Recipes starting with C

A delicious piquant aubergine dish originating from Sicily. Sicilians all have their own version of this slightly salt, sour and sweet dish, with many variations depending on what vegetables are available. Fennel is very good in place of the celery. Serve hot or cold, but never straight from the fridge!

A soup for all seasons that's full of herb flavour but simple to make - and much tastier than the ones in the shops. Use very good stock for the best flavour.

Carrot cake doesn't get much lighter and moister than this! Cut into bars or squares you will get 12 generous slices. The cream cheese topping is only lightly sweetened, but if you have a sweet tooth just add more icing sugar. The cake will keep well in an airtight container for up to a week, without the icing.

This is an egg free cake. I had the challenge of making a Jain friendly, egg free cake, that was robust enough to be the top tier of a traditional wedding cake, to be served at my daughters Anglo/Indian wedding. It would need to be made the week before and iced. I didn't want it to be stodgy, dry or heavy going, but as light and as fluffy as possible. My recipe contains butter and milk but if needed they can be replaced with dairy free or vegan alternatives. The image shows the cake with a very thin layer of ready rolled fondant icing on the top.

This is a Martin Morales Ceviche recipe. Taught to us when he came to Aldeburgh in Suffolk. A lovely light starter. The fish must be really fresh.

Cheese scones are very easy and quick to make. The secret is to handle the dough as lightly as possible and not overwork or over roll it.

This is just one of the best vegetarian scotch eggs you will ever eat!  Quite a claim I know but I created this recipe when I ran my own vegetarian restaurant in the 80's.  It has stood the test of time and still gets lots of oohs and ahhs when you put them on the table. Worth making lots because its a little bit of a fiddle to do just a few. Promise that they will all get eaten!

Chocolate Fondant recipe courtesy of local chef Steve Robson. Delicious served with a spiced blackberry compote. Make the day before and leave in the fridge overnight. Allow to come back to room temperature before baking.

Chocolate and pecans are delicious together but you can substitute the same weight of chocolate chunks in place of the pecan nuts if you prefer. This traditional recipe uses a whisked sponge method where it is important to try and keep all the air that you have whisked into the mixture from escaping. A light touch is best, so fold carefully. The brownies are deliciously gooey in the middle. Check out the chocolate, hazelnut and buckwheat brownie recipe for a fab gluten free recipe.

These gluten free brownies are rich and nutty with a delicious fudgy centre.  Buckwheat flour is available from most supermarkets. You can buy ready roasted hazelnuts or toast your own in the pre-heated oven, on a baking tray for 15 minutes.

I don't know how many generations of my family this recipe has passed down through. Christmas pudding was always made a year ahead in our family. Puddings would be kept in a cupboard in the cool dairy. They'd be black, dense and rich by the time we ate them. I've added figs to this recipe as I like a sqidgier pudding. I also prefer to eat them the year that I make them when they are still juicy and soft. You will need two x 2 pint (1.2 litre) pudding basins, baking parchment, foil or cotton pudding cloths,  string and a steamer.

A simple fish pie that can be adapted using any fish that you fancy. Smoked haddock is delicious as an alternative. Try scattering some grated Cheddar across the potato before cooking. Or save time by replacing the potato with ready rolled puff pastry.

A traditonal iced coffee sponge cake with buttercream filling. Simple as that. I'm taking this one with me on a picnic.

A delicious cream cheese dessert to serve with fruit, particularly summer berries. Named after the heart shaped moulds they are traditionally made in. You will need a piece of muslin to line the moulds, although if you don't want to turn the creams out, don't worry.

A quick and easy crab recipe which serves eight as a starter, or four as a large main course.