Comforting recipe ideas from us, to you

Whether it’s cooking or baking, rustling up something delicious in the kitchen can do wonders for feeding the soul. There’s something quite therapeutic about the process and it’s likely why many of us have found a new love for it in the past year, including many of us here at QVC. We’re often sharing our latest creations and favourite comfort food recipes with each other and so, we thought we’d share them with you too!

Here are four ideas from our Digital Team anyone can have a go at:

Sam’s “chuck it all in a saucepan” fruit cake

A really easy recipe shared by my aunt. It’s a simple but very tasty fruitcake that can be prepared really quickly, all you need is a saucepan and a cake tin. Using things you’ve probably got in the cupboard somewhere, it’s perfect for those days where you want a fuss-free treat.

Ingredients:

  • 200g (7oz) mixed dried fruit
  • 100g (3.5oz) margarine
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 150g (5.3oz) brown sugar
  • 150g (5.3oz) self raising flour
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • A pinch of salt

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 170C
  • Place the fruit in a saucepan and cover with cold water
  • Bring to the boil and let simmer for five minutes
  • Turn off the hob, drain off the water and return the fruit to the saucepan
  • Add the margarine to the fruit and let it melt down
  • Add eggs, sugar, flour, mixed spice and salt
  • Mix well
  • Pour into a 20cm (8″) greased cake tin
  • Bake for one hour

 

Ayesha’s “easy-peasy” broccoli and red pepper quiche

This quiche recipe is really simple and one that can be adapted so easily to whatever ingredients you have in the fridge. I add quite a lot of red chilli, plus fresh green chilli chopped finely as they add a great kick. You can add more or less depending on what spice level you prefer or omit altogether and stick to salt and pepper – still delicious!

Ingredients:

  • Shortcrust pastry – I used the ready-rolled variety from any supermarket
  • 2 cups of broccoli chopped into small florets
  • 2 green chillies chopped finely (optional)
  • 1 chopped red pepper – any colour is fine, the red makes a nice contrast to the broccoli
  • 5 large eggs
  • ¾ cup of whole milk
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 cup grated cheese – I use medium cheddar but any hard cheese will work

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180C
  • Roll out the pastry and line a 9″ – 10″ pie plate or tart pan, I always leave a little overhang as the pastry tends to shrink a little, it’s not very neat but still has a nice rustic touch!
  • Bake the pastry blind – place a sheet of greaseproof paper in the pastry and fill it with rice or dry chickpeas – for 15 minutes until it has a light colour
  • While it’s in the oven, whisk together the eggs, milk and seasoning, add the veg and cheese and mix thoroughly
  • Remove the pastry from the oven and after taking out the paper and baking beans pour in the egg and vegetable mixture, smoothing it out so it’s even
  • Pop it back in the oven for about 30 – 35 minutes. Check at 25 minutes to make sure it has set, if so and if it’s already browned nicely you can cover it with foil so it doesn’t brown any further
  • Serve hot or cold

 

Jess N’s “let’s do it together” jam tarts

I have great memories of making these with my mum when me and my brother were kids. I think we were more making a mess of the kitchen and eating out of the mixing bowl rather than actually helping (she’d likely tell you this still happens) but the end results were always delicious!

Tip – alternate your fillings with three different types of jam/curd, such as strawberry jam, apricot jam and lemon curd, for a colourful selection of tarts.

Ingredients:

  • 114g (4oz) white flour
  • 114g (4oz) wholemeal flour (the secret ingredient)
  • 114g (4oz) margarine
  • A pinch of baking powder
  • A splash of cold water
  • Jam or curd filling

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180C
  • Rub margarine into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
  • Bind together with a little bit of water to make a lump of pastry
  • Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes
  • Grease a 12-hole tart or shallow muffin tin with butter
  • Roll out your pastry onto a lightly floured surface
  • Cut out 12 circles using a cookie cutter big enough to line the holes of your tin
  • Gently line each hole with your pastry circles
  • Dollop 1-2 tsp of jam in the centre of each circle
  • Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the pastry is golden
  • Leave to cool in the tin for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling

 

Laura’s “time for a family feast” pie

This deep-filled pie is our family go-to for a big Boxing Day feast as it’s really easy to make and you can use as much turkey as you like. It can also be adapted for any time of the year if you substitute turkey with chicken – equally delicious!

Tip: we use a roll of readymade filo pastry to make it even easier too!

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 punnet of mushrooms cut into large chunks
  • 2 leeks sliced
  • 2 sticks of celery sliced
  • 250g (8.8oz) bacon lardons
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp crème fraiche
  • Bouquet garni (or thyme, bay leaves, oregano)
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • 1kg – 1.5kg (35oz – 53oz) of pre-cooked turkey or chicken
  • Filo pastry
  • Egg wash

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to gas mark 7, 220C, 200C (fan oven)
  • Sweat the onion in the olive oil with a pinch of salt in a large pan until they go clear
  • Add the lardons until softened
  • Then add the leeks, celery and mushrooms stirring frequently until softened
  • Dust the turkey with the flour
  • Add the chicken stock, white wine if required and turkey to the pan
  • Stir in the wholegrain mustard and add the herbs
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Stir in the crème fraiche
  • Simmer on a low heat for about 5 minutes while you prepare the pie dish and pastry
  • Whisk up your egg wash, we use the yoke only for a deep golden shine
  • Roll out 1/2 of the pastry and cover the base and sides of your dish
  • Spoon the rest of your ingredients into the pastry-lined pie dish
  • Take the rest of the filo pastry and lay it on top of the ingredients
  • Brush on the egg wash, if there is any pastry overhang, fold the extra into the top of the pie and tuck in neatly around the sides, use extra egg wash to help it stick
  • Prick the top a couple of times with a fork or sharp knife
  • Place into the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, check after 30 minutes to make sure it’s not too brown

Serving suggestions:

  • Serve straight from the oven to the centre of the table
  • Spicy red cabbage and broccoli are great sides

 

We hope you’re feeling inspired to try out some of these recipes. For other ideas, see our previous Let’s Get Baking article where we revealed more of our favourite bakes to make, and if you need any equipment to give you a helping hand, head over to our Kitchen range.