Five quick and tasty winter recipes

Nick Duell (writer)11/08/2020

Our winter veggie recipes are packed full of nutritious, hearty Australian produce and bursting with seasonal flavours. The perfect comfort food to see you through crisp days and chilly nights.

Cabbage

This super-healthy, budget-friendly vegetable provides plenty of vitamins and minerals and is also rich in fibre, folate and antioxidants. Any type of cabbage – whether savoy, green, red or napa – will give your immunity a boost. Try this creamy traditional Irish dish for a tasty take on bubble and squeak.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are available all year round, but these nutritious orange-hued veggies are at their golden best in winter. They’re crammed full of goodness including fibre, beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants. Plus, they rank lower in the glycaemic index than the humble white potato. Sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile so you’ll find tonnes of recipes to choose from this winter, but here’s one that makes the most of their sweetly satisfying natural flavour.

Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4 Sweet Potatoes (halved lengthwise)
2 tablespoon Olive oil (plus more for baking sheet)
2 tablespoon Pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Thyme (fresh)
12 Turnips (medium sized and peeled)
3 Garlic cloves
100 gram Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celsius and lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
Combine oil, maple syrup, and thyme in a bowl. Cut slits down each side of the sweet potatoes, but avoid slicing all the way through.
Transfer to a prepared baking sheet.
Brush potatoes with maple mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Roast until golden brown and tender, 25-30 minutes.

Leeks

The versatile leek makes a flavoursome, fat-free and vitamin-rich addition to many dishes. Its mild onion flavour works well in everything from soups to pies, and it’s delicious whether sautéed, fried, slow-cooked or raw. Leeks are also a good source of vitamins A, K and C, and rich in minerals such as iron and manganese. With a sweeter, more delicate flavour than onions, they make a particularly tasty addition to soups and broths. Try this simple yet hearty soup for a quick, low-calorie lunch or dinner.

Bacon, barley and leek soup

Ingredients

1 large Leeks (chopped)
4 tbsp Pearl barley
8 rashers Unsmoked back bacon (chopped)
2 Carrot (diced)
2 Celery stalks (diced)
1.2 litres Chicken stock
Small handful Flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Crusty bread to serve

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the bacon and leeks.
Cook until the leeks have softened.
Add the carrots and celery, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the stock and barley
Bring to a simmer, then cook for 15-20 minutes or until the barley is just tender.
Stir in the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Turnip

Just like their cruciferous relatives (cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower), turnips pack a powerful nutritional punch. Add them to your plate to up your intake of vitamins C and K, folate, potassium, calcium, fibre and cancer-fighting glucosinolates. These purple-and-white veg also have a slightly sweet taste that makes a great addition to many winter dishes. Or why not roast on their own for a lower-carb alternative to potatoes?

Beetroot

Sweet and earthy beets will bring a pop of juicy red colour to your winter plate and a super healthy helping of vitamins A, B and C, as well as potassium and folate. Beetroot also contains cancer-fighting antioxidants and nitric oxides, which is linked to lower blood pressure and increased exercise performance.