I’m a huge believer in the idea that food should be for sharing, a way of bringing us closer. When I switched to a plant-based diet 10 years ago, my friends and family were very sceptical and it felt a little isolating, so the first meal that won my closest girlfriends over was a huge moment… Luckily, they licked the plates clean and asked for the recipes.

I’m not a huge planner and love recipes that are relatively straightforward but bursting with flavour, colour and texture, which feels important when changing peoples’ preconceptions that plant-based cooking is bland. My favourite kind of group dinner normally involves sharing plates. 

I like to make a range of dishes, so that the table is filled to the brim and looks inviting. I always add a loaf of crusty sourdough with olive oil and sea salt when I’m doing a big salad spread, and pick recipes with different lead colours – this spread had dishes that were orange, yellow and green, and a super-creamy bowl with a purple/brown hue.

I’m not sure if I’m the best hostess now – juggling two toddlers and a busy business doesn’t leave a lot of time for extra prep and decoration – but I’ve learnt that simple can be brilliant, too. When I made this dinner, I was just getting Deliciously Ella off the ground, so was in a similar position time-wise and focused on simple things: little candles, colourful dishes, a bottle of red wine and long-overdue catch-ups, which you can’t beat.

The first dish, still a favourite now, was a bowl of spiced peanut sweet potatoes, cooked with ginger, cinnamon and cumin, then tossed in a smooth peanut dressing with sesame seeds and parsley. Next, I made a turmeric-spiced cauliflower, lentil and tahini salad, with garlic, sultanas and lemon. For a little greenery, I roasted Tenderstem broccoli with salt until crispy, then tossed it with garlic-infused olive oil and sea salt.

To bring it all together, I prepared a smoky aubergine dip – I love something creamy with salads. It’s made by roasting the aubergines until golden, then scooping out the flesh and pulsing it with peanut butter, sesame, smoked paprika, garlic and tahini. It’s so good!

In the past few months, I’ve loved cooking for friends and family again – between toddlers and a pandemic I’ve not done much of it recently – and I can’t wait for Christmas. This will be our first one spent with my family and our children: Skye is two and May is one. 

I’m planning a glazed wellington (carrots, mushrooms, thyme, garlic and onion) with rosemary roast potatoes, a rich gravy, balsamic roast carrots, crispy spouts and chestnut, sage and onion ‘sausage’ rolls. For pudding, perhaps a clementine and chocolate cake. I’m still pondering over that, but you can’t go wrong with something chocolatey.

Ella’s Feel Better app is available to download on the App Store. 

What Ella cooked

Peanut sweet potatoes; spiced cauliflower, lentil and tahini salad; roasted Tenderstem broccoli; aubergine dip; sourdough.

Ella’s hosting tip

Prepare sharing plates to keep it sociable – and pick recipes with different lead colours.