Add some new recipes to your winter repertoire with these hearty meals.

Image: Mutti

Now the weather has turned chillier, meals that are anything less than hearty may not be hitting the spot. We’ve picked some of our favourite winter warmer recipes that will inspire you to get cooking this season.

Chilli con canard

Image: Gressingham Duck

A delicious twist on the classic chilli con care, this recipe is sure to warm your cockles!

• Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large Gressingham duck legs
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• Vegetable oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 100g cooking chorizo
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• ½ tbsp chipotle paste
• 1 tin of kidney beans, drained (400g)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 1 lime, halved

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°c or 180°c fan. Pat the duck legs dry with kitchen towel. Prick the skin all over with a fork or sharp knife and season well with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking tray and into the preheated oven. Cook for 45 minutes then remove from the oven, leave until cool enough to handle and shred the meat from the bones with two forks.
2. Meanwhile, gently fry the red onion with a little oil in a pan over a low to medium heat until softened. Add the garlic and chorizo and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Next add the cumin, oregano, paprika, tomato purée, chipotle paste, kidney beans and chopped tomatoes. Turn up the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the shredded duck and a little water if the sauce is getting too thick. Cook the chilli for a further 10 minutes, then finish with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.
4. Add a sprinkle of paprika if you like, then serve the chilli alongside all your chosen accompaniments.

Vegan mac & cheese

Image: Healthy Living James in collaboration with Panasonic

You would never think that this deliciously creamy pasta dish was vegan! It is sure to be a hit with the entire family.

• Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 butternut squash (roughly 750g)
• 5 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 250g gluten free macaroni pasta (others will work)
• 50g grated vegan cheese
• 25ml plant-milk (such as almond)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 handfuls spinach
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Carefully slice the butternut squash through the centre from top to bottom, remove the seeds and deeply score with a knife on the flesh side and stab holes into the skin side (this helps to speed up the cooking time) Place in the microwave for 12 minutes on high.
2. Meanwhile prepare the macaroni by cooking as per packet instructions. Add in the peas to boll with the pasta.
3. Once the squash is ready simply scoop out the flesh into a blender and add the nutritional yeast, grated cheese, milk and 3 pinches of salt and pepper and blend until smooth
4. Drain your pasta + peas and place back into the cooking pot. Pour in the sauce and 2 handfuls of spinach. Place on a medium heat stirring until the spinach wilts.
5. Simply serve and top with extra cheese, parsley and pepper!

Read more: 5 delicious pumpkin spiced recipes

Greek lamb with orzo

Image: John Torode

This tasty Greek-inspired dish is a perfect family sharing dish.

• Serves 4

Ingredients

•  1 x 8 bone rack of lamb
•  Salt and Pepper
•  100g Orzo
• 1 onion Diced
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 courgettes diced
• 20mls olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 5og black olives
• 220mls water

Method

1. Trim the rack of lamb well but leave some fat on. The big bit of sinew at the bottom needs to go. Score the lamb fat all the way through to the flesh and then season the whole thing with a little salt and place it into a cold pan fat side down.
2. Turn the heat on low and render the fat slowly for 10 minutes. Turn the rack over and seal the meat and season with pepper.
3. In a large casserole soften the onions with the garlic. Add the courgettes and season well.
4. Add the paprika and stir and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the orzo and stir so its all mix together.
5. Add the tin of tomatoes and the olives along with the water and stir , bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes on the stove.
6. Place to browned lamb rack on top of the orzo and bake for 25 minutes.

Smoky bacon and corn chowder

Image: Gastrono-me cafe in Bury St Edmunds

Just saying the word chowder conjures up in my mind a creamy bowl of goodness.

• Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 25g of butter
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 large onion chopped
• 30g plain flour
• 1 large potato peeled, and cubed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 150ml double cream
• 400g tinned or frozen sweetcorn – or approximately 4 ears of corn on the cob
• 6 rashers of streaky smoky bacon, grilled until crispy

Method

1. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and soften, then add the garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
2. Add the flour, and stir well. Add the stock, drained sweetcorn, diced potatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, bay leaf, and season well with salt and black pepper.
3. Let simmer for approximately 20 mins, or until the potatoes are just tender.
4. I like to reserve some of the soup back for texture instead of blending all of the soup, if wished separate approximately a fifth of the soup at this stage. Remove the bay leaf and allow to cool slightly.
5. Pour cooled soup into the blender and blitz until smooth or use a hand blender.
6. Pour blended soup and chunky soup back into the pan and add the cream. If at this stage it’s still a little thick, you can add a little more stock.
7. Add the cooked crispy bacon. To finish sprinkle with snipped chives, and freshly ground black pepper.

Classic winter casserole

Image: Mutti

A hearty bowl of this winter casserole will warm your heart. Be sure to make more for leftovers!

• Serves 4

Ingredients

• 435 g stewing beef
• 1/2 tube Mutti® Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
• 1 carton Tomato Puree
• 500 ml veal stock
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 carrots
• 1 handful of fresh thyme
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red wine vinegar
• 220 g smoked bacon
• 220 g kale or Italian black cabbage
• 220 g fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned
• 8 peeled pearl onions

Method

1. Cut the stewing beef into bite-sized cubes and season the meat with salt and pepper, and fry in a large pot.
2. Peel the onion and carrot and cut in large chunks. Add to the pot and let fry with the meat for a while. Add the tomato paste and puree, as well as the veal stock and thyme.
3. Cover the casserole with a lid, and slow cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart easily.
4. When the stew is almost done, season with some red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
5. Cut the smoked bacon into smaller pieces and fry in a skillet until crispy.
6. Add the chanterelles and pearl onions to the stew at the end. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the kale at the last minute.
7. Add the bacon mixture to the stew and serve.

 

Do you have any winter warmer staples? Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page. 

 

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