As the weather turns colder, it becomes time to pull out those tried and true wintertime recipes. You know, the ones that make us (or even keep us) warm on the inside. This is the time for the food that just feels like home
The ladies from the God Hears Her blog have shared some of their family’s personal recipes. These are the ones that are good for family and friends. Feel free to try them yourself, bookmark them for later, or share them with a friend.
Kirsten Holmberg
In the winter I’m partial to any slow-cooker soup or stew because I love coming home to it in the evening. My favorite is a vegetarian chili with some Italian influences:
2 bell peppers, diced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 lb. zucchini, halved and sliced
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, halved
1 large onion, diced
3 cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted or herbed for the most flavor)
1 can tomato sauce
1 small can black olives, sliced (or fresh in any amount desired)
1 can cannellini beans
2 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
½ cup water
Toss it all in a slow cooker for a few hours on high, or all day on low. Or, put it on the stove instead and simmer until the veggies are cooked through and the flavors blended (about 45 minutes). Parmesan cheese on top for an extra zing.
Amy Boucher Pye
London in the winter isn’t usually snowy, but rainy and damp. That kind of cold that gets into your bones—especially if you live in a Victorian vicarage like we do! One way to combat the chill is through a warming soup. I love this one that has been part of my family’s history for generations. It’s what we eat on Christmas Eve! And of course it’s lovely if you’re nursing a cold, which I hope none of us will face this winter.
The Wiese Family Chicken Noodle Soup
A recipe from my grandmother, Nellie Wiese Mohni, whose parents moved from Germany to Iowa in the late 1800s, for the soup that always features at our Christmas Eve table.
Noodles
Early in the day, make the noodles. Beat 6–8 eggs, adding a dash of salt. Add flour (all-purpose [plain] flour) in stages, mixing it thoroughly and adding enough so that you can form 2 or 3 soft balls. Spread a little flour on your rolling pin and the surface where you will roll out the noodles. Roll out each of the dough balls into thin – as thin as you can – circles, flipping the dough over when it gets sticky and sprinkling more flour on top as needed.
Set out the dough circles to dry for 3–4 hours. Take care not to leave them out overnight, or they will become too dry. Flip them over halfway through to ensure even drying. Once dry (the edges will curl slightly), roll several sheets up together loosely. Now cut the noodles, slicing them as thinly as you can without breaking them. Separate the noodles and set aside – you could lay them out flat, but I usually just fluff them to keep them from sticking together in a big mound. (You can also freeze them at this point for later use.)
Chicken
Add a whole chicken to a large stockpot filled with cold water. To make the stock richer, add a couple of carrots, an onion or leek, and some peppercorns (and any old veg you may have hanging around in your fridge). Bring the water to the boil and reduce the heat. Cook for about an hour (uncovered), until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the stock and, once it’s fairly cool, remove the meat from the bones, cut or tear into chunks, and set aside. (Yes, your hands will get greasy but think of it as a good moisturizing session.) Return the bones and skin to the stock and gently boil, uncovered, for another couple of hours, skimming the fat off of the top.
About an hour or so before you will eat, remove the bones and veg from the stock, taking care not to throw the stock down the drain! Return stock to the pan and add a chopped-up onion and carrots (and celery if you like). Let it cook for a while and then add your noodles, stirring them so that they don’t stick together. Add your chicken and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Let it gently cook until you need to serve (I usually cover the pot at this point so that the stock doesn’t boil away).
You can also make the soup a day in advance to let the flavours integrate and settle.
From Amy Boucher Pye, Finding Myself in Britain (Authentic Media: 2015), pp. 243–44. Shared with permission.
Lisa Samra
In the winter, my family enjoys comfort food like beef stew and pot roast. I also have several family recipes that have been passed down although their exact origin is unknown. Many of these recipes also have very basic names. So, the name doesn’t give it justice but a favorite is Beef in Casserole. I usually double the recipe.
1 lb. ground beef
5 oz. cooked thin egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus approx. 1/2 cup additional
16 oz. can tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pepper (to taste)
Combine ground beef with salt, sugar, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and pepper in a skillet and cook. Combine the cooked noodles with the sour cream, cream cheese, cheese and green onions in a separate bowl. In a large casserole dish, layer the meat mixture and the noodle mixture, sprinkling each layer with additional cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Elisa Morgan
A Cranberry Nut Bread recipe handed down by my mom, Paige Lee
2 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
½ scant tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
Sift above ingredients together twice. To the juice and grated rind of 1 large orange, add 2 tbsp. of melted shortening and enough boiling water to make ¾ cup. Mix with dry ingredients and add:
1 beaten egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup halved fresh cranberries
Bake in greased loaf pan for 75 minutes at 350 degrees.
If you double the recipe, bake a little less time and use 3 loaf pans. It also makes good muffins and can be frozen.
Cindy Hess Kasper
Caramel Apple Salad
In 2005, I brought this dish to Thanksgiving dinner. It’s been requested every year since then!
Disclaimer: The word salad is definitely used loosely. Some would absolutely call this treat dessert. My family just calls it yummy!
Ingredients:
3 Snickers candy bars (regular-sized, or 8 fun-sized, chopped)
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples or another tart apple, chopped
12 ounces whipped topping (container)
5 ounce box of instant pudding mix (French vanilla or experiment with butterscotch!)
Directions:
Cut up candy bars into small pieces. Set aside. Leaving the skins on, chop apples into small chunks. Set aside in separate bowl.
In large bowl, thoroughly mix dry package of instant pudding with whipped topping.
Mix in apple chunks and candy bar pieces.
Place in serving dish. I usually use a clear cut-glass bowl and sprinkle small bits of the Snickers pieces across the top or lay thin slices of apple in a pinwheel shape in the center.
Double the recipe—at least. I usually quadruple it for Thanksgiving or for church potlucks. I rarely bring any home with me.
Which recipe are you trying this week? Share it on the God Hears Her Facebook page. We all want to see it.
