425g/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp quick cooking oats (porridge oats NOT instant)
3 Tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
110g/1 stick butter
140g/5 oz golden syrup (or honey)
140g/5oz light brown soft sugar
140g/5oz dark (bittersweet) 70% cocoa chocolate, chopped into small pieces

• Heat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas mark 3. Line the bottom and 2 sides of a ……pan. Mix together the oats, cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl.

• In a small saucepan mix together the butter, syrup and sugar until the butter and sugar have melted. Pour over the oat mixture and mix until fully coated. Add the 2/3 of the chopped chocolate and mix to combine. Fill your pan with the mixture and gently press evenly- don’t press down too tightly.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and cut whilst still in the pan. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

• Melt your remaining chocolate ( I do this in the microwave for 1 minute then stir until smooth) and then drizzle over the top.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped or sliced
450g/1 lb free range organic lean ground beef or bison (ideally grass-fed)
few sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves picked
1 x 28oz can whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano are great)
1 beef stock cube (or 1 pint beef stock)
200g/1 cup yellow lentils
2 Tbsp double cream (optional)
fresh basil leaves and good olive oil to finish, optional

• In a large deep frying pan or cassoulet heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until lightly golden and soft (about 8 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Add the beef and break up in the pan using a fork. Cook until brown all over. Add the oregano leaves and stir for 30 seconds.

• Add the tomatoes and use a large pair of scissors to cut up the tomatoes (or take the messier route and squeeze in your hands). Add half a tin’s worth of beef stock or a beef stock cube with 1/2 tin of water. Bring up to a gentle simmer, cover and let cook for 2-3 hours, whatever time you have. You can also do this in a low oven (around 275F/140C) but keep an eye on it bubbling too verociously and if it looks like its drying out then add some water or red wine.

• Meanwhile soak your lentils in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and then place the lentils in a pot, cover with fresh water and cook for a about 20 minutes, or until softened but haven’t lost their shape. Purée half of the lentils in a food processor and stir into your meat sauce a few minutes before serving (this will thicken the sauce). Stir through the remaining whole lentils, the cream (if using) and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve spooned over bowls of spaghetti or linguine with basil to garnish and plenty of shards of fresh Parmesan Reggiano.

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600g yukon gold potatoes (or maris piper)
few sprigs of thyme, leaves pulled off
4 garlic cloves (in skin)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small head of broccoli, in florets (or asparagus)
handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, on or off the vine
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2-4 large free range organic eggs

Sautéed spinach & Heinz baked beans, to serve (optional but highly recommended)

• Heat the oven to 225C/425F/Gas mark 7 . Line a large baking tray with silpat. Cut your potatoes into chunky chips ( I usually go 3 slices across and then 3-4 slices to make into chips (using 2 potatoes each weighing 300g).

• Toss your chips, thyme and garlic cloves with 2/3 of the olive oil (or just lightly coat in olive oil) season with salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer on your baking tray. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, carefully turning each chip over once, after 15 minutes.  Toss the broccoli and tomatoes with the remaining oil and add to the tray. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

• Make little wells in your tray and into each well break an egg ( it’s really up to you how many eggs you add) so that each egg is enclosed by the veggie mix. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until the white on the egg is set and the chips are golden and crunchy. Serve with quickly sautéed spinach and baked beans!

I wondered if this was the doing of the spirit of some old French chef. I imagined  his chefs hat cartoonishly blowing steam out the sides as he stood over my shoulder, red cheeks fuming and baguette ready in had to strike again should I think of linking this offending specimen to Lorraine.  But the Julia Child in me told me to pick it up, brush it off and go ahead and serve it. The guests would be none the wiser. Thanks, Julia.

The filling is hardly going to find itself a Weight Watchers award- I’ve used whole milk and thick crème fraîche along with 4 whole eggs. But I’ve padded it all out with extra veggies, lots of mushrooms and leeks and instead of lardons I’ve used  turkey bacon ( a good quality uncured and minimally processed one,  please). So you can see, most of the caloric savings come from the lack of shortcrust pastry- which is fine by me…..though I think even Julia Child would be horrified at the thought of this being considered  Quiche Lorraine…..ah well, I hate the word quiche anyway.

15g dry porcini mushrooms
300g/10oz trimmed leeks (white and light green only)
110g/4 ounces good quality turkey bacon (or ham)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp thyme leaves, roughly chopped
140g/5oz chestnut mushrooms (cremini/baby bellas), sliced
200ml/3/4cup whole milk
4 large free range organic eggs
115g/1/2 cup crème fraîche
65g/1 cup finely grated parmesan reggiano/pecorino romano mix (or good quality extra sharp cheddar)
3-4 sheets Filo pastry

1 x 23cm/9in loose-bottomed cake tin or deep tart tin

• Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas mark 5. Boil a little water and soak the dried porcinis’ until soft (about 10 minutes.) Meawhile, slice your trimmed leeks in half lenghtways and run under cold water to remove any dirt. Slice into half moons about 1/2 centimeter thick. Slice your turkey bacon about 1 cm thick.

• In a large heavy bottomed frying pan heat your oil and 1 Tbsp of butter over a medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the leeks and turkey bacon and cook, stirring frequently over a medium heat until the leeks have softened and reduced in volume by nearly half as they wilt.

• Add the thyme and the sliced chestnut mushrooms to the pan and turn up the heat just a tad. Continue to cook and stir until the mushrooms are fairly soft. Meanwhile drain your porcini mushrooms and finely chop. Toss into the pan too, just for good measure. Once this mixture is cooked season well with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Allow to cool down.

• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, crème fraîche and cheese. Once your leek mixture is cool to warm mix the two together.

• Melt your remaining 2 Tbsp butter in a small pan. Unwrap your filo pastry. Lay out flat and cover all but one sheet with a clean tea-towel. Brush your uncovered sheet all over with melted butter then brush the inside your cake tin or deep-tart pan. Very gently lay the filo into the tin ever so carefully coaxing it down and into the corners. Repeat with your second sheet and lay it the opposite way in the tin and then again with your third. If you have tearing on the bottom just use a fourth sheet. Drape any excess filo over the sides of the tin and then pour in your filling.

• Place tin on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes before turning 180º in the oven and cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Check after 10 and if most of the “wobble” is set in the middle of the filling then remove from the oven. If it is still very wobbly return for another 5 minutes. Allow to sit for 20 minutes so that it can set, before slicing.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
400g/2 cups puy lentils
1 bunch mint
60g/ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

for the dressing
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp truffle oil (black or white)

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and then add the onion. Stir to coat in the oil and cook over a medium heat until translucent and beginning to colour- about 10 minutes. Add the garlic for the last minute. Stir in the lentils and then add 1 litre/4 cups of water, bring up to a simmer and allow to gently simmer , stirring occasionallly until the water is almost entirely dissolved and the lentils are tender but not soft and mushy. This will take about 20 minutes.

• Make the dressing by whisking together the ingredients or shaking together well in a jam jar. Once the lentils are cooked, stir the dressing through and allow to sit for at least an hour to cool and allow the flavours to meld together.

• Meanwhile, pick your mint leaves and chop roughly. Lightly toast your walnuts in a dry pan and once you are ready to serve your lentils, stir through the mint and walnuts- taste and check for seasoning then serve!

Parsley pistou tabbouleh

This tastes even better after it has sat for a few hours, so feel free to make it in advance, or even the day before- just add the tomatoes right before serving.

Makes enough for 4- 6 servings

200g/ 1 heaping cup bulgur wheat
2 cups boiling hot chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
3 large bunches parsley, ends of stalks trimmed
2 large garlic cloves
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zest & juice
60ml/1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 large bunch mint
1 x 10oz punnet cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
spring onions/scallions, trimed and finely sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

• Pour the boiling chicken stock over the bulgur wheat in a large bowl and cover with a clean towel. Stir using a fork after 5 minutes and if the liquid has not yet been absorbed recover and stir again after 5 minutes.

• Make the parsley pistou. In a food processor blend together 2 bunches of the parsley (leaves and stalks are fine), garlic cloves, sesame seeds, salt and black pepper until as finely chopped as possible. Stir down the bowl and add the lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Taste to check for seasoning then set aside.

• Remove the leaves from the 3rd bunch of parsley and the leaves from your mint and finely chop both. Fold the chopped herbs all of the remaining ingredients and your parsley pistou into the cooked bulgur wheat and taste to check the seasoning.

I do have two issues with falafal though- 1/unless you have a designated falafel vendor, you never know whether you are going to get something that is although deliciously crispy on the outside, dry and flaky on the middle and 2/ according to my husband an overdose of chickpeas is not a pleasant experience for anyone within a five mile radius of me.  I wholeheartedly agree with the former statement but can only attest to the fact that my stomach does get a little bloated and crampy from time to time in reference to the latter. With such problems related to purchased chickpea-heavy falafel, I’m surprised that I haven’t made these at home sooner. I’ve actually had the idea bookmarked in my chickpea-loving brain since my days working on the Today show when Harold Dieterle made them. He boycotted the chickpeas all together, and used only edamame, which leads me to believe that he had serious gastrointestinal issues with chickpeas. Regardless, they were delicious- delicately flavored and not masked by musky spices but sadly fried and thus a little greasy for my liking. I decided to go with the 50/50 approach- 6oz chickpeas to 9oz edamame, which clearly isn’t 50/50 but I never was very good at maths so I hope that you’ll forgive me.  It’s probably more like 30/60 but my human calculator, Don isn’t picking up the phone- so there you go, without him I’m stumped.

Forget the numbers, they really aren’t important anyway. What is important is for you to know is that these are quite simply the tastiest little baked, not fried falafels’ I ever did delight in shoving down my gob. I kept the mixture sort of chunky, for texture- there’s nothing worse than a falafel that’s got no bite to it. I also kept the spices minimal but added lemon zest and juice to give them some zing as well as a load of fresh herbs to give them an earthy fresh flavour.  I think you’ll find the balance just right- they don’t stray so far from your typical falafel that you’ll be cross with me but they are a little lighter in both flavour and texture. I intend to try them again using other combinations of beans, peas and pulses but for now I’m feeling very content with this new concoction.

Edamame & chickpea falafal

These are super quick and easy to make, just throw everything into a food processor and pulse- far less trouble than any meaty comfort food takes to make.

Makes 12

Diet facts: vegan

175g/6oz chickpeas
275g/9 oz shelled edamame (mine came straight from the freezer)
1 lemon, juice & zest
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
small handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
large handful cilantro sprigs, rough chopped (including stalks)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (or plain)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander

•Heat the oven to 225C/425F/Gas 7.

• Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.  Tip into a bowl and then form into 12 falafal. You can roll them into balls but I prefer to squeeze them in my palms which is quicker and gives you a bigger crispy surface area. Place them on a nonstick baking tray or a baking tray lined with silpat and mist with an oil spray to get the outsides extra crispy

• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve in salads or stuffed into pitas with hummus or tahini and lots of fresh veggies- a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil wouldn’t go amiss either.

Makes 36

Diet Facts: When chorizo becomes healthy let me know!

36 cocktail sized fresh chorizo, or 175g fresh chorizo, cut into 36 pieces
Vegetable oil
3 large free range eggs
250ml/ 9 fl oz milk
125g/ 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup plain flour
50g/1 heaping loosely packed cup finely grated manchego (or parmesan)
1 Tbsp chopped chives
36 pitted kalamata olives, optional

• Heat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6. Place 1 piece of chorizo into each of the 36 mini muffin holes and add a tiny drop of vegetable oil. Place on a large baking tray and put into the oven for about 8 minutes, or until the chorizo is sizzling and releasing it’s oils.

• Whisk together the eggs and milk. Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk in the wet ingredients until completely smooth.

• Add 2/3 of the grated cheese and the chives to the batter. Remove the muffin tins from the oven and quickly fill the tins roughly 1/2 full and then pop and olive in each one and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. It is important to do this step quickly so that the pans do not loose too much heat.

• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, not opening the oven before 15 minutes are up. They will be risen, and golden. Eat immediately.