Spiced pumpkin and bacon soup

1 tbsp olive oil

200g onions, sliced

1.3 kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped into chunks

125g extra trimmed, smoked back bacon, diced

1 tbsp ground cumin

750 ml vegetable stock

salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add pumpkin, bacon and cumin to the pan. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

add stock. Raise the heat and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Puree the soup and season to taste.

Fish crumble

4 people

4 tsp cornflour

300g-400g white fish

1 tsp dried tarragon

200g prawns and smoked salmon

4 tbsp peas

4 tbsp cooked carrot, diced

butter

4 slices bread, breadcrumbs

3-4 cloves of garlic

100g parmesan

pint of milk

Dice the white fish and add to a pan with butter until its changed colour. Add 1 tsp dried tarragon. Add the peas and carrots. Pour over the milk and season. Bring to the boil.

Add the prawns and salmon.

Dissolve the cornflour and stir in until it forms a thick sauce.

Process the bread, garlic and cheese to fine breadcrumbs.

Put the fish mixture into a dish. Cover with the bread crumbs and bake at 180°x for 20 minutes.

Chicken Myers

For 4 people

4 chicken fillets

1 tin condensed chicken soup

3 tbsp mayonaise

4 tbsp cream

1 tbsp curry powder

grated cheese

Slice fillets into 4 or 5 pieces each and place in a casserole dish.

Combine soup, curry powder, mayonaise and cream. Pour over chicken.

Cover the casserole dish. Bake at 180°c for 35-40 minutes. Remove the lid and cover with grated cheese, cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Smoked salmon pasta

150-200g pasta

Quarter onion, very finely chopped

butter

pack smoked salmon

small pot of single cream

1 clove of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp fresh dill

black pepper

Cook pasta.

Soften onion and garlic in butter. Stir in smoked salmon, cream, dill and pepper.

Drain pasta and combine. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

Thai fish cakes

Makes 12

1 slice bread, breadcrumbs

2 handful's fresh coriander

2 tsp thai spices

2 tsp sugar

400g white fish

2 fish stock cubes

Make breadcrumbs and remove.

Place coriander, spices, stockcube and sugar and process. Add about 4 tbsp breadcrumbs and chopped fish. Process. Add another 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs if sticky.

Shape into fishcakes.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan on a medium heat, fry for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Fidget pie

500g shortcrust pastry

3 tbsp semolina

450g potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

300g Bramley cooking apples, peeled and thickly sliced

2 onions, finely sliced

300g ham, thickly sliced

2-3 tbsp soft brown sugar

8 sprigs of sage, leaves chopped

110ml dry cider

1 egg, beaten

To prepare the pastry: Preheat the oven to 190°. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to about 5mm and line a 23cm cake tin. Let the pastry hang over the edges of the tin. Cover with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, or rice.

Place the tin in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the baking parchment and beans or rice and return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes. Remove, cool slightly and trim off any excess pastry. Sprinkle the semolina over the pastry to absorb excess moisture.

To make the pie: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. drain and toss in with the flour, double cream and salt and pepper.

Layer the filling ingredients into the base. Start with a layer of apples, followed by potatoes, onions and ham, season as you go with sugar, sage and salt and pepper. Add the cider, pour carefully so it doesn't fizz.

Roll the remaining pastry into a disk that is big enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the case with beaten egg and the lid, pinch the pastry to form a seal. Place the pie in the oven for an hour.

Basic sponge recipe

240g butter, room temperature

240g caster sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

240g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 160°c. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.

Beat the butter until soft, slowly add the sugar until combined and light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, and beat in until completely incorporated before adding the next egg. Once all the eggs are added, add the vanilla extract.

Sift in half the flour and the baking powder and slowly fold in using a metal spoon. Sift in the rest of the flour and fold in until completely mixed in. Add the milk and mix in. Pour into the cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until, the top is golden and when pushed with fingers bounces back.

Leave to cool in the tins for a while and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Once completely cool, whisk up some double cream with two tbsp of icing sugar. Spread some raspberry jam on the bottom cake and put the cream on top and spread out. Leave about 2 cm around the edge for spreading. Place the other cake on top and sift over with icing sugar.