LEFTOVER SPROUT CHEESY BAKE

So it's Boxing day and your rolling around your house full to the brim with turkey, potatoes and miscellaneous cake and chocolate based treats. Not only that but your fridge and cupboards are also probably still bursting with the copious amounts of food that you bought. That's right folks! Its time to start getting rid of the leftovers and this cheesy vegetable bake is a scrumptious way to get rid of the most divisive Christmas veg of them all; the Brussels sprout.

"DIET STARTS MONDAY" MAC AND CHEESE

I'm well aware that there is a recipe on this blog for a lully low cal alternative to your regular Mac and Cheese. However recently, now that the cold is biting and the darkness descends over Liverpool earlier and earlier each day you just need to have something that just makes you feel all warm and cosy inside. So forget that diet and tuck into this truly satisfying mac and cheese,peppered with crunchy onions and mushrooms and then covered in a beautifully crisp and golden brown bacony breadcrumb blanket.

HALLOUMI PIZZAS IN A HURRY

I do love a good pizza, particularly my homemade ones. Homemade is always best in my eyes. Proofing pizza dough is all well and good when you have a the time to prepare it but what if you come in after a hard days work and need pizza NOW!!!! Well no need to shout. Grab yourself a packet of puff pastry from out of the freezer and it's simple; defrost said pastry, roll it out, spread over tomato sauce, add toppings of your choice and your done! A yummy twist on pizza in no time at all!

"FOR MY NAN" PICKLED RED CABBAGE

My Nan used to love pickled red cabbage. With a big bowl of Scouse, shepherds pie or any kind of stew she would spoon in mounds of it and I have to say it's a taste that I have definatly inherited from her. I've not had any for ages so as I was on a bit of a pickling spree for Christmas I thought it would be the perfect time to make a nice big batch in honour of my Nan. Mine uses red wine and balsamic vinegars with mustard seeds and bay leaves to give it really sweet edge. Hopefully when I give this out as gifts this year, I'll pass on that love to my friends too.

CHRISTMAS OILS PART 2: CHILI

So you have had a go at my garlic and rosemary oil (hopefully cloudless!). Hope your enjoying it on your roasties! Next up is my second one, a fabulous spicy chili oil. Chili oil is great for using as a base for a curry, stir fry or just for simply dipping in bread in an anti-pasti kind of way. It so simple to make and can be done on a lazy afternoon. All you need is a large pan, lot of oil and an array of chili's and you can create a second oil which you can give out on it's own or as a duo with your garlic and rosemary oil.

CHRISTMAS OILS PART 1: GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Homemade Christmas gifts are the best. Just by putting in a little bit of time and effort to prepare your own little prezzies can sometimes mean a lot more to most than a thoughtless last minutes present grab from the shop. Here is my first flavoured oil, garlic and rosemary and you can make enough for around 6 people just by taking an afternoon out to get your infusing on. Decant it into little fancy bottles which you can find cheap online, decorate with ribbon and labels and your recipients are going to adore it.