Warm up this winter with the freshest ingredients

As winter's chill sets in, there's nothing quite like the comfort of a home cooked meal made with the freshest ingredients. At Westfield Belconnen, our fresh food preceinct offer an array of seasonal produce and high-quality ingredients perfect for creating a hearty meal.

We've put together a list of delicious recipes you can make using fresh ingredients you can get from Westfield Belconnen.

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Risoni Meatball Bake

Recipe created by Coles.

Dive into a bowl of comfort with our risoni meatball bake, where juicy meatballs nestle in a bed of tender risoni pasta, all smothered in a rich, cheesy sauce.

Ingredients

• 500g pkt Coles Finest Italian Style Pork Sausages, casings removed
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• ½ cup (125ml) salt-reduced beef stock
• 1 ½ cups (330g) Cucina Matese Risoni
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) passata
• 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced beef stock, extra
• 100g medley Perino tomatoes
• 1 zucchini, thinly shredded lengthways
• 200g fresh mozzarella, coarsely torn
• Basil leaves, to serve
• Garlic bread, warmed, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Divide each sausage into 4 pieces, then roll into balls. Heat a large ovenproof roasting pan over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray. Add the sausage to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2-3 mins or until browned. Transfer to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 mins or until lightly browned. Add garlic, fennel seeds and herbs and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins or until aromatic. Stir in the wine or stock and cook for 2-3 mins or until reduced by half. Add risoni, passata and extra stock and stir to combine. Season and bring to a simmer.

3. Arrange the meatballs over the top of the risoni mixture and bake for 25-30 mins or until risoni is just al dente. Set aside for 5 mins to rest.

4. Meanwhile, arrange the tomatoes on a baking tray. Bake for 5 mins or until tomatoes begin to collapse.

5. Arrange the tomatoes, zucchini and mozzarella over the risoni mixture. Sprinkle with basil and serve with garlic bread.

Find Coles on level 2 near Belconnen Chicken.

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Winter Vegetable Pasta

Recipe created by Woolworths.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 375g fresh fettuccine
• 1 red onion
• 2 tbs parsley
• 1 bunch broccolini
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing
• 1 bunch kale
• 2 kumato tomatoes
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 200g grape tomatoes, halved

Method

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in the same pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 2 minutes or until softened. Add broccolini and stir for 1 minute. Add kale and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted.

3. Add pasta vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Add kumato and grape tomatoes. Serve with dressing and parsley.

Find Woolworths on level 2 near Tasty Fish.

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Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Recipe created by The Source Bulk Foods.

Ingredients

• 400g Mediterranean Soup Mix
• Its extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g bacon, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled & diced
• 1 potato, peeled & diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 cup pumpkin, diced
• 1 cup green beans
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2tbs tomato paste
• 210g can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• Black pepper
• ½ cup dried pasta
• 1 zucchini, diced

Method

1. The night before cooking, place the Mediterranean Soup Mix in a large saucepan and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight. In the morning, drain the water, refill with fresh water then bring to the boil for 10 minutes to parboil the beans. Drain and set aside.

2. In a frypan (or the slow cooker if it can be used on direct heat), heat the olive oil and fry the onion until translucent, then add the bacon and garlic. Cook until the bacon starts to brown.

3. Add the tomato paste to the frypan and cook for a further minute.

4. To the frypan, add 1/2 cup water and scrape the bottom to release the brown bits which are tull of flavour. Pour this into the slow cooker as well.

5. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, except the pasta. Also add the parboiled soup mix.

6. Cook on high for 8 hours.

7. The uncooked pasta can be added to the slow cooker in the last hour but it will thicken the liquid. If you prefer a thinner soup, cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup in the last 10 minutes.

8. Season to taste. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and crusty bread.

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Discover our specialty retailers

• Angkor What
• Bakers Delight
• Belconnen Chicken
• Breadtop
• Dobinsons
• The Food Forum
• T2
• Gujranwala's Sweets
• Tasty Fish Market
• The Source Bulk Foods

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