Natalie Chassay cooks the sort of food you wish you could whip up every day: flavourful and beautiful without being fussy. When she’s not teaching cooking classes she’s posting ideas for bright salads and sharing plates on Instagram. “Crostini on a big, beautiful platter is my favourite way to greet people. It sets a nice tone and is easy to throw together. Serve them alongside a glass of champagne or a vodka martini – nothing too sweet – to cut through the blue cheese.” @nataliechassay

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh baguette
• Black pepper
• 2-3 pears, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 15g parmesan, finely grated
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt     

For the ricotta and gorgonzola cream:

• 250g ricotta
• 100g soft gorgonzola
• 15g parmesan, finely grated
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt 

Method:

Very thinly slice your baguette into rounds and toast them in the oven until crisp.

Mix the ricotta with olive oil, soft gorgonzola, salt, parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Slice the pear into thin matchsticks and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, lots of parmesan and lemon juice.

To plate it up, dollop the ricotta onto the base of the crostini and heap the pear on top. Serve with black pepper to finish. 

“Justice for aubergine: it’s the best vegetable,” says Rachel Ama. A plant-based pioneer and author of three cookbooks, including Rachel Ama’s Family Recipes, she’s spent years experimenting with techniques to really make vegetables sing. “Frying the aubergine so it’s crispy on the outside and silky on the inside is such a wonderful play on textures, and the addition of umami tahini and sweet tamarind is enough to keep everyone from vegans to meat-eaters satisfied.” @rachelama_

Ingredients:

• 1 large aubergine
• 60g plain flour
• 60g corn flour (cornstarch)
• 180ml unsweetened soy milk
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Sea salt

For the sticky tamarind sauce:

• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• Zest of 1 lime

For the tahini sauce:

• 240g Greek-style soy yoghurt
• 4 tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon

To serve:

• Spiralised spring onions (for garnish)
• Drizzle of chilli oil (optional)     

Method:

Trim and discard the aubergine stem. Cut the aubergine into rough cubes, creating a rectangular shape. Place the pieces in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes to draw out moisture.

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated ginger and crushed garlic, sautéing for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tamarind paste, maple syrup, soy sauce, and lime zest. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens. Set aside to cool.

Place the plain flour, corn flour and soy milk in a bowl and whisk to combine into a batter.

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan or wok to about a third full over high heat. The oil should reach 165°C (325°F) or test with a wooden spoon – small bubbles should form around it. Dip each piece of aubergine into the batter before adding to the pan. Fry the aubergine pieces in batches until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Toss the cooked aubergine in the tamarind sauce.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy yoghurt, tahini, sea salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Spread a generous layer of the whipped soy yoghurt tahini sauce on the bottom of a plate or serving dish. Top with the crispy aubergine and drizzle with extra sticky tamarind sauce.

Garnish with spiralized spring onions and a drizzle of chilli oil (optional) for an extra kick. 

Cookery writer Skye McAlpine creates recipes with a full table in mind. “I’m a big believer in making dishes that are easy-going so you can be with your friends instead of missing the gossip.” The author of A Table In Venice, she’s also launched her own tableware collection, Tavola, because aesthetics matter. “The persimmons elevate this roast pork to something gorgeous. You want an ‘ooh’ when people come to the table, right?” @skyemcalpine

Ingredients:

• 1.8kg piece of pork loin, rolled and tied, skin scored
• 6 persimmons, halved
• 4 tbsps clear honey
• 4 star anise (optional)
• Sea salt flakes

Method:

Rub the scored pork skin with salt and leave it to dry out in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 3 hours, for wonderfully crispy crackling.

Heat the oven to 180ºC fan. Place the pork in a roasting tray and set it in the oven. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes, then increase the temperature to 230ºC fan for another 30 minutes to crisp up the crackling. The joint is done when the juices run clear when pierced through the thickest part with a knife, and should register 68ºC on a meat thermometer. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast the persimmons. Place them in a second roasting dish, cut sides up. Dissolve the honey in half a cup of boiling water, add the star anise, and then pour this light golden syrup over the fruit. Seal the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes or so, until tender.

When you crank the oven temperature up for the crackling, remove the foil, spoon the juices over the fruit and roast for 10-15 minutes until caramelised. Serve with the pork. 

Seema Pankhania’s viral videos cooking every country’s national dish have over 33 million views and she’s just published her first cookbook, Craveable. “Cabbage is way more delicious than people think,” she says. “This recipe is really simple, but it’s the frying followed by roasting with tarka spices that gives it the wow factor.” @seemagetsbaked

Ingredients:

• 1 medium white cabbage or hispi cabbage, quartered
• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• 4 green chillies
• 3 shallots
• 4cm ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 400ml coconut milk
• 1 lime
• Salt

For the tarka:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• A few sprigs of curry leaves, leaves picked

Method:

Put the cabbage quarters into a bowl and salt them with ½ a teaspoon of salt.

Heat an ovenproof pan and drizzle with a little oil.

Sear the cabbage on all the cut sides until they turn golden brown. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Bash the lemongrass with the handle of a knife to separate the fibres, then finely chop.

Blitz the green chillies, shallots, ginger, garlic, turmeric and lemongrass in a mini food processor.

Heat the coconut oil in a cast-iron frying pan and fry the chilli paste for 5 minutes until it softens. Pour in the coconut milk and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a bubble, then pour over the cabbage wedges and coat them with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.

When the cabbage is almost ready, prepare the tarka. Heat the coconut oil in a small pan and add the garlic, cumin and turmeric. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the garlic starts to turn brown round the edges. Add the curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds.

Once the cabbage is cooked, use a spoon to drizzle over the crispy topping. Squeeze the lime juice over the cabbage and serve. 

Violet Bakery founder Claire Ptak is known for creating Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding cake, but it’s only with us she’s sharing this festive frangipane tart recipe. “This thin buttery pastry topped with pistachio frangipane, cranberries and apples is so much fun for a large group around the holidays because it is red and green, fairly simple to assemble and totally delicious,” she says. “So much of it can be prepared ahead of time too so you can kick back, relax and enjoy hanging out with your friends. Choose your apples wisely. Good varieties are Orange Pippin, Blenheim Orange or Crimson Crisp. Go to your local farmer’s market and find out what they are selling. You want a variety that will hold its shape but still have a soft texture and lots of sweet as well as tart flavour after cooking.” @violetcakeslondon

Ingredients (serves 10-15):

1 x heavy baking sheet roughly 38x26cm lined with baking paper

For the pastry:

• 250g plain flour
• ¼ tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of sugar
• 175g cold butter, cut into 1cm pieces
• 120ml ice water

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or use an electric mixer. Avoid over-mixing, leaving larger chunks of butter than you would think. This will make the pastry more flaky. Drizzle in the water and bring it all together without working the dough too much. Wrap in cling film, flattening into a square block of dough roughly 4cm thick and let rest in the fridge for about 45 minutes.

For the frangipane:

• 125g shelled pistachios
• 125g caster sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 egg whites
• ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

If you have a food processor, the pistachio paste can be made entirely in its bowl. First, grind the nuts to a fine powder but not so long that they turn oily and clump together. Add the caster sugar and soft butter and process until smooth and creamy. While the motor is running, slowly add the egg whites. Mix well. Finally add the almond extract and kirsch if you’re using it. This stage can be done up to three days before and kept, covered, in the fridge. If you don’t have a food processor, Chop the nuts finely and beat in the remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer. Set aside or chill for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.

For the galette:

• 6 medium apples
• 200g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 50g unsalted butter, melted
• 100g caster sugar

For the sauce:

• Peels and cores from the apples
• 500ml unfiltered apple juice
• 150g caster sugar
• 1-2 tbsp apple brandy or calvados

Remove the pastry from the fridge and let soften whilst you prepare the apples.

Peel, quarter and core your apples. Save all the peels and cores and put them into a small saucepan and set aside.

Slice each apple quarter into 3mm slices. Take all of the small and broken end pieces of apple and add them to the peels pot. Don’t worry about the apples browning because this will disappear once they are baked.

Rough chop the cranberries and set aside.

Roll the pastry out into a large rectangle about 40cm x 30cm. Slide the pastry onto a heavy, paper-lined baking sheet. Spread with pistachio frangipane and make a border of apple slices around the perimeter of the pastry leaving a border of about 4cm. Sprinkle the chopped cranberries inside the ring of apple slices. Over this, arrange the apples in a pretty pattern so that they are overlapping. Roll the pastry up over the border of apples tightly and place in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Remove the galette from the fridge and brush the pastry edge with the melted butter. Sprinkle the apples with about half the caster sugar. The other half is to generously sprinkle over the pastry edge which will give it a nice crunch once baked. Place the galette in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes.

While that galette bakes you can prepare the sauce. Add the apple juice and sugar to the pot of peels and cores and place over a medium heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce and put it back in the pot to reduce the liquid for another 10-20 minutes.

When the galette is golden and bubbly, remove it from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Serve with crème fraiche or calvados-spiked whipped cream for a festive holiday tart.