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5 healthy, warming recipes to get you through winter
Enjoy these delicious immune boosting recipes that will help you through the cold days and months
Picture: iStock
Winter makes the most mundane and everyday tasks tougher, including cooking. But these five hearty recipes are easy, quick, and will help you get through the colder months.
The ingredients in these recipes are attributed to helping fight flu, colds, keeping warm and are packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
PrintVegetarian Curry
The star of this immune-boosting recipe is garlic, it contains allicin, a compound which has been shown to boost the disease-fighting response of white blood cells in your body when they encounter viruses (like the ones that cause the common cold or flu).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: cook
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2cm piece ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 cups diced mixed vegetables, e.g. cauliflower, beans, baby marrow, aubergine, mushrooms, peppers or broccoli
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ tsp garam masala
- 600g firm tofu, diced
- A handful of baby spinach leaves (optional)
- 1 tbs Tony Ferguson Lemon Juice
- Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and spices and cook, stirring until spices are fragrant. Add a little water if necessary to prevent burning.
- Add the vegetables, combine with the spices, and add the tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the garam masala, tofu, spinach and lemon juice and heat through.
- Serve with fresh coriander leaves.
ALSO TRY: Spicy chicken pasta recipe
Lemon Sage Pork Cutlets
Many citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory and can also help bolster the immune system in order to fight disease. These lemony cutlets are therefore just the thing for a comforting, health-packed winter meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 x 120g-220g pork cutlets/chops
- ½ cup sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon rind
- Cracked pepper
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 100g watercress
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and peppe
Instructions
- Place cutlets in a shallow dish. Finely chop half of the sage and add the oil, lemon juice and rind and pepper into a jug. Whisk to combine. Pour over cutlets and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Remove cutlets from marinade, reserving marinade, and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Set aside.
- Add remaining marinade and sage leaves to the hot frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until sage is crisp.
- Combine cucumber, watercress, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss.
- Serve the cutlets on a bed of cucumber salad, and top with crispy sage and warm dressing.
Stuffed Peppers
Vegetables are also known to be high in vitamin C. Red peppers contain almost three times as much vitamin C as an orange. Peppers are also known to contribute to healthy glowing skin.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: side
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 2 zucchini, grated
- 400g can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon marjoram
- 4 large red peppers
- 4 x 150g-200g ricotta cheese (per person)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook onion and garlic until soft. Add zucchini and tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce is thickened.
- Add balsamic vinegar and herbs and mix gently. Remove from heat.
- Slice the top off each pepper and reserve. Remove the seeds and core. Stand the peppers up in the base of a baking tray.
- Half fill each pepper with the tomato mixture. Add half the cheese into each pepper, followed by the remaining tomato mixture and the rest of the cheese. Replace the tops and bake for 25-30 minutes until peppers are softened.
Notes
Serving suggestion: Serve on its own or with a side salad.
Serving suggestion: Serve on its own or with a side salad.
PrintChicken soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup,Starter, Dinner
- Method: cook
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced*
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced*
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 3 cups chicken bone broth
- 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 small head of kale, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, and garlic and continue sauteeing, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but still al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped chicken and cook just long enough to brown the meat, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes (ideally one hour). Taste the soup for flavour and add more sea salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
**If you have trouble digesting kale, replace it with 4 cups of (loosely packed) baby spinach.
This recipe was found on theroastedroot.net
PrintBlueberry oatmeal squares
Blueberries are known for their antioxidants and vitamin C as well as the oats themselves. Immune-boosting foods don’t have to be just savoury.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Breakfast,Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 egg
- 13.5 oz can reduced fat/lite coconut milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- Optional add-ins are almonds, shredded coconut, extra blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and mist an 8×8 square glass baking dish with cooking spray (I used coconut oil spray!).
- In a mixing bowl, beat the egg then add coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
- Stir in oats, blueberries and (optional add-ins if using) and mix well to combine.
- Spread oatmeal mixture in a prepared baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is a light toasty brown.
This recipe was found on champagnenutrition.com
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