Hearty Winter Recipes
by Houston Family Magazine
Seasonal cooking using locally available produce becomes a little more of a challenge in the winter, when the range of seasonal vegetables dwindles to greens, root vegetables, and little else, but there’s no need to worry. There are a wide variety of tasty recipes to be made using such ingredients—we’ve compiled just a few below, plus a deliciously winter-appropriate dessert treat. Enjoy!
Three-Greens Soup with Spinach Garnish
Greens are both abundant in winter and highly nutritious—and, cooked correctly, they’re also tender and flavorful. This recipe utilizes their full potential.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, 3 chopped, 1 finely grated
- 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 1 pound russet potatoes, quartered
- 2 cups collard greens, center ribs and stems removed, chopped
- 8 cups Swiss chard, center ribs and stems removed, coarsely chopped
- 1 5-oz. bag packaged spinach, stems removed, divided
- 2 teaspoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chopped garlic to pot. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add broth, potatoes, collards, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer soup until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes.
3. Add Swiss chard to pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups spinach and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until spinach is wilted.
4. Meanwhile, chop the remaining 1 cup spinach; place in a small bowl. Add lemon zest, finely grated garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to chopped spinach; toss to coat. Season spinach mixture to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
5. Season soup with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls. Mound spinach mixture on top of soup in bowls. Sprinkle pine nuts over top and serve.
Savory Halibut Rolls with Cabbage and Browned Butter
This recipe is simple but delicious, with a rich flavor that belies its low calorie count.
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 6 large green cabbage leaves
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 1/4 cup drained capers, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Coarse kosher salt
- 6 4-ounce halibut fillets
Directions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Fill large bowl with ice cubes and water; set aside. Add cabbage leaves to boiling water; cook 2 minutes. Using slotted skimmer or large slotted spoon, transfer leaves to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Gently pat dry.
2. Place 4 tablespoons butter in small bowl. Chop 2 tablespoons capers and mix into bowl with butter, then stir in parsley. Season caper butter to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Place 1 cabbage leaf, vein side up, on work surface. Using small sharp knife, trim off some of thickest part of large center vein so that leaf will lie flat. Turn leaf over, vein side down. Place 1 fish fillet on bottom third of cabbage leaf. Sprinkle fish with coarse salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon caper butter over fish. Fold bottom, then sides of leaf over fish. Fold tip of leaf over, enclosing fish completely. Place fish packet, seam side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves, fish, coarse salt, pepper, and caper butter.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle fish packets with coarse salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish packets to skillet and cook until cabbage is light golden, about 2 minutes per side. Return fish packets, seam side down, to same baking sheet. Bake until fish is just opaque in center and firm to touch, about 7 minutes.
5. Transfer fish packets to platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Place baking sheet over 2 burners on medium heat; add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons capers to baking sheet and cook until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons water to butter mixture and swirl to blend. Season sauce to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.
Roasted Cauliflower in Cheddar Sauce
Kids love this easy, basic recipe—it’s a great way to encourage them to eat some veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 1 pound total)
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 10 ounces Cheddar cheese or similar, grated (about 1 1/4 cup)
Directions
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Arrange a steamer rack over a large pot of boiling water.
2. Remove the green outer leaves from the cauliflower, place it on the steamer rack, and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
3. Once the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, use your hands to gently break the florets from the thick central stalk—try to break the cauliflower into large florets rather than small pieces. Arrange the florets, in one layer, in a 12- by 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
4. In a large heavy saucepan over moderate heat, melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low, add the flour and salt, and whisk until both are incorporated and the mixture turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to moderate and add the milk, whisking constantly, until a smooth sauce forms (the sauce should be thick and glossy, but still runny), about 5 minutes. (If the sauce is too thick, gradually whisk in additional milk until the desired consistency is achieved.)
5. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese and whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower, making sure to cover all the florets. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and season with pepper, then bake until the cauliflower is golden brown and the cheese sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Potato Mash with Horseradish
This spicy spin on mashed potatoes features not only a mixture of potatoes and the addition of celery root for a more layered, complex flavor and creamy texture, but adds extra zing with horseradish and Dijon mustard.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds mixed russet, Yukon Gold, and white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 2” cubes
- 1 1-pound celery root, peeled, cut into 3/4” cubes
- 1 6” piece of horseradish, peeled, coarsely grated
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
- Kosher salt
Directions
1. Place potatoes, celery root, and horseradish in a large pot. Add water to cover by 1”. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes.
2. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return vegetables to pot; add sour cream, Dijon mustard, and butter. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash vegetables. Add reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if mash is too stiff. Season to taste with salt.
Gingerbread Spice Cake
This sweet, spicy cake is a perfect winter treat. The lemon cream frosting is the perfect complement to the ginger and spice flavors of the pastry.
Ingredients
For cake:
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” pieces
- 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend
- 2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
For topping:
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup store-bought lemon curd
- Finely grated lemon zest
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; spray paper. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Place butter in a large bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; whisk until melted. Whisk in sugar and next 3 ingredients. Add dry ingredients; whisk to blend. Transfer to prepared pan.
2. Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack; let cool. Remove parchment.
3. Beat cream and sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold in curd, leaving swirls. Spread over cake. Garnish with zest.
