Bonfire Night is approaching, and with it, the perfect occasion to whip up some easy, warming comfort food. If you can, eat outdoors, light a fire and watch the sparks fly up. Enjoy the contrast of cold air on your face and a hot plate of something tasty to savour.
Whether you are able to have a small bonfire in your garden or just light a candle at the table, here’s to all our lights shining together in the dark.
First up for best bonfire recipes is a wonderful twist on a simple spud – baked potatoes with cheesy kale filling. These vegetarian baked potatoes hit that magic spot somewhere between decadent and worthy. They make a great simple and inexpensive dinner, and can be easily adapted to your kitchen contents: use chard or spinach if you have this in your veg box instead of kale, or use a smoky cheese such as Gruyère in place of cheddar.
A mug of hot soup is always a winner, and with apples being abundant you may be surprised to see how well they work in a savoury soup. This unusual, velvety spiced squash, apple and cider soup brings together sweet apples and cider with punchy Indian spices.
The original street food craze, falafel stuffed pittas are usually associated with summer eating but in place of the usual accompaniments of cucumber and tomatoes, try an earthy and sweet beetroot preparation. Harissa and spices add depth and a little fieriness, cooled by a kefir dressing.
If you love toffee apples, you’ll love this rather more sophisticated version of that classic flavour pairing – a sweet, sticky and aromatic apple, almond and thyme tarte tatin. Go full ‘Bake-Off’ by combining your own home-made caramel with apple on a simple DIY almond pastry base.
For a quick and easy dessert, muffins are always a great go-to. Sweet and moist, they’re a good zero waste recipe as you can use up any post-Halloween pumpkin you may still have in the fridge. Flavoured with cinnamon and topped with a simple cream cheese frosting, pumpkin muffins may just be your new favourite teatime treat long after Bonfire Night.
Parkin. Oatmeal (pinhead) used to make a rich treacle cake, popular in N. England. No, mention here!