Amber Holmes

Moroccan-style chicken casserole

Ingredients
For the spice paste
2-3 large, juicy garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
pinch sea salt flakes
2-3 good pinches smoked paprika
2-3 good pinches ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
glug olive or groundnut oil
For the casserole
6 large chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
good glug fruity olive oil
2 onions, peeled, roughly chopped
1 lemon, cut in half, thinly sliced
pinch saffron strands
handful green olives, pits removed
small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Easy chicken and chorizo pasta bake

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, skinless
340g/11¾oz fusilli (or other short pasta)
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
100g/3½oz chorizo, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
600g/1lb 5oz tinned chopped tomatoes (1½ tins)
splash white wine (optional)
2 tbsp double cream
250g/9oz mozzarella
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hidden veg tomato sauce

Ingredients
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 courgettes, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 red peppers, seeds removed, roughly chopped
320g/11½oz butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp onion granules
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
325g/11½oz passata
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat a large casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the oil and onion and fry for 2–3 minutes, until just softened.
Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the vegetables are cooked.
Pour into a blender and blitz until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to cool then separate into portions to freeze and use at a later date. See the tips section for ideas.

Pea and ham soup

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 baking potato or any large floury potato (about 300g/10½oz), peeled and roughly chopped
1 litre/1¾ pint stock from cooking the gammon (alternatively use vegetable or chicken stock)
500g/1lb 2oz frozen peas
small bunch fresh mint (about 5 sprigs)
100g/3½oz cooked gammon or ham, shredded
salt and black pepper

Air fryer crispy chicken burger

Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breasts
70g/2½oz cornflakes, crushed
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp lemon salt (optional, see recipe tip)
2 free-range eggs
2 slices bacon, or more, to taste
To serve
2 brioche burger buns
light mayonnaise
iceberg lettuce
sliced tomato
2 tsp pesto (optional)

Pancakes with berries and white chocolate

Ingredients
50g/1¾oz plain flour
small pinch salt
1 medium free-range egg
150ml/5fl oz milk
2 tsp vegetable oil or melted butter, plus extra for frying
For the topping
100g/3½oz white chocolate, broken into small pieces
200g/7oz mixed frozen berries

Natural yoghurt gives this sourdough starter recipe a helping hand by introducing a little friendly bacteria.

To learn how to use this starter see our easy recipe for sourdough bread.

To make sourdough bread you need to use a ‘starter’ mixture that takes the place of yeast. The starter takes about 5 days to develop (or you can buy it online), but once you have it you can keep it alive and use it whenever needed. It's a bit like having a pet.

Brioche à tête (or parisienne) is a brioche baked into a fluted round tin with a ball of dough placed on top to form the ‘head’, the tête. Great for brunch with a strong coffee.

Equipment and preparation: You will need 16 brioche moulds.

Nadiya's brioche wreath is the perfect Christmas centrepiece, complete with a melted camembert in the middle for dipping.

Made in a loaf tin, this pâté is easy to slice, so it looks very elegant on the plate. If you can’t find cocktail strips of smoked salmon, used sliced smoked salmon and patch it over in the tin.

Serve a rougher blend of this smoked salmon pâté as a starter with salad and oatcakes or blend a bit longer for elegant canapés.