This was one of my favourite things last year - the Chilli cornbread! It's full of veg, really tasty and so handy for work or School lunches (or snacks if you happen to be stuck at home...) It's good hot or cold. Honestly. Is vegetarian only - not GF or DF

This Vegetarian Mograbieh is loaded with protein in the form of chickpeas and hazel nuts, flavour (Lebanese 7 spice) and energy to burn from the mograbieh which is another name for Fregola, which is another name for pearl couscous. Pick whichever name you like best, its a handy thing to have in the kitchen. Vegan and DF.

the Roasted beetroot salad with sunflower seeds is also vegan DF and GF - so long as you omit the feta... . It has a sharp and sweet dressing, the sunflower seeds are toasted while the beetroot is roasting in individual tinfoil parcels... is a good time.

the Toasted Rice with mushrooms and thyme is kinda like a risotto, but has long brown rice rather than short grain... however, the blend of mushroom and thyme makes for a fresh and well rounded flavour, and the brown rice is nutty and has a really good texture! Risotto is a great "fast food" option ( I  can make risotto in less time than it would take to get fish and chips from the nearest takeaway so...)

The key to this Italian staple is having really good sausages. Venison sausages work really well, and you don't need a lot because the lentils add volume and food value... Pork and fennel also work well. You can add a splash of red wine if you wish, but the tomatoes do a fine job on their own actually... Italian sausage and lentil stew. GF and DF

Continuing the theme of things Italian, and cornmeal also, this Polenta and pork is super quick and makes the most of a bunch of summery flavours. The polenta I would usually think of as cooler weather food but hey! Guess what we've been having...This batch came out particularly well, slowly cooking itself to a satisfying porridge-y consistency. Some people don't like porridge I know, but the polenta is worth a try! The pork is dusted with flour and coriander, the veg are just cooked til tender and bright colours, is very yum. GF only. (DF if you use a non-dairy milk for the polenta)