Winter Recipes (some healthier than others)

For me, at least, winter is a time of warm comfort food. And also root vegetables- they hold up well in winter. Winter Quarter is the hardest time to cook for ourselves, because we are so busy and it is just so cold outside. Below are some relatively easy recipes, to help.

Cooking is good for the budget and it just feels good to create something! This is a project you can start and finish all in one day, which can be a nice change of pace from papers and the more scholarly work.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 slices bacon, cut in half (you can easily leave this out, if you’d rather have a vegetarian soup)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 pounds medium russet potatoes (2-3), scrubbed and diced
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or substitute with vegetable broth)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon  ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain, leaving the oil and bacon drippings in the pan. Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the potatoes to a bowl and mash until almost smooth, but still a little chunky. Return the mashed potatoes to the pan along with sour cream, 1/4 cup cheese and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
3.  You can have/serve garnished with crumbled bacon, the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and/or chives.

Spinach Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, room temperature
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 bunches curly- or flat-leaf spinach (about 1 3/4 pounds total), trimmed, washed, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (2 cups)
• 3/4 pound elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions

Preparation:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until translucent, 6 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add 2 cups milk. Add remaining 2 cups milk, raise heat to medium-high, and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a boil, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

(If you do decide to go out for Mac ‘n Cheese, here is a list of the best mac and cheese in Chicago: http://www.thrillist.com/eat/chicago/best-mac-and-cheeses-in-chicago-macaroni-and-cheese-restaurants)

Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large winter squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), such as butternut or kabocha, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and quartered
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt
• Chili powder, for seasoning (optional)
• 4 cups Vegetable broth

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan, toss squash, onions, garlic, and apples with oil to coat. Season well with salt and chile powder. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until vegetables are fork-tender and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
2. Transfer half the vegetables and 2 cups stock to a food processor; puree until smooth. Repeat with remaining vegetables and broth. Return pureed mixture to pot, thinning soup with stock, if necessary. Season with salt and chile powder; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Serve/Enjoy!

Bean Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed with a press
• 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
•  Salt
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 10 corn tortillas
• 6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation:

1. In a medium pot, heat oil and garlic over medium and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add beans and 3/4 cup water and bring to a simmer until beans are very tender, about 5 minutes. Mash slightly and season with salt. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree diced tomatoes with cilantro.
2. Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with one-third of the tomatoes, half the bean mixture, and one-third of the cheese. Repeat, using 3 tortillas. Top with remaining 3 tortillas, remaining tomatoes, and cheese. Cover with foil and bake (or refrigerate up to 8 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake, covered, until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes; remove foil, reduce oven to 350 degrees, and bake until heated through and cheese is browned, 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Lastly, when in doubt, just add quinoa to everything and play Too Many Cooks while in the kitchen.