Winter Recipes Guaranteed to Keep You Warm
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Our habits change during the winter just because of the weather change. We sleep more, we have less energy and in the end, we eat differently. It’s important to take advantage of the seasonal foods and to adapt your diet to the climate and to eat more hearty food during the winter. These are a few simple winter recipes anyone can make that will keep you warm and healthy during the winter and that are best enjoyed near a warm fireplace and with a bit of alcohol as well.
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Chicken Chili With Sweet Potatoes
It’s one of those simple dishes that are usually called one pot dish since they could be made in a single pot simply by adding ingredients over time. It’s Southwestern in its ingredients and that means that it’s rather spicy and works well with cold beer.
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Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, sweet potato and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add beans and broth (or stock) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high and stir in corn; cook 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve topped with sour cream, avocado and/or cilantro, if desired.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna With Broccolini
Casseroles are a very popular dish for this time of year and especially so in the south. This recipe creates a little twist on this old dish since it’s much healthier and has fewer calories than most casseroles. It can be baked in the squash shell itself to make it better looking and more presentable.
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Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F.
Place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish; add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until the flesh is tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccolini, garlic and red pepper (if using); cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring, until the broccolini is tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into the bowl. Place the shells in a broiler-safe baking pan or on a baking sheet. Stir ¾ cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into the squash mixture. Divide it between the shells; top with the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Bake on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Move to the upper rack, turn the broiler to high and broil, watching carefully, until the cheese starts to brown, about 2 minutes.
Carrot Soup
This is probably the simplest recipe on our list and its main ingredients are carrot which can be found pretty much in all households at all times and easily stored as well. It’s a dish that you can add to every meal depending on what your routines are like and when you need it the most.
Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (or parsley); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Stir in carrots. Add water and broth; bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until very tender, about 25 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in half-and-half (if using), salt and pepper.
To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Ingredient Note: Chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth (how long does vegetable broth last?) in some recipes for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called “no-chicken” broth, it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.
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Red-Wine Hot Chocolate
If you love wine and you love hot chocolate you’ll love the mix of the two that’s simple and easy to make.
Whisk cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Add ¼ cup milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 1¾ cups milk. Cook it over medium-high heat, whisking often, until hot, about 3 minutes. (Do not bring to a simmer.) Remove from heat and stir in wine.
Simplify your meal prep with our collection of easy soup recipes, perfect for warming up your winter evenings with delicious and comforting flavors.
