Nigella Lawson serves up more comfort foods

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan or casserole. Finely slice the peeled and halved onion into thin half moons and add to the pan with the salt; this will stop it catching.  Fry gently until the onion softens but doesn’t become colored.

Finely shred the cabbage — which you can do by hand or by pushing chunks through the slicing blade of the processor — and stir it into the onion in the pan layering it over the top.

Sprinkle the sugar over the cabbage, and then add the wine, orange juice and mixed spice.

Peel and core the apples, and then chop them into small pieces. Add these to the pan, and when everything has wilted down a little carefully give the pan a stir.

Cover with a lid and cook very gently at the lowest possible heat for about 2 hours. It really can’t be overcooked and is often better reheated and eaten the next day. Check the seasoning when the cabbage is ready at the end, as the flavors only really come out once the vegetables have cooked down and softened.

Peel, core and chop the apples roughly. Put them in a saucepan with one the lemon juice and sugar, and bring the pan to a boil over a medium heat. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes or until you can mash the apple to a rough puree with a wooden spoon or fork. (You should have about one heaped cup of puree.) Leave to get cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F; and oil a 10” springform pan with almond oil or a flavourless vegetable oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Put the cooled puree in the processor with the eggs, ground almonds, superfine sugar and a tablespoonful — or generous squeeze — of lemon juice and blitz to a puree. Pour and scrape, with a rubber spatula for ease, into the prepared pan, sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and bake for about 45 minutes. It’s worth checking after 35 minutes, as ovens do vary, and you might well find it’s cooked earlier — or indeed you may need to give it a few minutes longer.

Put on a wire rack to cool slightly, then remove the sides of the pan. This cake is best served slightly warm, though still good cold. As you bring it to the table, push a teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar through a fine sieve to give a light dusting.

Trim the bottoms off each of the brussel sprouts, cutting a cross into them as you go. Then tip them into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook until tender but still retaining a bit of bite, about 5 minutes or so depending on size. Spoon one out of the water to test (without burning your tongue and thus ruining the whole lunch for yourself) whether they are cooked to be sure.

Meanwhile, in a pan large enough to take everything later (or just drain the sprouts and use their pan, once you’ve drained them), cook the pancetta cubes in the oil, with the rind for more salty fat rendering, until they’re bronzed and crisp, but not cooked to the point of having dried out.

Add the butter and the chestnuts and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, press on the chestnuts to break them up a bit. When they’re warmed through, turn the heat up and throw in the Marsala, letting it bubble away, fusing with the pancetta fat and chestnutty butter to form a glorious savoury syrup. As the drained sprouts and turn well, sprinkling in half of the parsley as you do so. Give a good grinding of pepper; you shouldn’t need salt, given the pancetta, but obviously taste to see. Decant to a warmed serving plate and sprinkle over the remaining chopped parsley.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats into a bowl.

Put the butter and sugars into another bowl and beat together until creamy — this is obviously easier with an electric mixer of some kind, but you just need to put some muscle into otherwise — then beat in the egg and vanilla.

Beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and oat mixture and then fold in the cranberries, chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into a ball with your hands, and then place them on a lined or greased baking sheet and squish the dough balls down with a fork. You may need two baking sheets or be prepared to make these in two batches.

Cook for 15 minutes; when ready, the cookies will be tinged a pale gold, but be too soft to lift immediately off the tray, so leave the tray on a cool surface and let them harden for about 5 minutes. Remove with a spatula or whatever to cool fully on a wire rack.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiffish, not fretting over them unduly, then — in another bowl — whisk the egg yolks for two to three minutes. Fold in the flour and sweet corn  and then the whites. I just tip the bowl of whites in the yellow ingredients and fold, though not gently, with a rubber spatula until everything’s combined.

Meanwhile, heat a smooth griddle or heavy non stick pan/skillet and dollop out the fritters: I use a coffee scoop which is a 2-tablespoon measure and you end up with golden pancakes about 5-6 cm/2 to 2 and a half inches in diameter.

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Cut the pancetta into half inch x quarter-inch cubes. If the pancetta has its rind on, cut if off — and use a bigger piece of pancetta, as the amount I’ve specified is for the prepared cubes — and put the rind in a pan with a film of oil and cook it gently to render down.

Then in a large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy. Chuck over them the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream and some pepper. Cook the pasta more or less according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before the package says it’s done. Lower in a cup and remove approximately half cup of the pasta water before draining. Put the other pan, the one with the bacon cubes, on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to lubricate if necessary. Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg, carry proudly aloft, and dive in.

Slice the scallions finely, and cook them in the butter and oil until soft. Shred the lettuce and stir into the scallion, and when it’s wilted add the frozen peas and stock.
Cook at a robust simmer, uncovered, until everything is tender and the liquid flavourful and reduced.

Put the sugar, syrup and butter in a pan and slowly bring to the boil, allowing the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve. Let the mixture bubble for a couple of minutes before adding the cream. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce is thick and sticky and glossy.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and fill a muffin tray with paper cups.
Measure out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring cup. Mix both together, remembering that a lumpy batter makes the best muffins (although my children always over-mix as they argue whose turn it is to stir next) then spoon into waiting muffin cups. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top then cook for 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.