Pork Chop with Tomato Lentils

• 4 pork chops
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 425g tinned green lentils, drained

Season chops with salt and pepper and grill for 15-18 mins, turning occasionally.

Heat some sunflower oil in a pan and fry the onion for 5 mins until softened.

Add garlic, carrots and celery and cook for a further 5 mins, stirring until lightly browned.

Tip in the tomatoes, thyme, 150ml of water and cook for 10 mins until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the lentils, heat through and season to taste.

Serve with the pork.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

• 250g white chocolate, in pieces
• 38g butter
• 1/2 vanilla pod
• 250g cream cheese
• 25g icing sugar
• 90ml whipping cream
• 3 handfuls raspberries
• 1 pack gluten free digestives
• 90g butter for base

Crush the digestives, melt the larger of the butter quantities, and combine them. Press it in the bottom of a cake tin (approx 18cm diameter) and put it in the fridge to cool.

Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla pod to a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once it is melted, stir it together.

In a separate bowl, mix the icing sugar, whipping cream and cream cheese. 

Remove the vanilla pod and mix the 2 bowls together. When combined, add the raspberries, reserving enough to decorate the top later.

Pour the mix over the base and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - overnight if possible. Decorate with the remaining raspberries before serving.

Bacon chops with sticky sauce

• 2 bacon chops
• Knob of butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp marmalade
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 300ml chicken stock

Season chops with pepper. Heat small amount of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, then sizzle the chops for about 2.5 mins on each side.

Remove and set aside.

Add butter to the pan and then add the onion and thyme for about 15 mins.

Stir in the marmalade, mustard and stock. Simmer for 2 mins or so whilst the sauce starts to thicken, then return the chops to the pan and simmer for a few more mins.

Serve with mashed potato and ideally samphire.

Flapjacks

• 150g butter
• 150g brown sugar (I used a mixture of dark and light)
• 4 tbsp syrup
• 300g oats

These were the right quantities for a 25cm x 25cm tin. Adjust as appropriate.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup slowly.

Stir in the oats.

Line the tin and then put the mixture in, smoothing it over.

Cook for around 26 mins.

They should then be quite chewy, but can be ,made crunchier by adjusting the oven to 200C (you may need to reduce the cooking time).

Banana and Brazil Nut Loaf Cake

• 2 ripe bananas
• 115g butter, softened
• 115g caster sugar + 1 tbsp
• 2 large eggs
• 115g gluten free self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp buttermilk
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 100g brazil nuts coarsely chopped

Caramel Glaze

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Heat oven to 180C.

Grease and line 2 1lb loaf tins.

Put bananas in bowl and mash.

Whisk butter and sugar until light and creamy, add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Add mashed banana and the flour, buttermilk, cinnamon, mixed spice and brazil nuts, and fold it in until mixed well.

Divide between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until firm to the touch.

Allow loaves to cool and then make the glaze. Pour it over whilst it is still hot.

Aubergines and Chickpeas with Walnut Sauce

• 1 large or 2 small aubergines
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 1 red chilli - deseeded and finely chopped
• 2cm ginger - finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin, coriander, cinnamon
• 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 large tomatoes - chopped
• juice 1/2 lemon
• 200g greek yoghurt
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 25g chopped walnuts
• handful chopped coriander

Fry the onion in 2 tbsp olive oil for 10 mins.

Add the ginger, chilli and spices and mix well. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and 5 tbsp water. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 mins. Season and add the lemon juice.

Slice the aubergines length-ways, and then brush with olive oil and season each slice. Grill on both sides until golden brown.

Mix the yoghurt with the garlic and also most of the walnuts and coriander.

Arrange the aubergine slices on the plate, spoon over the chickpea mixture and then spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts and coriander.

Cumberland Sauce

• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 4 level tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 4 tbsp port
• 2 level tsp cornflour / arrowroot
• 2 tsp water

Peel the rind from the orange and lemon into fine strips.

Cover with water and simmer for 5 minutes, then set aside.

Squeeze the juice from both fruits. Add the redcurrant jelly and juice to a pan. Stir well until the jelly dissolves.

Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the port.

Blend the cornflour with the water and add it in. Return to the heat and stir until it thickens. Add the softened rind.