Ottolenghi's slow-cooked chicken with a crisp corn crust

If you're an Ottolenghi fan you'll love this easy, incredibly tasty chicken bake from his new book Simple, which is ideal for entertaining as you can make the base well ahead.

Easy Korean Kimchi Hotpot

Want to cook something authentically Korean to celebrate Korean New Year next week? Try this easy, traditional Korean kimchi hotpot suggests Nathalie Gardiner.

My friend and fellow student, Aehyeon from South Korea, tipped me off that the best way to start cooking Korean food is using ready-made kimchi as she does in this simple recipe.. The delicious fat of the pork belly and the sharpness of the kimchi is a perfect combination.

You can switch the pork for beef or chicken and make it as spicy or mild as you like. You can use authentic Korean kimchi* (I used this one, which I sourced from an Asian supermarket here in Paris), a couple of jars, which you can find in most major supermarkets, or you could even make your own*. This recipe is super-adaptable so feel free to play around with it and work out what you like. You can even make a batch ahead for weeknight meals or take-to-work lunches.

Serves 6

500g chopped kimchi

450g pork belly, cut into bite sized pieces

2-4 tsp chilli powder (depending how hot your kimchi and chilli powder are and how much of a tolerance you have for chilli heat. Koreans like it hot!)

2 tsp of sugar

4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

400g firm tofu, cut into bite sized cubes

Salt (add with caution as kimchi can be quite salty)

1. Combine the kimchi (with any liquid from the pack or jar), chilli powder, pork and sugar in a large saucepan.

2. Add 1.5 litres water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add the cubes of tofu, and cook on a low to moderate heat for 10 more minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and check the seasoning, adding salt if it needs it. Add the chopped spring onions

5. Serve alone as a soup or with noodles or sticky rice and hot sauce on the side if you want to ramp up the heat.

What to drink

Best served with an ice-cold Hite lager and some good old fashioned Soju, or if you want to drink like a local, mix the two together (70/30 beer to soju) for a somac. Seol-nal!

If you're a kimchi fan you'll also enjoy this recipe for kimchi fried rice

* If you live in Bristol Caroline Gilmartin of Every Good Thing runs excellent kimchi classes.

Root Vegetable Stew with Herb and Mustard Dumplings

If you've been experimenting with vegan food this January or 'veganuary' as it's been dubbed you'll know that vegan food doesn't have to be insubstantial or, indeed uninteresting. For those of you who remain to be convinced here's a hearty stew from Rachel Demuth of Demuth's Cookery School in Bath which contains both cider and sherry!

Rachel writes: Stews and slow-cooking dishes are perfect for cold winter days. Winter food needs to be piping hot, comforting, filling, sustaining and hearty.

The choice of vegetables can be altered to what you have in the kitchen. If you like swede or turnips, add some. Dumplings are the ultimate in comfort food!

Root Vegetable Stew with Herb and Mustard Dumplings

Serves: 4

Dietary: Vegan

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 shallots, peeled and quartered
• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 440ml dry cider
• 1 tbsp sherry
• 2 bay leaves
• a few sage leaves
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Marmite
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Dumplings

• 110g self-raising white flour
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 50g vegetable suet or margarine
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• ½ tbsp chopped fresh sage
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cold water to mix

Method:

1. In a large casserole dish fry the shallots in the rapeseed oil until they are golden.
2. Add the garlic and the leeks. Fry for a couple more minutes, and then add the carrots, parsnip and potatoes and stir-fry.
3. Add the cider and sherry and bring to the boil.
4. Mix the Marmite into the vegetable stock and add to the stew along with the bay leaves and sage leaves.
5. Season to taste and simmer gently for about 25 minutes or until all the vegetables are nearly cooked, before you add the dumplings.
6. While the stew is simmering, make the dumplings. They need to be added 15 minutes before the stew is ready.
7. Sieve the flour with the mustard powder into a large bowl then add the vegetable suet or margarine, salt and freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs. Just before adding to the stew, mix in enough water, a little at a time, to make a firm but not sticky dough. With floured hands, break the dough into about 12 small pieces and roll them into round dumplings.
8. Before adding the dumplings, check the stew for seasoning and add the chopped parsley. At this stage you may need to add some more liquid so that there is sufficient for the dumplings to cook through. Add the dumplings to the stew, push them down into the liquid and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the dumplings have doubled in size.
9. Serve in large deep bowls in front of the fire.

What to drink: Since you're using cider to make this delicious stew I'd definitely drink cider with it.

You may also find this post on pairing wine with vegan food useful.

6 vegan recipes that meat eaters will love

Is it possible to eat vegan food that’s as satisfying, sumptuous, and comforting as their meat-based counterparts? The growing popularity of vegan cuisine – particularly amongst non-vegans – has made the concept of “plant-based eating” enormously trendy, but not always easy. Monica Shaw has picked out six great vegan recipes that even carnivores will love.

Last year, Veganuary reported a 183% increase in participation in 2018, with over 168,000 people pledging to go vegan during the month of January (and record numbers have already signed up this year). It’s interesting to note that almost half of these people consider themselves “omnivores”, while only 17% are strict vegans and the rest vegetarian or pescatarian. It points to a growing trend amongst the general population – not just vegans – towards eating less meat.

Our reasons for eating less meat are myriad – health concerns, the environment, animal welfare – but almost all can agree that taste will help usher in more plant-based eating. Those “pulled jackfruit” burgers might be tasty, but such imitations can often leave people longing for the real thing. If you want to create a vegan meal that won’t leave carnivores feeling like something was missing, then look to world cuisines that naturally lend themselves towards vegetarian fare. Think India, Mexico, Morocco, and Japan, places where vegan staples (pulses, tofu, vegetables) have been embraced for centuries. These cultures have it figured out!

For inspiration, we’ve collated six delicious and satisfying recipes that prove vegan dishes can stand on their own.

Tarka Dal

Indian food has to be one of the ultimate vegan options out there, with many dishes – particularly those from Kerala – being inherently vegan or vegetarian by nature. A great starting point is dal, a generic word for pulses, typically made with lentils and for which there are endless variations. A great starting point is Jenny Chandler’s Tarka Dal, a classic recipe that’s very easy to make. Serve with rice and greens for a hearty, wholesome meal. And always make extra as the leftovers are superb and it freezes beautifully, too.

Recipe: Tarka Dal

This recipe is from Super Pulses: Truly modern recipes for beans, chickpeas and lentils by Jenny Chandler published by Pavilion Books. The book is a lexicon of bean and lentil inspiration. Many of the recipes are vegan or vegetarian, but it also includes meat and fish recipes, too. This is a great book for those who might not want to cut out meat completely, but certainly find ways to cut back, or augment their meat dishes with more pulses and plants. (Image credit: Clare Winfield)

Pumpkin and Lentil Tagine

Moroccan tagine works brilliantly as a vegan dish and can be made with all manners of pulses and vegetables. Vegetarian chef Erin Baker uses pumpkin and lentils in her vegan tagine, but you could easily add other seasonal vegetables. This is the ultimate winter warmer.

Recipe: Pumpkin and Lentil Tagine

Erin Baker runs The Natural Cookery School in the Cotswolds and has just released The Veg Table, a vegetarian cookbook focussed on world recipes. It’s highly approachable – lots of complex flavours but quite straightforward recipes that are ideal for everyday cooking. (Image credit: Michael Ruggier)

Tacos with Maple, Lime, and Chipotle Marinated Tempeh

If you haven’t tried tempeh then it’s time to get on board with this uber healthy fermented soy product that’s full of protein and a sponge for flavour. Tempeh works particularly well with sweet/smoky flavours and has a heartiness that is enormously satisfying. Marinade is the key, and it’s worth leaving ample time to ensure your tempeh is allowed to soak up whatever flavours you throw at it. Try this Mexican twist on tempeh from Demuths Cookery School.

Recipe: Maple, Lime and Chipotle Marinated Tempeh Tacos

Demuths Cookery School offers vegan cookery courses at all levels in the city of Bath. Their website includes a huge recipe database of beautiful vegan recipes so if you can’t make one of the course, you can easily make their recipes at home. (Image credit: Rob Wicks)

Five Spice Smoked Tofu Nuggets

Elly Pear has created a vegan version of chicken nuggets using smoked tofu. They are “ridiculously delicious”, particularly when served with satay sauce. Perfect as party food or served with rice and veggies for a tasty and nutritious supper.

Recipe: Five Spice Smoked Tofu Nuggets

Check out Elly’s newest book Let’s Eat which includes over 90 pescatarian recipes centred around vegetables, grains, and pulses. (Image credit: Martin Poole)

Frying Pan Turkish Flatbreads

Everybody loves pizza, and whilst vegan mozzarella does exist, lovers of the Buffalo kind will be sorely let down. Instead, turn to these Frying Pan Turkish Flatbreads from Anna Jones where cheese isn’t part of the equation.

Recipe: Frying Pan Turkish Flatbreads

Anna’s latest book The Modern Cook’s Year won the Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book Award and OFM’s Best New Cook Book of 2018. It’s a superb collection of vegetarian recipes focused on seasonality.

Korean Vegetable Bulgogi

Bulgogi literally means “fire meat” and is usually made with beef. The secret is in the sauce, a salty/sweet/savoury concoction that happens to also work really well with vegetables. Kellie’s Korean Vegetable Bulgogi is her vegan take on this dish, using aubergine, mushrooms, and walnuts to give a “meaty” minced beef texture and some seriously hearty comfort food.

Recipe: Korean Vegetable Bulgogi

Kellie’s website Food to Glow is loaded with vegan global food recipes like this, so worth a browse if your particularly after big flavours and lots of colour. (Image credit: Kellie Anderson)