Christmas food

This is a fresher, brighter alternative to the classic Christmas coleslaw. Crunchy red cabbage, fennel, apple and toasted nuts are finished off with a sprinkling of blue cheese. Perfect with cold meats or even a couple of sausages.

A vegetarian starter or light lunch for the winter. This makes either four individual tartlets with 10cm/4in loose-bottomed flan rings or one larger one using a 20-22cm/8-9in flan ring.

This pork feast makes a wonderful alternative to a traditional Christmas, New Year or Easter roast dinner.

Once past the marinade, this easy venison recipe is so quick. Let the flavoursome ingredients do your work for you.

This easy baked apple recipe is pure autumnal pleasure - especially with a dribble of good calvados.

Butter-wouldn’t-melt Sophie Dahl adds olive brine to this classic combo of vodka and vermouth to dirty up her Martini.

Keep this delicious aperitif in the freezer for a refreshing - and surprising - Christmas drink.

James Martin pairs a classic crêpes Suzette with sticky orange sauce and a creamy citrus syllabub.

Nut roast doesn't have to be dry, leaden or worthy. These little patties have juicy, rich mushrooms and tasty macadamia nuts. This meal, when served as 15 portions, provides 267kcal, 6g protein, 18g carbohydrates (of which 5g sugars), 18g fat (of which 1.5g saturates), 3.5g fibre and 0.4g salt per portion.

Make a trayful of sticky, sweet-tart cocktail sausages to pass around as Christmas party food or as an alternative to pigs in blankets at the dinner table.

Treat a loved one to breakfast in bed with these decadent gluten-free buckwheat pancakes topped with creamy scrambled egg and smoked salmon. Each serving provides 444kcal, 33g protein, 20g carbohydrate (of which 2g sugars), 26g fat (of which 10g saturates), 0.6g fibre and 3.2g salt.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without gravadlax - this one comes with Champagne-laced homemade mustard. For this recipe you will need a pestle and mortar and a food processor.

This mild and creamy turkey curry is quick and tasty and uses mainly store cupboard spices – and Christmas leftovers.

So quick, so easy and so delicious, this is the perfect recipe with which to spoil loved ones, whether at Christmas or on Valentine’s Day.

This bubble and squeak takes leftover roast or mashed potatoes and any uneaten greens for a simple veggie solution to Christmas leftovers. Fancy it up with candied shallots give it a lovely sweetness.

Our easy creamy broccoli and Stilton soup recipe with bubbling Stilton croûtons is the perfect antidote to the winter blues.