Healthy Winter Comfort Food Recipes

Have the winter months had you craving comfort food? Are you worried that by Spring, you’re winter bod will be settled in?

Fear not, we have created a list of our favorited healthy winter comfort food alternatives that won’t leave you 5kg heavier.

Hand-cut Potato Chips

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 large yellow potatoes skin on
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt season to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven with oven tray to 200°C.
  2. Leaving the skin on, cut each potato into chips approximately 2cm thick.
  3. Place cut potatoes into a bag, drizzle with olive oil and seasoning. Shake to coat ingredients.
  4. Place baking paper on tray and pour chips straight from oven bag. Take care to spread evenly apart.
  5. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Serve straight up – Delicious.

https://todatoes.com.au/recipes/healthy-skin-on-chips/

Avocado Carbonara

INGREDIENTS

  • 450g of spiralled zucchini (zoodles)*
  • 2ripe, small to medium avocado, halved
  • 1egg
  • 1/4cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 6slices thick cut bacon, chopped
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or oregano
  • 1teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Spiral the zucchini in to pasta and wrap in a towel to soak up excess moisture.
  2. In a blender, combine the avocado, egg, basil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. With the blender running, stream in about 1/2 cup of water and pulse until smooth and creamy.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Add the zucchini pasta, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes, to the skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until warmed though. Add the avocado sauce and parmesan, tossing well to combine. Continue to cook another 3-5 minutes, adding water to thin the sauce as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Remove from the heat and stir in a handful of fresh herbs.
  5. Divide the pasta among plates and top with parmesan and basil. Enjoy!

 

*This recipe actually uses real pasta, so you have the option to use either, or any other pasta alternative of your choice

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/avocado-zucchini-carbonara-pasta/

 

Paleo Sweet Potato Nachos

INGREDIENTS

Sweet potato chips

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
  • Sea salt

Spicy beef *

  • 1 medium brown onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil
  • 1 long red chilli, diced
  • 400 grams ground beef/beef mince (just under a pound)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (regular is also fine)
  • ½ teaspoon regular sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1½ cup tinned diced tomatoes or tomato passata
  • ⅔ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Tomato salsa

  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced, seeds out
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion/scallions
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes or cayenne pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Guacamole

  • 1 avocado, mashed with a fork
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely diced or grated
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Sweet potato chips- If making sweet potato chips, preheat the oven to 170 C/338 F (conventional, not fan forced). Slice the sweet potato as thin as you can, you can leave the skin on. Use a mandolin slicer or a slicer setting on a food processor if you like. Toss the potato slices in melted coconut oil or olive oil, use your hands to separate the slices and get them coated evenly. Place parchment/baking paper on two flat roasting trays and place potato slices in a single layer, overlapping each other slightly if needed. Bake for 20-25 minutes and then turn the chips over. Bake for another 20 minutes or even longer if you want them very crunchy. Keep an eye on the time if you oven tends to get too hot and reduce by 5 minutes on each side.
  2. Spicy beef – In a deep skillet or a frying pan, heat the ghee or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chilli and sauté for 5 minutes, until golden. Add the beef and bring the heat to high. Cook and stir with a spatula for 5 minutes, separating the pieces along the way. Then add the rest of ingredients, stir and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, with a lid on, stirring regularly.
  3. Cheese sauce – In the meantime prepare the cheese sauce according to this recipe.
  4. Tomato salsa & guacamole – Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Prepare the guacamole and set aside.
  5. Finally, assemble the nachos in the following order. Place the beef in the middle of a large, deep platter. Make a well in the middle and push the beef outwards. Add the tomato salsa around the beef and place the chips on the edges of the platter. Place dollops of guacamole on the beef and pour the cheese sauce in the well of the middle of the platter.

 

*This recipe can be made vegetarian with beans as a replacement for beef

http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/paleo-nachos-with-sweet-potato-chips/

 

Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

Cake Filling

  • 750 g cream cheese.
  • 2 tablespoons full-fat natural or Greek yoghurt.
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream.
  • 1/2 cup rice malt syrup.
  • 1 free-range egg.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla powder.

Cake Base

  • 1 cup almonds.
  • 1 cup almond meal.
  • 1 cup shredded coconut.
  • 120 g butter, at room temperature.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and grease the sides and base of a 22cm spring-form tin.
  2. To make the cheesecake base, grind the nuts in a food processor until semi-fine. Add the coconut, almond meal and butter and rub with your fingers to make a dough. The more you rub, the more you’ll release the oils in the nuts and achieve the right consistency. Press into the tin, covering the base and sides to an even thickness (about 5 mm). Place into the oven and bake for 5–8 minutes until starting to turn golden. Remove and allow to cool completely.
  3. Clean out the food processor and place the cream cheese, yoghurt, coconut cream, syrup, egg and vanilla powder into the mixing bowl and blitz until combined. Spoon into the cold base and return to the oven for 20–30 minutes or until centre is custard-like (don’t overcook). Remove from the oven and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm before serving.
  4. Place cheesecake on a serving plate. Drizzle over Raspberry Chia Jam and for an even more dramatic effect, place in a knife!

https://recipes.28bysamwood.com/recipe/bloody-good-cheesecake/

Amie Maclaine

Amie is a self-professed make up addict with a larger perfume collection than anyone in the southern hemisphere. There’s not a night of the week you won’t find her without a face mask on, and cup of peppermint tea in hand. With a passion for all things food and wellness, she’s the first to jump on a new heath trend. If she’s not rocking one of her well-loved rugby jumpers, you’ll find her in her active wear, Almond Dirty Chai in-tow, ready to take on the day.

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