Cosy recipes that will really keep you warm this winter
As the cooler weather sets in, there’s nothing better than wrapping up in a fluffy knit blanket and sitting by the fire with a selection of food and drinks that warm the cockles of your heart.
When the season’s change, so do our palates, and instead of craving iced drinks and fresh salads, we immediately turn to soups, stews, and heated beverages to keep us nice and toasty in the cold, dark weather.
If you’re looking for new recipes to try that’ll keep you nice and cosy all winter, our Lakes restaurant chefs have come up with some fantastic dishes that are perfect whether you entertaining for eight or just yourself!
Asian Broth
On those days when the weather outside calls for you to stay indoors, this is a great recipe to keep you company. Brothy, hearty, and with a little kick to boot, this Asian soup is quick and simple to make but is easily made more fancy with the addition of maple glazed pancetta as garnish.
Ingredients
1 kg cooked pork belly cut into small pieces, 1.5 ltr pork stock, 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced, 1 x 250g pack soba noodles, 50g peeled ginger, diced, 4 peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped, 4 sprigs coriander, 2 limes, zested and squeezed, 200g oyster mushrooms, pulled into strips, 100g shitake mushrooms, sliced, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 600g shelled and de-veined tiger/king prawns sliced into pieces or halves, 1 green chilli, diced, 2 red onions, diced, 1 bunch pak choi, shredded, 4 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp shaoxing vinegar.
Method
Warm the sesame oil in a large pan. Add the red onion and half of the garlic and ginger, lightly brown. Add the pork stock and bring to simmer. Add the noodles (you can either leave whole or break down). After 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and peanut butter. Added the pork belly into the pan (for extra flavor, saute the pork belly separately then add to the pan). Once the noodles are nearly cooked, stir in all the remaining ingredients. Garnish with glazed pancetta if desired. Taste, season, serve and enjoy.
Brazilian Black Stew
Super hearty and filling, this black bean stew is based on the traditional Brazilian feijoada. It tastes rather decadent, and yet its ingredients make it incredibly good for you! This version contains chorizo and ham, but you could easily remove and replace with meat-free alternatives or more veggies for a vegetarian or vegan version (Serves up to 8)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon groundnut oil, 300g chorizo – medium size dice, 300g cooked ham, 1 medium sized onion – chopped, 2 cloves garlic – chopped, 2 sweet potatoes – peeled and diced, 900g tinned, chopped tomatoes, 1 small hot green chilli pepper, 400ml water, 2 400g tins of black beans – rinsed and drained, 1 mango – peeled and medium diced, 50g chopped coriander.
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat, place the chorizo and the ham in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Place the onion in the pot and cook till tender, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the sweet potato, pepper, tomatoes, chilli and water, bring to boil and reduce heat to low – cover and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir the beans into the pot and cook uncovered until heated through, stir in the mango and coriander then serve.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
A quintessential British dessert, you really can’t ho wrong with a sticky toffee pudding. Moist sponge and finely chopped dates covered in warm toffee sauce… Could there be anything more perfect for winter? This version is actually vegan, so the sponge is made with soya milk and the toffee sauce with soya cream, instead of the more typical cow varieties. This doesn’t affect the taste at all, but you could always change the ingredients back to suit!
Ingredients for Sponge
250ml soya milk, 100ml water, 200g dates, 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 115g vegan margarine, 115g soft brown sugar, 200g white self raising flour, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Ingredients for Toffee Sauce
100g golden syrup, 200g soft brown sugar, 150g vegan margarine, 100ml soya cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence.
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190c. Line a 20cm x 20cm shallow cake tin with baking parchment. Chop the dates in half and put them in a small saucepan. Cover with the soya milk and water then simmer until the dates are soft. Take off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth as you add it to the date mixture. Leave to cool. Beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the date mixture and stir in. Mix the spices into the flour. Sieve the flour and fold into the sponge mixture. Spoon the sponge mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked and the sponge bounces back when pressed.
To make the sauce
Melt the syrup, margarine, sugar and vanilla essence in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Leave to cool slightly then stir in the soya cream. Prick the pudding all over and pour half the hot toffee sauce over the pudding. Serve the rest of the sauce with the pudding and, if you like, a scoop of vanilla soya ice cream.