What do you do when temperatures outside plunge? If you ask me, the best course of action is to hunker down by the fire and enjoy a warm hearty meal. This post brings you our top 10 recipes including easy options that you can enjoy with your family during the cold season. Right from curries to other warm meals that you might have not tried before. As a bonus, here is the famous katsu curry recipe. Go ahead and try out any of the recipes below, you will not even notice the cold.

Vegetable & lentil soup

Why not treat you and yours to a warm homemade soup that is also rich in the right vitamins to combat the cold?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
• 85g of red dried lentils
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable bouillon powder
• 2 diced carrots
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 sliced celery sticks
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 2 sliced leeks

Preparation

1. In a large pan, pour all the ingredients, add 1½ L of water, and then stir to mix everything well. 
2. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils get nice and tender.
3. Serve into bowls and enjoy the vitamin-laden soup while hot.

 

Winter Sausages with vegetable mash

Winter and comfort food go hand in glove and this recipe will surely do it for you during the cold night.

Prep TIme: 8 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 4 regular sausages
• 4 tablespoons of milk
• 2 parsnips
• 175g Brussel sprouts
• 2 medium potatoes

Preparation

1. Begin by grilling the sausages until they turn brown.
2. Peel the potatoes and parsnips before cooking in salted and boiling water for about 10 minutes.
3. Now finely chop the Brussel sprout and dip them into the pan and allow them to cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Finally, drain and mash the potatoes and veggies. Mix in the salt, pepper, and milk before serving with sausages.

 

Classic winter rice pudding

Enjoy this rice pudding with a jam of your choice before dinner to beat the winter cold

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Fruit jam of your choice
• Butter
• Grating of nutmeg
• 130g of pudding rice
• 170ml of double cream
• 70 grams of castor sugar
• 800ml whole milk
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla beans paste

Preparation

1. Bring the oven to a temperature of 180C then butter the interior of a 1½ L baking dish.
2. Using a large bowl, combine the rice pudding, milk, vanilla, sugar, and cream.
3. Transfer the rice pudding mixture in the prepared baking dish and grate the nutmeg on top.
4. Bake until the rice is cooked, and a brown skin forms atop.
5. Serve into bowls and enjoy with the fruit jam.

Winter Beef and Vegetable Casserole

This traditional beef with thick gravy is just what you need for the winters. The slow cooking process makes it possible to cook even the cheap cuts.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours 50 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 800g of stewing beef
• 2 thickly sliced celery sticks
• Beef stock cubes
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 halved carrots
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Bring the oven to 160 C then put on the kettle
2. Using a casserole, put in the carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, vegetable oil, and butter.
3. Let the ingredients cook for 2 minutes before gently stirring in the flour, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, and beef stock.
4. Gently pour in 600ml water then top with the stewing beef.
5. Cover and cook in the oven for 2h 30 minutes then cook for 30 minutes with the cover off until the sauce is thick and meat is tender.

Quinoa with stir-fried veg

Break away from the high-carb rice and pasta and try out this quinoa-veg combo this winter.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients

• Juice from 1 lemon
• 200 g of quinoa
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 10g drained and chopped sundried tomatoes
• 3 thinly sliced carrots
• 300g of broccoli florets
• 300g of sliced leek

Preparation

1. Begin by cooking the quinoa according to the instructions on the pack.
2. Fry the garlic in a pan for 1 minute before throwing in the broccoli, carrots, and leeks. Fry until glistening.
3. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, puree, and stock before adding to the pan and cook for 3 minutes covered.
4. Drain the quinoa, add in the lemon juice and remaining oil. Serve and enjoy.

Winter fruit salad

This fruit salad tweak makes it ideal for the cold winter months.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

 

Ingredients

• Greek yoghourt
• 600g of ready to eat fruit mix
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons of clear honey
• 1 Earl Grey Teabag
• 1 vanilla pod split lengthwise

Preparation

1. Combine the fruits and 700ml of water into a saucepan before adding the vanilla without the seeds into the pan.
2. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and then throw in the tea bag and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
4. Finally, remove the teabag and vanilla pods before adding in the lemon juice.
5. Cool and serve

Winter compote tumblers

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 40g flaked almonds
• 12 pitted prunes
• 500g natural bio yoghourt
• 12 dried apricots
• 4 sliced and peeled clementines
• 500ml strong green tea

Preparation

1. Combine the apricots and prunes into a pan then add in the green tea.
2. Simmer for 20 minutes till tender.
3. Allow the mixture to cool then stir the clementines gently.
4. Now scoop the mixture into 4 tumblers, top with yoghourt, and sprinkle almonds.
5. Chill leftovers for tomorrow morning.

Chicken noodle soup

This flavorful broth will bring much-needed warmth during those winter months.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients

1. Basil leaves with some shredded chilli
2. 900ml chicken and veggie stock
3. 4 teaspoons soy sauce
4. 1 skinless and boneless chicken breast
5. 2 shredded spring onions
6. 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped ginger
7. 3 thinly sliced mushrooms
8. 1 finely chopped garlic
9. 2 tablespoons of sweet corn
10. 50g wheat noodles

Preparation

1. Combine the chicken stock, ginger, garlic, and chicken breast in a pan. Bring this mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and then simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Shred the chicken into small chunks.
3. Return the shredded chicken to the pan and add in some spring onions, soy sauce, mushrooms, and noodles.
4. Allow everything to simmer until the noodles get tender.
5. Serve in a bowl and scatter atop with the remainder of the spring onions, basil leaves, and chilli.

Spiced sweet & sour braised red cabbage

Spiced up nicely and ready to bring some life into your winter festivities.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 minutes

 

Ingredients

• Large knob of butter
• 1kg finely chopped red cabbage
• 1-star anise
• 100g light brown soft sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 150 ml red wine vinegar

Preparation

1. In a large pan, mix the cabbage, star anise, vinegar, cinnamon, and sugar.
2. Simmer over medium heat then cover. Reduce heat further and simmer for an additional hour stirring occasionally.
3. Uncover, increase heat to medium and let it simmer some more for 20 minutes until the liquid is thick.

Brown-buttered winter vegetables

Save yourself time and try this 3-in-1 winter veggie recipe.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 75g butter
• 3 thickly sliced carrots
• 2 trimmed and thickly sliced leeks
• 300g Brussel sprouts

Preparation

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pan before adding carrots and boil for 3 minutes.
2. Tip in the sprouts and boil for another minute then add in the leeks.
3. Boil for an additional 5 minutes then drain.
4. Now sizzle the butter in a pan until brown, add in some cracked pepper before tossing in the vegetables.
5. Fry till they get brown around the edges.
6. Sprinkle some salt and serve immediately.