Stepping Out

Cozy up in the kitchen

Find culinary inspiration on a winter’s weekend

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We’ve closed the book on the holiday season and it’s time for some comfy winter nesting. And, of course, everyone wants to get back into a healthy routine now that we have concluded that annual round of festive over-indulgence.
January is the ideal time to decompress and spend some time in the kitchen and see if you’ve got what it takes to be a ‘Top Chef.” It’s not that difficult with some great comforting foods to warm the heart and soul — and help get everyone started on that New Year’s resolution to eat healthier.
Experiment with new culinary creations that incorporate bold flavors for delicious results. Nothing pleases the senses quite like some comfort food on a chilly evening.
Try adding these recipes to your kitchen repertoire.

Beef Stew with Roasted Vegetables
4 cups cubed winter vegetables (cut into 1/2-inch pieces), such as carrots, butternut squash, parsnips or sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup chicken stock (or chicken broth can be used)
1/4 cup dry red wine or apple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss cubed vegetables and onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Arrange in single layer on large baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes or until vegetables are golden brown.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches. Return all beef to skillet. Add roasted vegetables, stock, wine, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Serving suggestion: Serve stew over cooked brown rice or whole grain pasta. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Chili with Apple and Sweet Potato
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 package chili seasoning mix
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups  chicken stock
1 medium apple, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with desired toppings, such as tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Nonstick spray
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups water
2 large eggs
1 cup non-fat milk (or milk of your choice)
1 cup sharp cheddar shreds, divided
Chopped tomato (optional)
Green onion (optional)
Heat oven to 350 F and spray 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic, and saute 1 minute, or until onion is tender.
Add quinoa and cook, stirring, until golden brown and toasted, 2-3 minutes. Add water, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
In large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir quinoa into egg mixture and whisk in 1/2 cup cheese. Spread in prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 30 minutes.
Garnish with chopped tomato and green onion, if desired. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Lentil Kale Soup
2 stalks of celery, washed and diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of shredded kale
1½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (add a bit more of you like more heat)
10 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 cup dry lentils, picked through and rinsed.
4 cups of vegetable stock, low sodium if preferred
1 cup of water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
Saute diced celery, onion, carrots and minced garlic in olive oil in large soup pan for 10 minutes over low heat until veggies have softened, stirring
occasionally.
While the veggies are cooking, remove the stem from the kale leaves and slice up the kale into thin ribbons. Add to the soup pot and stir to combine, cook for 2 minutes or so until until slightly wilted.
Add cumin, curry powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper and diced tomatoes (include their juices). Stir to combine all ingredients.
Add lentils, vegetable stock, water and the bouillon cube. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 35 minutes.
Use an immersion blender and puree ⅓ of soup, simmer for 10 more minutes. Serves 4 to 6.