Vegetable and red lentil stew

This is really filling, yummy winter food that doesn't require much effort apart from chopping vegetables and slicing and buttering some good bread.

You need lots of root veg in this stew to make it really good, so grab some carrots, sweet potato, squash and anything else you can find that came from the ground (and that will not send you to the hospital) and stick it in the stew.

Mince pies!

Just to show you what's going on in my house, I thought I'd tease you with a picture of my mum's traditional home-made mince pies- they are delicious, and not complete without the star on the top!
It's almost christmas! :D

Jambalaya-take 1

I made jambalaya a few days ago, but unfortunately, as I was cooking for a non meat-eating family, I couldn't use any of the sausage or meats traditionally used in it. As a result, I couldn't get the full jambalaya flavour that was supposed to be there, meaning that I am deeming it unworthy of a recipe on my blog!
However, I will be trying it out again at a later date with all the appropriate ingredients, so there will be a recipe for jambalaya here one day!
In the mean time, you can gaze at the picture, start dreaming of jambalaya, and go off and Google jambalaya recipes to satisfy your cravings!

Feta and Spinach Fritters.

If you have ever tried those little spinach pies that are traditionally made in Greece, then you can imagine what these taste like- its the combination of feta, spinach, garlic and the flaky/crumbliness of the fried finish that makes them taste so similar.

Cinnamon, pistachio and almond filo swirls.

About a week ago, my flatmate came back from a Turkish market that was held somewhere in Cardiff. She had bought two of her favorite Christmas treats that she admitted to gorging on every Christmas. These two luxury foods were stuffed vine leaves, and Turkish baklava rolls- both of which she allowed me to try.

I had tasted baklava before, in Crete, but the ones my flatmate allowed me to try were something else! The baklava I had tried in the past were sticky and overwhelmingly sweet, without any other flavours really coming through, but these Turkish baklava were sweet, sticky, nutty, and spiced with a touch of cinnamon. Unbelievably delicious!

Smoked Salmon, Watercress, and Egg Bake.

This is really rich dish- super wintery and full of flavour. I'm lucky enough to be able to make stuff like this now that I'm home for Christmas, and have a larger number of people to feed.

Burgers take 2!

I used the same recipe for the meat as last time, since it worked so well. The only difference was this time I used lean minced beef, but it didn't seem to make a difference to the flavour or texture at all so I see no problem in using it- just health benefits!

I decided to use the kind of peas i used in the Gnocchi with peas and chorizo, except mashing them rather than blitzing them,

Linguine with Garlic and Oregano Meatballs.

A fresh vegetable sauce contrasted with rich garlicy meatballs and a sprinkling of parmesan. 

Ingredients for the sauce:

• One red pepper, sliced