Winter

This spiced Ginger Hot Chocolate Recipe is the perfect antidote to a chilly winter’s day, especially if you’ve braved a dip in the ocean—or if you’re a mermaid, of course! The warming combination of cocoa, cinnamon, and ginger makes it ideal for cozying up after a cold adventure. Looking for a fun gift idea? You can also create your own Hot Chocolate Kit using this recipe, perfect for all those beach lovers or actual mermaids (if you know any, of course!)….

Curing meat is not the sole preserve of the experts. There are simple, small-scale curing methods that any cook can use to excellent effect. This is one of them: a fail-safe technique for curing pork overnight that will introduce you to the simple principles of the process – i.e. using salt not merely to preserve but also to intensify the flavour of the meat. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the cure recipe and the method, you’re only a step away from creating your own home-cured bacon, which can be used wherever bacon is called for in sauces, soups and stews….

Jam-packed with fresh leafy veg, this vividly coloured soup takes all of 10 minutes to make. The rice cake finish is a great trick for making a smooth velvety soup – and one you will use again and again when improvising your own soups….

Labneh is a fresh Middle Eastern cheese made by hanging whole milk yogurt in muslin until it is as thick as cream cheese, but with a tangy, lightly salty flavour reminiscent of feta. If you want to keep it for longer than a week, you can make it into balls and cover these with olive oil, which will keep happily in the fridge for a couple of months. Use it like feta in salads, dotted over a tray of roast vegetables or to make a labneh cheesecake. Utterly delicious….

A delicious starter or snack, great for dinner parties….

Panelle are traditional Italian street food snacks, popular in many different regions of the country and all have their own variations. This fritter is made from chickpea flour and can contain other ingredients like pea flour, eggs and cheese or herbs. It is commonly served between slices of bread or focaccia and offers a great alternative to meat in a sandwich. It is also delicious served with a seasonal veg stew. I have been testing many different variations, but for me the most basic recipe stands a strong favourite and also happens to be gluten free and vegan!…

This delicious recipe is from Melissa Hemsley’s fantastic new book Eat Green. You can join Melissa at River Cottage HQ on the 13th March to celebrate the launch of her new cookbook Five Course Feast with Melissa Hemsley. These spiced cauliflower steaks on green dip steal the show at any dinner party, but are super simple for a mid-week dinner too. They come together in 30 minutes on the nose! If you want to get ahead, the dip and slaw can be made in advance, then dress the slaw while you’re cooking the cauliflower. You’ll want to try the chermoula-esque spice mix on everything, or you could fry it with onion for the base of a pumpkin soup….

The secret to really good pulled pork is the oven temperature: it’s crucial that it’s not too hot. A whole pork shoulder is made up of a variety of different muscle sets, some leaner than others. The leaner ones will dry out at temperatures that don’t affect fattier areas. The ultimate goal is to have everything beautifully moist and giving. This recipe is for the kind of pulled pork you can serve hot in a sandwich at a party, or have with roast potatoes and apple sauce on a Sunday, or in a hash with eggs and mushrooms for breakfast….