How to make a Leek and Cheddar cheese Pie

 Another simple recipe this, just leeks, mature or extra mature cheddar, butter, ready made pastry and ground black pepper. I know though that leeks can be a bit fiddly to cut up and remove all the grit. You can cheat though if you wish and buy the same weight in ready prepared ones, but always buy them on the day and use as quickly as possible for the best taste! Leeks are part of the onion family and therefore have the same benefits health wise. They are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals. Serve this with mash and beans or veg, or in summer serve a portion with a side salad! 

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How to make a Vegetarian Roast Christmas Dinner

 This is the sort of main Christmas meal we eat very year. We usually do our brussels sprouts and carrots in the pressure cooker - marvellous device which doesn't steam up your kitchen and cooks quickly. The roast potatoes we usually buy and cook in the oven. You have got to have sage and onion stuffing with it of course. For the gravy, we have used Bisto onion gravy in the glass jar, but we have also recently used red onion gravy granules in a clear jar from either Sainsburys or Asda. These are just as tasty and also come in a lot cheaper than Bisto's one! We have varied our slices of either, beef style, chicken style, turkey and stuffing style. The Quorn roast which comes in a block turned out to be very tasty too, and you can slice off as much as you want, and then if there is any left, use for sandwiches later. Quorn do both vegan and vegetarian slices now which both taste just as good. You don't need to wait until Christmas to eat this meal either as the slices are available all year round. Brussels sprouts contain more vitamin c than oranges by the way too - who would have thought it!

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How to make crispy Macaroni Cheese

 Who doesn't like Macaroni cheese? apart from our cameraman! With this recipe it's always good to crisp up some cheese in the oven first as featured, and mix it in, this gives it an extra crunch. You can use penne pasta or macaroni pasta instead it's up to you. My daughter likes the penne one. Worcester sauce can contain anchovies, so always check the labels for the vegetarian ones. Simple comfort food. Serve it with beans, or a portion in a dish with a side salad. The Worcester sauce also features in the Shepherds pie by the way as the bottle once opened is only good for a month.

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How to make Chocolate Pudding In Own Sauce

 This is a very easy Chocolate pudding with it's own sauce inside, so it is very moist and doesn't need any sauce! Because this recipe is made with olive oil it is very light and doesn't lie heavy on your stomach when it's eaten, and it is healthier. Also when you consume chocolate your brain releases dopamine, the feel good hormone, but it doesn't mean you can eat it all in one go though, otherwise you won't feel so good! You can use 3oz of butter instead of olive oil if you wish - it's just as good but not quite as light! When this chocolate pudding leaves the oven it looks just like a mud pie, but don't judge that book by it's cover - this tastes divine...Always use good quality dark chocolate usually found on the baking isle. Who doesn't like Chocolate!

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How to make Leek Soup (Vegan friendly)

 This is such a simple soup to make with just leeks, water, Oxo vegetable stock, cornflour or plain flour, black pepper and butter or sunflower oil for vegan version. They both taste as good either way though. Leeks are not only full of vitamin A but of Zeaxanthin too which means they are good for your eyes and help prevent cataracts too. These guys are part of the onion family, so no need for onion here. Crusty rolls at the ready...

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How to make a Potato, Carrot and Petit Pois Curry (Vegan friendly) Use vegan margarine here!

 I first saw a version of this recipe in a cookbook. I changed the peas to petit pois which have a much nicer flavour, added curry powder and a few more spices and ended up with this. This curry tastes even better the day after! The carrots, potato, peas and onion  marry together wonderfully with the spices making a really good tasting curry. Not too hot, but spicy enough. I like this with garlic and coriander naan bread and a side salad. It is also good with chapattis. It is so healthy too with all fresh ingredients and spices - no additives! You could also have it with the onion bhajis featured further on this channel for a true curry night... 

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How to make Mushroom Risotto

 This is just a simple risotto, a classic Italian dish. Risotto rice is the arborio rice, which can absorb a large amount of water and give out a creamy texture. Don't try it with anything else! Here we have simply used the Arborio rice, mushrooms, onion, Oxo vegetable stock, fresh parsley and grated vegetarian hard cheese (which works well as a vegetarian parmesan substitute). Arborio rice helps keep you feeling fuller longer and also help to detoxify the body. Also it's nice!

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How to Make Festive Savoury Nut Roast Balls with Cranberry Sauce-Vegan friendly use non-dairy butter

I had never made a nut roast before so thought I should and would try it. All the basic recipes I saw had brown rice or egg or cheese and soy sauce, breadcrumbs etc but I wanted to keep it simple and for vegans too so I just threw some things together and this was the result. I always make a small portion first and then if it's good make a bigger one. They are so good and the cranberry sauce just makes them - I didn't want them served with gravy as it takes away the taste. When you try the mixture in the pan you will see why we ate a lot of it before it went in the oven! The chestnut mushrooms worked beautifully and for not much ingredients these should be street food at Christmas! The cranberry sauce was only 55p from Asda as we had to nip out and find some mid-cook but that was good too. You can use this recipe as a starter or with a main meal, it's up to you.

A viewer asked could she do this in a bun tin to make a large one to slice? My reply was : "Not sure, as with the balls they were crispy slightly all round which is what I was after. With the balls guests can take as many as they want ( (and we didn't have a loaf tin ha). You could try it as all the ingredients are pretty much cooked anyway but once you have done the balls you won't look back they are so easy". If any of you guys do make a loaf of it do let me know how it goes!! Nuts also contain vitamin E which is a great anti-oxidant, and also a preservative - so if you want to preserve those youthful good looks, it won't do any harm adding a few nuts to your diet weekly!!

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Quick tea - Hot Dogs with fried onions, mustard and relish.

 You can't beat a hot dog, especially as a bonfire party snack or even a quick tea.  We found the Tivall brand to be delicious, and the Fry's brand to be an ok one. If we find anymore contenders we will let you know. You have to gently fry your onions in butter here, and you have to add mustard and burger relish. Also do butter your hot dog rolls before adding the onions etc for the best taste! My daughter loves them as do we. 

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How to make Rhubarb Crumble

 Rhubarb - this is another vegetable/fruit that you can buy a small shoot of in a pound store, plant it out in the back garden and off it goes.  Rhubarb has also been  used as a natural dye! We always make this crumble when our rhubarb is ready to pick. By adding the sugar bit by bit you can achieve just the right amount of sweetness, because rhubarb on it's own is very tart . Easy recipe this - just rhubarb, butter, plain flour and Demerara sugar, but it tastes divine. Rhubarb was first cultivated in the far east more than 2000 years ago. It was initially grown for medical purposes. Check out the amount of natural vitamins, minerals and anti- oxidants in it you can see why. If you have never had rhubarb this way you need to try it. Then just slap on some custard for a sweet treat! 

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How to make Omelette with Cheese and Mushroom Filling

 An omelette is a simple affair, just whip up your eggs, add a little ground black pepper, bit of oil to the pan and off you go. On their own though they don't really have much taste, but you can fill them, or chop up finely a little mushrooms etc and add them to the egg mix before you cook it. They are always good with cheese and beans and make for a simple meal by adding some chips too! They are also good fried in a little olive oil which makes them light and fluffy. 

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How to make Butternut Squash Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Butternut squash on it's own doesn't have much taste, so pairing it with the carrot and celery and stock brought out its flavour. Nutritionally Butternut squash is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. The orange colour, beta carotene/ Vitamin A is good for eyesight. It's also classed as a superfood. This is also a tough vegetable to peel - so I use a potato peeler and then take out the seeds and inners. It is heavier than it looks too. Made like this gives it a rich, creamy taste. Any vegetable that is rigid like this is full of Potassium too so it's good for the heart! 

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How to make a Quick Spinach, Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Salad - just drizzle on the olive oil!

 This is a really quick plate summer salad with just three ingredients - Spinach, cherry tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese.  Always use the freshest Spinach for added crunchiness. You can use baby plum tomatoes here, and you could add a few pitted olives - but don't overdo it, keep it simple. Always serve this with a slice of wholemeal bread. Spinach is from the beetroot family so it is full of nitrates for healthy blood flow. It was also Popeye's favourite food!

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How to make Red Lentil and Carrot Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Everybody needs a good thick Winter style soup and what better than this red lentil and carrot one. Surprisingly this is at the moment my most viewed soup! Made with just carrots, red lentils, oxo vegetable stock cubes, garlic, onion and sunflower oil, it is so easy to make too. It is a good soup to serve in a cup to warm your hands in winter as well. Just dip in the crusty rolls and off you go!  Carrots are full of vitamin A for your eyes, and lentils are a good iron source for the blood. So a good health tonic too. 

One of our viewers commented "just made half quantity because i live alone. i used red onion and it was just gorgeous :)" Thanks for that, so there is an idea too....

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How to make Spicy Lentil Broth (Vegan friendly)

 I got this idea from a recipe in a book and just changed some of the quantities of the ingredients for a better taste. Although there looks to be a lot in this there isn't really and it will last for a few meals. You don't need to serve it with rice, you can do it in a side dish with a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion, a little grated fresh ginger and pitted olives. This way it tastes delicious too. It also smells amazing as it cooks. Lentils are low in calories and high in fibre for digestion. They are high in protein and a good source of iron too. Iron helps with tiredness by improving the oxygen in the blood. So if you are planning on running any marathons in the near future this is for you!

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How to make home made Mint Sauce (Vegan friendly)

 You can't beat a home made mint sauce and this is easy. If you plant a sprig of mint in a garden it spreads itself out and comes up every year. Then all you need is a little granulated sugar, vinegar and hot water. This mint sauce tastes far superior to anything you can purchase in a jar and it's natural ingredients. It is delicious on baby new steamed potatoes. the mint oil from it is also good for stomach upsets and indigestion. The original polo mints in the green tube also contain peppermint oil - just so you know!! So it's a good idea to keep some handy. 

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How to make Red onion, tomato, chilli, mint and lime juice Salsa (Vegan friendly)

 You have to use the red onion in this simple salsa - it doesn't work with brown. The lime juice gives it a good tart flavour and don't overdo the chilli or you will regret it! You can serve this on the side of a jacket potato, or with any salad and it makes for a really refreshing addition. It's also a staple in Mexican cuisine, and when you taste it you will see why! Even on it's own in summer it is good, and so simple. there is never any leftover when I make it. It's also all fresh natural ingredients too - how healthy is that! Always wash your hands after handling chilli as it stays on your skin and if you happen to rub your eye, nose or mouth after it will sting. You have been warned! 

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How to make Mushroom and Pak Choi Stir Fry

 Who doesn't need a simple stir fry in their food arsenal? In this recipe I used egg noodles, since then I have also used rice noodles. Fresh packeted ones, and still a great result. The Asda stir fry oil with its mix of sesame, sunflower and ginger oil with extracts of garlic is a real find and worked well. Pak choi is usually found in Asda and Sainsburys too, so all supermarket ingredients. The omelette topping makes for a substantial meal too. Really you can put anything in a stir fry - bell peppers, spring onions, finely cut carrot as long as the pieces are small. Five minutes preparation perhaps and around four minutes cook, this is probably the fastest meal available.  

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How to make Stuffed Aubergine with or without cheese topping!

 This recipe is very easy to make as a vegan option without the cheese, or as a vegetarian option by grating the cheddar cheese over it before cooking as featured! I do prefer the vegetarian option but they are both good. You can't beat vegetables roasted with an olive oil coating - it seems to bring out such rich flavours when they are cooked. Another benefit of the olive oil is that it stops food sticking to the roasting tray or Pyrex dish for an easy clean afterwards. Aubergine is high in fibre but low in calorie, and technically a fruit as they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds. They are reputed to have many health benefits too. Aubergines also go by the name Eggplant because the earlier varieties where white and resembled hen's eggs. Aubergines are part of the Nightshade family of plants - fortunately not the deadly variety though! Cooked with olive oil this is my personal favourite vegetable/fruit. 

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How to make a Ploughman's lunch

 Who doesn't like a Ploughman's lunch on a hot Summer's day? With the added benefit of not having to plough the field first! This is, as a viewer said, "a very simple affair with just the right ingredients!" Thanks for that comment! I used silver skin pickled onions here but you can use the large chunky ones, instead it's up to you. Crunchy iceberg lettuce is the best lettuce to use here too. And where would you be without the sandwich pickle and the crunchy celery sticks! I used salad tomatoes here but you could just as well use cherry or plum tomatoes instead. Cheese and pickle is a classic combination just like beans on toast is. Enjoy!

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How to make a Salad Dressing with just Olive Oil, Basil, Cider Vinegar and Black Pepper

 This is a very simple salad dressing, ready in minutes, but don't underestimate it's taste. It brings to life any salad. Any time you make a summer salad have this on standby, and don't forget to add a little fresh ginger and olives in your the salad too for a far superior taste! Olive oil, basil, cider vinegar and ground black pepper - what could be easier? Olive oil is reported to help lower cholesterol too, so why not give it a try for that reason too. 

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How to make Spicy Aubergine Pasta With Feta Cheese Topping.

 Who doesn't like pasta? When I first made this, my daughter who was around six years old at the time asked for this everyday as she loved it! The aubergines lightly fried in the olive oil give it a great taste, and the chilli flakes give it that extra kick. Go steady with these chilli flakes and only use as much as I said on the video as these are hot! Break as much feta cheese on top as you wish, and you can also use the budget salad cheese variety as these taste just as good. This tastes really good with the penne, but you can use any pasta you prefer instead like tagliatelle, or rigatoni. The chunks of feta in this picture are rather large, make them smaller! And don't forget to use any left over feta cheese in the Greek style feta salad sandwich featured!!

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How to make a Vegetarian mince and onion Meat free Pie (Vegan friendly)

 I was asked to do this by a viewer, and four or five samples later I let my daughter who was six at the time choose the final version ad this was the result, and I must say I agreed with her. Everything is made in small samples so as to keep costs down but also to get the best taste. I think that Morrisons discontinued their mince but we found Asda plant based mince to be a good replacement. (Quorn does not work here by the way!) Instead of using the Bisto onion gravy granules that can be a bit pricey now, we have also used the red onion gravy granules in jars from Sainsburys etc, and this gives a slightly different, not as beefy like taste? - but every bit as good!! so you can use these products too in this recipe if you want. 

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Mixed Pepper and Mushroom Pizza. N.B. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic puree in the passata mix - better taste

 Once you have made your own base for this pizza you will never buy a ready made base again! We updated the topping of the base on this one by adding half a teaspoon of garlic puree (the tubed one). Just squeeze out the tube in a line up to the middle of the teaspoon and mix it in. Gorgeous taste then. Italian passata has far the better taste, the other ones don't measure up - so get the Italian one where you can. You are not limited to the topping here - you could add drained tinned sweetcorn and/or jalapeno peppers from a jar for a hotter taste too. A favourite of mine is to add these jalapeno peppers - not too many though!  Just make sure everything is sliced very thinly so it cooks through with the pizza. Always wipe the pizza tray with olive oil first to make sure it doesn't stick, for an easy clean after. 

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How to make Quick and Easy Mushroom Stroganoff

 If you want a meal in minutes then this is the one for you. Now we usually serve it in a small side dish with perhaps new potatoes and vegetables like cabbage, brussels, carrots etc, but you can still have it with the rice as featured too if you want to. Always use the freshest white mushrooms for this and the freshest parsley. The wholegrain mustard tastes amazing and I now make this recipe using crème fraiche which is thicker and better tasting than the soured cream. Make sure that the mixture is well reduced before serving - the thicker the better! The featured picture does not do this recipe justice because it tastes far better than it looks on here.

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How to make Vegetarian Burritos

 Although there looks to be a lot of ingredients in this recipe it is remarkably easy to make and you can make four good portions out of it! This is well worth the effort. The salsa from here you could make and use independently. Mexican street food at its very best! The wholemeal tortillas work really well here and the coriander makes it taste amazing. This is probably one of the healthiest recipes of all! 

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How to make Spicy (Curried) Red Lentil Soup (Vegan friendly)

 This is a simple soup. Good in Winter and with the medium curry powder, very warming. The Oxo Vegetable stock gives everything an amazing taste and is definitely the best stock by far, don't waste your time on the others! With just red lentils, carrot, celery, onion, oxo veg stock and medium curry powder this is a very easy soup to make too. Dip in the crusty rolls and it is like a meal in a cup. Lentils are also high in fibre and packed with protein, so with this you should be both regular and able to lift a car ha ha - only joking but you get the idea..... It tastes good anyway!

Here is the recipe

How to make Vegetarian Bacon, Cheese and Tomato Toastie and Other Ideas

 Where would we be without the toastie maker. We first got the Breville snack and sandwich maker years ago - it was released in 1974! and I am sure that many of you out there have one lurking in the back of a cupboard somewhere too! Toasties are a real standby and are amazing with a little side salad and a small pot of coleslaw. The best thing is that you can put almost anything on one. Here we used cheese and tomato which is a classic! Cheese and vegetarian bacon, cheese and mushroom, but you can also do chilli cheese, cheese and red onion,  put curry on it, veg ham and cheese, anything. Students have probably filled them with Nutella and Marmite too, though not together of course, and probably cheese and jam! If you still haven't got a toastie maker now is the time and they are available here

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How to make a Celery and Carrot Soup (Vegan friendly)

 This celery and carrot soup only came about on account of my late brother calling in one night around 9pm as he was passing. He hadn't had chance to get his tea, and when I looked in the fridge all we had was about three sticks of celery and a few carrots. The shopping was due to be delivered the next morning! So I just threw together a potato, an onion, the celery and the carrot, some oxo vegetable stock, plus some cornflour and ground black pepper and hoped for the best. When he tried it he said this is really good and finished up eating the whole panful. Not before I got a chance to have a quick taste though! And for an accidental soup it really does taste delicious, possibly one of the best. Ask your guests to see if they can guess what is in it - I bet you they can't and neither could he!  

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How to make Fresh Vegetable Soup (Vegan friendly)

 This is a very simple fresh vegetable soup, no cornflour involved and still the taste is good. Just courgette, onion, red pepper, celery and carrot, oxo vegetable stock, and black pepper of course.. This is more of a summer soup as it is very light and the carrot gives it the sweetness. I wouldn't change the vegetables for this as the sweet (carrot) salt (celery) bitter (red pepper) bitter (courgette) sweet (cooked onion) all balance out. The crusty bread mops up all the juices. 

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How to make Extra Special Fruit Starter With Ginger Relish (Vegan friendly)

 Everybody needs a show stopper fruit starter and this is it! For ours we used the three melons, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, with strawberries, orange segments and pineapple, but don't be restricted with this. You could throw in different coloured grapes, kiwi, cherries - any combo. Always finish it off with a mint sprig for effect though. Mint is easy to grow at home too, plant one and off it goes... The tulip glasses that we serve this starter in make it look extra special too. The ginger relish is supermarkets own usually in the home baking department. 

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How to make Butter bean, fennel, courgette, leek and carrot Vegetarian/Vegan Casserole

 This particular dish started out as a basic recipe from a book. It had far too much courgette in it and other vegetables when I tried it out. But it had potential, and after altering the veg quantities and the spices it came out like this. It is like a Winter warming broth and the cinnamon stick cooked with it makes it taste amazing. It also contains a fennel bulb, and fennel not only improves brain function but seems to warm you up right down to your toes as well. Try it and see! It also contains ginger and that is another warming spice, and cinnamon which is antibacterial, and carrot - vitamin A so good for your eyes too. So a good health tonic all round. I just serve it in a dish with a simple side salad.

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How to make The Perfect Milkshake

 The secret to a perfect milkshake is to add a teaspoon of ice cream to it when you are shaking it up in a container or stirring it up in a glass. Try it - it's so chilled then and refreshing. Vanilla ice cream is the best....

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How to make Bonfire Toffee

 Having never made Bonfire toffee before mum's friend who was a confectioner gave me a recipe for the hard Bonfire toffee. I asked if I wanted to make it softer and she explained how it worked. So i had a go at a fudge type chewy one and this is the result. One of neighbours young lads who came to our Bonfire night party tried some and said, "We got some from a well known supermarket before and this is better!" High praise indeed. NB only bring to the boil then simmer when milk is added like on the video - don't keep boiling it oops! You don't need to keep it in the fridge if you wrap it in greaseproof paper and keep it in a sealed plastic tub. It never lasts that long though funnily enough....

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How to make Easy Home Made Apple Cider (Vegan Friendly)

 Easy home brew this is. I am just making some again now for Christmas with some cooking apples that one of our neighbours gave me! Just four ingredients, apples, sugar, lemons and water. This tastes at its very best about four to six weeks in. Don't forget to keep releasing the tops though! Chilled its nice and it is of course pure, but it is quite strong so don't underestimate it!! Our elderly neighbour gave me this recipe when I was younger. Myself and my late brother used to have bonfires at the bottom of the garden with her and she always had some handy. I bet this would be nice made into lolly pops and frozen - now there is an idea!

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How to make Parched Peas

 This is an old Lancashire traditional street snack sold in little white polystyrene cups from Bonfire night onwards. These are Carlin peas, also called Pigeon peas. They  are also apparently a traditional northern food eaten during Lent on Passion Sunday, the Sunday before Palm Sunday. They boast a remarkable nutritional profile, these peas are naturally low in fat, while providing over 23g per 100g of both protein + fibre! Particularly high in manganese, molybdenum + vitamin B— primarily B1. Manganese and molybdenum in case you are interested, both detox the body AND repair damaged DNA plus B vitamins are good for the nerves. These little guys certainly pack a punch....Easy to make and very tasty too!

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How to make Pumpkin Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Pumpkin soup has always been a Bonfire night/Halloween staple. Reason being these guys come into season from late September through to Thanksgiving in late November. This is why Pumpkin pie is so popular in America around this time! This particular soup is made with red lentils and coriander powder too, so it is a really warming, thick and hearty soup, perfect for standing around the bonfire with. Pumpkin is an orange vegetable, so because of that it is full of Beta carotene or Vitamin A. Perfect for eye health and one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat! Crusty rolls at the ready!

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How to make Leek and Potato Soup (Vegan friendly)

 Leek and Potato soup is always  a Christmas staple. The reason being that leeks are in season from  November onwards, so not only do they taste at their very best then, but they are also in abundance around this time. They should be reasonably priced too! Leeks are low in calorie and also belong to the same family as garlic and onion. They are also good for arthritis and gout and bladder stones ouch! This is also a very easy recipe to make and tastes delicious. Again serve it with crusty bread.....

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