Sometimes one needs a highly indulgent pudding with little effort, and this is one of my all time favourites. Its easy to prepare, is a sauce and pudding combined, and everyone I have served it to have raved endlessly. Many chefs have their own version of this recipe - Nigella - but here is mine, and its slightly lighter than theirs [but no less delicious]

Ingredients
125g/4½oz plain flour
pinch of salt
120g/4¼oz caster sugar
3 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp cocoa powder
250ml/8¾fl oz milk
85g/3oz margarine
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
185g/6½oz soft brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
250ml/9fl oz boiling water
To serve
thick double cream

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Sift the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl.
2. Add the milk, margarine, egg and vanilla extract and mix with an electric beater until combined. Pour into greased pudding basin
3. To make the topping, stir the brown sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl to combine, then sprinkle it over the pudding batter.
4. Pour boiling water carefully over the pudding, then bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Serve warm with thick cream.

On these cold nights it is sometimes nice to have a warming, easy to prepare dish such as Cottage Pie. This is my favourite, and has a nice little twist [especially suited for those kids who won't eat their veggies].

Filling

1tbsp Oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 1/4 Minced Beef or Quorn
14oz Can Tomatoes
8fl oz Beef or Vegetable Stock
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper

Topping
1 1/2 Lbs of Potatoes [Maris Piper are best]
2 Parsnips
2 Carrots
1/4 Butternut Squash
1/4 Sweed / Neeps

[In actual fact any root vegetable will do for the topping]

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the mince and cook for 3 minutes to brown.
4. Add the tomatoes, beef stock, and bay leaf.
5. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.
6. Make the mash: steam or boil the potatoes, root veg and butternut squash until soft. Drain, mash with the butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Spoon the meat into an ovenproof dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

For the lactose intolerant, vegans or even those following a low fat eating plan try replacing cows milk with soya milk in some of the more dairy rich recipes. I guarantee that nine times out of ten you won’t be able to tell the difference. I rarely use cows milk these days - tending to prefer Soya, Rice or Oat Milk.

My recipe for Cauliflower Cheese for example is just as good when several key ingredients are replaced :-

40g butter - replace with a good quality vegan subsitute
300ml milk - replace with Soya Milk - such as SoGood
125g Grated Cheese [Cheddar is exceptionally good] - Replace with a Vegan Cheese [Soya based] Cheezly is OK

Give it a try, you might like it. Is important to realise that these milk and dairy alternatives are not just for vegans, but can provide a tasty and healthy addition to anyones diet.

200 g (7 oz) Self Raising Flour
225 g (8 oz) caster sugar
1 x 2.5 ml spoon (½ tsp) salt
25 g (1 oz) cocoa powder, sieved
100 g (4 oz) margarine
2 medium eggs
3 x 15 ml spoon (3 tbsp) evaporated milk
3 x 15 ml spoon (3 tbsp) milk
5 x 15 ml spoon (5 tbsp) water
few drops vanilla essence

Today I am attempting to introduce a little of Spain into my house by cooking a traditional fabada. Fabada is probably the second most famous Spanish dish after Paella, and I was taught by my ex’s mama - the scariest women I have ever met.

Ingredients : 4/6 people

550g Dried White Beans [Fabas]
2 Onions, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
125g grainy salted bacon
125g Jamon Serrano [ham], chopped
2tbsp Olive Oil
3tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tbsp Paprika
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper
A pinch of saffron
275g Chorizo Sausage
25g Mocillas [Spanish blood sausage]

Soak the fabes overnight in lots of cold water. No salt!

Drain the beans and rinse well. Place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring this to a boil. Remove from heat, and drain again. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole with the onions and garlic. Saute the onions until transparent. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika then add the drained beans, bacon, ham, and bay leaf. Season with pepper and add 1litre of water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer of 1 1/2 hours. Periodically skim any “scum” from the surface.

After the cooking time, add the saffron, chorizons and morcillas and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and more pepper if required. Continue to cook for a further 30 minutes adding a little more water if necessary.

Serve hot.

I’m on a roll here - spanish foods in all their glory. Whenever I cook these dishes I always recall a women at a hotel I stayed at gasping in horror as we mentioned we love Spanish food “buts its all greasy, and they eat anything that moves you know”. This was as she shovelled down fork after fork of Albondegas.

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
8oz ground beef
1 cup of fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of grated Manchego Cheese
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Half a teaspoon of tumeric
Salt and pepper, to taste
16 oz canned tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 egg

In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, tomato paste, garlic, scallions, egg, thyme, tumeric, salt and pepper. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 to 15 firm balls.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for several minutes or until browned on all sides.

Add the tomatoes, wine, basil and rosemary. Simmer gently for around 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot.

I like to serve them with pasta, but thats really up to you!

Rice Pudding has to be one of the ultimate comfort foods, and while I will always defend the great British rice pudding I do love “Arroz con leche”. I should get recipeblog.co.uk up and running really. I like it warm or cold depending on the season. I remember late evenings meals sat out on the terrace overlooking Lake Iznajar munching Arroz con leche from little terracotta bowls. When in Spain you can buy versions of this ready made in most supermarkets, but it is never quite the same as homemade. More importantly this is one dish I could make better than my ex’s mama. Her version was so solid you were never sure whether you should eat it or use it as a rubber substitute.

2 cups milk
1 cinnamon stick
3 strips lemon rind
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup short-grain white rice
3 medium egg yolks, beaten
1/3 cup of Sugae
1/2 stick butter [approx 2 oz]
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, slowly bring the milk, cinnamon stick, strips of lemon rind and salt to a boil. With a spoon, remove the cinnamon and lemon rind

Stir in the rice and egg yolks, reduce the heat, and allow the rice to simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

When the rice is soft, add the sugar and butter and combine well. Pour into dishes, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

I’ve been enjoying exploring Spanish cuisine so much of late that I thought I would give you alcoholics a little treat today - my recipe [stolen from many many people] for Sangria. There are actually many variations of this recipe, which vary in fruit, type and quantity of alcohol or soda. Whichever one you chose remember one thing - it must be chilled.

This recipe makes 2 pints

1 bottle dry full bodied red wine
1 can fizzy orange, chilled
1 can fizzy lemon, chilled
Spanish brandy
Banana liqueur
Cointreau
1 apple, chopped
1 pear, chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Lots of Ice Cubes

Put all the fruit pieces into a large jug, then pout over a generous amount of the banana liqueur, cointreau and brandy. Pour in the bottle of wine, and leave in the fridge to chill.

Once this is really cold, and I mean REALLY cold, pour in the fizzy drinks and add the cinnamon and sugar. Mix in ice cubes and serve.

Next time you have a barbecue try soaking wood [the sweetest smelling the better] in water and placing them on the coals. The soaking of the water slows down the burning, and allows the wood to work its magic on your food.

Place some peaches or any fruit you fancy on the griddle and cook as normal. You will find your fruit has a wonderful vanilla flavour when done.

Why?

The molecular and chemical structure which gives Vanilla its flavour also exists in wood. By soaking your wood thoroughly and adding it to the coals when hot you are allowing the wood to release this flavour via the smoke into your food.

But who cares about the science when the food tastes so good?

Ingredients
225g/8oz self raising flour
2oz Medium Oatmeal
110g/4oz caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
200ml/7fl oz milk
55g/2oz butter
110g/4oz golden syrup
1oz Black Treacle

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Line a 22cm/8in tin.
2. Sieve the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add medium oatmeal.
3. In a small pan gently heat the butter, black treacle and syrup until melted.
4. Beat the egg into the milk.
5. Gradually pour the butter and syrup into the flour and stir. The mixture will be thick.
6. Pour in the egg and milk and stir until smooth and pour into the lined tin.
7. Bake for 1 hour