Tag: winter recipes

Winter Minestrone

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Another day another soup. Perfect for a cozy winter weeknight, this Minestrone from the Barefoot Contessa takes advantage of all the winter veggies, making you feel as though you are getting your daily intake. Ina recommends that you serve the soup with garlic bread and extra parm.

Ingredients

  • Olive Oil
  • 4 oz Pancetta, 1/2 in diced, [I also used bacon]
  • 1 1/2 Cup Chopped Yellow Onions
  • 2 Cups 1/2 in Diced Carrots, 3 carrots
  • 2 Cups 1/2in Diced Celery, 3 Stalks
  • 2 1/2 Cups Butternut Squash, diced and peeled
  • 1 1/2 TBSP Mince Garlic, 4 cloves
  • 2 TSP Chopped Fresh Thyme
  • 26 oz Canned/Boxed Chopped Tomatoes
  • 6-8 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 1 15oz can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 Cups Cooked Small Pasta
  • 8-10oz Fresh Baby Spinach
  • 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
  • 2 TBSP Pesto

Let’s Get Cookin

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil over MED heat in a large dutch oven.

Add in the pancetta and cook over MED-LOW heat, for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the onions + carrots + celery + squash + garlic + thyme and cook over MED heat, cooking until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add in the tomatoes + chicken stock + bay leaf + 1 TBSP Salt + 1-1/2 TSP Pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and add in the beans + cooked pasta and stir well to combine.

Add in the spinach + white wine + pesto. Take a taste test and add more salt if needed.

Serve with extra parm cheese & a drizzle of olive oil.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Polish Cabbage Soup

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I finally, FINALLY, got Antoni’s new cookbook, Let’s Do Dinner. As always, everything in the book looks so freaking good and I cannot wait to cook my way through it. While looking for a recipe to make for my grandparents, I came across Antoni’s recipe for Kapusniak. This soup focuses on cabbage and all things cabbage. You may be saying, that sounds boring and bland, but that is pretty disrespectful and you should really wait before you judge this dish. If you’re Polish/Slovak/eastern European you know what’s up.

Ingredients

  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 4 oz Thick cut bacon, cut crosswise
  • 1 Medium Onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Garlic Clove, thinly sliced [I did two]
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 3/4 TSP Smoked Paprika
  • 1/2 TSP dried Herbes de Provence, or thyme
  • 1 Medium Head Green Cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 28.5oz Saurkraut, do not drain
  • 1 Large Russet Potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Medium Carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 Medium Parnship, thinly sliced, or another carrot
  • 1 qt. Low-Sodium Beef Broth, I only had chicken and that worked well
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Dill
  • Salt + Pepper

Let’s Get Cooking

The one thing I found super important before starting to cook this dish is to mise en place. Make sure to have all the ingredients prepped and ready.

Heat the oil in a large pot on MED-HIGH heat. Add in the bacon and cook until it’s golden and getting browned around the edges. Add in the onion + garlic + bay leaves + paprika + dried herbs + 1 TSP salt and cook until the onions gets translucent, don’t let the onion brown.

Add in the cabbage and cook it down for about 5 minutes. Add in the saurkraut and the juices + potato + carrot + parsnip + 1/4 TSP salt.

Add in 2 qts of water and then the broth, bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45-50 minutes. Stir in the the dill and season with salt and pepper.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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Gorgeous, gorgeous, humans love soup. Soup humans are the best humans. So I present to you this absolutely delicious ‘healthy-ish’ broccoli cheddar soup from Half-Baked Harvest. It’s creamy, cheesy, and paired perfectly with some homemade sourdough. This makes a lot so be ready to have this for lunches for the week.

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 2 TBSP Butter
  • 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 2 TBSP Fresh Thyme/ 2 TSP dried
  • 2 Carrots, Chopped
  • 3 TBSP All Purpose Flour
  • 6 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 Small Cauliflower Head, cut into florets
  • 4 Cups Broccoli florets
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1/4 TSP Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4 TSP Cayenne
  • 1/2 Cup Canned Coconut Milk
  • 1-2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Salt + Pepper

Let’s Get Cooking

In a large pot, melt together olive oil + butter. Add in the onion + carrots + thyme and cook until you can smell the ingredients, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until it goes light brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth.

Add in the cauliflower and bring it up to a boil, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the soup into a blender and puree until it’s smooth. [don’t clean the blender because you will use it again].

Place the soup back into the bot add in the broccoli + bay leaves + paprika + cayenne + salt + pepper. Simmer over MED heat for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and blend soup, but keep small chunks of broccoli.

Return the soup back into the pot and stir in the coconut milk and cheese until it is incorporated. Season with salt + pepper and serve warm with bread.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Honey Chili Brie

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It’s the new year and one thing I will never give up is cheese. I love cheese, I love all cheeses; stinky, sweet, salty, all of them. Brie is one of my favorites, it’s creamy and melty, and you can incorporate so many different flavors with brie. I love combining heat and sweet and this honey chili brie is the perfect way to do that. Serve with crackers or crostinis.

Ingredients

  • Honey
  • 1 TSP Fresh Thyme, can use dried
  • 1 TSP Red Pepper Flakes
  • Brie

Let’s Get Cooking

Preheat the oven to 350F

Cut diagonal lines in the brie and place in a brie baker or on a lined baking sheet

Sprinkle the thyme + red pepper flakes over the brie, getting them into the cross-hatches. Drizzle the honey over top

Bake uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until the brie is melty and bubbling.

Let cool for a few minutes before diving in!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Dill Pretzel Snack

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My mom makes these pretzels once a year at Christmas. They are one of the greatest snacks I have ever eaten, EVER. On Christmas, our dinner consists of these pretzels and puppy chow. Bring out your roasting pan and be prepared to eat a whole bowl of these on your own.

Ingredients

  • 28-32oz of Mini Pretzels
  • 1 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
  • 1/2 TSP Dill Weed
  • 1/2 TSP Lemon Pepper
  • 1/2 TSP Garlic Powder
  • 1 Package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Powder

Let’s Get Cooking

Heat oven to 200F

Pour the pretzels into a large roasting pan.

In a shaker container combine the oil + dill + lemon pepper + garlic powder + ranch powder and shake well.

Pour the dressing over the pretzels and toss to coat.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Let cool after baking and store in an airtight container.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Wonton Soup

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Takeaway wonton soup is one of my favorite meals when I am looking for something warm and comforting. The thought of making wonton soup always seemed out of reach, like how do you even make wontons?! Do not fret, I found a recipe from Delish that didn’t seem too difficult, so I added a little bit of a flair to it, and BOOM easy peasy wonton soup that you can make at home. Making the wontons did take some focus and time, but I found it to be a very mindful task. Serve warm and enjoy.

Ingredients

For Wontons

  • 2/3 lb Ground Pork
  • 2 TSP Soy Sauce
  • 2 TSP Chives, Thinly sliced
  • 1 TSP Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 TSP Grated Ginger
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 1/2 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 TSP Sesame Oil
  • 1 Package Square Wonton Wrappers
  • 1/4 Cup Water

For the Broth:

  • 6 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 3″ Piece of Peeled Ginger
  • 2 TSP Soy Sauce
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, Smashed
  • 1/4 TSP Sesame Oil
  • 2 TBSP Sliced Green Onions
  • 1 Bundle of Bok Choy, Chopped
  • 1 Cup Mushrooms, Sliced
  • 1 Handful of Bean Sprouts

Lets Get Cooking

In a large stockpot bring together all of the broth ingredients except the bok choy and the bean sprouts. Bring up to a boil and then simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and ginger and bring back up to a boil.

While the broth is coming together, combine pork + soy sauce + chives + vinegar + ginger + garlic + red pepper flakes + sesame oil in a large bowl.

On a clean dry surface bring out your wonton wrappers. Keep a bowl of water close by and wet the edges of the wonton wrapper with water. Place about 1/2 TBSP of the pork filling into the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wonton diagonally in half to make a triangle, seal the edges. Fold the two bottom corners in on each other and press again to seal. Repeat on all wrappers. Use extra water if needed to seal.

Bring a pot of water up to boiling and place in a few wontons at a time. These cook fast so be sure to watch them. When they float to the top remove them from the water. It is a small amount of meat so it will cook through and it will also continue to cook in the hot broth.

Once all the wontons are cooked, add the chopped bok choy and bean sprouts into the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.

When you’re ready to eat. Place 3 wontons in a bowl and pour the hot broth over top.

Enjoy warm.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Latkes/Potato Pancakes

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The holidays are the perfect time to learn about different cultures. My favorite way to immerse myself in a new culture is through their food. It is currently Hanukkah and Latkes are a staple during this holiday. My knowledge of potato pancakes comes from German Festivals and from The Pierogi Lady here in the Cleveland area. I learned from Wade Wichard through Yourstory.org that Latkes symbolize the oil of the menorah that was able to stay aflame for 8 days following the ransacking of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Those these are just delicious and crispy potato pancakes, they mean a lot more to individuals of the Jewish faith, stating that they symbolize the hardships and strife that the Jews have faced (Wichard, n.d.). Serve these latkes up hot with sour cream and applesauce.

Ingredients

Makes 8 Latkes

  • 4 Small Potatoes
  • 4 TBSP Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/4 Cup Onion, finely diced
  • Salt + Pepper
  • Vegetable Oil

Let’s Get Cooking

Shred your potatoes with a cheese grater or whatever you have. Once grated, lay the potatoes on paper towels and dab them to get the excess moisture out.

In a bowl combine the shredded potato + onion + garlic + egg + flour + salt + pepper and mix well.

Heat your oil in a pan, you want a thin layer of oil, no more than an inch.

Once the oil is hot, add in a spoonful of the potato mixture, pressing it down gently with the back of the spoon to flatten it. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until crispy golden brown.

Remove from oil to a plate with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt immediately.

Serve with sour cream & applesauce.

Happy Hanukkah

Made with Love,

Hannah

White Lasagne Soup

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You are probably asking yourself, wtf is white lasagne soup. To explain, it’s not made with a tomato base, instead, it’s made with coconut milk, giving it a more creamy color rather than red, and well, tomato-ey. Also, I know the cover photo isn’t exactly the most appetizing photo you have ever seen, but get over it and just try it for yourself. The recipe is from Half-Baked Harvest, and she makes an important point that I did not follow. If you are making the soup for the week, store the cooked noodles separately, that way they don’t soak up all the broth the way mine did as you can see in the lovely photo.

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP Salted Butter
  • 2 TBSP All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
  • 2 Cups Mushroom, sliced
  • 2-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 2 TBSP Fresh Thyme Leaves /2TSP Dried
  • 1 TBSP Fresh Basil/ 1 TSP Dried
  • 2 TSP Dried Oregano
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 6 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 3/4 LBS Chicken Breast
  • 8 Lasagne Noodles, broken into pieces
  • 4-6 Cups Spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 Cup Canned Coconut Milk or heavy cream
  • 1 Cup Shredded Provolone Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan
  • 2 oz. Proscuitto Torn

Let’s Get Cooking

Melt the butter + flour in a large pot. Cook about 1-2 min until the butter is melted. Add in the onion + mushroom + thyme + basil + oregano + garlic and stir to combine.

Add in the chicken broth + uncooked chicken + red pepper flakes + salt + pepper. Cover and cook on MED-HIGH for about 20-25 min or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken, shred it, and add it back to the soup.

While the chicken is cooking, preheat the oven to 350F and bake the prosciutto in a single layer until crisp, about 10-15 minutes.

Bring the soup to a boil and add in the noodles + spinach + coconut milk/cream. Cook until the noodles are soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cheeses.

Serve the soup topped with the crispy prosciutto.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Beef Stroganoff

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Beef stroganoff is the perfect transition recipe. It’s good for fall to winter and winter to spring. It’s still cold outside and I don’t know about you, but I want something that is going to warm me up. This is my new favorite Beef Stroganoff recipe, the meat is fall apart, not chewy like it can be sometimes. The key is getting chuck or bottom round beef, instead of stew meat! The recipe is from the Kitchn, it does utilize a slow cooker, but you can always cook this low and slow on the stove.

Ingredients

  • 2 LBS Chuck or bottom round beef, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/4 TSP Salt
  • 1 TSP Black Pepper
  • 8 oz Cremini mushrooms [or whatever you can find], sliced
  • 1 Small Yellow onion, diced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
  • 1 1/4 Cup Low-Sodium Beef Broth
  • 2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 8 oz Egg Noodles
  • 2 TBSP Unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Cup Sour Cream

Let’s Get Cooking

Place the beef + flour + salt + pepper in a large bowl and toss until the beef is coated. Transfer the beef and any left over flour into the slow cooker. Add in the mushrooms + onion + beef broth + garlic + Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beef is tender, for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

30 Minutes before the meat is done, cook the egg noodles and toss with butter once cooked. Once the meat is done, little by little stir in the sour cream to the stroganoff. Serve with the buttered noodles and enjoy!

Always Hungry,

Hannah

Chicken Paprikash

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When it’s cold outside, you don’t crave a salad, you crave something that will warm you from the inside out. Chicken Paprikash is the perfect meal for just that. Mildly spicy, perfectly flavorful, and filling, Chicken Paprikash will warm you up and rid you of the February blues. This recipe comes from The Mom 100.

Ingredients

  • 4 LBS Chicken Thighs, skin on
  • 1+1/4 TBSP Canola oil
  • 2 Large Onions, halved, thinly sliced as half moons
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 2 TBSP Flour
  • 2 TBSP Paprika
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 14oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 3/4 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 12oz Bag Egg Noodles

Let’s Get Cooking

Heat the oil in a large, deep heavy skillet over med-high heat. Season the chicken with salt + pepper

Add the chicken into the pan of hot oil, skin side down. Cook for 8 minutes and then flip for another 8 minutes [the chicken won’t be fully cooked yet]. Once done, remove to a separate plate.

Remove about 1 TBSP of any fat that is collected in the pan [my chicken did not have a lot of fat so I skipped this]. Add the onion to the pan, on med heat. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and brown. Add in garlic and saute for another minute. Add in flour + paprika and stir to incorporate. Add in the bay leaves + tomatoes + chicken broth, stir and bring up to a simmer. Add in the chicken, skin side up, and cook for about 20 minutes.

Cook the egg noodles according to the package.

Following the 20 minutes, remove the chicken and bay leaves and slowly stir in the sour cream.

Plate the chicken over the egg noodles and pour the sauce over top.

Always Hungry,

Hannah