Favourite hot and hearty dishes

[Rachel]

As the weather seems to have taken a turn for the worse, we're already thinking about autumnal soups and stews. Do you have a favourite simple hot dish recipe to share with our forumites? We'll print some of the best ideas in the magazine!

[clairey]

One of my favourite discoveries since moving to Italy is 'pastina', that is, little pasta. Available in various shapes from stars ('stelline') to rice-shaped ('risoni), it's wonderfully warming when added to hot stock and served as a soup. The only other ingredient you need is a drizzle of extra virgin over the top and a scattering of parmesan-style cheese should you wish. So easy!

If you can't get hold of itty-bitty pasta then any other pasta would work.

A delicious variation is 'pasta alla carrettiera', a speciality of Sicily. To prepare, slice the tops of fresh tomatoes and boil for around 5 minutes, until you can easily peel off the skin. Then, in a bowl, smash with a fork together with chopped fresh basil and a smattering of very finely chopped garlic. Add this mixture to the pastina soup and enjoy a dish that is warming yet so refreshing at the same time.

[Rachel]

Hi clairey
This sounds fantastic - I'll definitely be trying out that Sicilian idea!

[juker]

Chilli is really warming on a cold day, if you make a big batch it freezes well too

Cant beat a big bowl of steaming hot soup and some crusty bread on a cold winters evening, warms you up from the inside

[pinkfoodie]

When I was a student, one of my favourite comfort foods was lentil cassarole with LOTS of vegetables and garlic. It's still one of my favourite meals. As in cheesy pasta smothered in brown sauce.

[Rachel]

Cold weather always makes me want carbohydrates! Creamy pasta with roast veggies, huge fluffy jacket potatoes filled with leftover lasagne filling (generally based around soya mince, tinned toms and a little Marmite, with various herbs or spices to ring the changes), or hot buttered crumpets. Too tempting!

[rousieee]

There was a recipe in one of your recent (possibly even the last) magazine for a casserole with pui lentils, carrots and wild garlic and parsley Quorn sausages. I served it with frozen broad beans and a small potato rosti. It was lush and really easy to make...keep them coming!!!

[Pipsqueak]

I just LOVE veggie Autumn fare.

In one of her early books Nigella does a great version of an onion tarte tatin with a cheesy scone base - totally rib sticking stuff. I adapted it to use a deluge of Mushrooms one year and it's worked great ever since, served with fresh coleslaw and chili spiked baked beans.

I also love old style Marrow with a nut stuffing instead of mince. So old fashioned, but so satisfying! Best served with steamed veg., boiled potatoes and a cheese or tomato sauce.

Cobbler with root vegetables is great too. And dead easy.

I'll find the recipes and put them up once I've sourced my folder..

[Pipsqueak]

I just LOVE veggie Autumn fare.
I'll find the recipes and put them up once I've sourced my folder..

My folder of cuttings is scattered about! But one I like for Autumn is a vegetarian version of stuffed marrow. Very old fashioned, the sort of thing our grandparents used to make with meat mince, often using home-grown marrows. I tried growing marrows this year, alas the slugs destroyed my plants:

Nut Stuffed Marrow:

1. Cut the stalk end off the marrow and scoop out the centre. Peel if the skin is hard.
2. Finely chop 2 large onions and saute in 2 tbsp oil for ten minutes. Peel and grate 1 medium carrot and add to onions, cook for a further five to ten minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add 4oz of ground hazelnuts (or other nuts), 2oz wholemeal breadcrumbs, 1 tsp dried mixed herbs, salt & pepper, 1 beaten free-range egg. Mix well.
4. Fill marrow cavity with filling. Fix stalk end of marrow back onto open end with toothpicks (to prevent filling from falling out).
5. Place Marrow into greased baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 190C for 40 minutes.
6. Serve in thick slices with a cheese or tomato sauce, new potatoes and steamed vegetables.

[Pipsqueak]

I made this up today, it worked out great:

Golden Lentil and Apricot Soup with Morrocan Spices

Chop and fry 2 onions in 1 or 2 tbsp oil.
Add 8 oz peeled and diced carrots and 2 oz chopped dried apricots.
Add 6 oz red lentils and 2 and 1/4 pints water, plus 2 veggie stock cubes.
Add 2 tsp Rasa El Hanout (or a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom) and 1 to 2 tsp of dried chili flakes (Harissa paste would be ideal if you have it - I didn't today)
Bring to boil, lower and simmer for 20 minutes, or until lentils are pulpy and carrots are soft.
Season with Salt & Pepper.
Blend with a hand held immersion blender (be careful not to splash) and serve.