(upbeat music) - [Host] Few things bring me more pleasure than cooking.

That's great.

Isn't it?

(speaking with food in mouth) But there are certain dishes that I just can't get enough of.

going to show you some of my simplest, mouth watering recipes.

That are a warming and comforting, (speaking French) and after braving the elements, You can do better, come on, come on.

what could be better to come back to.

That looks just like a hug and a bath This is the food that makes you feel that everything will be all right.

(triumphant music) (water trickling) Scotland's ancient Caledonian forest once covered most of the Highlands.

Now, only 1% remain, just 16,000 hectares.

There is nothing like a walk through these Scots pines.

They're descendants of the ones that grew here nearly 10,000 years ago.

Very majestic, indeed.

These Woodlands are absolutely magnificent, but exploring them at this time of year certainly comes at a price.

It is freezing.

My first recipe is a real winter warmer, just what you want after a day out exploring.

Sausage and red pepper hot pot.

Wonderful family dish, all in one pot.

This comforting recipe couldn't be simpler.

Start by browning your favorite sausages.

If any of them burst, don't worry.

My family fight over the ones that are burst.

It already smells good, but wait until I add the chopped bacon.

(sizzling) There's nothing better than the smell of bacon.

Once it's browned, set aside and use that flavorsome fat to fry one onion.

So, just scrape up those bits at the bottom, careful not to burn them.

In go chopped red peppers, carrots, and garlic.

Saute them for five minutes, then add 300 mils of chicken stock.

Now stir it in order to get that sediment at the bottom up.

A tin of tomatoes, and two tablespoons of sun dried tomato paste, will give it a wonderful depth of flavor.

It's a glorious color, isn't it.

And, I think that looks very tempting.

Put in a few springs of thyme, the stalks can be fished out later.

While not bubbles away, the finishing touch - some new potatoes.

No need to take the skins off.

And I'm just going to slice those, each one into about four or five, depending on size.

All that's left is to season, and pop everything into that delicious onion, pepper and tomato base.

I think that looks just like a hug and a bath, so comforting.

Let that bubble away for 20 minutes.

So let's have a look.

There it is.

Now, I need to leave that for another 10 minutes so that that liquid evaporates, and I get a really nice sauce.

What a difference 10 minutes makes.

That looks tremendous, doesn't it?

Gorgeous color.

I think that's really terrific for a family meal, everything's there in one pot.

All you need is some lovely bread, like this.

My sausage and red pepper hot pot.

Perfect for a winter's night, and so simple to make.

The Caledonian forest may be wild, but a team of dedicated Rangers, like Marie, are in charge of helping it to thrive.

Now you're a ranger, what does that mean?

- [Emily] So, I'm a ranger in the Glenmore Forest Park, which is part of the Caledonian Pine Forest, which is quite a unique habitat here in Scotland.

It's an ancient Woodland with species such as Scots pine and Aspen and Willow.

We want to make sure people have a nice welcome when they come to the park, but we're also here to maintain the tracks and trails, and ensure people are kept safe.

- [Host] The Cairngorms attract nearly 2 million tourists every year, but it's not just the visitors that the Rangers are here to help.

With a quarter of the UK's rare and endangered species also calling it home, a key part of their job is to protect the natural habitats.

Is it true you have red squirrels?

- [Emily] Yes, we have red squirrels, yeah.

In the forest, you see them quite commonly if you're out walking one of our trails, and you can find squirrel cones.

- What's a squirrel cone?

- A squirrel cone, so, let me show you.

So, this is the original pine cone from a Norway Spruce.

- All right - And this is one that's been eaten by a squirrel.

You'll often find them on the paths, or on a dead wood stump, and you can tell that there's been red squirrels feeding there.

(piano music) It's places like this is why I love my job.

- [Host] It's positive regal, isn't it?

- [Emily] (laughs) It is, yeah.

So, this is Lochan Uaine, or the Green Lochan.

- [Host] It is so beautiful.

I mean, doesn't that look tempting, as though you just want to dive in.

But I bet it would be freezing, and I'm certainly not going to do it.

- [Emily] No, I would issue a caution with swimming in the Green Lochan, though, there's a high percentage of leeches in the Loch here.

You could go home with an unwelcome visitor.

- I was waiting for an excuse not to go in (laughs) - [Host] It's not the weather for a picnic, but this is certainly the spot for one.

And my next dish is a divine savory pastry, that would be perfect for the great outdoors, but I'll be enjoying mine by the fire side.

Caramelized onion, mushroom, and artichoke open tart.

It's simple to do, and it's very tasty, and every single ingredient I love a lot.

The core of this dish is the onions, which I've already cooked on a low heat for 20 minutes.

To caramelize them, I'm adding light Muscovado sugar, and balsamic vinegar.

Tip all that into the bowl.

Now to the mushrooms.

I've got a good selection here.

In the middle I've got button mushrooms, which we always used to have.

I've got some shiitake mushrooms here, and some chestnut mushrooms.

So, I'm going to just toss those in the oil in the bottom of the pan.

Cook them until all the liquid has gone, and they are golden brown.

Just look at these mushrooms.

Now to the pastry.

I'm using a package of puff pastry, nice and cold from the fridge.

There it is.

It's sort of knows what I made earlier, but I didn't, it came straight out of the packet.

To make sure the filling won't spill out, cut around the outside of the pastry, brush the edges with egg and then stick the strips on top to create a raised border.

I don't want the base to rise up in a bubble, so prick the base.

I want it to look beautifully shiny, so some beaten egg just along the side.

Now, for the onions, and mushrooms.

Don't hold back.

I'm a generous cook.

Scatter some chopped char grilled artichokes from a jar, then make the sauce using an egg, cream, fresh thyme, sage, and grated cheddar.

Mix and spoon over the top.

Simple, and delicious.

It does look mile high, but, it does cook down a little bit.

It will spill over.

It will look rustic, all informal, but most importantly, it will taste absolutely wonderful.

Pop into the oven at 200 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes.

If that doesn't make you feel hungry, I don't know what will.

I couldn't have gotten another piece of onion on there if I tried, but it does look wonderful.

My mushroom, onion, artichoke, and sage tart, covered in a cheesy cream topping on buttery puff pastry.

Eat it hot, eat it now, and enjoy it.

(calm music) It's not just the beautiful scenery and rare wildlife that's a draw here, lots of people use these woods as their outdoor lauder.

Of course, me, being interested in cooking, I'm always thinking of all the berries and things that grow.

I think you have cranberries, but the much tinier, aren't they?

- [Emily] Yeah, the cranberries are smaller, and we have blaeberry, quite a lot of blaeberry.

- [Host] We call them blueberry, you call them blaeberry.

- [Emily] Blaeberries in Scotland, yeah.

- [Host] And juniper berries?

- [Emily] Yes, juniper comes from the juniper bush, which is a native conifer to Scotland, and the berries are picked and infused with gin to give you that traditional gin flavor.

- [Host] That's a very useful thing to do.

(Emily laughs) - We have a variety of fungi that grow here, which are very exciting from a scientific point of view.

- [Host] It's very exciting from a cooking point of view.

- It is.

So, you get mushrooms here that you don't find anywhere else.

- [Host] Do you have chanterelle?

- [Emily] We do have chanterelles, yes, and actually this year was a particularly good growing year for the chanterelles.

We also have Ceps, or there's sometimes called penny buns.

- [Host] Oh, porcini?

- [Emily] Porcini mushrooms.

- [Host] To me, the Porcini is the king of all mushrooms, and we rarely find them in the South.

- [Emily] Oh right, yeah.

- [Host] I never get bored of cooking with mushrooms, and they're the star of my next recipe.

My delicious double baked souffle's.

If there's one thing so many people are terrified off, it's the sort of making a souffle.

Well, I've got one that you can do ahead, it's tried and tested, and it is joyful.

Melt 45 grams of butter, then add 45 grams of flour, and mix together.

Slowly add 300 mil of hot milk, and get whisking.

The sauce is just perfect, it's lovely and thick.

I'm now turning the heat off.

Once the sauce has cooled down, beat in three egg yolks, but make sure it is cool.

If it's too hot, the egg yolks will cook too much.

This is just perfect.

To turn it into a rich cheese base, add some Gruyere and Parmesan.

So give that a good stir, until it's all incorporated.

And now for the star act, I'm using chestnut mushrooms, finely diced and cooked in butter.

Add the salt, and onto whisking the egg whites.

(electric mixer whirring) Three egg whites will do the job nicely.

A simple tip is to mix in a little of the egg white to loosen up the base.

And as I've slackened it down, you put the whole lot in here.

So I'm just gently folding.

The idea is to get the egg white in, without breaking it up too much.

Spoon into buttered ramekins, and create a bain marie by pouring hot water around them.

It's like a sauna here with all the steam.

For the first bake, the souffle's will need about 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

Now that wasn't hard, and when it comes to the sauce, it's even simpler.

This really is a sauce without effort.

Mix double cream with finely chopped spinach, and Dijon mustard, a little salt and pepper, and that's all you need to do.

When the souffle's have cooled slightly, plate them up.

Then, just spoon around the delicious, creamy sauce, and they're ready for their second bake.

This time, at 200 (Fahrenheit), for about 12 minutes.

They look amazing.

I really fancy these.

See here that little bit of crispness came through?

It's very, very good.

It's hard to believe that the ingredients for this are so reasonable, and look what a result we had.

These Woodlands contain a web of trails, loved by Ramblers and dog walkers alike.

I'd been brought up with dogs, and I simply love them.

Here in this wintry landscape is a breed I'm particularly fond of, the magnificent Husky.

(Husky howls) Graham is passionate about the breed.

Not only does he volunteer for a Husky re homing charity, but he's also got six of his own.

- [Graham] Here you go, baby.

(shouting dog sledding commands) - [Host] These dogs like to run up to 15 miles a day, and Graham uses the wintry forest to keep them fit and healthy.

(shouting dog sledding commands) - I can hear them, they're coming at a great pace.

- [Graham] Halt.

Stand.

Stand guys, stand.

Hello Mary.

- Hello, Graham.

The row from these dogs is amazing.

Are they happy?

- [Graham] Oh yeah, yeah.

This is just them talking to say "I want to keep on running".

(Huskies howl) - What got you into huskies?

- Well, many years ago, we lost our dog, and a friend of mine had huskies.

I just fell in love with them straight away.

- Now, when you're in competitions, you call it?

- Sledding.

- Sledding.

And, do you do good at that?

- Yeah.

we compete all over the country.

The person driving it, I.e.

me, tends to be called the "musher".

- Hello, "musher".

(laughs) So wait a minute, you stand on the back?

- Yeah.

- And you persuade some poor person to sit there?

- [Graham] Yes, would you like to have a go?

- I will have a go, I'd love to.

Anything to stop this row.

- [Graham] (laughs) Okay.

- [Host] I'll just get this snow off here, And I just sit on and hold tight?

- [Graham] Yeah, that's it.

Want to shout "hike on"?

- "Hike on" (exciting music) Huskies are incredibly strong, and I'm told capable of pulling up to 20 times their own weight.

Gosh, they're fantastic, aren't they?

What a pace they're going.

They're loving this, aren't they?

- [Graham] They do love it.

- [Host] A double coat of healthy fur also means this lot can withstand temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees.

They can move, can't they?

We're almost overtaking them.

Talk about a fun way to explore.

They're loving the downhill, aren't they?

(graham laughs) That keeps them fit, does it?

The hills?

- [Graham] It does, yeah, and me.

(Graham laughs) - [Host] Are you running?

- [Graham] Yeah.

- [Host] Oh, for goodness sake.

Graham and his Huskies will definitely be ready for a hearty meal after all this.

I could stay out here for hours with these beautiful animals.

Luckily, my next recipe is just the antidote to a cold day.

A potato and lentil jumble.

This is a great meat-free dish, wonderful to feed a crowd, and meat eaters will even enjoy it too.

And it's so lovely and warming to come home to.

First of all, cook two large chopped onions in olive oil, along with some garlic.

(onions sizzling) Just mix that in with the onion.

And then I'm using Puy lentils, they keep their shape.

If you use the orange lentils, then they become to a pulp, and thicken the dish.

Stir them in well.

The other good thing about Puy lentils, they keep on the larger shelf for a good long time.

Add a glass of white wine and 600 mil of vegetable stock.

That looks as though there's a lot of liquid, but the Puy lentils, as they cook will take up the moisture.

To give it a kick, one and a half tablespoons of sun dried tomato paste, and the chopped up version for good measure.

Pop into a 160 (Fahrenheit) oven for just under an hour.

That was quite easy, wasn't it really?

Next, cook 500 grams of chestnut mushrooms in garlic and butter.

There's quite a quantity of mushrooms in here, so the true mushroom flavor really does come through, and you get that lovely, wild, Woodland feel.

That's it.

All the juices now have evaporated, and all we're left is mushrooms and butter.

Season and add some Worcestershire sauce, or a vegetarian alternative.

That smells amazing.

The onion is soft, and I think all the liquid has been absorbed.

Now to bring it all together.

Right, just level that off.

I've cooked some potatoes here, two kinds, and I'm going to put them all on top of the lentils.

And that's why I call it jumble.

It's all a bit higgledy-piggledy.

I could have called it higgledy-piggledy.

Before the potatoes go on, I'm going to make them really irresistible by tossing them in butter, garlic, and chives.

And the good thing about this, you can assemble all this several hours ahead, even the day before.

Tip the potatoes over the mushroom and lentil filling, and top with a cheese of your choice.

I'm using cheddar.

Back into the oven for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted but a little bit brown, and everything else is piping hot.

A mouth watering mix of mushrooms, tomatoes, and lentils, topped with garlic and cheese coated potatoes.

I think that looks totally different, I bet you've never seen anything like that before.

It's a wonderful melange of flavors.

It looks good, and it tastes even better.

As the weather starts to turn, I have a craving for something sweet.

Luckily there's a place nearby where I can indulge in one of my favorite comforts, chocolate.

Inspired by the landscape, local chocolatier, Ian, has been making award-winning chocolates for 15 years, including a very special hot chocolate.

That's what I'm off to find.

Ian uses the cream from a single herd of local Persia cows to ensure the flavor of his chocolate is consistent throughout the year.

With his team creating up to 30,000 chocolates a week, I'm definitely in the right place to satisfy my sweet tooth.

- [Ian] Here we are.

- [Host] It's just what you needed, it is freezing outside.

Oh, that's lovely.

It's got such a shine to it.

Well, I'm just dying to taste it.

- [Ian] Try some.

- [Host] Mm.

It's velvety, it's hot, it's shining.

It's decadent.

- It's almost a pudding.

So this is basically a truffle, but thinned down a little bit with a little bit more milk.

- Chocolate is very comforting, don't you think?

- It is.

I mean, there's about a hundred trace elements inside cocoa, which do all kinds of things for our body health wise, and so have all kinds of, you know, cheering up effects.

But, at the end of the day, chocolate makes people happy.

- But you are pretty sleek, you can't eat another chocolate everyday.

- Th real thing has no calories in it at all.

- What absolute rubbish.

(laughs) - [Host] Calorie debate aside, I often make truffles at home by hand.

- [Ian] Okay, here we are, Chocolate Kitchen.

- [Host] But Ian has a special contraption to make them, and he's letting me loose on it.

I feel as though I'm doing my exercises, right.

There it is, look.

Look at very little piece.

- [Ian] Perfect, looking good.

- I quite enjoy it, though, 'cause it's so neat.

And then I jump on it at the end?

It's getting harder.

- [Ian] Yeah.

See how hard it is now, is it still okay?

(machine clanks) Perfect.

- Not bad, was it?

- No, that's great.

You have to do it the other way now, okay.

- [Host] It's not too difficult.

- [Ian] So just gently at the end.

- [Host] Just a dusting of cocoa powder, and that will slip down the sides, so that it doesn't all stick together.

And time to taste.

- You're ready?

- Here goes, okay.

- So?

- It's beautiful, so smooth.

- Just pure ganache.

- It's absolutely beautiful.

If that's made you crave for something sweet, then this next recipe is just what you're looking for.

How lovely to come home to this wonderful, indulgent chocolate pudding, with an even richer chocolate sauce.

It's so simple to make, just throw everything into a bowl.

Two large eggs, 125 grams of baking spread and caster sugar, 25 grams of cocoa powder, 100 grams of self-rising flour, and some vanilla extract.

So, one teaspoon, like that.

And now, with an electric hand mixer, I'm going to bring it all together.

(electric mixer whirs) It's all one chocolatey color.

Even if you've never made puddings, you've got to admit that's pretty easy.

My simple trick for turning it out later, is to butter the bowl, and lay in a square of baking parchment, Just put dollop folds, one after another, until you've got a clean bowl.

Making puddings reminds me of being very young and helping.

All one waited for, was to get to the bowl before my brothers, for a good lick.

Cover with some pleated foil, and it's ready to steam.

I've got another nifty trick to help lift out the bowl later.

If you get a bit of foil, and then, fold that in three, put that like that, and then I can easily lift that over.

Fill in the pan, so the water comes halfway up the pudding bowl and steam on a gentle simmer for an hour and three-quarters.

"What?

", I hear you cry, "not enough chocolate".

Well, here's the simplest sauce I know.

Heat 150 mil of milk, and the same amount of double cream, and break up 300 grams of dark chocolate.

I have a husband who can find chocolate anywhere.

You could call him a chocoholic.

So I always have a secret supply in the drawer, with my tights, then I know I've always got some.

When the cream and milk is bubbling at the edges, take it off the heat.

And then, add all the chocolate at one go.

Let it melt, and voila.

That will just pour over the pudding, there's plenty there for everybody.

Even my husband.

Now that pudding should be ready.

There we are, my little handles will help.

Fingers crossed.

That's it.

I'm quite pleased with that.

All it needs now is that hot chocolate sauce.

Here goes.

Looks a bit of all right, doesn't it?

My steamed chocolate pudding, smothered in creamy chocolate sauce.

Easy to make, and even easier to eat.

I don't think anyone could say no to this.

It is absolutely beautiful.

I've had the most wonderful time exploring this wild and ancient Woodland.

Meeting those who work, protect, and are inspired by it every single day.

You might have to contend with the weather, but as the sun sets on my time here, I can tell you, it's definitely worth it.

(adventurous music) (powerful music)