4 Cozy, Nourishing Recipes for Winter

By Sylvia Karcz, Contributing Blogger

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about the winter season that evokes an extra dose of culinary curiosity. Think about it: in contrast to those endless summer days when we want to soak up every minute of friendly temps and extra daylight hours, winter usually has us running inside a bit earlier to cozy up…and this means, of course, more time to finally test out some new recipes and play around with flavors!

If you’re not that stoked about spending quality time in front of a stove, I get it. Chefs' hats aren’t for everyone. Hear me out, though: crafting a home-cooked meal doesn’t have to feel like a chore! These savory but simple comfort food recipes will not only hit the spot during those seemingly never-ending cold spells, but they’ll take less time than ordering a pizza and having it
delivered during peak dinner hours.

So take that adventurous spirit indoors this winter and expand your recipe quiver with these four
winners!

POTATO CHEDDAR BACON BISQUE

People think soup is a complex ordeal, but this super simple five-ingredient potato-lovers bisque is like a short but powerful hug on a brisk day.

INGREDIENTS
● 6 RUSSET “BAKING” POTATOES: peel and cut into 1-inch cubes
● BLOCK OF QUALITY SHARP YELLOW CHEDDAR CHEESE: grate until you have
about 1.5 cups worth. Also, splurge on the good kind— it’ll make all the difference!
● 1 LARGE ONION: cut it up into small pieces
● ONE PACK OF BACON SLICES: cut each strip into small pieces
● CHIVES (OR SCALLIONS): chop finely until you have about 1 cup
● 4.5 CUPS WATER
● SPICES: salt, pepper, paprika

DIRECTIONS
● Cook bacon in a medium-sized soup pot on medium heat until crispy. Transfer into a
separate dish, but keep the fat!
● Next, dump the chopped onions into the pot, allowing them to cook in the bacon oil.
You’ll want the onion to be translucent and starting to brown; on medium heat, roughly
five minutes!
● Stir in the water, potatoes, and about a teaspoon of salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then
reduce the heat and allow everything to simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or, until
the potatoes are soft and break easily when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.
● Almost there! Now, you have two options. If you have a powerful blender or food
processor, remove half of the soup and puree it, then transfer it back into the pot. If you
have neither, you’ll simply want to mash about half of the pot contents until you have a
nice balance of mashed and liquid.
● Place the pot back on low heat, and add the cheddar cheese! Stir until it’s all melted,
then remove from heat again.
● Salt and pepper to paste, then transfer into bowls. Top with bacon and chives, add a
dash of paprika, and eat it all up!!

VEGETARIAN TAMARIND CHILI

While I admit, there’s nothing quite like a traditional chili recipe, this tangy veg-friendly worldly fusion really elevates flavor profiles with one simple addition.

INGREDIENTS
● CAN OF FIRE-ROASTED TOMATOES: large 28 oz can
● CAN OF PINTO BEANS: regular 10 oz can
● CAN OF KIDNEY BEANS: regular 10 oz can
● 2 CUPS OF FROZEN CORN: if you can find fire-roasted corn, do it!
● 1 LARGE ONION: cut into small pieces
● 1 RED PEPPER: cut into small pieces
● 4 GARLIC GLOVES, minced
● TAMARIND PASTE: find it in the Asian or African section of your grocery store! You’ll
only need a small amount.
● BROTH: 2 cups of your choice, veggie or beef, but low-sodium is best
● SPICES: salt, pepper, paprika, cumin
● OLIVE OIL
● 1-2 LIMES, quartered
● AVOCADO, sliced
● FRESH CILANTRO, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS
● Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat, then transfer chopped onions and garlic. After
about 2 minutes, add in the chopped red pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent and
the garlic begins to brown, roughly five minutes.
● Add ½ teaspoon of paprika and cumin, and about 2 tablespoons of the tamarind paste
● Next, put in the tomato sauce and broth, and reduce to low heat. Allow to simmer for
about 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to mix.
● Beans and corn are up next! Mix them in, and keep them on simmer for about 20 more
minutes, or until the chili begins to thicken from the bean starch. Salt and pepper to taste
if needed.
● The only thing left is to scoop the chili into bowls and top it off with lime, fresh avocado,
and cilantro!

CREAMY TUSCAN FETTUCINI w/ SAUSAGE

There are dozens of roads you can take when diving into pasta-land, but what I love about this hearty recipe is that it feels quite elegant despite its simplicity!

INGREDIENTS
● FETTUCINI PACKAGE (but you can use any pasta, really!)
● ITALIAN SAUSAGES: regular or you can buy vegan ones! About 2-3 links should do it.
● SUN-DRIED TOMATOES: approximately ½ cup, sliced into smaller bits if they’re larger
pieces
● GARLIC: 2-3 cloves, minced
● BROTH: ½ cup, chicken or veggie
● HEAVY CREAM: 1 cup, and be sure it has approximately 35-40% fat content
● FRESH BABY SPINACH: approximately 2 cups
● FRESH BASIL: a handful should do it
● GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE: splurge on the good stuff, it makes a difference!
● SALT & PEPPER
● ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: just 1 teaspoon
● LEMON JUICE: 1 teaspoon
● DIJON MUSTARD: 1 teaspoon
● DRY WHITE WINE: just a dash, but it’s not necessary!

DIRECTIONS
● In a large pot, cook fettucini according to the package directions (varies, but roughly
10-15 minutes), then drain and set aside
● Next, take 2-3 sausages, remove them from their casings (or just cut them up, your
call!), and saute in a pan on medium-high heat until they are cooked through and starting
to brown on outside. Turn down the heat and remove the sausage crumbles/slices,
setting them aside in a bowl or on a plate. Keep the fat or oil in the pan though!
● In the same sausage pan, with heat still on low, transfer your garlic and let it cook for 2-3
minutes. Next, transfer your flour, mustard, lemon juice, and broth. Mix well and let it
warm and start to bubble!
● Cream and sun-dried tomatoes are next to go in. Allow it all to cook for 3-5 minutes
before putting your sausage back into the pan.
● Now, time to stir in your fresh spinach and basil. When it begins to wilt, you’ll know
you’re almost there! This would be a good time to salt and pepper if needed.
● Finally, add your fettuccine (doesn’t have to be the whole batch at once!) into the sauce,
and give it all a nice swirl around before transferring to a dish. Bon appetit!

DUMPLING MISO SOUP

On those nights when the clock’s ticking and anything more than a microwave seems like a chore, remember these words: dumpling miso soup in under 15 minutes! This one involves a bit of “cheating” with dumplings/potstickers from the freezer aisle, but who’s looking anyway?!

INGREDIENTS
● FROZEN DUMPLINGS/POTSTICKERS: the more important component! Pork, chicken,
veggie/tofu…whatever your heart desires!
● MISO PASTE: you’ll need a ¼ cup or so
● FRESH GINGER ROOT: grate until you have about 1 teaspoon
● GARLIC: 3 cloves, minced
● BROTH: 6 cups, you can use chicken or veggie! I recommend low-sodium since the
miso paste has enough flavor.
● GREEN ONIONS: finely sliced, and separate the green and white sections
● CARROT: 1 cup, shredded
● MUSHROOMS: the exact type doesn’t matter, so go with what’s on hand or your
favorite! ½ cup of sliced mushrooms is great, but if you love mushrooms, you can’t go
wrong with 1 cup.
● FRESH BABY SPINACH: about 1 cup
● OLIVE OIL
● SOY SAUCE / LIQUID AMINOS
● HOT SAUCE OR CHILI OIL

DIRECTIONS
● In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix your miso paste with ½ cup of broth until the paste
is dissolved.
● Then, in a large pot, pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mushrooms, and cook over
medium heat for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften.
● Next, add garlic, the white sections of the green onion, and ginger. Cook over medium
heat for 2 minutes, then stir in carrots.
● The miso-broth mixture is up next, and then, the rest of the broth.
● Things should be smelling pretty darn good right about now, so time to add in the frozen
potstickers! They typically don’t need long to cook, 3-5 minutes is what most packages
will say, but adjust if needed.
● Now, stir in the spinach, and when it begins to wilt, transfer to your soup bowls!
● Top with the green onion, and if you want to spice things up, add some chili oil or hot
sauce. If you want some more flavor, add a couple of dashes of soy sauce or liquid
aminos!