Our Tried and Tested Recipes to Keep you Warm Through Winter
Do you find throughout the winter months cooking homely warming meals become a little repetitive? That you often find yourself cooking the same recipes each week? We’re hoping to break that trend and inspire you with a selection of quick and easy, recipes to keep you warm in colder months. We’ve even included one of our favourite Aga recipes.
In a pan over a medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of the oil and fry the onion gently for 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 min. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar and season to taste. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir through the mascarpone once thickened.
In a non-stick frying pan heat 1 tbsp of oil. Season the chicken and fry until it is cooked through.
Cook the penne pasta following pack instructions. Drain and toss with the remaining oil.
Add the pasta into a medium sized ovenproof dish, stir in the chicken and pour over the sauce. Top with cheddar cheese, mozzarella and parsley.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
½ large bunch coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tbsp light brown soft sugar
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Cooked rice, to serve
Method
In a large flameproof casserole dish heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and fry for 5 minutes until browned, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion and peppers to the now empty casserole dish with a pinch of salt and fry for 7 minutes. Add the coriander stalks, garlic, paprika and cumin to the dish and keep frying for an extra minute. Tip in the sugar, tomatoes and black beans, and allow these to begin to simmer. Return the meatballs to the pan, season as required and cover. Leave to cook for 15 minutes.
Serve the chilli with the rice and the coriander leaves scattered over.
Top tip: Leave any leftovers to cool completely and transfer to large freezer proof bags or containers
Remove the pepper stems and seeds. Peel the onions. Chop both the onions and peppers into large chunks around 5cm.
Peel and crush the garlic and combine with the onion and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add 2-4 tbsp of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cayenne pepper to suit the amount of heat you prefer.
Add all the vegetables to an oven tray and roast for 20-25 minutes or until soft and charred.
Make your stock using the cubes and boiling water and add into a blender with the chopped tomatoes and the tray of cooked vegetables. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar to the soup and blend until smooth.
Italian Veggie Cottage Pie
Perfect for vegetarians
Ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil
2 aubergines, cut into chunks
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
16 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp of their oil
2 tsp dried oregano
400g spinach, washed
50g plain flour
400ml milk
125g cheddar, grated, plus extra to top
800g mashed potato
Method
Pre-heat oven to 240°C/220°C (fan)/gas 9
Remove the pepper stems and seeds. Peel the onions. Chop both the onions and peppers into large chunks around 5cm.
Peel and crush the garlic and combine with the onion and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add 2-4 tbsp of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cayenne pepper to suit the amount of heat you prefer.
Add all the vegetables to an oven tray and roast for 20-25 minutes or until soft and charred.
Make your stock using the cubes and boiling water and add into a blender with the chopped tomatoes and the tray of cooked vegetables. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar to the soup and blend until smooth.
Sausage and Leek with Mash Pie
Perfect for cold winter evenings
Ingredients
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
2 tbsp oil
6 pork sausages
1 tbsp plain flour
450ml chicken gravy
150g kale, shredded
3 leeks, finely sliced
½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
2-3 tbsp whole milk
50g smoked or ordinary cheddar, grated
Method
Boil the potatoes for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry.
In a shallow casserole dish or deep skillet heat 1 tbsp oil. Remove the sausages from their skins into large pieces, directly into the pan, and fry over a medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the flour and stir everything together, cooking for 1 min.
Pour in the gravy and 100-200ml water (depending on how thick you like your gravy), bring to a simmer.
Add the kale and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a separate pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then the leeks and fry for 5-10 minutes until tender, to help them cook, add a small splash of water.
Heat your grill to its highest setting.
Mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir though the leeks, mustard and milk, and season. Spoon and swirl the mash on top of the sausage mixture, then scatter over the grated cheese and grill for 3-5 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Melt the dripping in a frying pan and fry the onions, turnips, potatoes and celery until they have softened and the onions are slightly golden. Drain away the fat and transfer to an Aga proof casserole dish.
Dip the chops in the seasoned flour and brown in a very hot frying pan. Lay the chops on the top of the vegetables in the casserole dish.
Place the stock to the pan bring to the boil, pour over the meat and add the bay leaf. Cover the casserole and bring to the boil on the hob.
Transfer to the simmering oven for 1-1 ½ hours.
Remove the dish from the Aga and check there is still enough gravy. Lightly stir the stew then replace the lid and put the casserole on the shelf on the floor of the roasting oven for 20-30 minutes.
Remove and serve.
Apple Crumble
Perfect for cosy nights in
Ingredients
6 apples
250g caster sugar
200g plain flour
120g butter
1 clove or cinnamon stick (to flavour)
Method
Peel, core and dice your apples and place into a pan with three quarters of the sugar. Add the cinnamon stick or clove to flavour and allow to gently stew for half an hour stirring occasionally. Once the fruit is cooked, mash it slightly with a spoon to ensure they are soft.
Add the stewed apples into the serving dish and allow to cool.
Set the oven to 150°c/gas 2
In a bowl, mix the flour, remaining sugar and butter using your fingers until it becomes a breadcrumb consistency. Cover the top of your apples with the crumble and bake for 30 minutes (or until the crumble is golden brown).
