Hearty Winter Warmer Recipes.

We've barely just entered into the official winter season and boy has it gotten cold real fast! With various weather reports indicating that this year's winter will be one of the coldest in a decade, finding ways to keep yourself as snug as a bug is essential to fighting back the winter blues!

That being said, there's perhaps no better way to fight back the frigid onslaught than a scrumptious meal prepped for the family to enjoy. We take a look at some of our classic favourites and share some of our top choices.

Winter Vegetable & Lentil Soup

Don't let the winter blues get you down! Rather treat your family and yourself to a delectable homemade veggie soup packed with all the essential immunity-boosting vitamin Cs with a healthy dose of warmth to boot!

Ingredients:

• 85g dried red lentils.
• ​​2 carrots, quartered lengthways then diced,
• 3 sliced sticks of celery.
• 2 sliced small leeks.
• 2 tbsp of tomato purée.
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves.
• 3 large and chopped garlic cloves.
• 1 tbsp of vegetable bouillon powder.
• 1 heaped tsp of ground coriander.

Cooking Instructions:

This delicious soup is a three-part process so be sure to follow them as closely as possible while also leaving room to add some of your favourite ingredients here and there.

Step 1: Using a large pan, tip all of your ingredients and add just over 1½ litres of boiling water. Stir well for about 5 mins.

Step 2: Cover the pan using a glass lid and leave to simmer for atleast 30 minutes or when the veggies and lentils start to become tender.

Step 3: As soon as the soup is ready, get your bowls out and ladle for serving. If you're looking to get more of a thick textured soup as opposed to chunky bits then a quick blitz through your blender will do the trick perfectly!

Classic Bangers and Mash with succulent onion gravy

A traditional English meal with a bit of twist! There's perhaps nothing more of a treat than classic bangers and mash for those you love. We've all likely cooked this before but with a little bit of South African zest, we believe we've perfected this dish.

Ingredients:

For the Bangers (Sausages):

• 1 tbsp of sunflower oil.
• 8 pork sausages. (Source from Woolies or Checkers for the best quality)
• 1 pinch of butter.
• 3 small finely-sliced onions.
• 1 sprig of thyme.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1 pinch of sugar.
• 1 heaped tsp of plain flour.
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 tsp of soy sauce
• 400ml beef stock made with 1 stock shot or cube

​​For the mash:

• 1 kg of peeled and cut potatoes.
• 100ml full-cream milk or 50ml of low-fat/fat-free milk and 50ml of cream.
• 50g of cold butter.
• 1 grating of nutmeg

​Cooking Instructions:

Start by preheating your oven to about 200C. Using an ovenproof frying pan, heat some sunflower oil and place your sausages to sizzle over medium to high heat for about 8 minutes. Be sure to turn until brown. Transfer to a plate.

Butter up the same pan, sizzle, and then add your onions. Scatter and stir in with the butter, then add thyme sprig, bay, and sugar. Stir one last time then add the sausages to the top with a drizzling of any sauces left on the plate. Roast for 20 or so minutes and don't forget to turn your sausages halfway through.

Time to focus on your mash! Tip your potatoes into a pot of lukewarm, salted water and bring to a boil. Turn down, then let simmer for 10 - 12 minutes. (You can test if they're cooked all the way through by pricking one with a fork or knife. It should slide through easily if ready.)

Drain and leave for a few minutes while you focus on bringing your milk to a simmer. Once ready, smash your potatoes using a ricer or mashing stick, and pour in your hot milk. Mix and mash thoroughly while adding butter for flavouring.

We're almost there! Your sausages should almost be ready by now so remove from the oven and place them onto a tray. Return your onions to the pan and reheat with a quick stir. At this point, they should be sticky and slightly burnt around the edges. Sizzle for a few more minutes for caramelisation, add some flour and then cook for another minute before adding in a dash of vinegar, red wine, and soy.

Wait until it bubbles down to a sticky paste before anding the stock and then boiling for atleast 4 more minutes until it develops into a rich and delicious gravy. Once ready, tip into a bowl and bring everything to the table ready for serving!
 

A slow-cooked honey-mustard pork loin
 

Are you the next in your friend's group to host a Sunday lunch? We suggest prepping this one in the morning to get a headstart on this delectable slow-cooker.

Ingredients:

• 1½ tsp of fennel seeds.
• 2 garlic cloves.
• 5-6 thyme sprigs.
• 2 tbsp of rapeseed or olive oil.
• 1.8kg pork loin, skin removed and fat well scored. (cut from the thicker end of the joint)
• 300g shallots.
• 1 small celeriac, peeled, quartered and cut into chunks.
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges.
• 150ml white wine.
• 250ml of chicken or pork stock.
• 1 tbsp of honey.
• 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard.

Cooking Instructions:

Starting with the basics, lightly crush up your fennel, garlic and thyme sprigs together. Preferably with pestle and mortar. Add 1 tbsp of oil and be sure to add seasoning. Crush to a rough paste and use the mixture to rub liberally over your pork lions. Cover and leave to chill for 2 hours or up to 24 hours depending on your prep time.

Set up your slow cooker to low heat and tip the shallots into a heatproof bowl with the addition of boiling water. Leave to soak for 2 or so minutes, drain and rinse under cold tap water until cool enough. Remove the roots and slice off the skin. The rinsing process should make this much easier.

Heat your oil in a pan or casserole dish which is large enough to fit your pork lions. Let the shallots simmer until brown over medium heat and then tip into the slow cooker. Add celeriac and apples to the mix, stir, and season well.

Add your pork loin to a pan and simmer until browned well on all sides. Transfer to the slow-cooker ensuring that the fat side remains up and on top of the veggie mixture. Add your stock, and honey mustard and let simmer for a further minute before pouring the mixture over pork loins. Cover and cook on low heat for the remaining 5 to 6 hours before lunch. Be sure to keep turning the meat and give the mixture a quick stir atleast 3 hours in.

Before serving time, gently lift the pork out of the cooker and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes before plating. Serve with cooked veggies and a few extra sides of your choosing!

Read our previous article here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/top-20-winter-recipes

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