The colder, darker nights are drawing in and the Christmas decorations will be on sale in John Lewis in no time. So I thought I'd do a round up of some of my simple winter-warming recipes. We all get a little depressed when the Summer draws to a close, so take the edge by rustling up some great tasting food!
To start with - soups! You just can't beat it and they're so filling and easy to make. What's more, you can easily freeze soup for when you need it. Luckily the basic technique for making soup is the same no matter what flavour you make. Simple fry up onions and garlic then add the veg. Pour in boiling water along with a crumbled stock cube, seasoning and any herbs - then simmer the veg until cooked. Once cooked, separate the liquid from the veg and blend the veg. Finally, slowly add the cooking liquid to the blended vegetables until the soup is the consistency you'd like.
Check out some of my cooking videos for the classics - Carrot and Coriander and Butternut Squash Soup.
Now for the main course - stews! They’re simple to make and for a dish that’s made by simmering away in the background, they taste great as a result (also ideal for freezing). Again, much like soup, the basics for making a stew are the same – Fry up Onions, Garlic and the Meat then add your vegetables that have been chopped up. Once the meat is browned, add your stock, herbs and beer if you like for an extra kick.
I have a couple of stew recipes for you to try, including my Irish Stew Recipe with Guinness and a Basic Beef Stew Recipe.
And you can find all my recipes for this season including a Cottage Pie Recipe and more in my Winter Warmers Playlist on Youtube.
Freezing
So I’ve mentioned it a couple of times, but often in the winter, the last thing you want is to be slaving away in the kitchen when curling up under a blanket in front of the fire is all you want to do! So this is why soups and stews are perfect recipes for the winter. They keep perfectly in the freezer which means all you have to do is heat them up on the hob or in the microwave when you get home. Actually, leftover stew often tastes better as you’ve left the meat to rest and mingle with all the flavours and gravy. Here’s a quick guide to reheating.
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