The crazy weather today has certainly made things interesting, as a lot of folks are staying home and hunkering down. While a lot of places in the nabe are staying open (see my Where to Eat Now: Snow Part Deux piece on We Heart Astoria), people are also looking forward to cooking at home. I thought to hook you up with a few suggestions for comforting, warming dishes.
Apricot Lamb Stew - A combination of sweet and savory is perfect for a winter storm. I love this recipe because unlike a lot of stews, it only takes about an hour to cook.
Lebanese Beef Stew - For a little taste of the Middle East, I highly suggest this beef stew, which makes use of simple, lean ground beef and a homemade mix of spices. Serve it up with a side of hummus, yogurt dip and pita chips.
Pesto Bean Soup - An easy soup to make with ingredients you have on-hand, it's nothing fancy, consisting of white beans, roasted red peppers and green olives. A fresh homemade pesto ties it all together to create an earthy, comforting medley.
Homemade Chicken Soup - There's nothing like a homemade chicken soup from scratch. Staying indoors creates the perfect opportunity to stew some homestyle flavors of chicken, veggies and herbs. You can always reuse the chicken carcass for stock.
Homemade Challah Bread - While this recipe is certainly ambitious, it's something my mom whipped up a few years ago, also during a snow storm. It not only looks beautiful but creates a lovely accompaniment to any meal. You can top it with savory or sweet things.
I love to change up my cooking repertoire and finding about new resources is always a plus. This one comes by way of my mom, who recently sent me link to an Australian site called SBS that has an awesome cooking section. The photography is striking and the recipes are user friendly, so I decided to try one out for an impromptu dinner at home with Peter, Fiana, and Dan.
The theme was Middle Eastern, as you can see, with the main course being a beef Lebanese Stew with lots of onion, garlic and a homemade mix of spices. Generally, it was easy to prepare, the only arduous thing being the veg prep, but otherwise it was pretty turnkey. I decided to pair with a few extra embellishments such as hummus, pickled veggies and a homemade Greek yogurt dip, which also included spices such as cinnamon, coriander and cumin. Everyone seemed to like it, judging by the piddly leftovers - and I'll surely be making it again, as well as tapping into the other recipes on this site. Hope you get to check it out too!
Lebanese Stew with Peas and Rice recipe, courtesy of SBS
