Winter-warmer recipes

Winter is pretty magical pre-Christmas; twinkly lights, busy high streets and festive anticipation in the air. But once the holidays are over and we hit January, life can feel a little gloomy. To combat the January blues, we’re sharing some cosy and hearty winter-warmer recipes to cook up in your kitchen this month.

Roasted red pepper & tomato soup with goats cheese

Nothing says winter-warmer recipes quite like a tomato soup – and this lavish twist on a simple soup from The Modern Proper promises to deliver. Plus, it’s pretty guilt-free for those on a January health kick.

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 chopped small onion
2 tsp of brown sugar
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 jar of roasted red peppers
3 cans of tomatoes
240g of chicken/vegetable stock
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of red wine vinegar
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
¼ tsp of paprika
¼ tsp of chilli flakes
Crumbled goats cheese, pesto & croutons to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
2. Sauté the onions and brown sugar together until caramelized. Ideally, do this for around 20 minutes for maximum flavour.
3. Once the onions are browned and fully translucent, add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Add the peppers and tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Season with salt, vinegar, Italian seasoning, paprika and chilli flakes.
7. Transfer the soup into a blender or use a hand blender to purée the soup until it is completely smooth.
8. Serve with your desired amount of pesto, crumbled goats cheese and croutons and enjoy!

Cheesy potatoes

Cheese is the ultimate in comfort food and winter-warmer recipes. Treat yourself to a little indulgence with these cheesy potatoes from All Recipes. Cook them up and serve them as a side dish or have them on hand as a heart-warming snack.

Ingredients (serves 8)
6 potatoes
250g of grated cheddar cheese
60g of butter
360g of sour cream
25g of chopped onion

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius (210 fan) and grease your oven dish – ideally 8 inches by 8 inches in size.
2. Place the potatoes with their skin into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low, leaving to simmer until tender for around 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and refrigerate them until cold.
3. Once cold, peel and dice the potatoes.
4. Combine the cheese and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until almost melted for 3-4 minutes and then remove from the heat. Mix in the sour cream and onions.
5. Fold the cheese, sour cream and onion mixture into the potatoes and place the potato mixture into your oven dish.
6. Bake in the oven uncovered until bubbling and browned on top, for around 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken and asparagus pie

Pies are another winter classic. They make for a great family meal and are often pretty straightforward to make – even for a cooking novice. Enjoy minimal labour, whilst creating something that will still impress your household. Why not give this chicken and asparagus pie a go from Good Housekeeping?

Ingredients (serves 6)
1 tsp olive oil
3 skinless chicken breasts (about 500g) cut into bite-sized pieces
25g butter
25g plain flour
200ml double cream
200ml chicken stock
150g asparagus, roughly chopped into 4cm pieces
150 frozen peas
1 lemon (zest finely grated)
Small handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped
320g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
1 medium egg, beaten

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius (180 fan). Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for 8 minutes until golden. Put the chicken onto a plate and set it aside.
2. Heat the butter in the empty chicken pan until melted and stir in the flour. Cook for a further minute. Remove the heat and gradually whisk in cream and stock until smooth. Put it back on the heat, bring the mixture to the boil and let it bubble for 3 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.
3. Stir in the chicken, asparagus, peas, lemon zest and parsley.
4. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof serving dish – ideally 9 inches by 9 inches. Unroll the puff pastry and position it over the top of the dish to cover. Trim the edges if needed.
5. Brush the pastry well with some of the egg and then cook for 25-30 minutes in the oven until the pastry is golden and puffed up. Serve and enjoy!

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