By Sydnie Sabbarese
Winter is a long-anticipated season for many, and for good reason. The season comes with an abundance of different holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Day. Cold weather, cozy clothing and winter break are a few other things that people look forward to.
No matter how great these things may be, there is one aspect of wintertime that most can agree is their favorite is the food. This time of year is known for providing hearty and filling food.
Making these delicious recipes is sure to get you in a festive mood.
Cranberry and orange oatmeal with nuts
While cranberries are a staple in a traditional Thanksgiving meal, they’re also popular during the winter season. Cranberries are added to certain drinks and even sold whole during the winter. They pair best with citrus fruits such as orange, which balance out the tartness of the cranberries and give it a tangy flavor with a subtle sweetness.
This healthy breakfast will leave you satisfied and wanting more.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of uncooked instant oats
- 2 ½ cups of water
- 1 ⅓ cup of orange juice (fresh or bottled)
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 ½ cups of fresh cranberries
- 1 cup of diced almonds and/or chestnuts
- honey or maple syrup
Instructions:
- Start by making the sauce by adding ⅓ cups of orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir in 1 ½ cups of cranberries and 1 tablespoon of sugar
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for five to seven minutes.
- For the oatmeal, use a large saucepan to bring 2 ½ cups of water and 1 cup of orange juice to a boil.
- Stir in 2 cups of oats and cook uncovered on medium heat for 1 minute (cook for five minutes if using regular oats).
- Top each bowl of oatmeal with ¼ amount of the sauce and ¼ cups of diced nuts.
- Add honey or maple syrup for sweetness if needed.
Cream stew is a Japanese dish with heavy western influences. The recipe is flexible and can be made with a variety of different proteins and vegetables, but it’s often made with pork, potatoes, carrots and onions. No matter what ingredients are added or swapped this stew is always rich and filling.
It’s the perfect meal if you’re in the mood for something filling yet easy to cook.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup of diced onions
- 1 ½ cup of diced potatoes
- 1 ½ cup of chopped carrots
- 1 ½ cup of chopped broccoli
- 2 ½ cups of chopped chicken or pork
- 10 cups of roux (store-bought or fresh)
- 3 cups of rice
- 5 cups of chicken stock
Instructions:
- Cook 3 cups of rice and leave off to the side.
- In a large saucepan, saute all of the vegetables and meat with butter or olive oil and desired seasonings.
- In a large pot, bring your roux and chicken stock to a boil and add in the sauteed vegetables and meat.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve ½ cup of rice and add desired amount of stew.
Butterbeer from the Harry Potter series
Fans of Harry Potter have been desperate to try the various foods mentioned throughout the series ever since the first book was released. Luckily for them, Universal Studios started selling their version of butterbeer, a drink enjoyed by numerous Harry Potter characters, in 2010. This led to fans creating their own recipes, similar to the one sold at Universal Studios, that they could drink in the comfort of their own homes.
This recipe is sure to be a hit with avid fans and detractors of Harry Potter alike.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 6 tablespoons of butter
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of cider vinegar
- ¾ cup of heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon of rum extract
- 4 (12 oz) bottles of cream soda
Instructions:
- Add brown sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Once combined, turn the heat down to medium-low and stir often.
- Cook until the mixture is 240 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.
- Stir in your butter, salt, cider vinegar and ¼ of heavy cream.
- Set aside to cool until room temperature.
- Once cooled, stir in your rum extract.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of the mixture and the rest of the heavy cream in a medium bowl.
- Beat until thickened but not whipped (two to three minutes using an electric mixer, three to five minutes by hand).
- Divide the brown sugar mixture into fourths and add each fourth to a cup, add ¼ of a bottle of cream soda to each cup and stir.
- Add the remaining bottle of soda to each cup and top with the cream mixture
