Seven cosy bowls for winter

Soup, rice, udon, pudding! Plus, excellent garlic bread

While I’m never quite ready for winter, I always try my best to prepare. Last month I found a second hand Fjallraven parka, which has already made one degree market mornings feel possible and snug. I also have a whole collection of cosy meals and scenes saved to a folder on Instagram to remind me that the season can be fun. Or at the very least, really good for cooking and eating! It became cold quickly here, so I’ve had a head start on winter cooking. Here are some recent faves:

The bulgogi I’ll be making all winter

This was my first time making bulgogi and I followed Cafe Maddy’s recipe, which was so easy. She uses a packet of thinly sliced beef, which you can find at Asian grocers or in my case in the frozen section of Coles. It means the prep is simply chopping an onion, some garlic and mixing up the marinade. 

Because the meat is so delicate, this meal cooks quickly, so you can steam some veggies in the time it takes to stir fry your bulgogi. There’s a series of spin-off recipes using the bulgogi base, including a Japanese-inspired beef and egg bowl which looks yum.

Five-minute cinnamon apples

My friend Laura (who reviews instant noodles on Instagram) inspired me to try these easy apples. They cook quickly on the stove with maple syrup, cinnamon and coconut oil. They’re great on top of yoghurt, porridge and granola too.

Very good lentil bolognese

I’ve tried a bunch of vegetarian bolognese recipes in the past, but none came close to the meat-based ones I grew up with. That’s until Hetty Lui McKinnon took up the challenge and developed an excellent lentil bolognese that hits the same comforting notes.

Like any good bolognese, this one needs time to simmer, so it might be one for the weekend. It makes heaps and we usually get four meals out of it (we’re a house of two!).

Seafood soup with excellent garlic bread

I can always trust Jenny Rosenstrach for weeknight recipes that still feel exciting. I saw this Italian seafood soup in her

Dinner: A Love Story

newsletter. I’ve made it twice and the best version was made with unseasoned marinara mix. Both times I substituted fish stock for clam juice.

This will probably be my garlic bread recipe forever more and it almost stole the show!

Rainy day udon with honey-glazed mushrooms

If you’re a fan of Hetty Lui McKinnon’s life-changing udon noodles, there’s a good chance you’ll love her udon noodles with honey-glazed mushrooms, wombok and butter (NYT Cooking gift link). The honey is mixed through the caramelised mushrooms, and it smells amazing as it cooks. Chubby, chewy udon noodles are perfect for winter.

Very easy lentil, potato and lemon soup

This was one of the first things I made after a recent bout of COVID, because it looked both doable and warming. By Lina Jebeile, this simple soup features many things I love (potatoes, lemon!) and ingredients I already had. The prep for this soup is so easy, it takes the pressure off getting a start on dinner straight after work.

Chocolate lava cakes

Probably best served in the ramekin if you care about presentation 😅

I probably recommend this recipe every winter. It’s a classic chocolate lava cake from Eric Kim and one of my favourite treats to make when it’s too dark and cold to leave the house at night.

Finally, a reminder that it’s the best season for long blacks with cream.

Catch you in July!