4 inspiring winter meals – made better with dairy

We ask a lot from our Winter food. It needs to support our immunity and wellness while also giving us the nourishment and comfort we need through the coldest months.

But cooking doesn’t have to become part of winter’s drag. It can lift the season and be an important source of cheer through the senses as our kitchens fill with warmth and rich aromas.

Why dairy has the advantage

According to Maretha Vermaak, Registered Dietitian at Rediscover Dairy, milk, amasi, yoghurt and cheese also make a unique nutritional contribution to our wellness as we navigate the peak of winter’s cold temperatures.

She says, “While focusing on more hearty meals to help maintain body temperature is instinctive, we also want to ensure the nutritional balance needed to protect our health. Dairy foods offer a unique nutritional profile from high-quality protein to bone-building calcium and immune-supporting vitamins and minerals.”

Here are 4 delicious recipes that illustrate just how adaptable dairy can be in winter cooking:

Mexican bowl with amasi & herb dressing

Ingredients:

For the bowl

• 2 medium deboned chicken breast
• 1 small avocado
• ½ cup cooked sweetcorn  
• ½ cup cooked red kidney beans
• 1 cup cooked basmati rice
• 2 tbsp cottage cheese
• 1 small tomato
• 1 small ripe mango
• ½ small red onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp Portuguese chicken spice
• 2 tbsp  freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chilli flakes
• Salt & pepper

For the dressing

• ⅓ cup Amasi
• ¼ cup each parsley, coriander & chives
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°
• Season the chicken breast on both sides with salt, pepper and Portuguese chicken spice. Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet on medium heat and place the chicken breast in once the oil is hot. Sear for about 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned
• Place the skillet in the oven and grill for 15 minutes depending on the size and remove from the oven. Be careful to not dry the chicken out. You will slice it just before plating
• Make the dressing while the chicken is grilling by adding all of the ingredients into a blender and blitzing until the dressing is fully combined. You may add a bit more honey if you prefer slightly more sweetness
• Next, smash the avocado adding a bit of fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper for flavour
• Then, make the salsa by finely chopping the tomato, mango, red onion and adding the remaining lemon juice. Combine well
• You’re now ready to put the bowl together. In a medium relatively flat bowl, plate the rice, sliced chicken breast, red kidney beans, smashed avo, salsa and cottage cheese. Then either drizzle the Amasi & Herb dressing over the bowl or pour it on the side
• Sprinkle the chilli flakes over the bowl for a bit of a bite. And serve

Creamy mushroom soup & easy cheesy toasts

Ingredients:

• 50 g butter
• 125 ml cream or 75ml yoghurt/75ml cream
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 5 sprigs thyme stripped
• 500 g mushrooms roughly chopped
• 500 ml beef or vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese toast ingredients:

• Baguette or white crusty bread, sliced and par toasted one side only
• 50 g grated cheddar
• 50 g grated mozzarella
• 50 g sour cream
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

Method:

Creamy mushroom soup

• Melt butter and sweat shallots until shiny and sizzling.
• Add garlic and thyme and stir for a minute, then add mushrooms.
• Stir well, coating all the ingredients in butter and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add broth and bring to a bubble – reduce heat and allow soup to simmer for another 5-6 minutes. While it’s cooking, mix up your sour cream and grated cheese for the toasts.
• Take off the heat and allow to rest for a minute or two – blend to your preferred consistency, stir in cream (or cream/yoghurt mixture), grind over black pepper and serve with Cheesy Toasts.

Cheese toast

• Mix together cheeses, sour cream and mustard and smear onto uncooked side of bread with the back of a spoon. Place under a grill for 5 minutes as you take the soup off the stove.

If you like a thicker soup, add less broth OR make a slurry of 1Tbsp corn flour and about 3 Tbsp milk. Pour slowly into your soup about 3 minutes before completion to allow the starches to cook and thicken the liquid.

Winter fisherman’s pie

Ingredients:

• 300 g firm white fish – hake or monkfish filleted and cut into chunks
• 200 g whole prawns or shrimp deveined
• 300 g smoked fish snoek, angelfish, haddock
• 300 ml full cream milk
• 1 small onion peeled and halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh tarragon optional
• 5 ml whole black peppercorns
• butter for frying
• 1 large shallot peeled and finely diced
• 3 leeks rinsed and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 90 g plain flour
• 250 ml fresh cream
• 200 g baby spinach cooked and drained
• 100 g baby peas
• 15 ml fresh dill finely chopped
• 15 ml fresh chives finely chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 400 g ready-rolled puff pastry defrosted
• Plain flour for dusting
• 1 egg beaten

Method:

• Place the white fish, smoked fish, prawns or shrimp, halved onion, bay leaf, tarragon and peppercorns in a lidded casserole and pour over the milk. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the seafood is cooked. Remove the fish and prawns and strain the milk, reserving the liquid. Peel the prawns and flake the fish, discarding the shells and any bones. Set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion and leeks until soft and translucent. Stir through the crushed garlic and plain flour to create a thickened paste. Cook for a minute then pour in the infused milk, whisking the mixture until smooth. Add the spinach and peas and cook for a minute. Slowly add in the cream, stirring to combine and reducing if necessary. The sauce needs to evenly coat the back of a spoon. When thickened to the right consistency, remove the sauce from the heat.
• Stir through the fish and prawn meat then add in the chopped dill and chives. Season the mixture to taste and transfer into a large ovenproof dish.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit the pie dish. Gently cover the pie mixture with the pastry, pressing the edges down to seal in the filling. If desired, decorate the top of the pie with any leftover pastry. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg and bake the pie in a preheated 220°C oven until golden and flaky.

Bunny chow

Ingredients:

Paneer

• Cheesecloth for draining
• 1 litre full cream milk
• 30 ml fresh lemon juice

Chicken curry

• 10 ml butter
• 1 brownonion finely chopped
• 10 ml garlic and ginger paste
• 10 ml ground coriander
• 10 ml garam masala
• 5 ml ground cumin
• 2.5 ml turmeric
• 2.5 ml chilli flakes
• 750 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks
• 2 medium potatoes  peeled and diced small
• 400 g diced tomatoes
• 250 ml chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 80 ml plain full cream yoghurt

To assemble

• 6 white mini loaves
• Fresh coriander optional

Method:

• Line a colander with a piece of cheesecloth and set aside. To make the paneer, pour the milk into a deep saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring regularly. Allow to boil gently for a minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice gradually. You should see the curds and whey separate.
• Pour the mixture into the cheese cloth so that the whey drains away. Rinse the curds with cold water, then gather up the cheesecloth and squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can. Tie a knot in your cheesecloth and hang up for 30 minutes.
• Place the cheesecloth bundle on a plate and cover with a chopping board. Place a heavy pot on top to add some extra weight. Leave to drain for 2 hours. Wrap and refrigerate until use.
• To make the curry, melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic and ginger paste. Add the coriander, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes and cook for another minute. Add the chicken and potatoes and stir for a few minutes to coat in the spice mixture.
• Add the tomatoes and stock. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender. Stir in the yoghurt and check the seasoning.
• Cut out the centre of each mini loaf. Fill the middle with curry. Crumble paneer over the top and sprinkle with coriander if using. Serve immediately.

These winter recipes highlight that it’s worth looking beyond the obvious ways of enjoying dairy. A splash of milk, a spoonful of yoghurt, a drizzle of amasi or a handful of grated cheese can completely change the character of a meal, adding richness, balance and valuable nutrients at the same time. However you choose to cook this season, dairy is an easy way to make winter meals more delicious and more nourishing.

For more great recipes, visit Get It Magazine.