Hi everyone! Happy February! It felt like January would never end and then just like that, the extra few minutes of daylight bring an air of transition with them. With winter veggies still lining the grocers shelves, I’m certainly making the most of hearty soups and stews and even salads (yes winter salads!) whilst I can.

This months’ selection of recipes include grainy salads with some hearty elements; soups with spicy twists and ideas to stay hydrated including ramping up your water intake!So here goes. Happy February everyone x

Golden Carrot Turmeric Soup with Flavourful Whole Spices.  

This is such a wholesome soup to warm you up on those freezing cold February nights. If carrots weren’t orange enough, a good heap of turmeric will ensure extra orangey hue! I used a combination of whole and ground spices, that I’d ordinarily use in the base of a peppery curry sauce and it added some heat as well as beautiful flavours to this rich velvety soup. Served with a splash of oil and dried bird’s eye chillies; on its own or with a side of crusty bread it’s a very hearty soup indeed. 

Ingredients

500g carrots peeled and roughly chopped

1 inch piece Fresh turmeric grated (from most Asian grocery stores) or, 1 heaped tbsp. ground turmeric

1 inch piece fresh ginger grated

2 onions diced

5 cloves garlic

2 celery stalks chopped

Spices:

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

5 peppercorns

1 star anise

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garam masala (ground spices)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper or crushed dried chillies (ideally hot)

Few tbsps. Olive oil

½ litre vegetable stock (I used an organic vegetable stock cube to create this) 

Method

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, garlic, ginger and cumin seeds and sauté on a medium to high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. 

Add the chopped carrots and stir around the pan until combined with the other elements. 

Add the whole spices including turmeric (fresh or ground) and chilli powder and salt to taste 

Add the vegetable stock, then turn down the heat and cover over. 

Leave to simmer for 15 minutes until the carrots are tender.

When the carrots are cooked, take a sieve spoon and fish out the bay leaf, cloves and star anise.

With a handheld processor or other type of processor, go in and grind down the soup into a pulpy consistency; smooth and even throughout.

Simmer for a further few minutes then serve.

Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some dried chilli flakes.

Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Salad with Mixed Grain Rice, Spinach and Pomegranate

Salads are synonymous with spring and summer but there’s no reason we can’t enjoy them in the winter too. This mixed grain rice salad is hearty and has a good portion of healthy carbs to fill you up. On its own, or as a side dish, it’s a great way to enjoy greens and grains this month! 

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into even chunks approx. 2” length

Mixed grain rice with 3 types of grains– this one shown here is a mix of Jasmine, Red Rice and Riceberry (from M&S).  Alternatively plain brown rice will be more than sufficient

Ingredients:

1 Fresh Pomegranate (seeds out)

150g Spinach leaves uncooked

Dried Cranberries (optional) 

Coriander to garnish

Olive oil

Sweet paprika

Salt

Sumac (optional) 

Zaatar – available from many greengrocers and supermarkets) or any other suitable mixed seasoning for vegetables

Method

Pre heat the oven 180C

Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the chopped sweet potato evenly over it. Sprinkle the spices over the potato and a generous glug of olive oil and salt.

Place into the preheated oven and let it roast for 20-25 mins until soft on the inside and golden brown on the outside

Take a saucepan of water and bring it to the boil. Add the mixed grained rice (or plain brown rice) and boil making sure the water covers the rice throughout. When the rice is ready, drain the water and let it cool for 5 minutes

Take a large serving platter and arrange the spinach evenly. Add spoonful’s of rice over the spinach, then arrange the cooked sweet potato over the top.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds and dried cranberries (optional)

Season with salt and more sumac and pepper and a drizzle of virgin olive oil

Serve immediately

Spicy Potato and chick pea salad - Chaat

Another way to spice up your winter salad, with legumes (chick peas) and potatoes. This is a classic Indian dish also known as ‘potato chaat’ that takes a regular potato salad up a few notches. It’s great for a light lunch or as a side dish for many a meal and a great warming winter salad.

Ingredients 

400g boiled and drained chickpeas (carton ones will also do) 

1 small red onion sliced finely 

2 large maris piper or other white potatoes boiled and cubed 

2 tbsp chaat masala (available from any Asian store) If you can’t get hold of this, then alternatively mix up your own blend with ¼ tsp chilli powder, 1tsp salt, 1 tsp mango powder, 1 tsp cumin powder 

½ seeds of fresh pomegranate 

Salt to taste 

1 small bunch fresh coriander (leave some to garnish ) 

1 tbsp finely grated ginger (optional) 

2 small green chillies deseeded and  finely chopped (optional)

Place the cooked cubed potatoes, chick peas in a bowl and sprinkle with  all the spices listed, fresh ginger and mix together very well. 

Garnish with pomegranate, fresh chillies and more fresh coriander 

Serve with a side of  plain yogurt or tamarind chutney 

Cod and Spicy Mixed Bean Medley 

It may look like repetition, but my staples in the colder months are lentils, legumes, seasonal produce and whatever else pairs well with them. Fish is always on the menu at least once a week. This beautiful dish is tomatoey and garlicky and so wholesome; it’s a firm favourite and the children always enjoy it! 

Ingredients

800 g fresh or frozen cod chunks / pieces approx. 3” square

400g mixed beans (you can used the tinned variety or soaked)

1 large onion processed to a paste

3 tomatoes finely chopped / processed

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated finely

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

Spices:

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp chilli powder

2 small fresh chillies deseeded and finely chopped 

Salt to taste

¼ cup Vegetable / olive oil

Fresh coriander to garnish

Nan or rice to serve

Take a large saucepan and add the olive oil. Heat the oil and then add the onions, cumin seeds, garlic and ginger. 

Sautee on a medium to high heat until soft and translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and ground spices and salt. Continue to sauté until all elements are well blended.

Turn down the heat and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. 

Add the mixed beans and stir through.

Add a little water if necessary to loosen the sauce.

Carefully arrange the cod pieces over the top of the sauce and let it simmer for approximately 10 -15 minutes on a medium heat until the fish is cooked well through 

Garnish with the chopped chillies, coriander and serve with steamed basmati rice or Naan Bread

Chai Spiced Muffins with Apple 

I created this recipe over 2 years ago and they are devoured every time they’re baked. I pimped up these bad boys with chai spices; replacing milk with chai, whose spices include: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns (see recipe below). A spin on a traditional muffin recipe that works so beautifully, if I do say so myself. The cinnamon spices come through strongly as well as all other elements, including apple as shown here. They make the perfect breakfast muffin and you can snack on them throughout the day.

Ingredients

220g self raising flour or plain or all-purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder)

150g golden caster sugar 

Pinch of salt

180 ml chai (find the recipe in notes blow)* room temperature

125 unsalted butter, melted and cooled or 125 vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

Sliced cooking apples or regular apples 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 12 muffin holder tray with  cupcake liners

In a ceramic bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.

In another bowl, whisk the chai, butter, and eggs together until combined.

Add the flour mixture and stir with a until combined.

Divide the batter into the muffin tray and place 3-4 pieces of sliced apple over the top (as shown in the image). Sprinkle with extra sugar if desired

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean 

Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool 

Notes

*Chai recipe

Makes 3 – 4 cups

1 tbsp Black tea (a strong loose black tea such as Assam;  ideally or 3 tea bags) .

2 -3 cardamom pods crushed.

1 black cardamom pod (optional) .

1 cinnamon stick .

3 cloves .

2-3 peppercorns.

1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional).

1/2 tsp fresh ginger peeled sliced .

1 ½ cups whole milk .

1 cup water.

Sugar (optional)

Method

Place all the spices into a medium saucepan and warm through for 1 minute.

Add the boiling water .

Add loose tea or tea bags and milk and boil for 2-3 mins .

Turn down the heat and simmer for a further 3-5 minutes. Add 3 tsp sugar to taste if desired.

Strain and serve immediately with a ladle and pour from a height to create airflow and bubbles.

Stay hydrated with infused water this February!

A little extra idea for you all as it’s so important to stay hydrated over the winter months. This is one of the best ways I find to sip on H2O in between beverages…..

Infused Water 

A great little idea to spruce up your water and get hydrated in the winter months. It’s so incredibly easy, all you need are some seasonal fruits and filtered water. You can sip on this all day long and the children can help to make it with their own choices of fruit and herbs

Ingredients

Chopped citrus fruits and seasonal fruits*

Berries

Herbs – I used Mint, Basil and Rosemary

Water ideally filtered

*Image shows summer fruits as this was made in the summer months, feel free to use whatever fruit is in season

Method

Into a jug of filtered water, add the different fruits and let them infuse at room temperature. Keep topping up the water as you drink it. If refrigerated, the fruits will last 24-36 hours

That’s all there is to it!

Enjoy!