Home-Cooked Seasonal Recipes for Cold UK Nights

Cooking a big batch of healthy dinners for the week ahead may seem like a daunting task, but with a bit of meal prep it can be a breeze. Our top tips include:

• Choose recipes that use similar seasonal ingredients to reduce waste. 
• Measure, weigh and chop ingredients ahead of time. 
• Use a variety of storage containers to keep food fresh and organised. 
• Label containers with the name of the dish and the date it was prepared. 
• Eat older meals from the freezer and replace them with fresh ones. 

You can also make the process even easier by investing in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, so you can make healthy meals without needing to stay by the stove. 

We’ve put together some of versatile recipes that are as nutritious, delicious and use seasonal ingredients:

1. Spicy Root & Lentil Casserole

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil, 1 onion (chopped), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 700g potatoes peeled and cut into chunks, 4 carrots (thickly sliced), 2 parsnips (thickly sliced)

2 tbsp curry paste or powder, 1 litre vegetable stock, 100g red lentils.

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Tip in the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.

Stir in the curry paste or powder, pour in the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

2. Creamy Leek, Pesto & Squash Pie

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 300g squash (peeled and chopped), 2 tbsp rapeseed oil, 2 large leeks (sliced), 3-4 tbsp fresh pesto, 400g can cannellini beans (rinsed), 200ml low-salt chicken stock, 2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche, ½ x 250g pack filo pastry, 1 egg (lightly beaten)

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with half the oil and some seasoning in a roasting tin. Roast for 25-30 mins until just tender, tossing halfway through.

Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 mins until beginning to soften. Stir through the pesto, beans and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. 

Stir through the crème fraîche and squash, then spoon into a baking dish. Scrunch up the filo pastry and arrange on top of the filling. Brush with the egg and bake for 20 mins or until golden brown. 

3. Beef and Vegetable Hotpot

Serves: 5

Ingredients: 2 celery sticks (thickly sliced), 1 onion (chopped), 2 big carrots (halved lengthways then cut into chunky slices), 5 bay leaves, 2 thyme sprigs (1 whole and 1 leaves picked), 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp plain flour, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 beef stock cubes (crumbled), 850g stewing beef (cut into large chunks)

Method:

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and put the kettle on. Put the 2 thickly sliced celery sticks, 1 chopped onion, 2 chunkily sliced carrots, 5 bay leaves and 1 whole thyme sprig in a flameproof casserole dish with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter. 

Soften for 10 mins, then stir in 2 tbsp plain flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore, followed by 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 crumbled beef stock cubes.

Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in 850g stewing beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and put in the oven for 2hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30mins – 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.