This is a beautifully balanced winter salad, with toasty, nutty flavours and plenty of sweetness and saltiness going on. I like to use watercress or rocket, but the door is open to try any type of leaf. The best thing about this salad is that is can be tweaked and still be delicious. The hazelnut oils adds a lot of flavour, but it can be switched to an alternative or just a good quality extra virgin if you are having trouble sourcing. The plums can be switched for pears or nectarines, or some raw apple works wonderfully well also.

This is a simple sharing plate that was inspired by a walk through the woods as the seasons change here in Ireland. I wanted to create something vibrant, hearty, comforting and healthy, the echoed the landscape. The “soil” – a scattering toasted fruit, nuts and seeds – lays the foundation for this dish while the earthy cumin works well with the sweet and zesty accompaniments and garnishes.

In making this butternut squash conchiglie with crisp sage I set myself a challenge. Keep things as simple as possible. The results were fantastic. Roasting the squash gives it a lot of depth. The chilli and lemon balances the sweetness well. It’s an easy recipe that packs in a lot of flavour and can be done in no time. It’s very easy to keep it vegan by leaving the parmesan out.