THREE EASY WINTER MEALS YOU NEED TO TRY!
Looking for some warmers to add to your home menu this winter? We got you covered! It's oh, so easy to fall into the routine of cooking the same couple of things. Let's branch out! Below you will find the details for a breakfast, lunch and dinner option that our staff have been loving this cold season!
This super easy recipe comes from Abbie in Pigeonhole Claremont. She’s an absolute guru when it comes to tasty vegan cooking, and we were totally stoked she was willing to pass on some of her tips to us for the perfect vegan breakfast! That said, you don’t at all have to be vegan to enjoy this one. Feel free to use this as a side dish for your favourite breakfast meats!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 300g tofu (Abbie uses the Macro Medium Classic Tofu)
- Salt & pepper, to taste.
- 1 tsp of garlic powder (or to taste, if you’re all about the garlic – Abbie sure is)
- A handful of rocket
- 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 2 pieces of toast
HOW TO MAKE:
- Heat your olive oil in a pan before crumbling the tofu in to fry
- Fry for a short while to cook some of the moisture out then add in your salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Chuck your bread in the toaster and once the tofu is browning a little bit, add the rocket letting it wilt slightly
- Turn off the heat and stir in the vegan mayo
- Serve on toast with a squirt of your favourite sauce!
NOTE: This is really the most basic version of tofu scramble, so you can feel free to make it your own! Add whatever you like! Abbie usually tosses in some halved cherry tomatoes, chopped capsicum or even some broccolini, depending on what’s in the fridge!
It wouldn’t be a list of winter warmers if we didn’t include a classic soup! This recipe comes from our WA Visual Merchandiser, Kat! It’s another quick and simple one that really does allow space for some culinary creativity to make it your own!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 garlic bulb
- 2kg ripe roma tomatoes, cores removed & halved lengthways
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 tbps olive oil
- 1 brown onion, halved & finely chopped
- 4 cups liquid vegetable stock
HOW TO MAKE:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Cut side up, place the tomatoes and garlic on a lined baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Roast these in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender.
- Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 or so minutes. Once cool, peel the tomatoes.
- Chuck the tomatoes into the food processor and process until smooth. Once smooth, stain into a large bowl, discarding of any seeds.
- Peel the garlic, place it into a bowl and mash it with a fork.
- Over a medium-high heat, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion in and stir for 3 minutes or until soft.
- Once cooked, add the garlic, stock and tomato puree, and bring the mixture to the boil.
- Reduce heat to low and allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: Feeling too simple? Why not sauté some hot Italian sausage in the saucepan before adding the puree to infuse the mix with some hot and spicy flavours? OR, if you’re wanting to keep it in vegetarian territory but still looking to add some heartiness, serve your soup with a poached egg and some extra spices to give the dish a more Moroccan twist!
This flavour sensation comes to us from Jayden in Pigeonhole HQ! She can’t take credit for this recipe (it’s a Jamie Oliver classic), but it’s definitely one of her faves. This recipe is super quick to put together, so perfect for those nights when you’re after something a little bit extravagant but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 2 x skinless free-range chicken breasts
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil (or canola)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 fresh red chillies
- 8 ripe cherry tomatoes
- 250g green beans
- 300g fresh lasagne sheets
- 200g baby spinach
AND FOR PESTO:
- 1 big bunch of fresh basil
- 50 g blanched almonds
- 50 g Parmesan cheese , plus extra to serve
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
(alternatively, you can purchase pre-made basil pesto)
HOW TO MAKE:
- Toss the chicken salt, pepper, fennel seeds and the rosemary leaves on a sheet of baking paper. Fold over the paper, then flatten the chicken to an approx. 1.5cm thickness with a rolling pin.
- Put the chicken into the frying pan with the oil, with garlic cloves (bashed an unpeeled) and halved chillies. Flip it over after about 3 or 4 minutes, and repeat until golden and cooked through.
- Line the beans up and cut off the end stalks. Put these into a casserole pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook for around 6 minutes with the lid on.
- SKIP THIS STEP IF YOU AREN’T MAKING YOUR OWN PESTO - Rip off the stalks off your basil and put the rest of the bunch into a food processor with the almonds, Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Crush the garlic and add it to the mix, then blitz until smooth. Adding a ladle or two of cooking water from the beans to loosen the mix and then season to taste.
- Slice the lasagne sheets up into random triangular shapes (or whatever shape tickles your fancy, really!) and add them in with the beans to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes and add them to the chicken, giving the pan a good shake.
- Take the spinach and stir it into the beans and pasta pan. Give them a drain, then return them back to the pan and in the pesto.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half and serve on with the pesto pasta, with the tomatoes and chilli positioned on top. Feel free to sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese and a couple of basil leaves for some extra wow.
NOTE: If spice isn’t really your thing, remove the seeds from the chillies after halving them. This will make for a more mild spice, but still keep the flavours!
And there you have it! A full day of 100% PIGEON APPROVED meals. Be sure to let us know what you think if you give them a go and share us your pics on Instagram! #pigeonholeaustralia