AUBERGINE AND CHICKPEA STEW

By now you might, like me, be wondering if winter will ever end. February, while offering teasing glimpses of spring, is generally a pretty drizzly month. It’s a time for snuggling on the sofa with a bowl of something wholesome and hearty, waiting for the storms to pass.

And, in my kitchen, it’s a month for batch cooking. Stews, curries, soups and ragus are all perfect freezer fillers – you can cook double the quantity if you have lots of mouths to feed and freeze it as individual portions.

That’s a load of lunches and dinners sorted for the next few weeks when, hopefully, spring will be on its way.

■ Visit bbcgoodfood.com for lots more great recipes

Drain the chickpeas and bring to the boil in a pan of salted water. Cook for 10 mins, then drain.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 10 mins, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, baharat and cinnamon and cook for 1 min. Tip the onion mixture into a slow cooker and add the chickpeas, parsley stalks, aubergines, tomatoes and a can of water. Season. Cover and cook on high for 2 hrs, then turn the heat to low and cook for 6-8 hrs more until the mixture has reduced slightly and the chickpeas and aubergines are really tender.

Stir in the lemon juice, then scatter over the pine nuts and parsley leaves. Drizzle over some extra olive oil and serve with pitta breads or flatbreads, if you like.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 7 mins. Add the garlic, chilli and rosemary, and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 20 mins.

Heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins and fry, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 mins until golden. Add to the sauce with the milk and lemon zest, then simmer for a further 5 mins. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large freezerproof bags.

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Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain and toss with the sauce. Scatter over the Parmesan and parsley leaves to serve.

For more, see the new issue of BBC Good Food out now or visit bbcgoodfood.com