On days where nothing seems sure, there’s nothing better than stepping into your kitchen and whipping up your favourite comfort food knowing with absolute certainty that you won’t be disappointed.

We’ve gathered top no-fail recipes from each of the V&VPR team members to provide you with cooking inspiration that will warm your spirit.

Charissa’s Pick: One Bowl Chocolate Cake

“Who doesn’t like chocolate?” – Charissa

This simple chocolate cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen is fuss-free and takes less than an hour and a half to make.

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Heat your oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a standard loaf pan. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together right into your wet ingredients. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, at which point you can cool it the rest of the way out of the pan.
  3. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries, if you’re feeling fancy.

Olivia’s Pick: Shrimp Saganaki

“It’s super easy to make but makes me feel like I’m on vacation when I eat it!” – Olivia

This savoury dish is so good, it’ll be on your mind for days after. Follow Olivia’s mouthwatering recipe for Shrimp Saganaki here:

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add oil and crush the garlic into the pan
  2. Once the garlic has started to brown slightly, throw in the prawns, chilli flakes, oregano, salt and pepper
  3. Once the prawns have turned pink and just start to curl, take them out and place to one side
  4. Add a glass of wine to the pan and simmer away
  5. Throw in all of the cherry tomatoes, leave to reduce for 1-2 mins and then add the tinned tomatoes 
  6. Stir and leave to cook for a couple of minutes 
  7. Tear up the dill and add to the pan 
  8. By the time the cherry toms are soft and cooked, the whole thing should be ready
  9. Pop your prawns back into the mix and stir around
  10. Crumble over the feta cheese and serve

Samantha’s Pick: Basque Burnt Cheesecake

“My motto this circuit breaker is Keep Calm & Have Cake. This cheesecake is so light and fluffy, it goes perfectly with a good cup of coffee to perk you up in the morning.” – Samantha

Butter Milk Pantry’s recipe for Basque Burnt Cheesecake is quick and easy and will leave your house smelling like a bakery.

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Line 6” circle cake tin with 2 layers of baking paper and trimmed to have an overhanging amount of 1.5″-2″.
  2. Beat sugar and cream cheese together on medium until smooth and you can’t feel the sugar granules any longer. Scrape the bowl.
  3. Add eggs one at a time and beat on medium until smooth. Scrape the bowl again to ensure that nothing sticks to the sides for even mixing.
  4. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until just mixed.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix flour and cream until smooth.
  6. Slowly pour the cream/flour mixture into the cheese mixture whilst the mixer is beating on low until mixed through. Increase speed to medium and mix for 15 seconds just to ensure it’s all combined.
  7. Bake at 240C for 30-35mins until top is dark amber and almost charred at parts but the middles still has a wobble to them when you give the pan a jiggle.
  8. Let cool in the tin fully on a wire rack to allow the cheesecake to set.
  9. Remove from the baking tin and enjoy at room temperature.

Rosie’s Pick: Tomato Curry

“This is my comfort food, as I know the recipe off by heart. I don’t have to think when I’m throwing it together and it’s pretty quick to make – great after a long day. I love the mixture of tomatoes and veggies and how wholesome and warming it is.” – Rosie

A good bowl of curry is like medicine to the soul. Rosie’s tomato curry recipe an amazing pick-me-up to have any time of the week.

Ingredients:

Method: 

  1. Fry onion and garlic together in a pan until translucent 
  2. Add in cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes and stir 
  3. Add in 1 cup of water and red lentils 
  4. Add in chilli powder, chilli flakes and turmeric powder 
  5. Stir well and leave to simmer for approximately 10 mins, stirring from time to time 
  6. Add in spinach and season 
  7. Take off heat when lentils are fully cooked through and serve with brown rice

Tiffany’s Pick: Sweet Potato Cinnamon Buns With Browned Butter Cream Cheese Glaze

“I have regular cravings for any baked goods that feature cinnamon and this recipe might just be my favourite one. It uses the natural sweetness of sweet potato to get that delicious syrupy flavour, making it less guilty than most cinnamon bun recipes. The process of kneading the dough is also incredibly therapeutic – almost as good as eating the end product!” – Tiffany

Pillowy-soft cinnamon buns are just a short bake away with this recipe by Samantha Seneviratne from Food52.

Ingredients:

Dough

Cinnamon filling

Glaze

Method:

  1. Prepare the dough: In a small pot, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. Watch closely to ensure that the milk doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and add the butter to the pot to melt. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and let it cool to 110° to 115°F. (It should be warm to the touch, but not too hot.) Add the egg and sweet potato purée and stir to combine.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl and using a wooden spoon, combine the flour, brown sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk mixture and mix just until incorporated.
  3. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed (or knead with your hands) until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a buttered bowl, cover it, and leave it in a warm, draft-free spot until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
  4. Prepare the cinnamon filling: Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Add the butter and mash to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
  5. Prepare the pepita filling: Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pepitas and salt and cook until lightly browned and popping, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar has melted and coated the pepitas, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel and let cool.
  6. Butter the cast-iron pan. Tip out the dough onto a very lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a 12 x 11–inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the surface. Break up the sugared pepitas into smaller pieces and sprinkle over the cinnamon filling. Tightly roll up the dough and pinch the top seam closed. With a serrated knife, cut the roll crosswise into 10 equal pieces. Set them in the pan, spirals facing upward. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest until the dough has almost doubled again, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown and puffed and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 185° to 190°F, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Cook the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until the milk solids have turned golden brown and the butter smells nutty, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and chill in the freezer until cool and just beginning to solidify.
  9. Beat the chilled butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is exactly as thick as you like it.
  10. Transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then top with glaze. Let cool slightly before serving.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of comfort food recipes. Check out the rest of our blog here for more ideas and inspiration to get you through quarantine.