Nigella's karpatka challenge baffled the Bake Off bakers – here's how to make it at home

Seafood gumbo

Make a Louisiana favourite. Traditional recipes have a long list of spices, so using a Creole or Cajun seasoning mix will save both time and money

Chicken spaghetti

Try this great option for a satisfying, wintery dinner. To speed things up, you could use shredded rotisserie chicken or use leftovers from a roast

Classic Christmas pudding

A homemade Christmas pudding is easy to make, then it just needs time in the steamer to turn it into a glorious, rich, fruity dessert. A festive classic

Vegan Christmas cake

Substitute eggs for chia seeds in this vegan take on a traditional Christmas cake. The coconut oil adds a great background flavour and keeps the cake moist

Dirt cake

Treat kids to this fun American-inspired cake made from cookies, custard and cream to look like soil or 'dirt'. Decorate with gummy worms for effect

Slow cooker crack chicken

Use this creamy filling in baked potatoes or on its own with rice and veg. Chicken breasts can be tough but slow cooking gives them a velvety soft texture

Fry bread

Try this simple and tasty recipe for fry bread, which best eaten as a warm flatbread

Cheese ball

Throw together this party favourite from the 1950s. Cheese balls are quick to make and delicious spread on crackers or served with vegetable sticks

Professor Green on Hackney, community and autism (and why he can't stand cheese)

Rapper and restaurateur Professor Green talks growing up in Hackney and how being diagnosed as autistic at 41 shaped his relationship with food

How to freeze bananas

Learn how to freeze bananas and make your food go further. Try our simple freezing techniques, then have a go at our easy instant ice cream or a simple smoothie.

Crockpot chicken & dumplings

Slow-cook a whole chicken for meltingly tender meat. Once you've deboned it, you can spoon the dumplings straight into the slow cooker to make them pillowy soft

Cube steak

Using a special tenderiser gives the signature dimpled surface of cube steak. This is quick to cook, so it's an ideal weekday dinner

Ground beef stroganoff

Enjoy a weeknight version of a classic stroganoff. Cook the mushrooms until all the water has evaporated and they’re nice and golden to get the best texture

Emergency food essentials: what to stock and what to skip

From tinned staples and ambient grains to meals that need no cooking, here is how to build a sensible emergency food stash you will actually want to eat

Nigella Lawson brought bread & butter pudding to The Great British Bake Off – here's how to make it

You'll be craving a pudding after this week's episode of The Great British Bake Off

Si King on Arctic convoys, losing Dave and pan haggerty

Chef and TV presenter Si King tells Sam about the food that shaped him, his new cookbook and what food poverty campaigning has taught him

How to cook long-stem broccoli

Learn how to prepare and cook long-stem broccoli with this simple recipe – we've focused on cooking in a pan but also included other methods below

Classic waffles

Make an easy sweet or savoury breakfast using this all-in-one batter mix. For even lighter waffles, whisk the egg white until fluffy, then fold through the batter