Vegetarian - Mushroom Port Brioche, grilled goats cheese, pate, an en croûte, Christmas pudding

Grilled goat's cheese with cranberry dressing

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 5 MINS EASY SERVES 6

2 red-skinned apple

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 x 100g Capricorn goat's cheese, halved horizontally

2 tbsp cranberry jelly

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp clear honey

25g pecan

2 chicory heads, separated into leaves

handful radish sprouts (available from larger supermarkets) or watercress

Quarter, core, then thinly slice the apple into a bowl with the lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Toss well, as this stops the apples going brown.

Heat grill to high, then line your grill rack with foil. Put the cheeses rind-side down on the foil, then set aside for a moment.

Drain 2 tbsp of the juice from the apple bowl into another small bowl and discard the rest. Add the cranberry sauce, oil and honey with some seasoning, and whisk to form a dressing. Grill the cheeses for 4 mins, then scatter the nuts on and around the cheeses and return to the grill to cook for a few mins more – but take care that the nuts don’t burn.

Arrange the apple, chicory and radish sprouts or watercress on 6 plates, then carefully top with the hot melted cheese. Scatter over the nuts, spoon over the dressing and serve straight away.

Mushroom & tarragon pâté

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 20 MINS EASY SERVES 4

50g unsalted butter

2 shallot, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

2 garlic clove, crushed

100g chestnut mushroom, finely chopped

100g shiitake mushroom, finely chopped

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp crème fraîche

3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, plus extra to garnish

1 French stick ; extra vigin olive oil; mixed salad leaves, to serve

Heat butter in a large frying pan. Add shallots, leek and garlic, then gently fry for 7 mins until softened.

Increase the heat, add the chestnut and the shiitake mushrooms, then cook for 10 mins, stirring, until the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the mustard and crème fraîche, then season well. Cook for a further 2 mins then stir in the chopped tarragon.

Preheat the grill. Cut the French stick into diagonal slices, drizzle with a little olive oil, then grill until golden. Spoon the hot pâté on to the toasts, garnish with the extra tarragon, then serve with salad leaves.

Chestnut, spinach & blue cheese en croûte

50g butter

500g pack leeks, thickly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

240g bag baby spinach

415g can chestnut purée

3 large eggs, plus 1 for glazing

½ nutmeg, finely grated

200g pack vacuum-packed whole cooked chestnuts, halved

85g fresh white breadcrumbs

220g pack blue Shropshire cheese, rind trimmed, diced

500g pack all-butter puff pastry

For the sauce

500ml vegetable stock

2 leeks, thinly sliced

1 tbsp cornflour

300ml pot double cream

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the leeks and garlic, stir well, cover and cook for 10 mins until the leeks are soft, stirring a few times to check that they don’t catch. Tip into a large bowl. Put the spinach in the pan and allow it to wilt. Leave to cool and, when cold, squeeze out as much liquid from it as you possibly can.

Tip the chestnut purée into the bowl with the leeks and add the 3 eggs, the nutmeg, chestnuts, spinach, breadcrumbs, cheese and seasoning, and stir until well mixed. Chill for at least 1 hr until the mixture firms up.

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a rectangle large enough to completely enclose the filling. Carefully lift onto a large, long baking tray that has been lined with baking parchment, then brush round all the edges of the pastry with the remaining egg. Spoon the filling down the centre of the length of the pastry, leaving the ends clear. Tuck the ends over the filling, then firmly lift up the sides to wrap them round, trimming away any excess pastry as you go. Brush with more egg to glaze, then make a few holes in the top so steam can escape as it cooks. Bake for 40 mins until golden and the filling is firm. Remove from the oven, brush with more glaze and bake for 10 mins more.

To make the sauce, heat the stock in a medium pan, add the leeks, boil for 5 mins, then take off the heat and scoop out 2 tbsp of the leeks. Blitz the rest in the pan with the cornflour using a hand blender, then cook, stirring, until thickened. Pour in the cream and reserved leeks and warm through. Can be made 2 days ahead and chilled. Serve the pastry in thick slices with the sauce.

Wild mushroom & port brioche

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 1 HR EASY SERVES 6

2 tbsp olive oil

225g chestnut mushroom, quartered

115g shiitake mushroom, halved

2 large field mushroom, sliced

3 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 onion, cut into thin wedges

2 garlic clove, crushed

300ml red wine

1.2l hot vegetable stock

2 sprigs fresh thyme

150ml port

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

6 brioche rolls

flatleaf parsley, to garnish

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan, then fry mushrooms for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, then set aside. Add remaining oil to the pan, then fry the celery, onion and garlic over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 mins. Add wine, stock and thyme and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 mins.

Add the port and redcurrant jelly. Bring back to the boil, then boil for 10 mins until reduced by half and thick and syrupy. Season to taste, discard the thyme and stir in the mushrooms. Simmer for 5 mins.

Meanwhile, pull the tops off the brioche and reserve, then pick out dough from the centre to leave a thick shell. (Process remaining dough to make breadcrumbs, then freeze for future use.) Place rolls on a baking sheet, then bake for 5-7 mins until hot and crisp.

Spoon the mushroom mixture into the brioche rolls, then garnish with the flat-leaf parsley. Serve immediately with any remaining gravy, potato wedges and green beans.

7-cup Christmas pudding

PREP: 2 HRS, 45 MINS - 3 HRS including steaming EASY SERVES 8 - 10

1 cup raisins

1 cup sultanas

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup finely grated butter(about 115g/4oz)

1 cup fresh brown breadcrumbs (from around 4 thick slices of bread)

1 cup light muscovado sugar

1 cup mixed nuts, chopped plus extra to decorate

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp groud mixed spice

1 cup milk

1 large egg

butter, for greasing

For the butterscotch sauce

85g butter

100g light muscovado sugar

200ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the pudding, empty the first six cups and the nuts, if using, into a mixing bowl with the spices, then stir in the milk and egg. Once well combined, tip into a buttered 1.5 litre pudding bowl.

Cover with a double layer of buttered foil, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie the foil securely with string, then place in a steamer or large pan containing enough gently simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Steam, covered with a lid, for 21⁄2 hours. Check the water level during cooking, topping up if necessary. If you are preparing this pudding ahead, remove the foil, let it cool slightly, then wrap in cling film and then fresh foil. If you are serving it immediately, unwrap and invert onto a deep plate.

For the sauce, put everything in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring. Allow to bubble away for 2-3 minutes, still stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is pale caramel in colour and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Pour the sauce over the pudding and decorate with the whole mixed nuts.