By Amy Hopkins; Photography by Micky Hoyle

The ultimate comfort food 

Hot steamy bakes, bubbling pots and roasts that fill your home with droolworthy aromas that beg you to curl up with a blankie and a bowlful…

The best news? They can all be made in one dish.

Roast Citrus Chicken With Veg
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

— Extra-virgin olive oil
— 2 red onions, cut into wedges
— 1 large butternut, sliced 1 large sweet potato, sliced
— 1 whole chicken, giblets removed
— 1 orange, zested
— 1 lemon, zested
— 8 whole cloves garlic
— Handful fresh thyme 1 cup white wine
— 1 tsp smoky paprika
— Freshly ground black pepper Himalayan salt

Method
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2/ Grease a large, deep oven dish or large baking tray with olive oil. Place onion slices in the centre, then butternut on one side and sweet potato on the other.
3/ Place the chicken breast-side down on top of the onion and stuff it with half the orange, a couple lemon slices, four garlic cloves and some fresh thyme (under the skin and inside the cavity).
4/ Scatter the rest of the garlic and thyme around the vegetables.
5/ Squeeze over the juice from the rest of the lemon and orange. Pour over the white wine. Sprinkle the zest and paprika over the chicken and veg. Season, then wrap the chicken tray in foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
6/ Remove the foil, give the vegetables a stir, turn the chicken over and drizzle over some extra olive oil. Continue to cook for another 45 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken, but you’ll know when the chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear after inserting a knife into the thickest part of the flesh.

READ MORE: Master Your Dinner Prep With These 7 Tips

Italian Style Fish Bake
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

— 8 to 10 baby potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
— 8 plum tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
— 1 large red pepper, chopped
— 4 courgettes, chopped 1 red onion, roughly chopped
— 4 cloves garlic, halved, skin on
— 2 red chillies, roughly chopped
— Handful fresh thyme
— Extra-virgin olive oil
— Freshly ground black pepper
— Himalayan salt
– 4 large hake fillets, skinned, deboned (150g each)
— 1 large lemon, sliced
— 1 cup white wine

Method
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2/ Add the veggies to a large, deep oven tray. Add half the thyme, drizzle with olive oil, season and bake for 40 minutes.
3/ Once the veggies are half cooked, begin preparing the fish fillets. Make sure they are well cleaned and there are no remaining bones. Place them on a plate, squeeze over some lemon juice and scatter some thyme leaves on top.
4/ Once the veggies are cooked through, place the fish on top and pour the white wine over. Cover the fish with the remaining lemon slices and fresh thyme. Bake for a further 10 to 12 minutes depending on thickness of the fish (you want the fish flaky and soft. If it’s still translucent, cook for a couple more minutes).

READ MORE: 5 Easy Detox Dinners That Taste Exactly Like Comfort Food

Coq Au Vin With A Healthy Twist
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

— 8 skinless chicken thighs
— Extra-virgin olive oil
— 12 whole baby onions, peeled
— 1 punnet brown mushrooms
— 1 cup chicken stock
— 2 to 3 cups red wine
— Freshly ground black pepper
— Himalayan salt
— Tapioca starch for thickening, optional
— 1 bunch fresh thyme

Method
1/ Set a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken pieces in olive oil until just browned on each side. Remove.
2/ Add more olive oil to the pan and sauté the baby onions and mushrooms for a minute. Put the chicken back in, cover with stock and red wine, add thyme and season and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your desired liking.
3/ You can add one tablespoon of tapioca starch (mixed with some of the red wine sauce to make a paste) to the red wine sauce to help thicken it further.
4/ Serve with wild rice or cauli mash for a low-carb option.

READ MORE: 7 Insanely Delicious Ways To Eat Zoodles For Dinner

VGF Lasagna
(Serve 4 to 6)

Ingredients

For the mock-cheese sauce
— 100g macadamia nuts, softened (soaked overnight or boiled for an hour)
— 1 tbsp fresh origanum
— 1 clove garlic
— 1 small red chilli
— 1 handful fresh basil
— 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
— 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
— 1 tsp nutritional yeast
— Freshly ground black pepper
— Himalayan salt

For the lasagna
— 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
— Gluten-free lasagna sheets
— 1 large aubergine, thinly sliced
— 2 large courgettes, thinly sliced
— 2 handfuls baby spinach

Method
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2/ Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a Nutribullet and blitz until creamy. Add a little warm water to loosen. Taste and season accordingly.
3/ In a 20cmx20cm deep dish, pour in about 300g tomatoes.
4/ Add a layer of pasta to cover the tomatoes.
5/ Layer slices of aubergine over the pasta, followed by the courgette.
6/ Spread half the cheesy sauce mix over the courgettes.
7/ Add all the baby spinach and then pour about 300g of the tomatoes over the spinach.
8/ Add another layer of lasagna sheets, pressing down slightly to squash the spinach leaves.
9/ Top with another layer of aubergine, then courgette, the remaining sauce and, lastly, the remaining tomato. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until cooked through.

Spicy Shakshuka
(Serves 2)

Ingredients

— 1 red onion, chopped
— 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
— 2 red chillies, finely chopped
— Extra-virgin olive oil
— 1 tsp smoky paprika
— 1 tsp ground cumin
— 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained, rinsed
— 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
— 1 green pepper, chopped
— 4 extra-large free-range eggs
— Freshly ground black pepper
— Himalayan salt
— Fresh basil

Method
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2/ Sauté the onion, garlic and chillies in a little olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet for five minutes.
3/ Add the paprika and cumin and stir for a minute until fragrant. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and chopped pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly.
4/ Using a wooden spoon, make four evenly spaced gaps in the sauce. Crack an egg into each one, season, then place the dish in the oven for five minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking (we recommend keeping the yolk soft). Serve with fresh basil.

Vegan Bean Stew
(Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients

— Extra-virgin olive oil
— 1 large red onion, finely chopped
— 4 celery sticks, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and grated
— 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
— 1 tsp paprika
— 1 tsp cumin seeds
— 1 tsp cayenne pepper
— 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
— 2 large red peppers, chopped
— 1 tbsp tomato paste
— 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
— 1⁄4 cup red wine
— Freshly ground black pepper
— Himalayan salt
— 3 x 400g tinned beans, such as black, borlotti, kidney or butter beans
— 1 to 2 cups vegetable stock
— Lemon zest and juice, for serving
— Fresh coriander, for serving
— Avocado, for serving

Method
1/ Place some olive oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Sauté the red onion, celery and carrots until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2/ Add the garlic and spices and a little more olive oil, if necessary, and sauté for a further five minutes.
3/ Add the chopped tomatoes, red peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, red wine and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.
4/ Add the beans and add enough vegetable stock to cover. Simmer for another hour over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
5/ Test seasoning and adjust accordingly.
6/ Serve with a lemon wedge, coriander and sliced avocado.