With the fall equinox just around the corner you might be starting to think about parties and pumpkin pie, but instead of jumping into the holiday season, why not ease into it?
After a long winter, the first signs of spring are glorious and exciting, but the season’s shifting weather might have you wondering what to eat. Changes in weather have real effects on our bodies—and our appetites. When the sunny side of spring shows herself, the heavier foods we needed through the winter don’t seem appropriate; yet with the sun around only intermittently, it can feel too early for spring’s lighter fare. So what to do? Make today’s Meatless Monday recipe: ribollita.
What is it about peanuts? Most of us love nuts, even to excess, and peanuts seem to hold a special place. But before you make a batch of peanut butter cookies, give this spiced peanut soup with kale a try. It contains ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now, comes together quickly, and is rich in interesting flavor.
Although the peak winter months have passed, the wafting scent of warm soup from the slow cooker never goes out of style. The slow-cooking “Crock-Pot” (as it is often called for the original brand name) was invented in 1940, gained popularity in the 1970s, and has especially gained favoritism in the past two decades.
I am constantly searching out inventive ways to prepare eggplant. While eggplant parmesan is a classic, it can be a bit pricey and it takes quite some time to make. Messing around in the kitchen I decided to take one of my favorite seafood stews and turn it into a vegan dish. And I must say, the eggplant is so good that meat eaters are easily fooled.
Winter calls for rich, warming foods; here in the Pacific Northwest we’ve already seen our small share of snow, and forecasts threaten even more. Since we don’t see snow or ice very often, travel is severely hindered and there is little to do but hole up inside and cook something delicious.
As the seasons change and the weather gets cooler, we start to crave more warming and nourishing foods. Unfortunately, the change in seasons also tends to bring more busyness to our lives - school functions, late hours, and holidays all colliding at the same time. It’s a double-edged sword -- craving the heaviness of winter foods while also unable to spend hours in the kitchen.
“Sopa de Pollo” translates to Chicken Soup in Spanish. With autumn on the way, I can’t help but think about my Abuelita’s homemade sopa de pollo.
I can’t ever make it quite like hers but I think she would be pretty proud of mine just the same. Occasionally I will tweak this recipe here or there – for example, sometimes I add less rice and more potato while other times I eliminate the potato and use something like a turnip.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
3-4 Pounds of Chicken Thighs & Legs
3 Sliced Carrots