This makes a great change to all the usual Christmas desserts and best of all it uses up any Christmas cake leftovers you might have after the big day. This recipe works well as a normal cheesecake mixture if you drop the cinnamon and baileys, so you also make it with a regular digestive biscuit base also.

Makes 1 large cheesecake

Serves 6-8
50g of butter, melted
250g of leftover Christmas cake, crumbled
250g mascarpone cheese
250g cream cheese
250ml of double cream, whipped
75g of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of baileys
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
100g of dark chocolate, in shavings

Combine the Christmas cake crumbs and the melted butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Press the mixture into a springform baking tin with a removable base and place in the fridge to set while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Beat the mascarpone and cream cheese and fold in the icing sugar, cinnamon powder and baileys.

Gently fold in the whipped cream and spread over the top of the chilled base.

Place back in the fridge for at least two hours. Serve with the chocolate shavings.

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This is a super simple little supper which can be thrown together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. To be honest, if you can’t get peas straight from the garden it’s almost better to use frozen here, as peas begin to loose their natural sugars as soon as they’re picked, so even fresh ones in the supermarket probably won’t be as good as you will get frozen. This recipe is easily adapted with most leftovers you might have in the fridge. I love a little bit of chorizo added here or maybe some freshly chopped basil with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4
300g of pasta
5 tablespoons of creme fraiche
150g of feta cheese
150g of fresh peas if you have them, otherwise use frozen
A good handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
A pinch of salt
A good pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack and drain.

If you are using frozen peas, cook them until tender and drain. If you are using fresh peas and they are tender and young, I don’t bother doing anything to them apart from shelling them and giving them a quick splash under some cold water.

When the pasta is cooked, add the creme fraiche, feta cheese, peas, mint, salt and pepper and stir gently until the pasta is evenly coated.

Serve straight away with a good squeeze of lemon juice!

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