In the winter, I like to curl up on the sofa with a dinner that is warm and healthy, and I love to experiment with new nutritional recipes. After all, we’ve got to consume our nutrients so we don’t catch a cold!
I’ve put together a list of 5 quick and easy recipe ideas that are perfect to keep your warm and nourished on a cold winter’s night!
5 Easy Winter Recipes
1. Chicken soup
Serves: 8-10
Cooking time: 2 hours
You can’t go wrong with a homemade chicken soup. My mum always used to make it for me when I was feeling under the weather, and it’s still something I reach for when I need the comfort and vitamins.
My go-to chicken soup recipe features a whole host of yummy and good-for-you vegetables, as well as chicken thighs. The great thing about soup is that you can cook it in bulk, and keep going back to it throughout the week.
Here is my soup dinner recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole roast chicken carcass
- 4 carrots
- 4 celery stalks
- 1 onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Chop the carrots, celery and onion in half, and place it in a large pot with the roast chicken carcass. Add cold water, cover with lid, heat and let simmer until the chicken falls off the bone.
- Pick the meat off of the bones and chop or shred. Take the vegetables out of the pot and chop into smaller pieces. Return the chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Add to the heat, let simmer, and serve.
2. Garlic spaghetti
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Pasta is all-time favourite food, mainly because it’s so versatile!
I love to mix up my pasta flavours, and at the moment I’m loving garlic spaghetti. Luckily, garlic is a great food to be consuming in the colder months, as it contains vitamins C and B6 and other antioxidants which helps to prevent colds as well as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease!
So, without further ado, here is my delicious and super easy garlic spaghetti recipe:
Ingredients:
- 450g spaghetti
- 65ml olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 30g Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Cook spaghetti in a pan of boiling water.
- In a small saucepan heat oil slightly, add garlic. Saute garlic until it is lightly browned.
- Combine pasta and garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
3. Eggplant Parmigiana
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Eggplant Parmigiana is one of my favourite dishes to cook when I’m hosting a dinner party. It’s easy, tasty and a definite crowd pleaser. There are multiple Parmigiana recipes to experiment with – try adding chicken!
To make this warming dish, follow the recipe (inspired by Jamie Oliver!) below:
Ingredients:
- 3 eggplants, sliced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 400g canned plum tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 100g of Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Fresh basil
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Preheat a large griddle pan and cook the eggplant slices until they’re lightly charred.
- Heat the onion, garlic and oregano in a large pan with olive oil for 10 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes to the pan with the onion and garlic, and leave to simmer slowly with a lid on for 15 minutes. Then add salt, pepper and fresh basil.
- In a large dish, start layering the ingredients. Start with a layer of tomato sauce, then a sprinkling of Parmesan, then a layer of lightly charred eggplant slices. Repeat these layers until you have run out of ingredients.
- Place the dish in the oven for half an hour until golden. Sprinkle with a final layer of Parmesan and serve.
4. Mac and Cheese
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Oh, mac and cheese. The comfort food of all comfort foods. If I’ve had a long/bad day, a mac and cheese dish is like a big hug and makes it all better. Funny how food can do that, isn’t it!
Indulge in my winning mac and cheese recipe:
Ingredients:
- 250g macaroni
- 300g cheddar cheese, grated
- 60g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 750ml milk
- 60g butter
- 2 tablespoons of plain flour
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Cook the macaroni pasta in a pan, according to the packet instructions.
- Melt the butter in saucepan, and add the flour and stir in cheeses.
- Mix the cooked pasta and cheese sauce together and put in a large dish.
- Put dish in the oven for 30 mins.
- Once crispy, take out and serve.
5. Thai Green Curry
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Thai green curry is one of my favourite winter recipes. It’s full of nutrients and has a kick, so I also feel revitalised after a bowl!
Follow my Thai Green Curry recipes below:
Ingredients:
- 450g chicken breast fillets, chopped
- 300g jasmine rice
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons of green curry paste
- 1 green capsicum, slice
- Handful of fresh coriander leaves
- 350ml coconut milk
- 100g bean sprouts
- 1 lime, quartered
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
Method:
- Cook the rice, following the packet instructions.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion until soft, then add the curry paste.
- Add coconut milk and let simmer.
- Cook chicken and capsicum and cook until chicken is cooked through.
- Add fish sauce, coriander and bean sprouts and lime juice.
- Serve with rice, and add any additional coriander and bean sprouts.
Bon Appétit!
