Despite the warm SoCal sun in the day, the evenings quickly get chilly, even as early as 3pm, and all I yearn for (besides a nice glass of Cabernet) is a hot, savory meal to comfort me, like an inside-out hug. So, as I'm writing this, I have 4 turkey drumsticks roasting in the oven, rice in the cooker, and my Pandora on Miles Davis...oh, and a glass of red at my side. And did I mention that this is my 2nd turkey feast in less than a week, with only a few more days until the legal turkey day? What can I say, I'm a sucker for comfort.
Anyhow, I was sitting here reading a book when I had this great idea. I need to make a list of great inspirational winter meals. So if you have any suggestions, including recipes (A. - I'm thinking vegetable gratin - I have dried garbanzos ready to go), please share.
My top favorite winter meals/dishes:
Roast chicken/pork/beef
Roasted cauliflower and onions. Perfectly carmelized. Great accompaniment to any meal. Simple, but gets me every single time!
Curried lentil soup
Any soup for that matter. I'm working on potato leek right now. French onion might be next. Although nothing beats korean soups!
Baked rigatoni (or lasagna) with chicken sausage and artichokes
Curry (thai, japanese, indian - i like it all!)
Turkey chili topped with cilantro, onions, & avocado and spooned with tortilla chips
help!!!! i can't keep eating the same things. give me ideas!
Sounds like a great list to me. Not home now, but I will send you the gratin recipe when I get home (it's really a summer recipe, but who cares?)and the gypsy soup recipe (which also uses those garbanzos). The gypsy soup is one of my big-time autumn comfort soups. How about shepherd's pie? A nice saute of veggies (I mix in some roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for protein) covered with mashed potato crust. Great for some T-day leftovers.
ReplyDeleteOkay, you can go to google and type in"Mollie Katzen's Gypsy soup" or go to this cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com.
ReplyDeleteHere's the gratin recipe:
6 medium zucchini (about 1 lb.)
coarse salt
1 lb spinach, washed
1 medium onion, chopped
5 tablespoons olive oil (and a little more for the baking dish)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1
Cut the zucchini into 1/2-inch dice; place in a colander; salt, and drain for 20 minutes.
2
Cut off any long stems from the spinach.
3
Cook spinach with water that clings to the leaves in a pot, along with a little salt just until the spinach wilts; drain and let cool.
4
Squeeze out the excess water and coarsely chop.
5
Gently saute the onion in 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over low heat for 20 minutes or until the onion is soft and pale gold.
6
Meanwhile, pat the zucchini dry with paper towels; add to the onions, and saute for 10 minutes.
7
Add the spinach and garlic and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.
8
Turn into a bowl and let cool.
9
Combine the vegetables with 1/2 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley, garbanzo beans, salt, and pepper.
10
Lightly oil a shallow, round baking dish; fill dish with the spinach mixture.
11
Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons Parmesan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
12
Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a golden crust has formed.
13
Let cool; serve at room temperature.
Thanks A. And yes, this is perfect for a summer dinner, but anything that goes into the oven is fair game in the winter. Can't wait to make some! xo
Deletei came here looking for the response you were telling me about today over tea at the gypsy den... and was so excited to find a huge stack of posts i hadn't read yet. i didn't know you started up on the blog again. you had gone quiet on me for awhile. this is such a treat.
ReplyDeletecomfort food for me is always chicken tortilla soup. i have no idea how to make curries but i want to learn. your list is inspirational. will go right onto my mountain menu.