Winter has officially arrived in Tahoe. Snow blankets the mountains and the cold nips at our faces. During this time, we tend to eat more for a myriad of reasons whether it’s biological, to keep warm or dealing with the overwhelming amount of holiday temptations.
Pressure Cooker Black Beans
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“With the advent of the cold weather season there are plenty of foods to choose from that can warm us and nourish our bodies.”
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Eating seasonally is one way to stay healthy and maintain energy for winter sports and the cold weather ahead. With the advent of the cold weather season there are plenty of foods to choose from that can warm us and nourish our bodies. Craving carbohydrate-rich foods are common and often equally comforting but limiting the cookies, cakes and breads is important.
Vegetable Casserole
As we go from eating more raw summer vegetables to cooked winter squashes and greens vegetables in the winter there are plenty of veggies to choose from. Purchasing a winter veggie CSA box from Mountain Bounty Farms or the Tahoe Food Hub provides a bevy of seasonal vegetables. A recent box included orange and yellow carrots, broccoli rabe, buttercup squash, braising mix, which included kales, chards, spinach, red mustard and Asian greens, French fingerling potatoes, collard greens, green cabbage and red beets. Think soup here, warm hearty soup with lots of winter squashes and greens.
Hearty stews & soups
Moroccan Stew
Hearty stews, soups and casseroles with wholesome ingredients are some of the winter grub choices that are delightfully satisfying and nutritious. Think of those cold, dark stormy nights along with a plate of steaming bowl of hot chili or Moroccan stew or plate of stir-fried vegetable curry with brown rice.
Soup is always a great winter meal. Everyone has his or her favorite winter soup recipe. Butternut squash soup, coconut carrot ginger soup, Japanese miso soup with rice noodles with lots of vegetables or a bowl of good, old-fashioned chicken soup are top on the list. Consider adding ginger, garlic and turmeric to your recipes for their numerous healing properties.
Slow cookers and pressure cookers are a winter kitchen appliance that makes winter cooking easy. You can make almost anything in a slow cooker from pot roast to chili to chicken dishes. And warm desserts are fabulous when prepared in a slow cooker. Pressure cookers, especially electric ones, make cooking beans from scratch so easy.
Classic comfort foods
Loaded Potatoes with spinach and cheese are delicious and who doesn’t love a baked potato with a crispy skin. And one can never go wrong with a plate of roasted root vegetables and sautéed chard. Chicken pot pie, eggplant parmesan and macaroni and cheese, are classic comfort foods. If dairy or gluten isn’t on your diet there are plenty of ways to create healthy renditions of these winter comfort foods. Nutritional Yeast is a great way to get that cheesy flavor without the cheese.
Start the day right
For breakfast choices oatmeal reigns, added spices like cinnamon, ginger and turmeric with some dried cranberries and raisins this is a great way to start the day. Quinoa porridge is another alternative high in protein with a dash of almond milk and fruit offers a nutritional bowl of sustenance before heading out for a day in the snow. Baked apples are also delicious for breakfast.
How about lentil pancakes? This is unique pancake that is a wonderful protein and can be served either savory or sweet. It’s easy to make: Soak 1 cup of red lentils and one cup of basmati rice overnight, rinse and add together in a blender with water until it’s the consistency of pancake batter. Cook as you would a pancake and serve with cashew cheese or maple syrup.
Veggie pancakes are also warm and tasty on a cold day. Grate sweet potatoes, red potatoes and an onion together with salt and pepper, add an egg and a dash of flour and bake in the oven until brown on both sides. I serve these tasty treats with a yogurt Sriracha sauce. These are great at any meal.
Wherever your taste buds lead you this winter, eat well and enjoy good health.
Priya Hutner is a writer, health and wellness consultant, and natural foods chef. Her business, The Seasoned Sage, focuses on wellness, conscious eating and healthy living. She offers healthy organic meals for her clients. She may be reached at pria78@gmail.com or visit theseasonedsage.com. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to read more.
Moroccan Vegetable Medley
From Priya’s Kitchen
Serves 4-6
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped medium
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 large carrot, sliced
1 large butternut squash, cubed
1 large sweet potato, diced
4 medium red bliss, quartered, or 6-10 small fingerling potatoes whole
1 zucchini sliced in ½-inch rounds
3 large tomatoes diced or 1 can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can organic garbanzo beans
1 Cup broth or water
½ Cup fresh cilantro
½ Cup raisins
1 t cinnamon
1½ t turmeric
2 t cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional)
In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent add carrots, fingerling potatoes, diced tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add broth, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans. Simmer until veggies are cooked al dente. Add zucchini, cilantro and raisins simmer for 3 minutes and turn off flame, let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve with couscous.
