Lardy cake

This enriched, spiced, sweet bread is layered up with currants, sultanas, apricots and cherries – serve in wedges for a delicious tea time treat

Sticky Chinese chicken traybake

Flavoured with honey, hoisin sauce and Chinese five-spice, this one-pan chicken dish makes a cheap and easy midweek family meal

Mincemeat, apple & cranberry lattice tart

Forget fiddly mince pies, fill puff pastry with juicy mincemeat and fruit and serve this festive dessert in slices – perfect for entertaining

Green Thai noodle broth

Whip up this cheat’s supper in just 5 minutes by adding noodles and veg to a ready made green Thai chicken soup

Pomegranate chicken with almond couscous

Jazz up chicken breasts in this fruity, sweetly spiced sauce with pomegranate seeds, toasted almonds and tagine paste

Squidgy pumpkin & ginger loaf

Use up your Halloween pumpkin leftovers in this dense, sticky loaf cake which pairs the sweet earthiness of squash with warming ginger

Maple & pear ruffle cake

A grown-up, lightly-spiced sponge that is sandwiched with pears caramelised in maple syrup and topped with meringue buttercream

Acquacotta

This traditional Tuscan soup, which means ‘cooked water’, is served with a poached egg for extra richness – a perfect starter or light lunch

Caribbean beef patties

Spice up beef mince with turmeric, thyme and hot pepper sauce before folding in shortcrust pastry for a tasty dinner or lunch

Bombay lamb wraps

Spice up cheap frozen lamb mince with Indian flavours and pile onto flour wraps or chapatis for a healthy and filling dinner

Smoked mackerel chowder with hedgehog garlic bread

Whip up this budget-friendly, creamy fish soup and easy garlic loaf using smoked mackerel and a few store cupboard ingredients

Fish stew with roast garlic & saffron

Try this simpler, lighter version of bouillabaisse, a classic fish soup – serve with toasted slices of baguette to mop up the tomato based sauce