My 3 Favourite Winter Recipes
““The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook””
Imagine the snow is falling outside and an icy wind is howling, so forceful it rattles the windows as it blows by. Despite the unseasonable balmy weather we've been having here in Toronto, I don't doubt the chilly winter winds will soon return. On those kinds of winter weekends, I tie my apron over-top of the pajamas I haven’t been bothered to change out of, pull my oldest, most beloved cookbooks from the shelf, crack their spines, pry apart their sticky pages and seek out one of these three recipes.
The winter season is the perfect excuse to hibernate indoors all weekend - interrupted only by quick visits to the store for ingredients - to cook and eat those hearty, comforting, stick to your ribs dishes that don’t look particularly pretty or sophisticated, but taste like home. These are the three dishes that I have made every winter for the past six years without fail because they’re just too damn good not to make and to eat again and again.
The recipes aren’t mine, but I’ve found that after making a recipe enough times, it begins to feel like a part of you in some, small way. I do have a few tips I’ve found helpful to tailor them slightly to my tastes over the years. To me these dishes are love and home and warmth and everything good all in one bowl, and I hope you find as much joy and comfort in them as I have.
How to serve: I recommend that each of these dishes be enjoyed in a big bowl, while curled up in a corner of the couch or your favourite chair and accompanied by a glass of your favourite red wine.
Chicken stew with biscuits
Recipe by Ina Garten
Why I love it: This recipe is just so creamy, meaty and comforting, how could you not love it?! I also love the presentation with the biscuits on top. I’m not a great baker by any means, but these biscuits always turn out fluffy and flavourful every time.
My Tip: I have yet to find frozen, small onions in the grocery store here in Ontario, so I buy white pearl onions, halve them and blanch them along with the chopped carrots. I find without blanching, the onions are too hard and crunchy.
Where you can find it: Here is a link to the recipe on the Food Network website. It can also be found in Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook, but the link above seems to be identical to the one in the book.
Boeuf bourguignon
Recipe also by Ina Garten
Why I love it: This recipe is probably the most decadent stew I’ve ever had. It feels more sophisticated than your average beef stew with the wine and brandy (or cognac) and that really comes through in the intensity and complexity of the beefy flavours. The garlic rubbed on the toasty bread mingles with the broth to create such a gorgeous aroma that will stay with you on those bitterly cold walks to the subway on your way to work.
My Tip: I have three tips for this one.
- Spend a little more for good ingredients: Since this is a more decadent stew, I highly recommend spending a little more and getting good quality beef chuck and having a butcher chop it up for you, or doing it yourself if you’re comfortable with that. Don’t buy the generically labelled “beef stew” or “stewing beef” for this one, as it may have come from multiple cows, as opposed to one piece of beef and it just won’t be as tender. Any butcher should be able to do this for you, though they may prefer if you call ahead to request it. That goes for the rest of the ingredients as well. Invest in some good quality beef broth if you’re not making your own, as it will make a difference in the final product.
- Cook a little longer: Despite using some good quality chuck, I still cook this recipe for a full two hours, as it just lets that beef break down further and become even more tender.
- Watch your eyebrows! Be careful when lighting the brandy/cognac! The best bet is to use a long match or bbq lighter and to stand back.
Where you can find it: Here is a link to the recipe on the Food Network website. It can also be found in one of my favourite cookbooks, Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris. In the book it says you can use cognac or brandy and since brandy is significantly less expensive, I’ve tried it with both options and don’t notice a significant difference.
Spicy Chili
Recipe by Michael Smith
Why I love it: This is a super simple chili recipe, but so flavourful and hearty. Because it’s such an easy recipe you can get creative with the presentation and serve it with some good, crusty bread or over rice or pasta. You could serve as is, or top with all the fixings, like sour cream, shredded cheddar, and chopped scallions. Since it makes a large amount of chili, you could mix things up and serve it in different ways throughout the week.
My Tip: Similar to the boeuf bourguignon, what can really make a difference in this simple recipe is good quality beef. I tend to shy away from pre-packaged ground beef unless it’s the only option available. Buying a decent quality steak, like chuck and having it ground by the butcher is always a good idea when you can, as it comes from one part of one cow, as opposed to multiple (sometimes mystery) parts from multiple cows. No matter what ingredients you use though, this recipe is foolproof. Aside from that, the only other thing I do is to mash about half of the whole tomatoes to break them down a bit more into the chili.
Where you can find it: Here is a link to the recipe on Michael Smith’s website.
What are your favourite winter recipes? I’d love to hear about the go-to winter dishes you make every year! Share in the comments below.
