Food

13th Nov 2015

Winter Warmers: A soup, stew or casserole for every day of the week

Trine Jensen-Burke

With the temperature getting noticeably lower, who can blame us for craving blankets, open fires and comfort food around the clock?

But if you are feeling a little stuck for ideas to rustle up, fear not: these seven dishes, one for every night of the week, pack a punch when it comes to both goodness, flavour and that all important comfort factor.

So what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

1. Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Perfect for a quick and not-too-heavy dinner.

Ingredients

1 head (approx. 2 pounds) cauliflower
7 tablespoons Dairygold
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
salt & pepper
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon white wine or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

Directions

Trim the cauliflower, removing any green leaves and leaf stems. Remove stem and core; trim and slice into thin pieces. Cut 1 1/2 cups of small florets and set aside for later. Coarsely cut the rest of cauliflower into thick slices and chunks.
Melt 2 tablespoons of Dairygold into a large saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add onion, leek, and a pinch of salt and saute until softened, about 7-10 minutes.
Add water and increase heat to high. Add the half the cauliflower chunks and the stem pieces; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Add other remaining cauliflower chunks and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is crumbly and tender.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of Dairygold in a pan. When it is melted and frothy, add the reserved florets. Cook over medium heat until the florets and the Dairygold are both browned, stirring occasionally, for about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the florets with a slotted spoon to a small bowl; toss with vinegar and coarse sea salt. Pour browned Dairygold into a small bowl and set aside.
Ladle soup into blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return soup to the saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Additionally, you may choose to add up to a 1/2 cup more of water if desired for a thinner consistency. To serve, ladle into serving bowls and garnish with florets, snipped chives and freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe via Loveandoliveoil.com

2. Classic Tomato Soup

Step away from the ready-made variety – this tomato soup will be a hit with the whole family.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dairygold
1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
Kosher salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in their juices, preferably San Marzanos
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/3 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Place a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add the oil and Dairygold. When it melts, add the onion and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is completely soft, about 15 minutes. (If at any point the onion looks like it’s beginning to brown, reduce the heat.) Add the garlic and optional red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Increase the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and their juices to the pan. Roughly crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon and cook until they’re hot and beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cook at a medium simmer until the tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Purée the soup directly in the saucepan using an immersion blender, or use a countertop blender, carefully puréeing the soup in a couple of batches until smooth.
Return the soup to the burner over low heat and stir in the cream. Add black pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper as needed. Serve in warmed bowls, as is or topped with the garnishes of your choice.

Recipe via Chowhound.com

3. Spicy Aubergine Stew

Hearty, wholesome and meat-free, this stew should absolutely be on your to-try-out list.

Ingredients

3 tbsp Dairygold
3 aubergines, roughly chopped
2 tsp harissa paste, we used Al’Fez
800 g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
225 g (8oz) dried quinoa
large bunch parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat 2tbsp of Dairygold in a large pan over a high heat. Add aubergines and 1/2tsp salt, stir, then cook for 3min until just beginning to soften. Add another 1tbsp of oil and fry for a further 3min, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden all over.
Stir in the harissa and cook for 2min.
Add 600g (1lb 5oz) of the tomatoes and 5tbsp water. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
In a medium pan, cover the quinoa with 1 litre (13/4 pint) cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked. Drain. Season well, stir through 1tbsp oil, remaining tomatoes and most of the parsley. Sprinkle remaining parsley over stew to serve.

Recipe via Goodhousekeeping.com

4. Beef Stew

This hearty stew is a Jamie Oliver classic, and one he claims his wife, Jools, simply cannot get enough of when the weather gets cold and autumn sets in.

Ingredients

olive oil
1 knob Dairygold
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 handful fresh sage leaves
800 g quality stewing steak or beef, cut into 5cm pieces
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
flour, to dust
2 parsnips, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and halved
½ butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly diced
1 handful Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and halved, optional
500 g small potatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
½ bottle red wine
285 ml organic beef or vegetable stock
1 lemon, finely grated zest of
1 handful rosemary, leaves picked
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/300ºF/gas 2. Put a little oil and your knob of Dairygold into an appropriately sized pot or casserole pan. Add your onion and all the sage leaves and fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and stock, and gently stir together.

2. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and just a little salt. Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then cook in the preheated oven until the meat is tender. Sometimes this takes 3 hours, sometimes 4 – it depends on what cut of meat you’re using and how fresh it is. The only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat – and if it falls apart easily it’s ready.

3. Once it’s cooked, you can turn the oven down to about 110°C/225°F/gas ¼ and just hold it there until you’re ready to eat.

4. The best way to serve this is by ladling big spoonfuls into bowls, accompanied by a glass of French red wine and some really fresh, warmed bread. Mix the lemon zest, chopped rosemary and garlic together and sprinkle over the stew before eating. Just the smallest amount will make a world of difference – as soon as it hits the hot stew it will release an amazing fragrance.

Recipe via Jamieoliver.com

5. Pumpkin and Cauliflower Casserole

Now you know what to do with all that pumpkin flesh and seeds you craved out!

Ingredients

1 c. fresh, whole-wheat bread crumbs
½ c. hulled and roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tbsp. Dairygold
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
¾ c. crumbled goat cheese
1 pumpkin
1 head cauliflower
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 clove garlic
2 tsp. mustard seeds
1½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. fresh-ground pepper
1½ c. half-and-half

Directions

Assemble the vegetables: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use Dairygold to grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish and set aside. Combine the bread crumbs, pumpkin seeds, Dairygold and half the thyme in a medium bowl, stir in the goat cheese, and set aside. Slice the pumpkin quarters into 1/8-inch-thick pieces and repeat with the cauliflower quarters. Combine flour, garlic, mustard seeds, salt, cumin seeds, pepper, and remaining thyme in a small bowl. Spread 1/3 of the pumpkin in the bottom of casserole and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the flour mixture. Repeat with 1/2 of the cauliflower and 2 teaspoons of flour. Continue layering with the remaining pumpkin, cauliflower and flour, finishing with pumpkin on top. Pour the half-and-half over the entire casserole, place on a baking sheet, and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle topping: After the initial 30 minutes of baking, sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over casserole. Return it to oven and bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 more minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe via Countryliving.com

6. Thai Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Dairygold
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
1½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ cubes
1 (15-ounce) can of coconut milk
Juice of ½ lime
½ teaspoon Sriracha, optional
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped, to garnish
⅓ cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, chopped, to garnish
Naan, to serve

Directions

Heat Dairygold in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the garlic and onion, and saute until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add in the ginger and curry paste and stir to combine with the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 more minutes, stirring often.
Add in the raw butternut squash cubes and slowly pour in the broth, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Pour the soup into a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pot over medium heat and warm through, stirring occasionally.
Before serving, remove from heat and mix in the coconut milk (saving a few tablespoons to garnish), lime juice, salt, pepper, and Sriracha (if using). Mix well. Pour into bowls and drizzle the remaining coconut milk on top. Swirl the coconut milk with your spoon or a toothpick. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts. Serve warm with Naan bread.

Recipe via Hostthetoast.com

7. Mediterranean Vegetable Stew

Healthy, warming and packed fulls of flavours like sweet smoked paprika and thyme. YUM.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Dairygold
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried thyme
3 medium carrots, sliced (about 200g)
2 medium sticks celery, finely sliced (about 120g)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 x 400g tins tomatoes or peeled cherry tomatoes
250ml vegetable stock cube (we used 1 Knorr vegetable stock pot)
2 courgettes, sliced thickly (about 300g)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
250g cooked lentils

Directions

Heat Dairygold in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions and cook gently for 5 – 10 mins until softened.
Add the garlic, spices, dried thyme, carrots, celery and peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stock, courgettes and fresh thyme and cook for 20 – 25 minutes.
Take out the thyme sprigs. Stir in the lentils and bring back to a simmer. Serve with wild and white basmati rice, mash or quinoa.

Recipe via BBCGoodFood.com