BA50 TalkersWinter usually requires comfort food and if you’ve been looking for some tasty treats to whip up on those darker evenings then check out these deliciously simple recipes:
- Cottage pie
A super simple dish you probably remember your Grandma serving up, piping hot on a Sunday afternoon. Here’s a quick and easy recipe you could make after work.
You will need:
- 2-3 good sized potatoes
- Beef mince
- Carrots, chopped
- Gravy granules
- Butter
- Beef stock cube
- 150ml water
- Grated mature cheddar
- Boil the potatoes until soft, then mash with butter.
- Boil carrots and sieve.
- Cook the mince, add the carrots and pour in around 150ml of water then add gravy granules, beef stock, mixed herbs and a pinch of salt.
- Leave to simmer until the liquid is thicker.
- Pour the mince mixture into a large casserole dish and top with your mashed potato
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top then pop into the oven to brown.
- Toad in the hole
A strong favourite in every British household, the classic toad in the hole is the perfect Sunday dinner or Monday night comforting treat when paired with fresh vegetables and perhaps a scoop of mashed potatoes, if you’re feeling extra naughty.
You will need:
- 100g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 300ml milk
- 8 pork sausages
- Create your batter first by tipping a little flour into a mixing bowl, making a well and adding the egg then a little milk, stirring it as you go. Gradually add more flour and milk until you have a smooth batter.
- Pop your sausages into your roasting tin and in the oven to cook for around 15 minutes.
- Once the sausages are cooked pour the batter in to the hot pan then bake for 40 minutes. Poke a knife in the middle to check it is cooked through once the time is up.
- Serve with fresh vegetables, thick gravy and perhaps a cheeky scoop of mashed potato.
- Pizza spaghetti pie
For when you fancy something a little different to the usual comfort food, pop this pizza style treat in the oven that the kids will love. This is a simplified recipe based upon one created by pintsizedtreasures.com; you can see the original recipe here.
You will need:
- Spaghetti
- Mozzerella cheese
- Mature cheddar
- Pepperoni
- Tomato passata
- Mince meat
- Mixed herbs
- Garlic (one clove, finely chopped)
- Boil the spaghetti until soft, drain and then tip into a casserole dish to create the ‘pie’ base.
- Cook the mince meat until brown and then mix in the tomato passata, throw in some mixed herbs, garlic and a pinch of salt.
- Sprinkle both types of cheese on top and finish off with pepperoni.
- Pop in the oven until the cheese is golden brown.
- Slice into squares and serve.
- Asian beef casserole
This recipe, created by the guys at the Food Good Food magazine (if you’re a foodie it’s definitely worth signing up for a subscription at Magazines Direct) serves as inspiration for this dish, which is a warming beef casserole with added kick.
You will need:
- Diced steak
- Large onion and three garlic cloves (chopped)
- 300ml Coconut cream
- 200ml Beef stock
- Mushrooms
- Tamarind sauce
- Turmeric and cumin
- Brown the beef chunks in a pan and then remove, throw in the chopped onion then add the garlic, turmeric and cumin.
- Return the meat and pour in the coconut cream and beef stock and leave to simmer until the meat is tender – this could take two hours.
- Finally add the mushrooms and tamarind.
- Spicy cinnamon apple crumble
Finally, here is a classic and super simple dessert recipe to finish off your home cooked, winter meals perfectly.
You will need:
- 3 medium sized apples
- 175g flour
- 100g butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- Toss the sliced apples in the cinnamon and 2tbsp of sugar then place in a baking dish.
- Put the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl, then cut up the butter and rub in until you have a breadcrumb mixture.
- Pour this mixture on top and even it out with a spoon or fork and sprinkle your brown sugar on top.
- Pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is browned and the apples are soft. Serve with custard or ice cream!