Vegetarian & food

As fruit pies, mince pie is a culinary holiday tradition that inspires more skepticism than enthusiasm among most Americans today. This traditional dish of meat (usually beef or game), tallow (animal fat from the back of meatloaf), cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, fruit, sugar and brandy or rum over all cooked together in a shell mass, has a history almost as tasty as their long list of ingredients.

Although there is no definitive explanation of how mince pie has become a holiday tradition, it seems more likely that its association with Christmas is linked to the trinity spices: cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Minced meat origin in the 13th century when the Crusaders returning to Europe brought these three exotic ingredients including spices, with them in the Holy Land. Due to insufficient cooling at the time, spices were a welcome families for conservation combined with fruit and meat for their protein last longer. Geographical origins of the Holy Land, spices lent a religious connotation, but when the church began to teach the three spices in a dish popular gifts also meant the Magi Magi to the infant Jesus, mince pies seem to be an imperative tradition Christmas.

English settlers brought the American pie recipe thin, but because resentment Puritan decadent dessert, it took a while for clothing trend. In the mid-17th century, Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in England, because of their extravagant parties and presumed greedy. Puritan settlers in the New World held the opposition to them, but as puritanical ideologies declined, the popularity of ground meat dish as each year has increased in American homes. As the market revolution took hold, home treatment transition pies for a rare commodity in commercial bakeries 19th century A writer for The New York Times described an encounter with a Cartwright cake on Christmas Eve 1871 in which truck filled with hundreds of cakes, requires two horses to drive, because it gave delight to customers.

While this may seem a loved one, harmless dessert, pastry actually caused a surprising amount of controversy. At that time, many people have expressed concern about indigestion and its effect on the mental states of individuals; Tartlets with its rich mix of meat, sugar and spices, were a common cause. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were a series of crimes attributed to, of all things, meat pies. In 1907, a Chicago resident allegedly shot his wife in the head after sleeping in a sink full stomach and wake of a violent dream. Another case in Indiana in 1918, was a prison guard, who was fired in prison after eating a hamburger meal pie.

Indigestion caused was not the only concern people had on pies and their effects on human behavior. The temperance movement supporters also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of alcohol in meat pies, preached against their consumption. Ground meat would have their day in court, however. With the amendment to ban 18 on alcohol, many people believed that there should be exceptions for the good of the culinary arts. In October 1922, the Old Distillery victory in Chicago brought this appeal to the court, asking if alcohol to cook, taking advantage of the upcoming holidays, highlighting some festive joy in his argument: pies. They won.

And what happened over a century which made short work of a frequent presence in our Christmas dinner tables? Prohibit due to its popularity decline? People fear that their digestive dangerous consequences? A likely argument is that, as the production of cakes moved to the house of the local bakery in the factory, ground beef disappearance is a "mystery" questionable food, which makes people have the same scruples eat. Charles Dickens even joked in The Pickwick Papers in a baker who makes pies with kittens.

President William Howard Taft, however, was a fan of pies. Thanksgiving in 1909, bakers of New York President Taft presented with a mince pie weighs a staggering £ 50 Taft had ordered its military aid, Captain Archibald Butt offices assist in the cake consumption; Captain Butt led reinforcements and ordered his team to help eat healthy food.

1. Mix together the eggs and ricotta, then add the spinach, spring onion and pesto.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the squash in a little of the tomato oil, spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 mins. Unwrap the pastry and cover with a just-damp piece of kitchen paper. Mix the butter with 2 tbsp tomato oil.
3. Brush the butter mixture over 1 sheet of pastry, then place in a 23cm tart tin. Brush another piece of pastry with butter and place slightly further around the tin. Keep brushing and lining the tin (keeping the pastry covered when not using) until you have used up the pack and the tin is completely covered. Trim away any pastry overhanging the edges of the tin, then bake for 5-10 mins until starting to crisp. Spoon the spinach mixture into the tin and scatter with the tomatoes. Cook for 20-25 mins more alongside the squash until the tart is set and the squash is cooked through.

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Boil potatoes for 15 mins until tender, then drain well and smash a little. Cool slightly.
2. Mix the cheese, cayenne and onions with the smashed potatoes and stir to make a mouldable filling. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 25 x 35cm. Carefully lift onto a baking sheet and brush all over with beaten egg.
3. Press the cheese mix along one of the long sides of the pastry, leaving 2cm pastry free on one side for sealing, and half of the pastry empty on the other side for folding over later. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together, before trimming with a knife and sealing well by pressing the edges with a fork.
4. Brush with egg and bake for 30 mins. Cool, then slice and serve with caramelised red onions. Can be made 1 day ahead

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the squash lengthways into 8 long chunky pieces and put in a large roasting tin with the shallots. Toss in a little oil, season and roast for 20 mins. Add the pecans and roast for 10 mins more, or until the squash is cooked but still firm.
2. Leave the squash to cool completely, but tip the nuts and shallots into a non-stick pan. Add the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and plenty of seasoning, and stir over the heat until the shallots start to caramelise. Leave to cool.
3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 32 x 38cm. Trim 2cm from one of the long edges and set aside. Transfer the pastry to a baking tray. Place 4 of the pieces of squash down the longest length in the middle to make a rectangular block, keeping a generous border of pastry all the way round. Place another 2 pieces of squash on top. Trim the remaining 2 pieces and put crossways at the end. Scatter over the sage and blue cheese, then top with the shallots and pecans. Lightly press to compact everything together.
4. Brush round the pastry edges with the egg, then draw the 2 long edges up to meet and pinch together to seal – as you would a Cornish pasty. Tuck under the pastry at both ends, then brush all over with egg. Cut leaf shapes from the pastry trimmings and use to decorate the top of the Wellington. Glaze again and make a couple of small air holes with the point of a knife.
5. To freeze: Open-freeze on a baking tray until solid, then wrap in cling film then foil. It will keep for 2 months. To serve, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put a baking tray in to heat up. Unwrap the Wellington and place on the hot tray. Bake for 30 mins. Cover lightly with foil and bake for 35-40 mins more, taking off the foil for the final 10 mins. Leave to settle for 10 mins before thickly slicing, or the cheese will be too melty and run out. (If cooking from fresh, chill the Wellington for at least 30 mins before cooking – it then needs only 30-40 mins in the oven.)

1. Up to 2 hrs ahead, separate the chicory into boat-shaped leaves and trim the ends so that they are all roughly the same size. You will probably get about eight or nine decent-sized leaves from each head of chicory. As the leaves get closer to the heart of the chicory, they will be too small to use for canapés, so save them to add to wintry salads.
2. Peel the carrot, then keep peeling off strips until you have as many as the number of chicory leaves.
3. Drop spoonfuls of houmous onto the chicory, then add a carrot curl and an olive to each. They’ll keep in the fridge for about 2 hours.

1. First make the pastry. Tip the flours into a food processor with ½ tsp salt and the diced butter. Pulse until you can’t feel any lumps, then tip in the walnuts. Mix the egg yolks with 3 tbsp cold water, then dribble this into the machine while you pulse again until the pastry comes together. Tip the pastry out onto a floured surface, lightly bring it together into a ball, then roll out and line a deep 20-23cm tart tin with overhang. The pastry may crack, but just patch it back together, then cover and chill for 1 hr.
2. To make the filling, melt the remaining butter in a large pan, then add the shallots and soften for 10-15 mins, until golden and squishy. Stir in the thyme for 1 min, then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug with the crème fraîche and cream. Crumble in the cheese and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.
3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Blind bake the pastry for 20 mins, remove the baking beans and paper, then bake for a further 15-20 mins until golden and sandy. Reduce the oven temp to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the cooled onions to the cream mixture and pour into the case. Sit the fig halves on top, cut side up, sprinkle with some more thyme and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr-1hr 10 mins until the tart is browning and has a slight wobble – the cheese middle will firm up on sitting. Cool for about 15-20 mins, then remove from tin and serve with a green salad.

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, then fry until lightly coloured. Add the nigella seeds and chilli, then fry for 1 min. Tip in the squash, potato and stock, then bring to the boil. Stir well, cover, then simmer for 20 mins, or until the vegetables are tender.
2. Purée the soup in batches, adding a handful of parsley with each batch. Return the soup to the pan, then reheat. The soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

1. Get everything prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the apples. Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You can chop the almonds and apples in a food processor, but the peel must be done by hand.) Grate three quarters of the nutmeg (sounds a lot but it's correct). Mix all the ingredients for the pudding, except the butter, in a large bowl.
2. Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir everything together.Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 minutes - the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir. Ask the family to stir too, and get everyone to make a wish.
3. Generously butter two 1.2 litre/ 2 pint bowls and put a disc of greaseproof paper in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying). Trim off any excess paper.
4. Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight). Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan. Watch our video to see how to tie up a pudding correctly.
5. Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hours, topping up with water as necessary. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in spanking new greaseproof or baking parchment, foil and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
6. To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped ginger. Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively and put in the fridge to set. The butter will keep for a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.
7. On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hour. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.

1. Heat butter in a large frying pan. Add shallots, leek and garlic, then gently fry for 7 mins until softened.
2. Increase the heat, add the chestnut and the shiitake mushrooms, then cook for 10 mins, stirring, until the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the mustard and crème fraîche, then season well. Cook for a further 2 mins then stir in the chopped tarragon.
3. Preheat the grill. Cut the French stick into diagonal slices, drizzle with a little olive oil, then grill until golden. Spoon the hot pâté on to the toasts, garnish with the extra tarragon, then serve with salad leaves.

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pop the carrots in a pan of boiling water and cook for 4-5 mins until tender. Spread the carrots out in one layer on a baking tray. Carefully toss with olive oil, seasoning and half the maple syrup. Bake for 20 mins, turning once.
2. Next, place the pastry rectangle on a baking parchment-lined baking sheet. Score a 1cm border. Prick the centre area with a fork and put in the oven for 12 mins with the carrots.
3. Fry the shallot in butter until totally soft, then stir through the mushrooms. Fry for several mins until mushrooms are tender and the mixture is dry. Spread out on a plate to cool. Whizz a third of the mushroom mixture with the nuts, cream cheese, tarragon and seasoning, so you have a coarse texture. Tip into a bowl and stir through the remaining mushroom mix.
4. Remove the pastry base from the oven and gently press down the centre area with the back of a spoon. Spread the mushroom mix inside and lay the glazed carrots on top. You may need to tuck the ends round to fit the carrots in. Drizzle over the remaining maple syrup and bake for a further 12-15 mins until the pastry is golden. Sprinkle with a few tarragon leaves and some more chopped nuts to serve.

1. To make the cake, place the clementines in a small pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hr or until tender. Drain and cool.
2. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base with a disc of buttered baking parchment. Cut the cooked clementines in half and remove any pips. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not puréed.
3. Combine the raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries and brandy in a bowl. Add the clementine pulp and mix well. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, mixing well between each addition. In another bowl, combine the spices, ground almonds, polenta and baking powder. Fold into the creamed mixture along with the dried fruit and clementine pulp.
4. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 mins. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and continue to cook for a further 40 mins. You may need to loosely cover the top of the cake with a sheet of baking parchment for the final 20 mins to prevent it browning too quickly. Cool in the tin for 30 mins before turning out onto a cooling rack.
5. To make the topping, slice the clementines to a 5mm thickness. Tip the sugar into a saucepan with 140ml water and cook over a low heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved. Put the clementine slices in the pan and stir through. To keep the clementines submerged in the syrup, cut out a circle of greaseproof paper to fit into the pan and place over the fruit. Cook over a low heat for 1 hr until glossy and translucent. Remove and spread out over greaseproof paper to cool.
6. To serve, dust the whole cake with icing sugar, then arrange the clementine slices, overlapping, over the top of the cake.

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel the shallots, cut in half lengthways and place in a single layer on a baking tray, cut-side up. Drizzle with the oil, season well and bake for 20-25 mins. Take the tray out of the oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the sugar and return to the oven for 10 mins more or until golden brown and softened. Leave to stand for 10 mins.
2. Unroll the pastry onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour and cut out 4 x 13cm discs (or 6 x 11cm discs if making for starters), using a bowl or saucer as a guide, if you like. Divide the shallots between 4 x 12cm non-stick, preferably loose-based mini cake tins (or 6 holes of 2 x 4-hole non-stick Yorkshire pudding tins), arranging cut-side down, nice and snugly. Scatter the chestnuts on top and press down lightly. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves and season. Place a disc of puff pastry over the shallots and chestnuts in each tin and ease down the sides using a round-bladed knife. Prick with a fork all over. Can be frozen at this point (see tip, below left) or covered with cling film and kept in the fridge for up to 8 hrs before baking.
3. To make the mushroom sauce, put the dried mushrooms in a measuring jug and cover with 200ml just-boiled water. Leave to stand for 20 mins. Drain in a sieve and reserve the soaking liquor. Put the mushrooms on a board and roughly chop. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and fry the chestnut mushrooms over a high heat for 2-3 mins until lightly browned. Reduce the heat, stir in the butter and, as soon as it has melted, add the flour and the soaked mushrooms and cook for a few secs, stirring.
4. Slowly add the mushroom liquor, taking care to avoid adding any gritty bits from the bottom of the jug, then add the Madeira, stirring well between each addition. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 2 mins, stirring. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
5. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the cake tins on a baking tray and bake the Tatins for 20-25 mins or until the pastry is golden brown and risen. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then turn out onto warmed plates. If the shallots stick to the tin, gently ease them out with a round-bladed knife and rearrange them on the pastry. While the Tatins are resting, gently warm the sauce. Spoon the mushrooms on top of each Tatin and allow the sauce to drizzle onto the plates. Garnish with more thyme and serve with the vegetables.

1. Quarter, core, then thinly slice the apple into a bowl with the lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Toss well, as this stops the apples going brown.
2. Heat grill to high, then line your grill rack with foil. Put the cheeses rind-side down on the foil, then set aside for a moment.
3. Drain 2 tbsp of the juice from the apple bowl into another small bowl and discard the rest. Add the cranberry sauce, oil and honey with some seasoning, and whisk to form a dressing. Grill the cheeses for 4 mins, then scatter the nuts on and around the cheeses and return to the grill to cook for a few mins more – but take care that the nuts don’t burn.
4. Arrange the apple, chicory and radish sprouts or watercress on 6 plates, then carefully top with the hot melted cheese. Scatter over the nuts, spoon over the dressing and serve straight away.

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Fry the curry paste and onions together over a medium heat for 3 mins, stirring. Add the parsnips, lentils and apple pieces. Pour over the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 30 mins, stirring occasionally, until the parsnips are very soft and the lentils mushy.
2. Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. (Or leave to cool for a few minutes, then blend in a food processor.) Adjust the seasoning to taste. Heat through gently, then ladle into deep bowls. Serve with natural yogurt and garnish with fresh coriander, if you like. (For freezing instructions see below left.)

1. Heat a griddle pan and toast the bread for about 2 mins on each side until golden and marked. Rub the cut side of the garlic clove over each piece.
2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the parsnips, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cook over a medium heat, shaking regularly until golden and softened, about 20 mins. Add a splash of water if you need to. Remove from the heat and whizz to a purée in a food processor with both of the oils. Season to taste. Set aside at room temperature if serving on the day. Can be chilled up to 2 days ahead.
3. To serve, top the toasts with the truffled parsnip mix (it should be room temperature), scatter with rocket leaves and Parmesan shavings, then drizzle with a little more olive oil or truffle oil.