Autumn Comfort Food Ideas for Cozy Mood without Spending Money

You need

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• thumb ginger
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 can tomatoes or coconut milk
• rice to serve

Method

1. Soften onion, garlic and ginger; add spices for 30 sec.
2. Add lentils, tomatoes and ~2 cups water.
3. Simmer ~25 min until soft and thick, stirring now and then.
4. Season and serve over rice.

You need

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp oats
• pinch cinnamon
• butter for the pan

Method

1. Mash banana, mix with egg, oats and cinnamon.
2. Fry small spoonfuls in butter, ~1–2 min a side.
3. Stack them up.
4. Top with fruit or a little honey.

You need

• 150g pasta
• 1 garlic clove
• splash cream or cream cheese
• handful peas or spinach
• parmesan
• salt, pepper

Method

1. Cook pasta in just enough salted water that it mostly absorbs.
2. Stir in garlic, cream and greens in the last 2 minutes.
3. Add parmesan and a splash of pasta water to loosen.
4. Season and serve.

You need

• 1 block instant noodles (discard seasoning)
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 handful spinach or frozen greens
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• optional: chilli oil, sesame

Method

1. Boil the noodles in ~2 cups water until just soft.
2. Lower the heat, stir in the miso and soy until dissolved (don't hard-boil miso).
3. Slide in the egg and greens; cook 1–2 minutes.
4. Tip into a bowl, scatter spring onion and chilli oil.

You need

• good bread
• options: avocado + chilli + lemon / ricotta + honey / beans + cheese

Method

1. Toast the bread well.
2. Pick one topping set and pile it on.
3. Finish with salt, a squeeze of acid, or a drizzle of honey.
4. Eat warm.

You need

• 1 large baking potato
• butter
• filling: beans, cheese, tuna-mayo or coleslaw
• salt

Method

1. Prick the potato, microwave 8–10 min, then crisp in a hot oven 10 min (or all-oven for an hour).
2. Split, fluff and butter.
3. Add your filling.
4. Season well.