Three spicy stews to warm your cockles
Try these winter dishes for easy midweek dinners. Don’t be put off by the long lists of ingredients – a lot of them are kitchen-cupboard favourites. If there’s an ingredient you don’t have or you don’t like the taste of, improvise – it all just goes into the pot! Plus, you can make all of these dishes in advance and just warm them through when you get home from work, if you want to.
Spicy red lentil, lamb and butterbean stew
Serves 4
Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 135 mins
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
Half tsp dried chilli flakes
500g stewing lamb meat, diced
3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
350g carrots, peeled and sliced
260g large tomatoes, chopped (or small can chopped tomatoes)
Half tsp ground nutmeg
Half tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried rosemary
500ml beef stock
125ml water
125ml red lentils
244g tin butter beans
fresh coriander, to serve
To make the stew
1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add in the onion. Gently fry for five minutes and then stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes.
2. Toss the meat and flour together and then add the meat into the pan. Brown the meat for a few minutes.
3. Add in the carrots, tomatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon, rosemary, stock and water. Cover and gently simmer for 90 minutes.
4. Stir in the lentils and cook for another 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Stir in the butter beans and season it to taste. Scatter some fresh coriander on top.
SERVE… with basmati rice or couscous.
Curried coconut and lemongrass fish stew
Serves 4
Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 25 mins
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
150g leeks, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, halved and bruised
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp plain flour
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
Small garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp mustard seeds
400g baby carrots, peeled
1 tbsp mild curry powder
Half tsp turmeric powder
750ml vegetable stock
400g firm, white fish fillets, skinned and boned
200g salmon fillets, skinned and boned
90g fresh peas
3 tbsp coconut milk
fresh dill, to serve
To make the stew
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the leeks, lemongrass and celery and sauté for five minutes. Stir in the flour, ginger, garlic and mustard seeds and fry for one minute.
2. Add the carrots, curry powder and turmeric. Quick fry – for just half a minute.
3. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Cut the fish into bite-size chunks. Add the fish and peas to the pan and cook for five minutes until the fish is cooked through.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste and scatter fresh, chopped dill on top.
SERVE… with basmati rice.
Moroccan chicken, pumpkin and corn stew
Serves 4
Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 55 mins
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 or 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Chermoula spice
70g tomato paste
2 tsp cumin seeds
300g pumpkin, cubed
500ml chicken stock
410g can tinned tomatoes
250g fresh corn kernels
250g baby tomatoes
fresh coriander, to serve
To make the stew
1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan. Add onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and chicken and gently fry for a few minutes to give the chicken some colour. Add in the Chermoula spice, tomato paste, cumin seeds and pumpkin and fry one minute.
3. Pour in the stock and tinned tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.
SERVE… on its own or with rice or fresh wholemeal bread rolls.
Why not try more nutritious Winter recipes that put a spring in your step?