Serves 2

Duck breast mini fillets (the tiny fillets from under the breasts) are available at Waitrose and are a fabulous low-fat, quick choice for adventurous eaters in a hurry. This is perfect fast food. I’ve been eating alot of red and yellow peppers as they are full of Vitamin D, something we all need in the winter.




1 tsp cumin seeds
1 lime
1 eating apple
150g pot natural yogurt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 green pepper
3-4 tomatoes
Small piece of root ginger
2 hot green chillies
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp Bart’s Veeraswarmy’s Gujarat Masala curry paste
1 tbsp groundnut oil or ghee
225g pack duck breast mini fillets
Salt to taste

1 Heat a large deep frying pan, add the cumin seeds and dry-fry for a few seconds. Turn them into a bowl and take the pan off the heat. Add the grated zest and juice of half the lime, then grate the Russet, skin-on, into the bowl and toss in the juice. Add the yogurt with salt and cayenne to taste and set to one side.
2 Slice the pepper and chop the tomatoes and set aside. Peel and roughly chop the ginger, chop the onion and garlic and seed and chop the chillies, then blend them to a paste with the Gujarat masala.
3 Heat the pan again, add the oil and the onion paste and fry for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat. Increase the heat, add the duck and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the peppers and tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve with the apple raita.

Serves 4

A great casserole for winter, and very different from typical Christmas fare. It’s delicious and you can use whatever seasonal veg you wish. There’s lots of black cabbage around at the moment and you could shred and blanch (boil for 2 mins) some of that and then stir it in for the last 10 mins of cooking, simmering the pot on top of the stove.



750g mixed casserole vegetables, e.g leek, parsnip, swede, carrots
250g mixed dried fruits, e.g apricots, apples, pears, prunes
1 large Bramley apple
2 tbsp Sussex Gold rapeseed or sunflower oil
500g diced leg of pork
1 tsp ground mace or 2 whole blades of mace
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500ml cider
Apple chips and chives to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 190C, 375F.
2 Prepare the vegetables and chop into 1.5cm slice or dice. Roughly chop the dried fruits. Peel, core and slice the Bramley.
3 Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, add the pork and brown on all sides. Add the mace and prepared vegetables. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the fruits, seasonings and cider. Bring to the boil, cover and transfer to the hot oven for 1 1/2 hours.
4 Season to taste, adding a little sugar if necessary with salt and pepper. Garnish with apple chips and chives and serve with creamy mustard mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

Serves 8

This delicious sauce makes my Christmas roast - it’s my Mum’s recipe - and I also love it cold on Boxing Day, with home-made coleslaw.



1 large onion
50g butter
2 bay leaves
500g prepared chestnuts, fresh or frozen
50g Demereara sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
350ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 Prepare the onion and chop it finely. Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook over a low heat, covered, for 5-6 minutes, until softened but not browned.
2 Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the stock has reduced and the chestnuts are tender. Add more salt, pepper and sugar to taste, then serve hot or cold. When cold, the sauce becomes thick and buttery - and irresistible! Perfect with turkey and ham, both hot and cold.

Serves 6

This recipe has been a favourite for years and I tweak and twiddle it according to what is to hand. Vegetarians and meat-eaters love it so I hope that you will like it too - it has taken a while to reach MoonBites as I wanted to have a picture of it to inspire. I serve the casserole with brown rice, but mash would be OK too. I buy both my frozen cranberries and chestnuts from Waitrose and they are freezer store-cupboard staples in this house. Use frozen redcurrants if you have them, and think of them as English cranberries. This is also great with cold meats.



1 red and 1 green pepper
2 onions or leeks
3-4 sticks celery
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oil
500g frozen peeled and cooked chestnuts
100g dried cranberries or 300g frozen or fresh berries
500ml vegetable stock
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp Demerara sugar
Freshly chopped parsley

1 Prepare the vegetables. Cut the peppers into 2cm dice; dice or slice the onions or leeks and celery into 1cm pieces and finely chop the garlic.
2 Heat a large covered flameproof casserole or pan, add the oil, the onions or leeks and celery, stir, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
3 Add the frozen chestnuts and stir over a high heat until the frost has gone from them. Then add the garlic and peppers, dried cranberries (if using) and stock. Bring to the boil, cover again and simmer for a further 10 minutes. If using fresh or frozen berries add them after the peppers have been cooking for 5 minutes.
4 Add the soy sauce and sugar, and a little more soy sauce to taste if necessary. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 6

I love smoked salmon and my preference is for a deeply peaty smoke - the sort of salmon that you would drink Islay whisky with! Now that’s one thing, but this winter salad is the perfect accompaniment to smoked salmon for lunch or for supper. Have the whisky later! Laced with cranberries, it’s a great dish for this time of year.


125g puy lentils
50g dried cranberries
2 large sticks celery
4 salad onions
Half a red cabbage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Oil
Large bunch parsley
Sugar or raisins to sweeten

1 Wash the lentils throughly in a sieve, then bring them to the boil in a pan of water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until just tender, or as directed on the packet. Drain and rinse thoroughly in cold water, and allow to cool.
2 Soak the cranberries in cold water until required.
3 Prepare the vegetables. Very finely slice the celery, chopping each stick into 4 lenthways before slicing. Finely slice the salad onions and place both in a bowl with the lentils. Cut away and discard the thick white of the cabbage stalk, then chop the cabbage very finely. This would be simplest in a food processor. Drain the cranberries and squeeze dry, then chop them roughly. Add to the lentils.
4 Season the salad well. Finely chop the parsley and add it just before serving, with sufficient oil to moisten the vegetables. Add a little sugar too, if you wish, or some raisins for their natural sweetness. Serve with smoked salmon, ham or any cold meats.