Three Classic Winter Recipes

As cold winter winds blow even stronger and the snow shows no sign of stopping, bundling up for the drop in temperature seems less and less appealing. Take advantage of the winter weather to get cozy and relax indoors with these delicious and classic winter recipes that you can make today.

Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables

This warming recipe packs in a lot of fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid which you may be short of during the long winter months. You can also take advantage of root vegetables which are in season.

Ingredients

• Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Four slices of prosciutto
•  One celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
• One swede, peeled and cut into chunks
• Two large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
• Two parsnips, washed and cut into quarters lengthwise
• Two garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Two tbsp olive oil
• One half tsp cumin seeds
• Sprigs of sage

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the cut celeriac, swede, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and garlic into a large roasting pan. sprinkle with the olive oil and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables so they are lightly coated in oil. Put in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.
2. Place a few sage leaves on each chicken breast and then wrap each one with a slice of prosciutto.
3. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and turn the vegetables over and place the chicken on top. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked.

Sweet Potato And Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe produces a velvety, spiced soup that is perfect for warming up a cold day.

Ingredients

• One lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

• One butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and diced
• One tbsp honey
• One tbsp olive oil
• Two onions, roughly chopped
• Three garlic cloves, crushed
• One L vegetable or chicken stock
• One tsp cinnamon
• One tsp grated nutmeg
• Three ounces double cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Place the sweet potato and butternut squash on a baking tray and add the honey and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until it starts to caramelize on the edges.
2. Fry the onions in olive oil until soft, then add garlic, stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes.
3. Remove the sweet potato and butternut squash from the oven and add to the pan with the stock. Blend everything until smooth with a stick blender. Stir in the cream and bring back to a slow simmer. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Winter Fruit Salad

Make the most of an autumn and winter harvest with this tangy fruit salad.

Ingredients

• One and a half lbs of ready to eat winter fruit such as pears, apricots, figs, cranberries, pomegranate, or prunes
• Three tbsp honey
• One vanilla pod, split lengthwise
• One Earl Grey tea bag
• One tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Mascarpone or Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Put the fruits and three cups of cold water into a large saucepan. Add the honey and vanilla and bring to a boil. Stir well, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until syrupy.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the tea bag. Let stand for 10 minutes to infuse.
3. Discard the tea bag and vanilla pod. Put the fruits and liquid into a non-metallic bowl and pour in the lemon juice. Stir and leave to cool. Chill until ready to serve.