The days may be getting slightly warmer but some warm and comforting food still goes down well. The following recipes, courtesy of Waitrose, are inspired by the best of north and south European cooking. Waitrose products are available at Arkadia in Portomaso, St Julian’s and Victoria.
Warm turkey, spinach and pine nut salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g turkey breast (available from Arkadia Foodstore butcher)
1 tbsp olive oil
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
50g frozen peas
2 tbsps Waitrose Love Life olive oil dressing
100g bag baby spinach leaves
25g pine nuts, toasted
10g fresh dill, roughly chopped
Method
Cut the turkey breast in strips and put in a shallow, non-metallic dish. Whisk together the oil, lemon zest and juice, cumin and some seasoning, then pour over the turkey. Turn to coat in the mixture, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Cook the peas in boiling salted water for two minutes, drain and refresh under cold running water. Set aside.
Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the turkey and its marinade and fry over a high heat for two to three minutes each side until cooked through, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. Remove the turkey from the pan and set aside. Stir the salad cream and two tablespoons water into the pan and warm through for a minute.
Slice the turkey into chunky strips and arrange on a serving platter with the spinach and peas. Drizzle over the salad cream dressing and scatter over the toasted pine nuts and dill. Serve with warm flatbreads or pittas.
Tuscan-style winter vegetable soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
400g can Waitrose chopped tomatoes with basil
750ml vegetable stock
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
1 cabbage, halved and shredded
250g Waitrose Love Life soup mix, soaked in water overnight
Method
Spritz the bottom of a large, heavy-based pan with olive oil spray. Add the onion and carrot and cook over medium heat for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the fennel seeds and cook for a further minute.
Pour in the tomatoes and stock, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the rosemary and cabbage, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the soup mix and simmer for a further 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the soup set for a few minutes before serving.
Steak and carrot pot pies
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
700g beef knuckle, cut into 3cm dice
1 onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
200g chestnut mushrooms
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp Essential Waitrose plain white flour
400ml beef stock
2–3 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
320g puff pastry sheet
Method
Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the steak. Cook for three to five minutes, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion, carrots and mushrooms to the pan. Cook over a medium heat for eight to 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the flour, then gradually add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well. Season and bring to a simmer, return the steak to the pan, then cook gently for five minutes.
Lay the pastry sheet on a clean work surface and place 6ml x 250ml pie dishes upside down on top of it. Cut around each one to make a pastry lid for each pie (you can roll the pastry a little larger if you need to).
Divide the steak mixture between the pie dishes and top each one with a pastry lid, crimping the edges to seal. Make a small hole in the top of each pie, place on a baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden. Serve with green vegetables.
Easy beef pastitsio
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g lean beef, minced
400g can Waitrose chopped tomatoes with basil
250g penne
25g butter
25g Essential Waitrose plain white flour
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g Parmesan grated cheese
MethodPreheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the mince. Fry for four to five minutes, stirring to break up the meat, until browned. Pour in the tomato and garlic pasta sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for two to three minutes and set aside.
Cook the penne in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Cook for one minute, then remove from heat and gradually add the milk, stirring well to remove any lumps.
Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for two minutes, season and set aside.
Spread half of the pasta in the bottom of a deep, two-litre baking dish. Spoon over the meat sauce and top with the remaining pasta. Mix the egg into the white sauce and pour over the pasta. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with a crisp green salad.