Remedy for the cold...
This weekend has seen the weather here get really cold. It drives my husband nuts because he thinks he wants snow. I remind him that snow is nice for the first day or two and when skiing, otherwise it's a constant drudgery of getting up first thing to shovel the driveway and clear the cars all whilst freezing one's proverbial butt off! Not fun, at all. I think he just feels a bit cheated that it is as cold here as it is in Michigan but with no snow show for it.
I, on the other hand, tend to enjoy the cold, not being out in it, but rather the prospect of enjoying hot cocoa around the fire with Christmas lights twinkling on the tree. Nothing beats a rich luscious hot cocoa in the winter. It can be dressed up with a myriad of goodies - marshmallows, peppermint, cinnamon - even liqueur if that's your thing. Below is a simple, but very rich version that we love!
For two mugs you will need:
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk + additional 1/4 cup
- 1/2 cup cream
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder (I use Green and Black's Organic Cocoa)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sweetener of choice
Gently heat cream, vanilla and milk to desired temperature. Whisk in cocoa paste.
Sweeten to your taste. I use organic cane sugar for the kids and hubby, but stick to Splenda for myself.
If you like add some peppermint extract, or marshmallows or whipped cream. You could also add a liqueur like Baileys or Grand Marnier for an Orange Version, Kahlua for coffee, and so on. It will really warm you up!
For another Winter Warmer meal, you might want to try Baked Potato Soup. I made this yesterday as we'd eaten out for lunch and just wanted a light supper. We were surprised at how heavy it turned out to be. It really is an entire meal and a frugal one at that! My aim in making this was, sadly, to re-create Bennigan's Potato Soup which is just divine. We both agree that it was very accurate, lacking only the sour cream, which neither of us felt like braving the weather for! This was a hit with the kids too who have both been under the weather lately.
Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients:
Cook the bacon in a large pot/Dutch oven until crispy. Drain, reserving fat and set aside.
Saute the onions in the bacon fat over a medium heat until golden brown and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
Add the butter and allow to melt. Add flour. Stir for a few minutes to create a very light roux. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil. Don't worry if it looks thin as the starch from the potatoes will thicken it up. If it appears too thick, thin it out by adding more milk.
Use an immersion/stick blender to puree, making sure the onions are dissolved. Add the potatoes and puree slightly, leaving a few chunks. Add 3/4 of the bacon and allow to simmer for a few minutes until thickened and at desired consistency.
Serve with remaining bacon, scallions, cheddar and sour cream on the table for people to add to their soup as desired.
* If you hate or think you hate onions, please give this step a chance. It really is the flavour base of the soup, and without it you'll basically just have potatoes in milk - once you puree you'll never know they were there! TRUST me! Yes, Amy, I'm talking about you! ;-)
And finally to round things up I made some fresh rolls. My moither-in-law sent me this recipe from Alanna Kellogg's Kitchen Parade. They are no-knead, no-rise rolls. They still have some yeast in them, but I suspect this is to attain the flavour of yeast bread as opposed to being used as a rising agent. The one thing I would say about the rolls is that they were a little bitter, which I assume is due to the large amount of baking powder used. They rise quite substantially, so I will definitely ease back on the baking powder next time in the hopes I can reduce that acidic taste. It's nothing bad, just something I noticed - something that is easily outweighed by the fact that you did not need to knead or allow proving time for home made rolls!
- 6-8 Rooster Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 pound streaky bacon, diced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced*
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2-3 cups milk
- salt
- white pepper
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- sour cream, to serve
Cook the bacon in a large pot/Dutch oven until crispy. Drain, reserving fat and set aside.
Saute the onions in the bacon fat over a medium heat until golden brown and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
Add the butter and allow to melt. Add flour. Stir for a few minutes to create a very light roux. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil. Don't worry if it looks thin as the starch from the potatoes will thicken it up. If it appears too thick, thin it out by adding more milk.
Use an immersion/stick blender to puree, making sure the onions are dissolved. Add the potatoes and puree slightly, leaving a few chunks. Add 3/4 of the bacon and allow to simmer for a few minutes until thickened and at desired consistency.
Serve with remaining bacon, scallions, cheddar and sour cream on the table for people to add to their soup as desired.
* If you hate or think you hate onions, please give this step a chance. It really is the flavour base of the soup, and without it you'll basically just have potatoes in milk - once you puree you'll never know they were there! TRUST me! Yes, Amy, I'm talking about you! ;-)
And finally to round things up I made some fresh rolls. My moither-in-law sent me this recipe from Alanna Kellogg's Kitchen Parade. They are no-knead, no-rise rolls. They still have some yeast in them, but I suspect this is to attain the flavour of yeast bread as opposed to being used as a rising agent. The one thing I would say about the rolls is that they were a little bitter, which I assume is due to the large amount of baking powder used. They rise quite substantially, so I will definitely ease back on the baking powder next time in the hopes I can reduce that acidic taste. It's nothing bad, just something I noticed - something that is easily outweighed by the fact that you did not need to knead or allow proving time for home made rolls!
Kitchen Parade's Easy Weeknight Rolls
Ingredients:
Stir together yeast and water, set aside.
Whisk together sugar oil and egg in large bowl.
In a separate bowl whisk dry ingredients. Add flour mixture a cup at a time to wet ingredients, adding the yeast mixture as you go.
Stir in herbs, if using.
Fill muffin tray with mixture (mine filled all twelve to the very top) and bake for twenty minutes or until golden.
Now... off to do some market research on Christmas presents!
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 4 cups bread flour (Irish Cream flour is fine)
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- Chopped fresh/dried herbs (optional)
Stir together yeast and water, set aside.
Whisk together sugar oil and egg in large bowl.
In a separate bowl whisk dry ingredients. Add flour mixture a cup at a time to wet ingredients, adding the yeast mixture as you go.
Stir in herbs, if using.
Fill muffin tray with mixture (mine filled all twelve to the very top) and bake for twenty minutes or until golden.
Now... off to do some market research on Christmas presents!
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