Simply nigella

Most of the time I refer to this as my Cider and 5-Spice Gingerbread, but I changed the name out of concern for those who expect a little more gingeriness from their gingerbead (although anyone is free to boost the amount of ginger at will). But, actually, the tender crumb has the lightness of a cake rather than the damp heaviness (gorgeous though that is) of a gingerbread. Besides, I felt it only proper to accord the magnificently aromatic 5-spice seasoning its star role. I have since found…

A healthier gluten free, sugar free version of her original breakfast bars.

I have always avoided making chocolate tarts, not out of laziness (I love a bit of pastry-making, in the right mood), but because I have never really felt that the pastry served the chocolate, or was worth the effort here. This is my simple solution: make a base out of chocolate biscuits. And the filling is just as easy to make, too. Not that you’d know from the taste. I never lie about how effortless something is to make, but no one will believe me on this one. I think the hit of salt is…

I never thought I would be in raptures about the joyfulness of a – yes – vegan chocolate cake

This is a salty-sweet version (think Greek cheesecake) of the Greek Patsavouropita, created by bakeries as a way of using up old scraps of filo pastry: the ”old rags” indicated by the title. They’d just go along their counters, collect up all the bits and turn them into this pie. For this reason, you don’t need to worry about keeping your filo covered as you go, as is normally advised. It doesn’t matter if it dries out a little as you make it, indeed this can even be desirable. I have made…

Nothing will ever take the place of my Ham in Coca-Cola from Bites — in my heart or on my table — but this slow-baked ham is a revelation of a different sort. The meat is astonishingly tender and carves into thin slices with ease; there is also very little shrinkage, and no wrangling with large joints of meat in boiling liquid. I always like a ham for the holidays — hot, it is spectacular, and it is helpful, after, to have cold ham to bring out alongside cold turkey (and for general sandwich…

This tangy, subtly cheesy mash with a crunchy topping has revolutionised my cooking life

My children love this. Actually, I don't know anyone who's eaten it and doesn't. While it's spicy (though you can reduce the heat to taste) and vibrant, it is also cosy and comforting, and blends the familiar with the less traditional in a way that gives me quiet satisfaction. The impetus to use a sweet potato mash for the topping was simply because it was so much easier than peeling and mashing regular potatoes, and they work so well against the spiced meat, especially when tempered with…

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Butter the ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt the dark chocolate and 1 stick butter, either in a microwave...

If you want to make this with fresh vegetables rather than frozen, then up the water (keeping the amount of stock concentrate the same) and indeed I would double it to 500ml / 2 cups. But if using frozen — which is how I make this 99% of the time, and why it is a great storecupboard standby — I find it easier to use a cappuccino cup, or similar, and measure out 1 ½ cups of each frozen green veg rather than weigh it. This is what to cook when you find out mid-afternoon that you've somehow…