Mulholland says: “Dumplings are a great addition to stews as they add extra heft and fill the family up for very little cost. This winter warmer makes a perfect veggie meal, is super simple and is made in one pot, so even the washing up is easy!”

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1 cup (115g) frozen chopped onions
• 2 tsp frozen chopped garlic
• 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
• 1 large leek, washed and roughly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 8 baby potatoes, halved
• 5 large mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 3 cups (720ml) vegetable stock (use 2 stock cubes)
• 3 tsp cornflour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings:

• Scant 1 cup (100g) self-raising flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 50g vegetable suet
• 2 tsp frozen chopped parsley

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat, then add the onions, garlic and celery and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes, until soft.

Add the leek, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary and vegetable stock to the pan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 15 minutes, covered with a lid, stirring occasionally.

While the stew is cooking, make the dumpings. Combine the flour, salt, suet and parsley in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add 6 tablespoons of cold water, then use your hands to bring everything together to form a dough, adding a couple more tablespoons of water if the mixture is too dry. Once you have a smooth dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half, then cut each half into quarters, leaving you with 8 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball with your hands and set aside.

Once the stew has been simmering for 15 minutes and all the vegetables are tender, dilute the cornflour with a couple of teaspoons of water in a small bowl. Pour the cornflour slurry into the stew and stir to thicken and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you’re cooking now… 

Remove the lid from the stew and arrange the raw dumplings over the surface, cover with the lid again and continue simmering for another 20 minutes, until the dumplings are puffed up, light and fluffy. Spoon into serving bowls and serve hot.

If you’re making ahead to freeze…

Set the pan aside until the stew has cooled to room temperature. Ladle the stew into a large, labelled freezer bag and place the dumplings in a separate freezer bag. Freeze both flat for up to 3 months.

Then… 

This can be cooked directly from frozen. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the frozen block of stew in the base of a baking dish and arrange the frozen dumplings on the baking sheet. Cook the stew in the oven for 25 minutes, then drain off any excess water and return to the oven for another 45 minutes, adding the tray of dumplings to the oven at the same time. Ladle the stew into serving bowls and top with the dumplings. Serve hot.

Mulholland says: “This is a wonderful veggie alternative to a meat-based chilli that contains all of the traditional flavours but is both meat-free and more economical to make. The mushrooms have a really meaty texture, so do give this a try even if you’re catering for the most determined of carnivores.”

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 cup (115g) frozen chopped onions
• 2 tsp frozen chopped garlic
• 250g sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups (175g) frozen sliced peppers
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cooked long-grain rice, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, until soft and the mushrooms have released all their water.

Add the peppers, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 15 minutes, until thickened and all of the vegetables are tender.

Add the kidney beans and lime juice to the pan, stir to combine and season to taste. Cook for 5 minutes more, then remove the pan from the heat.

If you’re serving now… 

Spoon the chilli into bowls over servings of cooked rice.

Zhuzh it up…

Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, some chopped fresh coriander and wedge of lime alongside.

If you’re making ahead to freeze…

Set the pan aside until the chilli has cooled to room temperature, then ladle into a large, labelled freezer bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

Then… 

This can be cooked from frozen or defrosted first. If defrosting, remove the bag from the freezer and leave to defrost in the fridge, ideally overnight. Once defrosted, transfer the chilli to a large saucepan and reheat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, until piping hot. If cooking from frozen, simply tip the frozen chilli into a large saucepan over a low heat with a splash of water and cook, breaking up the chilli with a wooden spoon as it thaws, until completely defrosted and piping hot all of the way through. Serve with cooked rice alongside.

Mulholland says: “This recipe serves four but I like to freeze it in individual portions so that it can easily be grabbed from the freezer for an easy solo meal. It would make a great option for a work lunch, as all you need to do is add boiling water at the office for something much more exciting (and kinder on the wallet) than a sandwich from the local supermarket!”

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 12-14 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sesame or vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp frozen chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp frozen chopped ginger
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 8 white mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 4 blocks dried chicken noodles
• 4 eggs, to serve (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until soft and fragrant.

Add the sliced chicken to the pan and cook, stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes, until well-sealed and coated in the garlic and ginger.

Add the mushrooms, carrot and soy sauce to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the veg are just starting to soften.

If you’re cooking now…

Dissolve the stock cubes in 8 cups (2 litres) of boiling water, then add to the pan along with the chives and the dried noodles. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, if you are serving the ramen with boiled eggs, bring a separate pan of water to the boil and cook the eggs for 7 minutes, then immediately drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the eggs from cooking further (this should give you eggs that are firm enough to peel, with yolks that are still slightly soft and jammy). Peel the eggs and cut into halves. Divide the noodles, veg and broth between 4 serving bowls, then add half a boiled egg to each bowl. Serve hot.

If you’re making ahead to freeze…

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the vegetables have cooled to room temperature, then divide the mixture equally between 4 small, labelled freezer bags. Grate half a stock cube into each bag along with 1 block of dried noodles and half a tablespoon of chives, then seal and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

Then… 

Remove as many portions of ramen mixture as you would like from the freezer and add to a large bowl (use an individual serving bowl if you are defrosting a single portion). Pour over 2 cups (480ml) of boiling water for each portion of ramen you have defrosted, then cook on high in the microwave for 8 minutes, stirring the mixture halfway through. If you want to serve the ramen with the boiled eggs, cook these as described above while the ramen mixture is cooking in the microwave. Divide the mixture between serving bowls, top each with half a boiled egg, if using, then serve hot.