Cold Weather Comforts

The cold January weather makes me seek any and all comforts. It could be a warm cup of tea, a moment in the elusive Seattle sunshine, or a toasty sweatshirt. But nothing beats a comforting meal. Some people prefer the rich and creamy soothing from a pan of macaroni and cheese. Others seek happiness in a sweet and decadent dessert.

Don't get me wrong, those things are fabulous, but lately I've been finding comfort in soup. During the last month, I've made all sorts of soups: blended butternut squash, smooth cauliflower, creamy tomato, hearty vegetable with kale and white beans. Last night, I made one of my all time favorites courtesy of my dear friend, and new mom, Amy. Amy has a fabulous recipe for vegetarian chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles. Yep, that's right, vegetarian chicken noodle soup. Amy and her husband were raised in a religious faith that followed a vegetarian diet, which means she's familiar with lots of meat substitutes. As friends, we've reaped many of the benefits of her knowledge.

For this recipe -- available on Amy's blog -- I used the miracle that is McCay's Chicken Style Instant Broth and Quorn naked "chicken" cutlets. I'm convinced that even the most dedicated carnivore will enjoy these two meat substitutes.

Now, I know what you may be thinking about the homemade noodles. You may believe that because they are made from scratch, they must be hard or time consuming. The truth is that making these noodles is easy. I just put all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until the ingredients come together. Then, I put the dough in plastic wrap and chill while I prepare the soup. Finally, I roll out the dough and take my trusty pizza cutter to make the noodles. The entire process takes about 5 minutes to mix, 30 minutes to chill, and 10 minutes to cook. The results are SO worth it.

I like to use red potatoes and keep the skins on for extra color. The skins may separate from the potato during the cooking process, but I don't notice a difference in the heavenly goodness of the final product.

I also modified Amy's recipe by adding carrots to the soup for a little extra veggie boost.

My other cold weather comfort obsession is roasted winter vegetables. I think roasted veggies are a year round staple, but here is my easy winter version:

2 parsnips
3-4 carrots
2 beets (roasted separately)
2 cups of quarted crimini mushrooms
olive oil
salt pepper

Optional:
2 cloves of garlic
onion (red or sweet onions work fine)
winter herbs like thyme and rosemary

Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet at 375 degrees until the parsnips start to brown. If you aren't sure if the veggies are done, give them another five minutes and check them again. I'm always surprised at how early I want to remove them, but if you keep the veggies in the oven a little longer, they get even better.

You can also roast sweet potatoes (yum!), purple potatoes (my new favorite thing), and good ol' regular potatoes.

Parsnips, carrots, and mushrooms, oh my!

Add a glass of wine or a winter lager, and you will find yourself in a better mood in no time!