Linda Newlove

Instructions

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised.

The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers.

Take care towards the end to ensure that they don’t burn.

Add the garlic for the final few mins of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well.

Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock.

Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins. To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread.

Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls.

Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the cheese.

Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can complete the toasts under the grill, then serve them on top.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).

Put the potatoes into a saucepan of cold salted water. Bring up to the boil and simmer until completely tender.

Drain well and then mash with the butter and milk.

Add pepper and taste to check the seasoning. Add salt and more pepper if necessary.

For the fish filling, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks and stir over the heat.

Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until soft.

Measure the flour into a small bowl. Add the wine and whisk together until smooth.

Add the milk to the leeks, bring to the boil and then add the wine mixture. Stir briskly until thickened.

Season and add the parsley and fish.

Stir over the heat for two minutes, then spoon into an ovenproof casserole.

Scatter over the eggs. Allow to cool until firm.

Spoon the mashed potatoes over the fish mixture and mark with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown on top and bubbling around the edges.

Instructions

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.

Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round, 7. 5 cm deep cake tin.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins until very creamy and pale in colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through.

Stir in a spoonful of the flour, then stir in the beaten egg and the rest of the flour alternately, a quarter at a time, beating well each time with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the almonds.

Mix in the sherry (the mix will look curdled), then add the peel, cherries, raisins, cherries, nuts, lemon zest, spice,  and vanilla.

Beat together to mix, then stir in the baking powder. Spoon mixture into the tin and smooth the top, making a slight dip in the centre.

Bake for 30 mins, then lower temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and bake a further 2-2¼ hrs, until a skewer insterted in the middle comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin, then take out of the tin and peel off the lining paper.

When completely cold, wrap well in cling film and foil to store until ready to decorate.

The cake will keep for several months.

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

Line the quiche tin with pastry.

Crumple tin foil around the inside and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Gently remove the foil and bake for another 3 minutes, then allow to cool.

Finely chop the parsley.

Crumble the goat’s cheese in a bowl.

Add the hollandaise sauce, eggs, parsley, milk and shallots.

Season with black pepper and beat well.

Thinly slice the smoked salmon and fold into the cheese mixture.

Spoon into the pastry case.

Sprinkle over the paprika and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Instructions

Heat the chicken stock in a lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breast and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken breasts from the water with tongs and place on a plate.

Pour the cooking liquor into a large jug. Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat.

Stir in the leeks and fry gently for two minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each adding.

Gradually add 250ml/10fl oz of the reserved stock and the wine, if using, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.

Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.

Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming.

Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.

For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

With the motor running, add the beaten egg and water and blend until the mixture forms a ball.

Portion off 250g/10oz of pastry for the lid.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish.

Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish.

Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles.

Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.

Cut the chicken breasts into 3cm/1¼in pieces.

Stir the chicken, ham and leeks into the cooled sauce.

Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg.

Roll out the reserved pastry for the lid. Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal.

Trim any excess pastry and make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife.

Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg.

Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the pie is golden-brown all over and the filling is piping hot.

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions, butter and olive oil in a large frying pan, until softened but not brown.

Peel and mince the garlic and add to the onions.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the ricotta cheese, thyme and the soy sauce. Make breadcrumbs and add to the pan.

Add seasoning and mix well, then allow to cool.

Unroll the pastry sheets and cut 16 holes with each cutter.

Put the smaller pastry discs onto slightly oiled baking sheets.

Divide the mushroom mix between them, leaving a little edge of pastry without filling.

Put a little whisked egg on this pastry edge.

Top them with the larger pastry discs and gently press the pastry around the filling make a slash on the top of each pie with a sharp knife.

Brush the tops with some of the egg and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until they rise and look golden.

Instructions

Put the mushrooms into a food processor with some seasoning and pulse to a rough paste. Scrape the paste into a pan and cook over a high heat for about 10 mins, tossing frequently, to cook out the moisture from the mushrooms.

Spread out on a plate to cool.

Heat in a frying pan and add a little olive oil and season the beef and sear in the hot pan for 30 secs only on each side. (You don't want to cook it at this stage, just colour it).

Remove the beef from the pan and leave to cool, then brush all over with the mustard.

Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface and arrange the Parma ham slices on it, in slightly overlapping rows.

With a palette knife, spread the mushroom paste over the ham, then place the seared beef fillet in the middle.

Keeping a tight hold of the cling film from the edge, neatly roll the Parma ham and mushrooms around the beef to form a tight barrel shape. Twist the ends of the cling film to secure. Chill for 15-20 mins to allow the beef to set and keep its shape. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to a large rectangle, the thickness of a £1 coin.

Remove the cling film from the beef, then lay in the centre. Brush the surrounding pastry with egg yolk. Fold the ends over, the wrap the pastry around the beef, cutting off any excess.

Turn over, so the seam is underneath, and place on a baking sheet.

Brush over all the pastry with egg and chill for about 15 mins to let the pastry rest. Heat the oven to 200C, 400F, gas 6. Lightly score the pastry at 1cm intervals and glaze again with beaten egg yolk.

Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven setting to 180C, 350F, gas 4 and cook for another 15 mins.

Allow to rest for 10-15 mins before slicing and serving with the side dishes of your choice.

The beef should still be pink in the centre when you serve it.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 25cm x 20cm tin.
Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and orange zest in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
The aim is to dissolve all the ingredients so that they are smooth, but to not lose any volume through boiling so be careful not to overheat.
Add the oats and stir well until evenly coated.
Stir through the leftover Christmas pudding and tip into the prepared tin.
Use a spoon to flatten the top and bake for 40 minutes until the edges start to brown.
Whilst still warm in the tin, score into 12 squares.
Allow to cool completely before cutting along the scores.
Keeps for 5 days in an air tight tin or freeze for up to 1 month.

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season both sides of each chicken breast with seasoned salt and a pinch of pepper.

Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Season the boiling water with a few generous pinches of kosher salt.

Add the pasta and give it a stir.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 12 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.

Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board; allow it to rest.

Turn the heat down to medium and dd the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil to the same pan you used to cook the chicken.

Add the veggies (minus the garlic) and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir to coat with the oil and butter (refrain from seasoning with salt until the veggies are finished browning).

Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine.

Continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the milk, heavy cream, and reserved pasta water.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and allow to simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired.