Sticky date buns

The longer the dough for this sweet fruit bread stays in the fridge the better the flavour – perfect with a cup of tea

Beef & vegetable casserole

A traditional braised beef stew with thick, rich gravy – an ideal recipe for cheap cuts as slow-cooking guarantees a tender dish

Fruity mincemeat with almonds

Give your mince pies an edge this year with a nutty filling – ready in just 20 minutes

Quinoa, lentil & feta salad

Quinoa, a protein-rich seed, makes a great substitute for rice or couscous

Lemony potato salad

Why buy ready-made potato salad for your barbecue when this fragrant, Indian-inspired version is so easy?

Mexican soup with chicken

All those typically Mexican flavours – lime, coriander, chilli – combined in a soup with the crunch of tortilla chips

Tamarind chickpeas

Tamarind and fennel seeds complement each other in this vegetarian dish from Uttar Pradesh

Crunchy potatoes with dill & onions

Roasties packed with flavour, and they’re good for you too… try them with slow-roast lamb

Spicy Thai prawn noodles

These low-fat noodles make for a no-fuss supper and will be on the table in 30 minutes

Little Eccles mince pies

From freezer to oven, these cheeky Eccles mince pies are perfect mid-afternoon with an equally cheeky glass of mulled wine. It is Christmas after all!