Marmalade muffins

These delicious muffins are a great breakfast treat and so light in texture that you should really allow yourself more than one. I've used my Seville orange marmalade which gives a tangy orange flavour without being too sweet.

This recipe was saved from a weekend newspaper although I have tweaked it slightly by increasing the amount of marmalade. It also helped to finish up the final jar from last year's batch of marmalade which had been languishing at the back of the fridge.

I think Paddington Bear would approve!

2 medium eggs

100g caster sugar

75ml sunflower oil

190g marmalade

200g plain flour

50g oats

(plus extra for sprinkling on top before cooking)

2½ tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Grease your muffin tins or use muffin liners. This amount makes six muffins with a small amount left over, or you can make 12 cupcake size 'muffins'. Be careful not to overfill the cases or they will overflow when cooking. (I am talking from experience here!)

Measure out all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a bowl or measuring jug. In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs and marmalade until light and fluffy. Then add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until combined.

Spoon the mixture equally between the muffin tins or cases and sprinkle a few oats on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your tins. Serve warm with fresh butter.

Veggie rolls

These tasty vegetarian rolls are packed full of goodness and perfect for a summer picnic or the school lunch box throughout the year. They're quick and easy to make, using sliced leeks and grated root vegetables as a base. You can use whatever root veg you like (not potatoes though as they are too starchy) and simply peel them and grate them into the mix. As with sausage rolls, they freeze well.

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 leeks, washed and finely sliced

1 shallot, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

200g root vegetables, peeled and grated (eg. parsnip, carrot, celeriac, squash, sweet potato)

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp of parsley, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp hot mustard

100g mature cheddar, grated

salt and black pepper

1 egg (beaten)

Take the pastry sheet out of the fridge at least an hour before you want to use it. Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a tray with baking parchment.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the sliced leeks and chopped shallot. Cook on a gentle heat for ten minutes. Then add the grated garlic, root vegetables and fennel seeds, mix it all together and cook for a further five minutes. Turn off the heat and put the mixture into a large bowl to cool.

When the mixture has cooled, add the chopped parsley, lemon zest, mustard and grated cheddar. Mix together and season with salt and black pepper.

Unroll the pastry sheet onto a board and cut it in half lengthways. Then divide the veggie mixture in half and make two sausage shapes to lay down the middle of each pastry length. Brush one side of the pastry with your beaten egg and roll up from the other side. Now chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When the time is up, cut each length into six slices and place on your lined baking tray. With a sharp knife, score two little lines across the top and brush with the remaining beaten egg. Pop into your oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Parsnip and Parmesan Soup

A creamy and comforting winter soup full of flavour and perfect for a cold day. I found this recipe is one of my mother's cookery books and have adapted it slightly to make it vegetarian.

The parsnips are first boiled for a few minutes before being drained, tossed in the grated Parmesan and then roasted to caramelise them. Double cream is added towards the end to add richness to the soup and I would suggest croûtons for texture.

450g parsnips

50g grated Parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil

15g butter

1 medium onion

1 tbsp plain flour

1.25 litres vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

4 tbsp double cream

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Peel the parsnips and cut into lengths. Put into a saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and then drain. Put into into a clean bowl, sprinkle over 25g of the grated Parmesan and toss around with a spoon. Put the olive oil into a roasting tin, heat in the oven for a couple of minutes and then add the parsnips. and the knob of butter. Roast for 20-30 minutes, basting every ten minutes or so, and make sure they don't colour too much.

While that's happening, peel and finely chop the onion and make the stock.

When the parsnips are done, drain the excess oil into a 2 litre saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cook on a low heat for about ten minutes until soft (keep the lid on to stop them browning). Then add the vegetable stock and the cooked parsnips and continue to simmer for ten minutes.

Take off the heat and allow to cool for five minutes before blending with the remaining Parmesan. Taste for seasoning and stir in the double cream. If you're planning to freeze this, omit the cream and add once unfrozen.

Serve in deep soup bowls with croûtons or cheese twists.