Best Chelsea Winter Recipes
Kiwi icon Chelsea Winter doles out so many scrumptious recipes that it’s often hard to pick out the best (we already briefly covered Chelsea Winters fabulous cheese scones in another blog post!). Chelsea specializes in nourishing and delicious everyday meals that are made special with the use of high-quality ingredients.
The pandemic has forced us all to cook at home a little more than we used to, but it’s not all bad news. In Chelsea’s words, “If you want a happy, healthy relationship with food, I reckon the simple act of preparing a home-cooked meal is a great place to start.” We couldn’t agree more. Here’s a look at some of our favorite Chelsea Winter recipes, perfect for your next getaway or for just a quick weeknight dinner made special.
Kumara and Bacon Salad
Here’s a delicious salad that’s as good chilled as it is hot and fresh. It’s the perfect picnic accompaniment that’s also great for pot-lucks. Is it a side or the main course? That’s up to you–it’s hard to get enough of this one.
The chopped kumara is boiled until tender, about ten or fifteen minutes, and the bacon is fried until very crispy, about fifteen minutes as well. These are then combined with the other base ingredients, including a little sliced red onion, cooked peas, walnuts, and lots of grated parmesan.
The dressing is creamy and straightforward, with a sour cream and mayonnaise base. Lots of parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and a dash of lemon juice bring together the flavours into a delicious and tasty salad that’s unique and refreshing.
We couldn’t agree with Chelsea’s final tip more–you can’t go wrong by adding some chopped avocado to this one.
Click here for Chelsea’s Famous Kumara and Bacon Salad Recipe.
Chelsea’s Triple Chocolate Brownies
There really isn’t any meal that isn’t made better with a brownie. And sometimes, there isn’t any better meal than a brownie. It’s perfect with tea or coffee, or as a sweet wrap-up to the main course.
Chelsea Winters recipe uses chocolate, which isn’t a surprise. But what is surprising is just how much she manages to pack into these delicious little morsels. White and dark chocolate chunks add bursts of flavour, and macadamia nuts add a wonderful crunch.
Since the recipe is simple, with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, quality certainly matters. Find the best stuff you can get your hands-on, and you’ll have some fantastic brownies to show for it.
The base brownie recipe can be used as a base for many other things. Pile whipped cream on top with fresh berries for a striking and delicious desert. Add a hot brownie underneath your next scoop of ice cream for a decadent treat, or have the brownie plain as a snack. It’s delicious no matter what you pile on!
Click here for Chelsea Winter’s Triple Chocolate Brownies.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Muffins are a wonderful treat for breakfast or as a tea-time treat. They’re sweet but not overly so. They satisfy that need for fresh-baked bread, yet they’re quick and easy to make. Plus, they’re hard to mess up. If you’re on holiday and feel like cake for breakfast without the guilt, it’s time for muffins! And since these muffins feature bananas, the healthy fruit addition adds to the guilt-free appeal.
Chelsea Winter’s banana chocolate chip muffins feature simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand and are a perfect way to use up those bananas that are on their last day. And what better, perhaps more underrated, pairing is there than chocolate and bananas? For best results, we like to use the darkest chocolate we can find to counter the ripe bananas’ sweetness.
Chelsea doesn’t use muffin cases or wraps for these; she butters and flours an old-school muffin tin. How you want to finish them is up to you, and a bit depends on what equipment you have. The quick and easy preparation of these muffins also makes it a great one to get help from the kids.
Click here for Chelsea’s Crazy Delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Oaty Ginger Slices
Any recipe with golden syrup is a winner in our books, so you know this oaty ginger slice recipe is one of our favorite Chelsea Winter recipes. Add in the tang of ginger, and you won’t be able to stop eating or thinking about these fantastic little ginger slice biscuits.
These biscuits’ base is simple with butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, flour, ginger, oats, and coconut. They’re baked and then iced with a golden syrup, butter, and ginger icing.
They are perfectly satisfying as a sweet treat after a picnic or at tea time. There’s a gluten-free version, too. That preparation replaces the regular flour with a gluten-free substitute and adds some nuts. These simple switch-ups increase the flavours and the crunch factor and make you want to try each version.
Click here for Chelsea’s delectible Oaty Ginger Slices.
Chelsea’s Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
Here’s a weeknight staple that easy to prepare and everyone’s favorite. This spaghetti meatball recipe consists of spaghetti and meatballs–amazing. But Chelsea’s recipe, with its fresh, simple ingredients, will convince you that simple dishes like spaghetti and meatballs are worth another look.
Chelsea uses both beef and pork mince for a flavorful treat, but you can get by with just beef mince to keep it simple. She fries the meatballs in EVOO and gets the Maillard reaction going to sear in the juices and ensure maximum flavour.
The sauce is a simple and freshly made marinara with red wine, stock, and tinned tomatoes. Use fresh herbs if you can, and the sauce will be over the top. If you want a little greenery, add in some fresh spinach, basil, or grated courgette. Yes, there is wine in the recipe, but the alcohol will evaporate, so it’s okay for kids or those that don’t drink. If evaporation of alcohol disappoints you, feel free to add a glass of wine on the side!
Our final piece of advice for the day: Add cheese because cheese makes everything better. Top Chelsea’s Spaghetti and Meatballs with plenty of freshly grated parmesan and some chopped fresh herbs, and you’re good to go. Some melty mozzarella wouldn’t be bad, either.
Click here for Chelsea Winter’s Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a special treat to make at home or an easy dinner at the bach while on holiday, Chelsea Winter’s collection of tasty and simple recipes is a great place to start.
Plan a trip today by finding the perfect cottage with Bachcare. And if you’re looking for even more recipe tips, check out our classic Kiwi bach recipes.
