Succulent braised venison

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 140g turnips or swede, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• olive oil and butter, for frying
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1kg boned leg or shoulder of venison, cut into large chunks (or buy ready-cubed venison for stewing)
• 5 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly (or rowan or hawthorn jelly)
• 450ml dry red wine (Rioja is good)
• 450ml beef stock
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1 hr, 50 mins

  Skill level

  Easy

  Servings

  Serves 8 
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Fry the vegetables in a little oil and butter in a heavy-based casserole for 4-5 mins until golden. Tip in the garlic and fry for a further min, then set aside.
  2. Put the venison into a plastic bag with seasoned flour and shake to coat. Add a little more oil and butter to the pan, then fry the venison over a high heat, stirring now and then, until well browned. Don’t crowd the pan – cook in batches if necessary. Set aside with the vegetables.
  3. Add the redcurrant jelly and wine to the pan, and bring to the boil, scraping up all the bits that have stuck to the bottom. Pour in the stock, then add the thyme, bay leaf, meat and vegetables. Season if you like and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for about 1½ hrs or until tender. Remove from the oven and check the seasoning.
   

Raspberry cranachan trifle

Ingredients

• 568ml pot double cream
• 284ml pot double cream
• 250g tub mascarpone
• 140g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra
• 6 tbsp Scottish whisky
• 1kg frozen raspberries, defrosted

For the crunchy oats

• 140g butter
• 4 tbsp honey (preferably Scottish heather)
• 200g whole jumbo porridge oats
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 85g plain flour
•   Prep: 20 mins Cook: 22 mins

  Skill level

  Easy

  Servings

  Serves 10 
   

  Method

  1. First, make the crunchy oats. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the butter and honey in a large saucepan, then stir in the other ingredients until everything is well coated. Spread out on a baking sheet, then bake for 20 mins until crisp. Cool, crumble into pieces, then set aside. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  2. For the whisky cream, beat both pots of double cream with the mascarpone, icing sugar and whisky until it is smooth and holds soft peaks. In a separate bowl, stir a couple tbsps icing sugar into the raspberries to taste.
  3. To assemble, spoon some raspberries in the bottom of a glass bowl, followed by a layer of cream and a layer of oats. Repeat 2-3 times, depending on your bowl size, saving the final layer of oats to scatter over before serving with a dusting of icing sugar.

Mulled wine cocktail

Ingredients

• 100g/4oz light muscovado sugar
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 150ml water
• 1 lemon
• 2 clementines
• 150ml Cointreau
• 750ml/ 1¼pint bottle light red wine, such as Beaujolais
• Twist of orange zest and a star anise, to serve
•  

  Cooking time

  Cook: 2 mins 10 mins plus chilling

  Skill level:Easy

  Servings:Serves 4 - 6 

   

  Method

  1. Put 100g light muscovado sugar in a pan with 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 150ml water. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
  2. Simmer for 2 mins, then pour into a large jug and leave to cool. Add 1 lemon and 2 clementines, both thinly sliced, to the jug along with 150ml Cointreau and a 750ml bottle light red wine, such as a Beaujolais. Stir well, then cover and chill for at least 2 hrs or overnight if you can.
  3. Serve chilled or over ice, with a twist of orange zest and a star anise. If you’d like to serve a traditional warm mulled wine, there’s no need to chill – simply warm through without boiling and serve in heatproof glasses.

Pumpkin passion cupcakes

Ingredients

• 175ml sunflower oil
• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g coarsely grated pumpkin or butternut squash flesh
• 100g sultanas
• grated zest 1 orange
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting

• 200g tub full-fat cream cheese
• 85g icing sugar
• toasted chopped pecans to decorate (optional) 

  Cooking time

  Prep: 15 mins Cook: 25 mins

  Skill level:Easy

  Servings:Makes 12

   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases. Pour the oil into a large bowl and add the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat together, then add the grated pumpkin, sultanas and orange zest.
  2. Stir in the cinnamon, flour and bicarbonate of soda, the mixture will be quite wet. Spoon into the cases. Bake for 25 mins until firm and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. At this stage you can freeze the cakes for 4 months.
  3. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth then spread on top of the cupcakes. Leave plain or decorate with toasted pecans. Store in the fridge, but return to room temperature to serve for the best flavour and texture.

  
  

Chicken, edamame & ginger pilaf

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• thumb-sized piece ginger, grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• 3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 250g basmati rice
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 100g frozen edamame / soya beans
• coriander leaves and fat-free Greek yoghurt (optional), to serve
•   Prep: 10 mins Cook: 17 mins

  Skill level:Easy

  Servings:Serves 4 

   

  Method

  Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then add the onion, ginger and chilli, along with some seasoning. Cook for 5 mins, then add the chicken and rice. Cook for 2 mins more, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 8-10 mins until the rice is just cooked. During the final 3 mins of cooking, add the edamame beans. Sprinkle some coriander leaves on top and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, if you like.

  
  

Spinach roulade with Boursin & sundried tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 x 200g bags ready-washed spinach
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 200g pots fromage frais (not the virtually fat-free one)
• 3 tbsp self-raising flour
• 150g pack Garlic & herb Boursin or roulé
• finely grated vegetarian parmesan -style cheese
• 10-12 sundried tomato, shredded
  

  Cooking time

  Prep: 20 mins Cook: 15 mins

  Skill level:For the keen cook

  Servings:Serves 

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and line a Swiss roll tin (23 x 32cm) with baking paper. Cook the spinach in the microwave according to pack instructions (about 2 mins for each bag), then, when cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much juice as you can. Tip the spinach into a food processor and add the egg yolks, 1 tbsp fromage frais, plenty of seasoning and the flour. Blend until really finely chopped and well mixed.
  2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the spinach mixture. Spread in the tin and bake for 12-15 mins until firm to the touch. 3 Meanwhile, beat the rest of the fromage frais into the Boursin until creamy. Put a sheet of baking paper on the work surface and dust with a little of the vegetarian parmesan.
  3. Turn the spinach mixture onto the work surface and carefully strip off the paper. Spread with the cheese mixture and scatter over the tomato. Roll up from the shortest end using the paper to guide you. Serve straight away