4 classic comfort food recipes to get you through winter

It’s oh, so cold — but whilst January might feel like it’s going on forever, there is one good thing about the winter months: comfort food! And by that we mean casseroles, pies, curries, creamy mash potato…

We’ve brought you four extremely warming and (largely) healthy dishes here. The beauty of them is that, even if you’re cooking for yourself, they’ll go a long way — so divide into portions and throw in the freezer if you’re not up for sharing.

(All these recipes are courtesy of Waitrose, so whilst you’re basking in the glow that good food brings you’ll also be safe in the knowledge that you’ve been fed by Britain’s poshest supermarket. Thanks Waitrose!)

Butternut and chick pea curry

- Low Fat

- Vegetarian

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Sunflower oil spray

1 onion, diced

3cm piece root ginger, chopped

1 butternut squash, seeded and cubed

2 x 400g cans essential Waitrose chopped tomatoes

2 x 400g cans essential Waitrose chick peas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp curry paste

300g essential Waitrose frozen chopped spinach

6 LOVE life seeded tortilla wraps or 6 Loyd Grossman chapattis

For the salad:

1 cucumber portion, seeded and diced

1 red onion, finely chopped

150g low fat natural yogurt

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 tsp toasted cumin seeds

Squeeze of lemon juice

Method

1. Spray a large pan with sunflower oil and cook the onion, ginger and squash for 5 minutes until the onion is tender.

2. Add the tomatoes, chick peas and curry paste and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the squash is tender.

3. Add the spinach and simmer for a further 5 minutes, until the spinach has thawed and the curry is piping hot.

4. Turn into a large serving bowl.

5. Meanwhile, stir together the cucumber, red onion, yogurt, mint and cumin seeds. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste, then spoon into a serving bowl.

6. Warm the tortilla wraps or chapattis according to packet instructions and serve with the curry and yogurt salad.

Short-cut fish pie

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

400g pack trimmed leeks, thickly sliced

2 x 260g packs Waitrose Cod, Salmon & Smoked Haddock Fish Mix

150g pack essential Waitrose Raw King Prawns

525g jar essential Waitrose White Lasagne Sauce

200g frozen peas

2 x 400g packs essential Waitrose Mashed Potato

4 tbsp snipped chives

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Cook the leeks in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes until tender, then drain and cool under running water.

2. Tip the leeks into a large bowl and gently mix with the fish, prawns, sauce and peas. Spoon into a heatproof dish.

3. Microwave the mash according to pack instructions then beat in the chives. Spoon the chive mash on top of the fish pie filling then sit the dish on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes until the mash is golden, the filling is piping hot and the fish and prawns are completely cooked through.

Chicken and leek patchwork pie

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Olive oil spray

500g essential Waitrose leeks, sliced

400g essential Waitrose British chicken breast chunks

250ml Cooks’ Ingredients chicken stock

250ml skimmed milk, plus extra for brushing

2 tbsp Waitrose easy thickening sauce flour

300g frozen peas

300g essential Waitrose frozen broccoli florets, defrosted slightly and cut into smaller pieces

30g essential Waitrose reduced fat soft cheese with garlic & herbs

½ x 320g pack Jus-Rol light puff pastry sheet

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Spray a large saucepan with oil and cook the leeks and chicken for 5 minutes until the leeks are softened and the chicken golden.

Add the stock and milk, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat. Add the sauce flour to the pan, bring to the boil and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring until smooth and thickened.

Stir in the peas, broccoli and soft cheese, then tip into an ovenproof pie dish. Sit the dish on a baking sheet.

Cut the pastry into 12 squares and arrange on top of the filling — the pastry should overlap a little in places but not cover the filling completely.

Brush the pastry squares with milk and bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.

Healthy chicken casserole

Total time: Ready in 45 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

6 essential Waitrose British Chicken Thigh Fillets

2–3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

400g pack Waitrose Trimmed Leeks, thinly sliced

400g can Epicure Organic Haricot Beans, drained and rinsed

3 –4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 fresh bay leaf

150ml dry white wine or chicken stock

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick sauté pan and cook the chicken thighs over a high heat until browned on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.

2. Add the garlic and leeks to the pan and cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the beans, thyme, bay leaf and wine or stock and simmer for a further 4 minutes.

3. Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the beans, cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Originally published at https://www.thenationalstudent.com.