Romford's award-winning celebrity chef, Steven Walpole's shares his modern twists on some traditional recipes

Steven’s recipes with a differenceChristmas is renowned for its key flavours but they don’t necessarily have to be eaten in traditional ways. So here are some quick and easy recipes to use up or be creative with Christmas food favourites.

Vegetable dishCREAMED BRUSSEL SPROUT AND PANCETTA CIGARS WITH A CHESTNUT DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients80g of Brussel sprouts 40g of pancetta lardons or bacon (optional)60ml of double cream 2 sheets of filo pastry flat 20g of butter50g of chestnut puree or chopped chestnuts 1tsp of honey80ml of natural yoghurt

Method1. Shred the brussel sprouts, then in a pan with some oil cook the pancetta and sprouts until cooked through and evenly coloured. Now add the cream and simmer for a few minutes.2. Melt the butter in a small pan, making sure it does not burn. Cut the filo into four even-sized strips and brush the edges with the butter.3. Place a small amount of the sprout mix at one end and then fold and roll the pastry into a cigar shape.4. Bake at 180C for about 6 to 8 minutes until golden.5. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and then chill in the fridge.

Starter

BAKED GOATS CHEESE AND CRANBERRY TARTLET WITH WALNUT AND CLEMENTINE SAUCE

Ingredients 8 tartlet shells (can be bought in a supermarket)50g of goats cheese80ml of double cream 1tsp of chopped basil1 egg80ml of cranberry sauce10ml of balsamic syrup50g of chopped walnuts200ml of orange juice4 clementines – peeled, segmentedand then chopped in half30g of honey 5–10g of cornflour Method1. Whisk the double cream with the egg and basil. Now crumble the goats cheese into each of the tartlet cases. Pour over the egg mix so that they are not filled to the top. 2. Bake at 140C until the egg is almost set, then remove and allow to cool.3. Melt the cranberry sauce with the syrup. Boil to a very sticky consistency. Remove from the heat and pass off any of the cranberries.4. Fill the tartlets with the glaze and allow to set in the fridge.5. For the sauce, warm the honey and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil.6. Add the orange segments and walnuts. Dilute the cornflour with a little water, then stir into the sauce until it reaches double-cream consistency. Allow to cool slightly before serving with the tarts.

Christmas Pudding

CHRISTMAS PUDDING ICE CREAM

Ingredients150ml of ready-made custard150ml of double cream125g of cooked or left-over Christmas puddingIf wanted a shot of Baileys, Tia Maria or Irish Creamliqueur can be added.Method1. Whip the double cream in a bowl until it starts to thicken and the whisk leaves faint lines in the cream.2. Fold in the custard and the liqueur if required.3. Crumble or chop the Christmas pudding into small pieces and stir into the custard mix. 4. Pour into a plastic tub or tray and place into a freezer.5. Every 15 minutes, stir until almost set, then just leave. Once set, it’s ready to serve.

Turkey Dinner

ROAST TURKEY AND VEGETABLE FRITTATA WITH TARRAGON CR�ME FRAICHE

Ingredients100g of roast turkey diced or shredded (can be leg or breast or both)100g of cooked vegetables and potatoes (anything left from the Christmas dinner )30ml of vegetable oil 1 onion, diced1 tbsp of chopped parsley4 eggs80ml of double or single cream Seasoning100g of cr�me fraiche2 tbsp of chopped tarragon� lemon, juiced

Method1. Heat a non–stick frying pan with the oil, then saut� the onion for a few minutes until golden brown. Add the vegetables and turkey. Cook for a further few minutes, stirring to mix ingredients. 2. In a bowl whisk the eggs, seasoning, cream and chopped parsley then pour over the cooked vegetables and turkey.3. Stir in the egg mixture so that all the vegetables and turkey are covered and coated. Stir until starting to set, then flatten down and leave for a few minutes.4. Remove from the heat and then place under the grill to allow the top to colour slightly. Allow to cool before turning out of the pan on to a chopping board. Cut into bite-size pieces.5. For the sauce: Simply stir the chopped tarragon and lemon juice into the cr�me fraiche and keep in the fridge until needed. This can also be made using smoked salmon, prawns or any meat or fish. It would also work with cheese.

Dessert

STOLLEN AND CRANBERRY BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

Ingredients500g of Stollen cake (can have marzipan in)100g of semi-dried cranberries or cranberry sauce 80g of un-salted butter400ml of double cream200ml of semi skimmed milk4 eggs120g of caster sugar1 orange, zested80g of apricot jam80g of water

Method1. Slice the Stollen into even slices, 1 to 2cms thick.2. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl, then add the orange zest, cream and milk. Let this stand for a few minutes.3. Now take a small amount of the butter and brush this on the base and sides of a deep-sided ovenproof dish.4. Spread the remaining butter over one side of each slice of Stollen. 5. Pour a small amount of cream mixture into the base of the dish then place a layer of Stollen and scatter some of the semi-dried cranberries on top. Pour over some more cream mixture.6. Repeat the process until the dish is full or all ingredients are used, then cover and allow to stand for 30 minutes, pushing the Stollen slices down lightly every 10 minutes so that the liquid absorbs.7. Heat the oven to 180c then cook the pudding for 30–35 minutes until set slightly. Remove and leave on the side to cool.8. Mix the water and apricot jam together and bring to the boil in a small pan. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Then with a pastry brush, brush a layer of the jam over the top of the pudding.9. Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.