Feeling first chills? Nutritional winter recipes to keep you warm from within

You must’ve noticed how it’s getting tougher and tougher to get out of bed in the mornings and how the afternoons seem to be snapping short into lengthy nights. If you’re mindset is aligned to healthy living, you might find yourself getting ever-so-slightly annoyed when you feel like nibbling on something even if you just had your breakfast or lunch. So as your body starts settling into the winter temps, give it one big, warm hug from the inside with these delicious but nutritional recipes.
As per a National Institute of Health study, ginger contains polyphenols called gingerols which can increase body temperature by releasing adrenaline. Improved blood flow is another by product of ingesting ginger. This Gari recipe from Japan Tin Eats will ensure you have something flavourful and nourishing to munch on on the side, with or after a meal.
Ingredients: Young ginger – 300gms, vegetable soup stock – 1/2 cup, rice vinegar – 1/2 cup, sugar – 5tbsps, salt – 1/2 tsp
Method: Slice your ginger and scrape off the skin. Soak in water for 15 minutes then boil them in a pot with the salt. Drain and let it cool before you squeeze out any excess water. Mix the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Take off heat just before it starts boiling. Add this to your jar of prepared ginger and refrigerate for at least a day before eating.
Reports suggest that spinach is a sturdy vegetable that helps accelerate metabolism, thereby producing body heat. This creamy pot of goodness from The Kitchn is something you absolutely must whip up in your own kitchen.
Ingredients: Large eggs – 5, Parmesan cheese and Gruyer cheese mixed, Small diced shallot – 1, Chopped spinach – 280gms, unsalted butter – 3tbsp, All-purpose flour – 3tbsp, Whole milk – 1 cup, Salt – 1tsp, Black pepper – 1/4tsp, Freshly grated nutmeg – a pinch, Cayenne pepper – a pinch, cream of tartar – 1/8tsp
Method: Preheat your oven to 400F as you separate the whites and yolks. This recipe requires 5 egg whites and 4 egg yolks. Butter your baking dish and cover with a thin film of the grated Parmesan cheese. Blanch your spinach, let it cool and squeeze out any excess water. Sauté the shallots in butter, add the flour and whisk till caramelised. Then add the milk, salt and other spices and whisk till a gravy-like texture comes together. Take this off heat, whisk in one egg yolk at a time, then stir in the cheese and spinach. Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar till glossy peaks form. Now fold this into your spinach mixture. Bake at 375F between 30 to 45 minutes till the top turns golden brown.
Root vegetables as a rule of thumb take more time and energy to digest, a natural process which also tends to up body heat. Sweet potato is at the top of the list. While there’s nothing really quite as satisfying as a good old baked sweet potato with some salt and a squeeze of lemon, this creamy twist to it from Love & Lemons will surely makes things fun for the taste buds.
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butter, chives, Greek yoghurt, guacamole
Method: Preheat oven to 425F. Poke holes into the sweet potato, place on foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes till it gets puffy or soft from inside when pierced. Rip in half, layer with the condiments and scoop up.
Really feeling the chills? Nothing a good meaty meal can’t fix. And in the list of body warming meats, lamb ranks the highest, known to up body temperature on ingestion. Also adding to the warmth are delicious carrots, repping root vegetables in the recipe. This recipe from Delicious is going to become a hot winter favourite for you.
Ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil – 1tbsp, Thinly sliced onion – 1, Boneless lamb cut into bite-sized pieces – 600gms, Roughly chopped carrots – 200gms, Chilli paste/harissa – 2tbsps, Moroccan spice blend – 1tbsp, diced tomatoes – 400gms, cornflour – 1tbsp, Lightly beaten egg – 1, mint for garnish; For the pea and chickpea mash — Thawed frozen peas – 1/2 cup, Can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) – 400gms, Juice of half a lemon, extra virgin olive oil – 1/4 cup
Method: Heat oil in a large fry pan and sauté the onions and lamb till brown. Toss in the carrots with the spice blend followed by the tomatoes, harissa and some water. Cook for an hour till meat gets tender. Transfer some of the cooking liquid to the cornflour and create a slurry, add back in and simmer for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 200C and spoon in lamb mixture to pie pans. Fix a pastry sheet on top and bake for 25 minutes. For the mash, simply mix all ingredients together and season. Spoon over cooked pies and garnish with mint.
Note: If you don’t have Moroccan spice blend on hand, blend together some brown sugar, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger powder, cloves, salt, pepper and cayenne
Nothing like a good munch of fibre and health on the side, as you gorge on your favourite winter meals. This roasted radish recipe from Love & Lemons will soon become a dining table staple for you.
Ingredients: Medium red radishes, halved – 9 to 12, Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice
Method: Preheat over to 450F. Rub the radishes with the oil and seasoning. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Are your winter menus adequately warming you up?