As the winter season begins and the months start to get a bit cooler, one of the best ways to stay warm might be as simple as a new meal around the dining table. It’s always exciting to try your hand at something different and improve on familiar skills, even if it pushes you out of your culinary comfort zone at first. Whether it be sharing a classic shepherd’s pie with loved ones or enjoying a nice bowl of apple crumble to yourself around a fire, here are some of the best recipes to warm up your winter. 

 

Creamy Mushroom Risotto  

This hearty dish has roots that can be traced back to fourteenth century Italy, where short-grain rice was introduced and grain cultivation thrived due to the humid and relatively flat environment. Risotto as a European delicacy has evolved in many ways over the years, and the eventual addition of mushrooms make this the perfect blend of earthy goodness and energy-rich flavours. Check out Inspired Taste’s recipe for the perfect Creamy Mushroom Risotto below.  

 

What you’ll need (serves 4): 

  • 4 tablespoons of butter 
  • 2 cups of button, cremini, or wild mushrooms 
  • 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth  
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce 
  • 1 finely chopped onion 
  • 1 ¾ cups of arborio risotto rice 
  • 3/4 cup of dry white wine 
  • 1/3 cup of mascarpone cream cheese 
  • 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (put aside some for serving) 
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper 
  • Fried sage leaves 
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
  • 12 sage leaves for garnish 

 

Directions: 

  1. Clean mushrooms with a dry paper towel. Remove the stems, slice up and set aside for later use. Cut up the mushroom caps into quarter-inch slices. If larger in size, cut into bite-sized pieces. 
  2. Prepare the mushroom broth. Pour your chicken or vegetable broth into a 2.8lt saucepan. Add the sliced mushroom stems, thyme, bay leaf, and soy sauce. Boil, then reduce temperature to a simmer. Uncovered, then cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes. Strain stock and dispose of those stems, thyme, and bay leaf. You should have about 6 cups of broth remaining. Add water or more broth if necessary. 
  3. In deep saucepan, melt your butter over medium to high heat. Add the mushroom and onion slices, then cook for 5 minutes. Stir the rice and cook for 1 minute. Pour in your chosen dry white wine then cook until contents reduce by about half. 
  4. Add 1/2 a cup of the mushroom-infused stock and cook over medium to high heat, stirring until rice has absorbed all the liquid. Repeat this until 5 to 5 ½ cups of broth have been added and your rice is cooked but also slightly chewy in texture. 
  5. Stir in the Mascarpone and grated Parmesan cheese then season to your desired taste with salt and pepper. 
  6. Prepare the fried sage leaves. Start by heating the olive oil over medium to high heat in a skillet. Then add the leaves, just a few at a time. Fry for 15 seconds, be careful not to burn them. Transfer those leaves from the skillet onto a paper towel and lightly top up with a pinch of salt. 
  7. Serve your homemade risotto in individual bowls and garnish each with a few sage leaves and shavings of parmesan cheese. Perfect! 

 

Beef Shepherd’s Pie 

This classic, sometimes known as the cottage pie, is a culinary staple of the British Isles. It’s said to have originated on livestock farms in parts of Ireland around the late eighteenth century and has a continued legacy enjoyed by people all over the world today. While a great way for farmers and townsfolk to stay energised back then, it was also an effective way to minimise wastage due to its inclusion of leftover minced meat and variety of vegetables not used for wholesale. Combined with mashed potato, this is one of the best seasonal comfort foods around. Check out Taste’s recipe for a Beef Shepherd’s Pie below. 

 

What you’ll need (serves 4): 

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
  • 1 halved, finely chopped brown onion 
  • 1 finely chopped, peeled carrot 
  • 2 trimmed, finely chopped celery sticks 
  • 500g of lamb mince  
  • 2 tablespoons of plain flour 
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste 
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 500ml of beef stock 
  • 4 Désirée potatoes, peeled and chopped 
  • 40g of butter 
  • 125ml of milk 
  • Melted butter

 

Directions: 

  1. Start with heating oil in a saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery then cook. 
  2. Stir for 5 minutes or until soft in texture. Then add the lamb mince and cook, stirring to soften and remove any unsavoury lumps, for about 5 minutes or until lamb noticeably browns in colour. 
  3. Add the flour and cook. Sir for 2 minutes or until mixed. Add your tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and stock then bring to a boil. 
  4. Reduce to a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Give it a quick taste and season if necessary. 
  5. Cook the potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until texture is tender. Drain, then return to the pan with your butter. Use a potato masher or a fork to press until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir up until nicely combined. Give it another taste and season with salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. 
  6. Preheat your oven to 200°C then transfer lamb mixture into a 2lt baking dish, or you can use individual ovenproof dishes if you don’t have access to one. Top with the mashed potato and use a fork to spread over the mixture. Brush it with butter, then bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the mashed potato topping is golden brown. Ready to go! 

 

Classic Red Prawn Curry 

Throughout a varied history spanning the likes of India and Southeast Asia, the prawn curry has always been a great dish to stave off the cold. Its inclusion of often exotic ingredients combined with a tendency to be served up piping hot take this winter warmer to the next level. The combination of cooked seafood and creamy coconut milk is perfect for covering all bases of taste, check out Marion Grasby of MasterChef fame’s take on a Thai-inspired Red Prawn Curry below. 

 

What you’ll need (serves 2): 

  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 
  • ½ a jar of Marion’s Kitchen Red Thai Curry Paste 
  • 400ml of coconut milk 
  • 500g of peeled and deveined prawns, keep the tails intact 
  • 1 cup of vegetables, your pick! 
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of fish sauce 
  • shredded makrut leaves, for serving 
  • finely sliced fresh red chilli, also to serve 
  • steamed rice, ready for plating up 

 

Directions: 

  1. Heat up your oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook up the paste for about a minute, you’ll be able to smell the curry essence coming through. 
  2. Stir up the coconut milk then add your prawns, vegetables and ½ a cup of water. Then bring to a simmer and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until your additives are cooked thoroughly. 
  3. Give it a taste then season with the fish sauce. Top with the makrut leaves and red chilli you’d like some heat, then serve up with your steamed rice! 

 

Apple Crumble Slice 

You’ve just filled up on one of your best savoury creations to date, but why not treat yourself to something a bit sweeter? The well-loved apple crumble was initially made up in Britain during the Second World War when there was a big shortage on ingredients typically used in the more traditional apple pie. It started off as quite a simple dessert but eventually evolved to include sides like ice cream and toppings, creating an explosive contrast of flavours. Check out another one of Taste’s recipes below, this time for the tasty Apple Crumble Slice. 

 

What you’ll need (18 pieces): 

  • 2 ¼ cups of plain flour 
  • 1/3 cup of brown sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon of mixed spice 
  • 180g of chilled and sliced butter 
  • 2 tablespoons of cool water 
  • 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (removing core) 
  • 1 tablespoon of caster sugar 
  • ½ a lemon, juiced 
  • 1/3 cup of sultanas 
  • ¼ of cup rolled oats 
  • 1/3 cup of shredded coconut 

 

Directions: 

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C, then lightly grease a deep, slab-based pan. Line it with baking paper, allowing a few centimeters of an overhang at both long ends. Use a food processor to process the flour, brown sugar, mixed spice and butter until the mixture starts to resemble breadcrumbs. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of cool water and process until the everything comes together, adding more water if required. 
  1. Wrap ¾ of cup dough in greaseproof paper and refrigerate until firm. Press the remaining dough into your prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a nice, light golden brown. Then allow to cool in pan. 
  1. Meanwhile, place the apples, caster sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to a medium to low. Cover and cook, stirring intermittently, for about 15 minutes or until soft in texture. Then stir in your cup of sultanas. 
  1. Spoon the apple mixture over the pastry base and coarsely grate chilled dough into a bowl. Add your oats and coconut and stir to combine. Sprinkle over apple mixture and bake slice for 35 to 40 minutes or until a rich golden brown. Allow to cool completely in pan then serve with any desired sides, yum! 

 

Still have a sweet tooth? 

Make sure to check our daily dessert cabinet at MàZi Restaurant | Click here to book your table