Looking dish that's both healthy and hearty? Try these ideas from lovethecrunch.com and UKshallot.com

Creamy Celery Soup with Stilton Cheese

Serves 4 (or 6 as a starter)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

  • 1 oz butter or margarine
  • 1 small or ½ medium celeriac, chopped
  • 1 large leek, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 whole head of fresh celery with leaves, chopped (reserve some leaf for garnishing)
  • 850 ml vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
  • 150 ml milk
  • 75g Stilton cheese
  • Salt and pepper

For the croutons:

  • 1 small white loaf (1day old), cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 50g Cheddar, grated

Melt the butter or margarine and add the celeriac. Stir and then sweat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the leek and garlic and cook for a further 3-4 minutes and then add the chopped celery and stock. Gently simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes or until the celery is just soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Liquidize and then sieve if a smoother texture is desired. Stir in the milk and cheese and reheat until the cheese has dissolved, taking care not to let it boil.

Garnish with croutons and ½ tsp finely chopped celery leaf.

If preferred the cheese can be omitted from the soup and garnished instead with the cheesy croutons for a less intense flavour.

Cheesy croutons: Mix the bread cubes, olive oil and grated cheese in a bowl. Scatter onto a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 5. Cook for another10 minutes if not golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Pappardelle of Shallots, Wild Mushrooms and Tarragon

Serves 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes  

  • 4 Echalion (banana) shallots
  • 150g pappardelle pasta
  • 100g wild mushrooms
  • 10g French tarragon
  • 25ml Madeira
  • 25ml olive oil
  • 38g butter
  • Parmesan cheese

Peel and dice the shallots into a medium size dice.

Place a large pan of salted water on the stove for the pasta and bring to the boil.

Sauté the shallots in the olive oil and, when almost cooked through, add the wild mushrooms. Allow to cook for 1 minute and then season with salt and pepper.

Add the Madeira and allow it to reduce. To this mushroom mix, now add the chopped tarragon and butter. This should form a sauce that will coat the pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add directly to the pan with the shallots and mushrooms.

Serve in bowls and grate over some fresh parmesan.

Recipe devised by chef Paul Collins