Easy Winter Recipes That The Whole Family Will Love

There’s no better way to combat the chilly weather than a warm, comforting meal. Try these easy winter recipes that will be a hit with the whole family.

As the temperature drops, it’s time to whip up some delicious dishes that will warm both your body and soul. We’ve gathered two super easy winter recipes from a Hong Kong mama and a cookbook author that promise to keep the whole family warm and satisfied all season long. So grab your apron, gather your ingredients, and get ready to take your taste buds on a journey that will leave you feeling snug as a bug in a rug.

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Rose Harissa Shakshuka

By: Simran Savlani, Author of A Spark Of Madness

“Shakshuka originated in North Africa, but it was brought over to Israel by the Tunisian Jews and is now the national breakfast in Israel. Usually, it has spicy undertones; however, I’ve used Rose Harissa to balance its flavours and add another element to this comfort food. I enjoy it either on its own or with some buttered toast or pita but always with an Indian cuppa chai.

This dish is usually made in a skillet/Dutch oven, which can cook on the stove and oven. However, if you don’t have one, first cook all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan on the stove and then transfer it to a baking dish. Crack the eggs in the baking dish and bake in the oven.

Another variation of this dish is to substitute the eggs with whipped feta – blitz ¼ cup feta + 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp natural yoghurt and pour on top of the vegetables before baking.”

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp neutral oil
• 1 (200g) onion, chopped
• 1 (130g) tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato pasta
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp Feta, crumbled
• 1 (150g) red bell pepper
• ½ tsp cumin seeds OR ¼ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp coriander seeds OR ¼ tsp coriander powder
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp dried rose petals
• 1.5 tsp rose water
• 1 tsp salt
• Parsley leaves as garnish
• Buttered sourdough toast or pita to serve 

Method (Rose Harissa): 

• Preheat the oven to 220C/430F. Place the red bell pepper in a heatproof bowl and pop it in the oven for 25 minutes until it has blackened all over. Remove from the oven, wrap the bowl with aluminium foil and let it cool down for 10 minutes. This gives the red bell pepper a smoky aroma and taste.
• In a medium-sized skillet/Dutch oven/pan, first, dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds for 2 minutes. If you are using powdered spices, only roast for 30 seconds.
• Then, pour in the oil and fry the onions, garlic and chillies. Let the onions start to sweat and then add the tomatoes; cook for another minute. Take it off the heat and place it in a blender along with the fleshy parts of the roasted red bell pepper (discard the seeds and stem) and all the other ingredients for the harissa (lemon juice, honey, rose petals, rose water and salt). Blitz for 1-2 minutes till it forms a chunky paste.

Method (Shakshuka): 

• Turn the oven back again to 220C/430F. Use the same skillet to heat the oil, then add the onion and fry till it turns translucent pink. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and rose harissa. Cook till it starts bubbling and the sauce starts to thicken (around 6-8 minutes).
• At this stage, if you are using a baking dish, then transfer the sauce to the baking dish and crack the eggs on top. If you are using a skillet, crack the four eggs directly in the skillet.
• Sprinkle feta and salt on the eggs, place the baking dish/skillet in the oven and let it bake for 8-10 minutes. Then, remove from the oven. Do not worry about the eggs not being thoroughly cooked, as they will continue cooking from the residual heat of the baking dish/skillet. Sprinkle parsley on the shakshuka. Serve it directly in the baking dish/skillet, along with buttered sourdough toast or pita.

Advance cooking: The red bell pepper can be roasted a day before and kept in the fridge. Alternatively, rose harissa can be kept in the fridge for 5 days.

Tricks of the trade: Before cracking the eggs, use the back of a spoon to create four wells in the dish and crack the eggs in the wells. This prevents the egg whites from spreading all over the sauce.

If you don’t have an oven, then you can continue to cook the eggs on the stove with a lid on top. Baking it in the oven cooks the eggs under uniform heat and reduces the water content in the dish, but the taste will remain the same.

Baked Mint Rice With Pomegranate And Olive Salsa

From: Dervla Louli Musgrave, Founder of Compare Retreats

“This is a recipe I love from the Israeli-British chef and restaurateur, Ottolenghi. While most of his recipes are notoriously complicated, this easy rice dish is the opposite. It’s a one-dish wonder that pairs well with many main dishes and is perfect for any occasion. The addition of mint and pomegranate make it especially festive, making it a perfect choice for the holiday season.”

Ingredients (For the rice):

• 400g basmati rice
• 50g unsalted butter, melted
• 800ml boiling water
• 50g mint (40g left on the sprigs; leaves shredded for the remaining 10g, to use in the salsa)
• 150g feta, crumbled into 1 to 2cm pieces
• Salt and black pepper

Ingredients (For the salsa):

• 40g pitted green olives, thinly sliced
• Seeds from 1 small pomegranate (90g)
• 50g walnut halves, lightly roasted and roughly broken
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C fan, or as high as your oven will go.
2. Place the rice in a high-sided ovenproof dish, measuring 20 x 30cm. Season with ¾ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, then pour over the butter and boiling water. Top with the sprigs of mint and cover the dish tightly with tin foil so that the rice is well sealed. Bake for 25 minutes, until the rice is light and fluffy and all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the salsa, minus the 10g shredded mint, in a medium bowl with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside.
4. Take the rice out of the oven, and remove and discard the foil. Pull the leaves off the mint sprigs – the stalks can be discarded – then place these back on the rice and sprinkle with the feta. Just before serving, stir the shredded mint into the salsa and spoon evenly over the rice. Serve hot.

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