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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