With Valentine's Day just around the corner, sweet treat can be found everywhere. Get all the great flavor of chocolate-covered strawberries without the mess and fuss in a great cookie that's perfect for sending to school or the office.
Record temperatures bringing ongoing rain and fog leave lots of room for comfort food menus. Mine includes a creamy chowder that's chock full of vegetables, turkey, and a creamy broth. Float a slice of crusty bread in the center of your bowl and you've got a great lunch or dinner for any day of the week.
Sure, beets are great roasted and sliced into salad or pickled and served alongside fish, but in dessert? I've found adding grated beets to a basic chocolate cakes takes it from nice to outstanding without adding any fat. Beyond that, you find yourself with a cake that just doesn't dry out and seems to taste better with every day … if it manages to last at all!
Mushrooms are super anytime of the year, but winter affords us an opportunity to pair them with intense ingredients like blue cheese and serve them alongside everything from roasted meat to slow-cooked soups. What's more, if you happen to have a gluten allergy, this approach doesn't leave you in appetizer limbo since they are entirely gluten free!
Dried beans are inexpensive, healthy, and usually annoying to use in cooking. Between soaking overnight and hours and hours of cooking time, most people just opt to use canned versions of the same. But if you have a heavy, lidded pot and a working oven, you can take advantage of dried beans without all the fuss. And you can enjoy South American Black Bean Soup on a day when winter has you chilled to the bone.
When the season of many pumpkins continues, it's time for the pooch to get involved. And, if there are going to be puppy treats, we might as well go all out and make them dog biscuits made with the puppy's own cookie cutters. What? Are you saying your dogs don't have their own cookie cutters? Okay … maybe he's a little spoiled. Still, make these fun dog biscuits for your furry friend and you'll be rewarded with canine adoration.
When we decide it's time to celebrate at our home, we find ways to take it to a delightful level of deliciousness. Whether that means topping our seared steaks with creamy blue cheese or sipping port with fresh berries, enjoying flavors is just part of living in my sphere. So when a birthday presents itself and the birthday boy loves mint and chocolate, it is only appropriate that a cheesecake featuring both flavors takes center stage.
As the holiday season wanes, people think about finding healthier foods for their tables. But you need not do so at the expense of flavor. In a fun recipe featuring roasted vegetables and tahini, a side dish come salad option shows off versatility, health value, and incredible taste. What's more, the dressing for it is so addictive, I've taken to drizzling it over everything from bread to omelets!
As the year draws to a close, a pause to reflect upon the cooking that took place in the last year seems appropriate. What's even more appropriate is taking some time to think about the people that cooking has been shared with throughout the year. It only takes a little bit of time to realize just how precious those events are, whether they are routine family dinners or one-in-a-lifetime festive events. They are definitely something to celebrate, in the old year and also in the New Year!
When Mother Nature gives you a giant pile of snow, there's something to be said for firing up the oven and making your home smell sweet. There's also something to be said for taking a bit of time to brave the elements and make snowmen, snow dogs, and snow bridges! Welcome, winter!
