Five rainy day recipes to warm your belly

With the wet weather dampening our summer spirits, nothing makes one feel better than a belly-warming home-made meal on these very cold, rainy days.

We have you covered in the kitchen, with five top recipes guaranteed to make you feel better about the weather in no time:

1. Twice-Baked Potatoes

8 baking potatoes, washed
3 tbsps canola oil
225g salted butter
1 cup bacon bits (fry your own!)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Cheddar or Jack cheese (or a mix of both), plus more for topping
½ cup whole milk
2 tsps seasoned salt
3 green onions, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Rub them with the canola oil and bake for 1 hour, making sure they’re sufficiently cooked through.
Slice the butter into pats. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the bacon bits and sour cream. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F.
With a sharp knife, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the shell. Leave a small rim of potato intact for support. Lay the hollowed out potato shells on a baking sheet.
Smash the potatoes into the butter, bacon and sour cream. Add the cheese, milk, seasoned salt, green onions and black pepper to taste and mix together well. (IMPORTANT: If you plan to freeze the twice-baked potatoes, do NOT add the green onions.)
Fill the potato shells with the filling. I like to fill the shells so they look abundant and heaping. Top each potato with a little more grated cheese and pop ’em in the oven until the potato is warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Quick Goulash

1 1/4lb meat of your choice, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 carrots, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red or green pepper, diced
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 cups cooked whole-wheat egg noodles or pasta
Chopped chives, for garnish

Method

Toss the meat pieces with the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1/2 of the oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat pieces in a single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pot and add the carrots, celery, onions and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the paprika, tomato paste, caraway and garlic until fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the broth has thickened, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to packet directions and keep warm.
Add the meat back to the stew and cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked through and hot. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss with the hot noodles and garnish with chives.

3. Sausage and mixed mushroom lasagne

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
792g tin whole plum tomatoes, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
225g mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped
455g sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
455g mozzarella cheese
225g ricotta cheese
1 large egg
200g fresh lasagne sheets
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C. In a medium pot heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the sauce thickens, 20 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon as they soften. Reserve 210ml of the sauce for assembling the lasagna and set the rest aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sausage and continue to cook, breaking the sausage up with a spoon, until the sausage is browned and cooked through, another 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Thinly slice about a quarter of the mozzarella and set aside; grate the rest on a box grater. Combine the grated cheese with the ricotta and the egg. Spread the reserved 2/3 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with pasta sheets, a third of the ricotta mixture and a third of the meat sauce. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ricotta and meat sauce. Cover with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the pasta is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the sliced mozzarella and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 15 minutes more. Let stand for 20 minutes and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving with a green salad and some garlic bread.

4. Chef John’s ham and potato soup

1 h 4 servings 467 cals
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
8 ounces smoked ham, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour 4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste cayenne pepper (optional)
chopped fresh chives for garnish (optional)

Method

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat until golden brown. Stir in carrot, celery, onion, ham, and garlic; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent.
Stir in flour; cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup at a time. Add water and stir to combine. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the soup for salt and add more if necessary. Stir in potatoes; cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Skim fat if desired.
With a potato masher, mash the soup a few times, leaving plenty of whole chunks of potato. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cayenne if desired, and add cream. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with fresh chives.

5. Indian Butter Chicken

2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons tandoori masala powder
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons butter, divided 1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup cashews
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed

Method

Mix garam masala, tandoori masala, curry, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl to make spice mixture.
Place chicken in a large bowl and add 1/2 the spice mixture; turn to coat evenly.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in remainder of the spice mixture, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until combined, about 1 minute.
Stir tomato puree into onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Pour in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Blend cashews in a blender until finely ground. Add sauce to the blender; puree until smooth.
Pour blended sauce over chicken in the skillet. Simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

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