9 warming recipes to welcome the colder weather

A heartwarming soup, a classic SA dessert and a boerie pap pie will warm you right up

Winter is a time for comforting meals like warm malva pudding, hearty soups and comfort food. The kind of meals that fill you up while you're wrapped in a blanket watching TV. Winter is coming, so sip on some spicy Gluhwein, put a South Africa twist on a homely pot pie, or simmer some silky melkkos on the stove. 

A DROOL WORTHY VEGETARIAN WINTER COMFORT FOOD

Chef Per Menkö, the owner of the Casablanca-inspired eatery Rick's Café Américain, has dished up a delicious wintery bake you won't want to keep to yourself. Layered Aubergine Tagine with Lentils is a hearty Moroccan style meal that is filled with a range of melty cheeses, aubergine, pasta sheets, perfectly balanced spices and a hearty lentil bolognese. A foolproof way to fend off the chill is to dive into this indulgent winter layered vegetarian bake.

SUGARY, CINNAMONY DELICIOUS MILK FOOD FOR WINTER NIGHTS
Melkkos literally translated means milk food and is a delicious Afrikaans dish often passed down for generations. It's a homely dish that uses only a few ingredients and will take you right back to your childhood. All you'll need is full cream milk, cinnamon, cardamom pods, sugar, cake flour, salt and butter to make this quick and easy melkkos recipe.  

SIP AND WATCH YOUR CHEEKS GLOW
Gluhwein is a German/Austrian hot and boozy drink, similar to mulled wine, think holiday spices, citrus, and smooth red wine.  Austrian-born chef Roland Gorgosilich shared with us his recipe for a warming Gluehwein punch. You'll need one and a half bottles of red wine, three oranges and two lemons for zesting, orange juice, cinnamon, star anise, four cloves and bay leaves. And for those of us who have run out of wine or want to share with the kids, you can swap out the red wine with cranberry juice to make Roland Gorgosilich’s Glühwein.

AN EASY HEARTWARMING SOUTH AFRICAN FAVOURITE

Malva pudding is a classic baked dessert no South African can resist. This melt in your mouth recipe with sweet and fruity apricot jam and a drizzle of hot custard will melt even the coldest of hearts. The key to any malva pudding is waiting for the buttery sweet sauce to soak into the cake. It's harder than it sounds. You can also serve it with cream or ice-cream to make this sweet South African even harder to resist.

A HEALTHY AND CHUNKY START TO WINTER
Minestrone soup is a perfect dinner dish for anyone who doesn’t fancy themselves a pro in the kitchen. This soup is perfect for using up those bottom-of-the-veggie-drawer ingredients. The Washington Post has published a drool-worthy minestrone soup that calls for an onion, cabbage, beans, pasta and your choice of vegetables. Starting with the onions, cook in a saucepan over medium until translucent, add your spices, your assortment of vegetables add your broth and then turn down the heat and let simmer. You can follow the full recipe via the Washington Post website.

STUFF YOUR PEPPERS TO THE BRIM
Stuffed bell peppers are the perfect vessel for just about any ingredients you have in your pantry or fridge. You really can adjust the recipe to what you like. Delish has served up a stuffed bell pepper dish that is perfect as a quick and easy meal for the whole family. You can start by cutting off the tops of the peppers and stuffing each one with your choice of beef, chicken, fish or vegetables. Finish off with a heavy handful of cheese before baking in a hot oven. You can follow the full recipe below via the Delish website.

YOU CAN STILL BRAAI YOUR BOERIE IN WINTER

No matter the weather a dedicated South African will still manage to have a braai. Foodies SA has served up a classic South African dish with ingredients most of us will likely already have in our pantry or freezer. While the braai is warming up you can make the maize meal crust with chicken stock, maize meal, butter and salt. For the filling, you'll need baked beans, hot and spicy chakalaka, boerewors, an egg, parsley and seasoning. The combination of the chakalaka with a hot pie straight from the oven is a sure-fire way to keep you warm even on the chilliest of nights. You can watch the full recipe below or follow the recipe via the Foodies SA website.

NO STRESS LASAGNE
Lasagne is a popular family favourite. It's delicious, child approved, and can be a super easy meal to make. Southern Living has dished out a foolproof recipe that will easily find a permanent spot on your dinner rotation. You'll need your choice of protein (or you could keep it vegetarian), canned tomatoes, lasagne noodles and your selection of cheeses. This recipe is also perfect for storing in the freezer and re-heating when you need a comforting warming meal. You can watch the full video and follow the recipe via the Southern Living website.

NOT YOUR OUMA'S BOBOTIE
Learn to make a classic South African dish from an unlikely source:  German-born chef Stefan Schmidt. This delicious deconstructed bobotie is a fresh modern take on tradition. The Cape Malay flavour is all there: beef mince, onion, apricots, apricot jam, chutney, currents and a blend of aromatic spices.  Spend a day challenging yourself in the kitchen and reinvent a classic Cape Malay bobotie recipe at home.

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