This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Exeter chapter.
With the weather suddenly getting a lot colder and your house feeling like the Arctic, you definitely need a nice winter meal to warm you up! Her Campus Exeter is here to help, with 4 recipes that are sure to warm you up this Christmas…
Beef and Vegetable Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, chunkily chopped
- 5 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 850g stewing beef, cut into large chunks
Method:
- Heat oven to 160C/gas 3. Put the celery, onion, carrots, bay leaves, and 1 thyme sprig into a casserole dish with 1tbsp of oil and the butter. Soften for 10 minutes, then stir in the flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore, then add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock cubes.
- Gradually stir in 600ml of boiling water, then add the beef and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and put in the oven for 2 and a half hours, then uncover and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour more until the meat is really tender and the sauce has thickened.
[Page Break]
Chicken and vegetable pot pie:
Ingredients:
- 1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry or short crust if you prefer
- Half a cooked chicken (or use any leftover turkey from your Christmas dinner!)
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¾ oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of water
- ½ cup of milk
- 1 oz plain flour
- ½ oz butter and a little oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 handfuls of peas
Method:
- Strip carcass of chicken, cutting meat into large pieces. If you’d rather you can buy uncooked boneless chicken but you would need to pre-cook it at this stage.
- Saute the leek and onion and mushrooms in the butter and oil. When soft, add the flour.
- Add the stock, stirring continuously, and then add the milk so that the sauce is rich and creamy. If the sauce is a little thick, add more liquid.
- Add the carrots and peas and leave for 5 minutes, whilst stirring continuously.
- Add the chicken, and stir carefully until meat is completely coated.
- Line a pie dish with your pastry and then pour the mixture into the dish and cover with the leftover rolled pastry, making a vent in the top with the prick of a fork.
- Bake in the oven on a high temperature (200C/gas 6) for around 25 minutes or until golden.
[Page Break]
Sausage Stew:
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 12 good quality pork sausages
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½-1 tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 300ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 100ml red or white wine (optional)
- 1 x 400g can mixed beans
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the sausages gently for 10 minutes, turning every now and then until nicely browned all over.
- Transfer to a large saucepan and set aside
- Fry the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they start to soften, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the onions turn pale golden-brown, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle over the chilli powder and cook together for a few seconds longer
- Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and herbs.
- Pour over the wine and bring to a simmer
- Tip mixture into the pan with the sausages and return to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover the plan loosely with a lid and leave to simmer very gently for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Drain the beans and rinse them in a sieve under cold water. Stir the beans into the stew and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with rice or rustic bread.
Picture Credits: www.pinterest.com