Dundon - Great family food: more than 100 recipes for delicious home-cooked food

Theres nothing more satisfying than easy-to-prepare casseroles and delicious one-pot dishes that can be made ahead of time and heated up just before serving.

Tucking into a warming bowl of soup or stew on a cold winters day is my idea of heaven, and I guarantee that these recipes will be winners every time.

This is a delicious way of making the most of tomatoes when theyre at their juiciest and best at the end of the season. The pesto garnish turns this light and summery soup into something very special.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1kg/2lb 4oz ripe plum tomatoes, halved

700ml/11/4 pints/3 cups chicken stock or water

pinch of light brown sugar (optional)

200ml/7fl oz/generous 3/4 cup double cream

crme frache, to garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g/2oz/scant 1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tsp toasted pine nuts

25g/1oz/1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, peeled

150ml/5fl oz/2/3 cup olive oil

For the pesto, place all the ingredients in a liquidizer and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl, cover with clingfilm and store in the refrigerator until required.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saut for a few minutes, or until golden. Tip in the tomatoes and continue to saut for another 5 minutes, or until well heated through and just beginning to break down.

Stir in the chicken stock and allow the mixture to come to the boil and to reduce by half. Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand-held blender to a smooth pure. Alternatively use a liquidizer. Season to taste and add the sugar, if using.

To serve, add the cream to the soup and warm through over a medium heat. Check the seasoning and ladle into warmed serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with some basil pesto and crme frache.

Because chickpeas are such a good source of protein, I often incorporate them into our family meals in an attempt to keep us fit and raring to go. This dish is a favourite with the Dundons, as it is so simple and tasty.

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 red onion, peeled and chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2.5cm/1in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped or 1/2 level tsp powdered ginger

1 green pepper, cored, deseeded and finely chopped

2 400g/14oz tins of chickpeas

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground coriander

150ml/5fl oz/2/3 cup vegetable stock

1 400g/14oz tin of tomatoes

4 tbsp natural yoghurt

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander basmati rice, to serve salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gently heat the oil in a large wide-based saucepan. Add the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger and fry gently for 3-5 minutes, or until fragrant. This will produce an intense, spicy aroma in the kitchen. Add in the chopped green pepper and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas and rinse them under cold water, as sometimes the liquid can be very strong in taste. Add to the pan and stir to coat thoroughly with the vegetable mixture. Stir in the spices, then add the stock and tinned tomatoes and reduce the heat to very low. Cover the saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and simmer, very gently, for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the lid, gently stir in the yoghurt and season with a little salt and black pepper. Finally, mix in some chopped fresh coriander and serve immediately with boiled basmati rice.

This chilli is ideal served with rice, crusty bread or jacket potatoes, and guacamole, sour cream and a big green salad. Ive also included a non-meat alternative.

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

900g/2lb minced lamb or soya mince

1 red pepper cored, deseeded and chopped

50g/2oz sliced mushrooms

1 glass of red wine

2 400g/14oz tins of chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato pure

2 red chillies, thinly sliced (and deseeded if you wish)

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 stick of cinnamon

good shake of Tabasco sauce

1 400g/14oz tin of red kidney beans, drained

1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

lime wedges, to serve

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced lamb or soya mince, red pepper and mushrooms, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of soya with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes. While waiting, pour a glass for yourself!

Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato pure, fresh chilli and chilli flakes, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and Tabasco sauce. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is rich and thickened.

Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat, add extra seasoning if necessary and serve with lots of lime wedges.

Risotto is a warming family favouritenutritious and very filling. Use good-quality chicken stock to give the dish real depth and flavour. Its such a versatile meal, be sure to try the delicious variations below.

25g/1oz/1/4 stick butter

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme,

3 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped

350g/12oz/generous 21/2 cups arborio rice