Christina Hollis: Dreadline Fever, and A Winter Warmer!

DD's new (actually 400+ years old!) house

I hope you had a lovely start to the New Year. I've been busy working on an assignment since the semester ended just before Christmas. The deadline is tomorrow, which is why I'm typing this  blog with one hand while making dinner with the other!

I've only cooked about one or two meals per week since term ended on 20th December. Each Sunday I did a big roast as usual, and I also cooked lunch on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The rest of the time my family took turns, so I could concentrate on writing my essays. 

Now everyone has gone back to work. DD has the added stress of masterminding the move into her new home, so I'm back on cooking duties. Tonight we're having one of our favourites—vegetable casserole.

We're not vegetarians by any means but vegetable casserole is one of the cheapest, easiest and most filling things in the world to make, although it takes a while to prepare everything and it takes an hour or two to cook. It's a recipe I invented so there are

Pic by Loubos Houska via Pixabay

no weights and measures. That's what makes it so easy! All you do is peel and/or trim some carrots, potatoes, onions, and any other similar "hard" veg you have to hand such as celery, swede, turnip or sweet potato. Cut everything into slices about as thick as a coin. Put all the sliced veg into a big casserole dish and add enough stock (made from a cube if you don't make your own) to almost cover it. Cook in a low oven (about 160 degrees) for a couple of hours, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir once or twice, and season before serving. If you have room in your oven you can put in a milk pudding and a rich fruit cake at the same time, as they benefit from long slow cooking. 

I serve vegetable casserole either with home-made bread or cheese scones. If there's anything left over, I liquidise it, add some chilli powder or garam masala,  and reheat it next day as soup. 

What's your favourite warming winter recipe?

Christina Hollis has written six historical novels, eighteen contemporary novels, sold nearly three million books, and her work has been translated into twenty different languages. When she isn’t working on getting her MA from the University of Gloucestershire, Christina is cooking, gardening, or walking her dog.

You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com