Because Winter Won’t End, Five Dishes to Warm You TF Up
Veggie enthusiast and cozy cooking expert Amy McDaniel (of Instagram’s @veggiebellie) is hitting us with some fresh eats to warm you up during this interminable winter. Put on your fluffy socks and your stretchy pants – it’s about to get real.
Roasted Salmon with Dill Coconut Cream | Serves 2
A go-to in my house each week. Easy, crispy roasted salmon drizzled with a dairy-free dill coconut cream. Whips up in under thirty minutes and keeps you satiated (and warm) for hours.
Ingredients:
2 6oz filets of wild caught salmon
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp coconut aminos
Zest and juice from one lemon
1 4oz container coconut yogurt, unsweetened
4 tbsp fresh dill, minced
2 tbsp capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Marinate the salmon in lemon juice, coconut aminos, and avocado oil for 1-3 hours.
Sprinkle salmon with coarse ground salt and pepper. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes, until cooked to desired temperature.
Mix coconut cream, lemon zest, dill, and capers together for topping.
Serve with roasted or sautéed veggies, brown rice, or greens.
*Side note, this coconut cream is good on everything. Everything. Ask my friends. And the leftover roasted veggies in my fridge.
Spicy Thai Coconut Curry | Serves 4, with leftovers
A quicker, yet better than take out, way to my curry-loving heart. Crisp fresh veggies, creamy coconut broth, with a hint of spice and lime. As warming and comfy as it gets.
Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into slices
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
1 large boneless, skinless, pasture raised chicken breast, cut into cubes (omit to make vegan)
2 cans coconut cream
1 container curry paste or 3 tablespoons dried curry powder
2-4 cups bone broth or vegetable stock
1 tbsp freshly ground ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2-4 tbsp avocado, olive, or coconut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Season the chicken with ¼ of the curry powder/paste, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Sear on medium heat in 1 tbsp desired oil. Once browned on each side, remove from pan and set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the onion until softened.
Add the garlic, ginger, broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, carrots, and mushrooms. Sauté for 5-7 minutes.
Add the chicken back in, along with the coconut cream, remaining curry powder/paste, and broth.
Bring to boil, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for 10-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat and finish with lime juice.
Serve with quinoa, cauliflower rice, or add extra broth to create a warming winter soup. Garnish with sliced avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Sundried Tomato & Winter Squash Pasta | Serves 2
Someone recently told me sundried tomatoes were out. And yes, it was a hinge date. And no, I never called him back. Combine them with caramelized winter squash, peppery arugula, and fresh lemon, and you’ve got yourself a twenty-minute meal well suited for a bottle of red and that Netflix series you’ve been avoiding this weather with.
Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cubed
4 cups chickpea or brown rice pasta
1 4oz jar sundried tomatoes in oil, julienned
4 cups arugula
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tbsp olive, avocado, or coconut oil
1 tbsp ghee
Directions:
Toss butternut squash in 2 tbsp desired oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tender and caramelized. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In a large saucepan over low heat, sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in 1 tbsp desired oil for 1 minute.
Add in squash, pasta, and sundried tomatoes. Stir and cook until combined.
Finish with arugula, lemon, and ghee. Easy peasy.
Veggie Packed Bolognese & Zoodles | Serves 4
My most-cozy, most-favorited, most-eaten winter dish. The kind of dish that gets better and better each day. Packed with veggies – but as filling and comforting as ever.
Ingredients:
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups celery, finely chopped
2 cups carrots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp olive oil or ghee
1 pound grass-fed, pasture raised ground beef, or minced mushrooms to make vegan
2 cups white wine (optional)
½ tsp ground nutmeg
2 cans San Marzano tomatoes, blended
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh basil for garnish
Directions:
In a large saucepan, sauté onion in 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
Add rest of oil or ghee, celery, and carrots, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add grass-fed beef or mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and simmer until evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes, nutmeg (the game changer!), salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Simmer on low for 4-6 hours, or transfer to slow cooker.
Serve on brown rice pasta, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash. Garnish with basil and voila!
Easiest Roasted Veggies | Serves 2, with leftovers
And last, but certainly not least, my go-to roasted veggie recipe. I make these weekly – if not daily – and put them on just about everything.
Ingredients:
½ head broccoli, cut into florets
½ head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 large carrots, thickly sliced
1 head fennel, thinly sliced
1-2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
4 tbsp olive, avocado, or coconut oil
2 tbsp ground mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Rinse, dry, and cut veggies into consistent cubes to ensure consistent cooking times.
Toss with desired oil, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Roast at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tender and caramelized.
Serve in buddha bowls, warm up a salad, or simply dip in my favorite maple tahini dressing. Boom.