Butterbeans with sumac onions and toasted pine nuts - Vegan, DF and GF

The butterbeans when sauteed go crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle. Is a very good time! The onions are caramelised slowly then spiced up with garlic and sumac; pine nuts toasted and everything piled in together with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of chopped coriander leaf....

Curry Laksa with deep-fried tofu - Vegan, DF and can be GF (with rice noodles)

Blitz together a paste with onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and a mix of ground spices then cook this gently to develop the flavours. There's stock, coconut milk and sugar, curry powder and some salt next - simmer that for a while, again to meld all the flavours together. Then there are blanched bean sprouts, noodles, tofu and maybe some beans... so it will take a bit of time, and it will be messy to eat... and entirely worth it!

Spicy tomato and lentil soup - Vegan, DF and GF

This soup is deeply flavourful, but will only take about half an hour to make. Red lentils and tomatoes make the base, there's garlic and ginger, a bit of cayenne, garam masala and paprika, and some fresh herbs. All you need is some chunky bread!

Layered potatoes and onions with bay - Vegan, DF and GF

I'm still not sure whether something this simple counts as a recipe... i found it in a recipe book so does that qualify it?! It was very much the right thing to go with the chicken dish you'll read later, and just that bit different in flavour. Also this is a lighter version than my favourite potato layer thing (dauphinois potato) in that it uses white wine and water rather than milk, and mostly oil rather than butter. Super easy to pop in the oven and then get on with other things... 

Lamb and pumpkin stew - DF and GF

This is a slow cook on the stovetop, or in the slow cooker. It's rich with aromatic spices, has chickpeas and lamb and pumpkin as the main conveyors of all that flavour. This also would work with that layered potato ... (or fregola with sauteed leek and chopped dried apricots...)

Chicken with olives and sage - DF and GF

I sent a photo of this to someone and they sent back a photo of a similar thing that they make all the time. Good ideas crop up everywhere! So if you have preserved lemons and rosemary, feel free to add those too - we know it works. This version has fresh sage leaves and a handful of olives, white wine and a bit of time (rather than thyme, but that would be good too). A sprinkle of halved cherry tomatoes added just before finishing so they break up a bit, would make this super fresh tasting... and pretty!