineapple tin into it. Set aside to drain.

3.) Place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed for 2 – 3 minutes until pale and thick. Add the oil and beat for another minute. Add the pineapple syrup and mix to incorporate.

4.) Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon and ginger into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add the pineapple pieces, carrot and nuts and fold in.

5.) Divide the batter between the loaf tins. Bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

6.) While the cakes are baking make the cream cheese icing. Place the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix in. Sift in half the icing sugar and whisk to combine. Sift in the remaining icing sugar and whisk together until smooth. Set aside in the fridge.

7.) Spread the icing over the cooled cakes. Decorate, slice and serve.

Satay chicken

• 60 ml (¼ cup) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) soya sauce
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) garlic and ginger paste
• 10 ml (2 tsp) honey
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh lime (1 lime)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 x chicken thighs
• 4 x chicken drumsticks

Tray bake

• 750 g baby potatoes
• olive oil, for drizzling
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250 g broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks
• 300 g baby marrow, sliced
• coriander, roughly chopped (optional)

1.) To prepare the satay chicken, place the peanut butter, soya sauce, garlic and ginger paste, honey and lime in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper and whisk together until smooth.  Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Set aside in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour (longer if time allows).

2.) Scrub the baby potatoes and place in a pot. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 8 – 10 minutes until starting to soften on the outside but still firm in the middle. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

3.) Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a large tray with baking paper. Arrange the chicken pieces on the tray, coating them with any extra marinade left in the bowl. Add the potatoes to the tray and use the back of a spoon to squash them down (they should still be intact). Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4.) Bake chicken and potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and add the broccoli, peppers and baby marrow. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and season. Bake for a further 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the potatoes are crispy and the veggies are tender.

5.) Dish onto plates, sprinkle with coriander (if using) and serve.

• 1 whole bulb of garlic
• 5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil, for drizzling
• 250 ml (1 cup) full cream plain yoghurt
• 10 ml (2 tsp) tahini
• 5 ml (1 tsp) fresh lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) flaked almonds
• 2 large aubergines 
• 5 g fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

1.) Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Cut about 1 cm off the top of the garlic so that the cloves are exposed. Place the bulb on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap and roast for 30 minutes, or until the garlic has softened. Set aside to cool slightly.

2.) Place the yoghurt in a bowl. Squeeze the garlic out of the bulb into the bowl, and use a fork to mix together, mashing the cloves as you mix. Stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside in the fridge.

3.) Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

4.) Slice the aubergines into 1 cm thick rounds. Brush each side well with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place a griddle pan over a high heat, and cook the slices for 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

5.) Swirl the yoghurt onto a serving plate. Arrange the aubergine slices on top, and sprinkle with almonds and mint. Serve immediately.

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) shelled raw pistachios
• 40 g wild rocket
• 150 g strawberries, halved
• 120 g burrata (1 whole)
• 5 g fresh basil
• olive oil, to drizzle
• balsamic reduction, to drizzle
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.) Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Place the pistachios on a small baking tray and roast for 5 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then chop up roughly.

2.) Arrange the rocket on a serving plate. Top with the strawberries and place the burrata in the middle.

3.) Tear the basil leaves over the salad. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction, and season with salt and pepper. Tear open the burrata and serve immediately.