As the temperature drops, keep your belly and spirits warm with 3 of our favourite, easy to prepare winter recipes published in the Cooking for One or Two book.
Pumpkin, Potato & Parsley Soup
Serves: 10
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
5 tsp oil
5 medium onion, diced
5 clove garlic, chopped
2.5 tsp ground ginger
1.25 tsp curry powder
750g (51/2 oz) pumpkin, cubed
5 medium potato, cubed
5 cup salt-reduced stock
4.5 cup reduced-fat milk
5 tb parsley, chopped
Method
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder and gently fry for 2 minutes or until the onion is soft.
- Add pumpkin and potato and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add stock to the saucepan, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin and potatoes are very soft.
- Mash or blend pumpkin mixture until smooth.
- Add milk and heat through. Stir in parsley.
- Top with pepper and yoghurt, and serve with a crusty bread roll.
Creamy Gnocchi, Chicken and Semi-dried Tomato Bake
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ small brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
50g packet rindless shortcut bacon rashers, sliced
200g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
1 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
1 garlic cloves, crushed
25g cup drained semi-dried tomatoes
1 cup chicken style liquid stock
¼ cup pure light cream
200g packet gnocchi
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
½ cup grated tasty cheese
Small fresh basil leaves, to serve Semi-dried cherry tomatoes, optional
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bacon. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion has softened and bacon is golden. Add chicken. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Add mustard, garlic and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in stock and cream. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- Bring pot of water to the boil and add gnocchi until floats to surface (2-3 minutes).
Remove, strain and add gnocchi to chicken mix. Season with pepper.
- Spoon mixture into a large baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until top is golden. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve topped with basil and semi-dried tomatoes, if using.
Fruit Strudel with Vanilla Yoghurt
Serves: 10
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
10 sheets filo pastry, cut in half
5 tsp oil
2.5 x 410g can pie apples
10 tbs sultanas
20 dried apricots, quartered
5 tsp cinnamon
5 tsp sugar (optional)
10 tsps reduced-fat milk
5 tb nut pieces (e.g. almond flakes)
2.5 tsp nutmeg
Vanilla Yoghurt
7.5 cups low-fat natural yoghurt
5 tsp honey
2.5 tsp vanilla essence
Method
- Place one sheet of filo pastry on a lightly oiled tray. Place the next sheet of filo pastry on top. Lightly brush the sheets with oil and place the remaining 2 sheets on top.
- Place apples along one width of the pastry, and sprinkle with sultanas, apricots, cinnamon and sugar (optional). Fold sides in and brush edges lightly with milk.
- Roll the pastry, tucking in the edges and keeping the joins underneath i.e. like a parcel, ensuring the join is placed on the tray.Brush top with oil and sprinkle on nut pieces and nutmeg.
- Bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes or until pastry is golden.
- Prepare the vanilla yoghurt by combining the natural yoghurt, honey and vanilla essence. Serve with Strudel.