When visitors arrive, we all want to be able to serve some small nibbles at short notice. This trio of crab based canapés just fits the bill! Using wonderful Del La Mer crab meat, Tastefully Yours sweet chilli sauce and crackers from Sheridan's, you'll create these in minutes and have plenty of time to chat with your guests.

Pidy canapé cases are just the best thing to have in your cupboards in the Christmas run-up. They come in all shapes and forms, are a perfect one or two bite size, do not go soggy and taste good enough without being cardboard-ish underneath all sorts of delectable Christmas nibbles. You can mix and match to your heart’s content. The best quality luxury festive ingredients can go a long way with a little inventiveness! 

Pidy canapé cases are just the best thing to have in your cupboards in the Christmas run-up. They come in all shapes and forms, are a perfect one or two bite size, do not go soggy and taste good enough without being cardboard-ish underneath all sorts of delectable Christmas nibbles. You can mix and match to your heart’s content. The best quality luxury festive ingredients can go a long way with a little inventiveness!

Perfect for using up any remaining slices after a Halloween party, the richness and spiciness of the barm brack is just lovely with creamy Glenilen live yoghurt. The damsons with a dash of blackcurrant give a welcome tart juiciness to the affair. Cook the barm brack well in advance, keep it warm in the oven  and make up the plates just before serving. If you cannot find fresh damsons, use frozen ones for the compote. Plums and raspberries (fresh or frozen) will do very nicely also, as would tart apples keeping perfectly in tune with the season.

A fun, messy-but-nice thing to do with the kids during the holidays, these rich mouthfuls end up tasting a little like Christmas pudding! I remember the chocolate truffles of my childhood all being made from cake crumbs and these brought me right back. Inside, the tamarind adds a welcome note of sourness while the chocolate smooths everything along. You could also cover them in melted chocolate or chocolate shavings for a little extra poshness.

Good robust flavours and textures which go nicely with roast chicken or fish and roast alongside the main dish in the oven.

These Carlow chicken wings are juicy and satisfying enough to serve 2 or 3 per person with a good salad and rice or pasta alongside, for a quick and thrifty weekday supper. The speedy little marinade is a great way to use up the ends of marmalade jars and aging grain mustard before you restock with a lovely little pot from Dalkey! Gauge the saltiness depending on how strong the soy sauce is you are using and add chilli or garlic if you want to add even more oomph.

Well, what a FEAST! It turned out that the plump Rings Farm free range 2 kilo+ bird was much less fatty than its French multi-labelled counterparts yielding so much flesh, and the taste and texture were superb. I stuffed it under the skin and inside with The Sea Gardener’s black olive and seaweed caponata, giving it magnificent colour and boosting the taste even further. Accompanied by a simple olive oil mash and Roast Courgettes and Scallions with Garlic and Rosemary, everyone was very happy around my table. One chicken is easily enough for eight people as a main course after a light starter. The leftovers will feed a pasta or salad next day and of course the carcass makes a great base for precious stock for your soups and risottos.