Your Top 4 Favorite Warming Recipes

It’s officially the dead of winter and that means it’s cold in a lot of this hemisphere. Really cold. Earlier this month we decided that our interest in our own warming recipes are waning, and we thought yours might be too.

With a flash of insight, the team realized that we have a whole community of foodies that could we could entice to recipe swap.

We asked via email, “what is your favorite warming recipe,” and you really pulled through. We got a ton of fantastic responses, but here are the four that made our mouths water.

1—Kitchen Sink Soup

Michaela H. from Atascadero CA 

Ingredients:

1-2 chopped onions
1 clove of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder (or chopped fresh ginger)
3 cups water
1/4 cup red lentils
2 sliced carrots
1 sweet potato
10 sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano.

Directions:

Brown onions in your pot in butter or olive oil.  Add garlic, curry powder and ginger for 30 sec and then add 3 cups water.  Add lentils, carrots, sweet potato, mushrooms, rosemary and, oregano.
Optional:  Add 3 T of Pesto, cilantro or parsley. Bring to a boil and cook until your carrots and sweet potato are to your liking (15 min for a bit of crunch, 30 min for more soft).  Then add 2-3 sliced hot dogs (or veggie sausage links if vegetarian) and cook 5 min until heated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add 2 T sour cream before serving.

2—My Opo Squash (Winter Melon) Soup with Shrimp

Tanya V. from Las Vegas, NV

Ingredients:

1lb shrimp cleaned and butterflied
3T fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1T garlic minced
1 tsp ginger ground
1 tsp shallots
Pinch salt
1/8 black or white pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
Opo squash cut in half lengthwise and remove the core. Cut lengthwise again. Cut about an inch thin strips.
4 stalks scallions
3-4 T cilantro
1 lg box chicken broth
6-8 cups water.

Directions:

Ok, let’s go!

Marinate shrimp with first 8 ingredients for at least an hour of course overnight is best.

In Medium pot, sauté shrimp until fragrant then add chicken broth and water.

Once boiled, take out shrimp so it doesn’t over cook. Wait to boil again to add Opo squash. Reduce to Med heat. Season broth with more fishsauce, sugar, salt , and pepper to your liking.

Cook the Opo for 15 mins. Add back shrimp. Opo is done when almost translucent. Set to low heat then add all the scallions and cilantro.  You can add as much cilantro and scallions as you like. For extra flavor you can sprinkle fried garlic. All you do is sauté fresh garlic and oil.

Easy peasy. That’s it! Make it and share it.

2—Soothing, Aromatics Calming Tea

Bobbi K. from Bethesda MD

Boil 2 cups water
Add 1/2 tsp each of cumin, fennel & coriander seeds
Simmer for 7 mins

Add English breakfast tea and simmer 3 more minutes
Remove from heat and add teaspoon of raw honey and cream

Drink and Enjoy!

4—Warm Vegetable Chili

Deana S. from Riverbank, CA

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons oil (olive or your choice)
3 large carrots chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves pressed garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin (or more)
Salt and pepper
1 15 oz. can black beans (rinse all beans)
1 15 oz. can pinto beans
1 15 oz. can kidney beans
1 large 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in purée (must be in purée)

Optional topping – Thin sliced green onions (scallion), spoon of plain yogurt or sour cream.

Directions:

Sauté carrots and onion in oil 5 minutes. Add dry herbs and garlic. Sauté and stir about 1 minute to toast the herbs. Add tomato purée and beans. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Bring to boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Cook longer if you want carrots soft.

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream (or plain yogurt) and scallions.
Serves 4-6

Enjoy!