There’s nothing more annoying than people droning on about their January diet. I just don’t get it. Why deprive yourself of one of life’s great pleasures at a time of year when you need cheering up the most?

First on the list for putting a bit of well-needed comfort back into your life is a recipe for meatballs. Out of all the recipe requests I receive, would you believe meatballs continue to be the most popular? I like to combine a mixture of pork and beef mince and flavour it simply with lemon zest, parmesan, garlic and fresh herbs. Many would think the addition of breadcrumbs is just a cheap way to make the meat go further, but soaking a small quantity in milk before adding it to the meatball mixture helps keep the texture of the mince soft and juicy during cooking.

For many, a trip to the local curry house would probably be considered the ultimate sin during January, or for you rebels out there, the epitome of a culinary treat. While it’s not exactly healthy to be eating onion bhajis, kormas and naan bread every night, cutting them out completely could lead to disastrous withdrawal symptoms. To prevent the temptation of pairing curry with ten pints of lager, here’s a really easy chicken korma recipe for you to make at home. You can use yoghurt in place of cream if it eases your conscience.

And finally, pudding. Everyone has their all-time favourite for hitting the spot, be it sticky toffee pudding, steamed chocolate pudding or apple crumble and custard. For me, it’s got to be bread and butter pudding, whether it’s my mum’s traditional recipe, soaking the bread in Baileys or spreading it with thick-cut marmalade – I’m not fussy. But to prove my point, I’m making it here with chocolate custard, sultanas soaked in amaretto and roasted hazelnuts. Because you know what, life’s just too short.

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