Winter fare

 Rice & lentils is a year round favorite. Lentils take about as long as brown rice to cook, & are easier to digest than some of the larger beans. I like an organic mix including red & wild rice, and then add quinoa or buckwheat the last 20 minutes.

Simmering

I begin by putting the rice (usually ~  3/4 Cup rice to a Cup of lentils) & a chopped onion or the white part of a leek in a pan with a bit of olive oil, & heat water (or Stock *) in another pan. Stir the rice frequently till more than half the grains have turned white, & take pan off heat.
Add the lentils & *stock or boiling water, season with herbs of your choice - fresh from the garden or favorite blends: Italian or Herbs de Provence (includes basil & lavender), a piece of Kombu (seaweed - great for additional flavor & extra nutrients - cut) & a bay leaf, sea and pepper.  

Bring to a boil, then turn down & simmer for 20 minutes, then add ~ 1/2 C quinoa /buckwheat. I may or may not add chopped veggies: potatoes, leek tops, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms (if dried, soak for a hour or so first) & few chopped cloves of garlic and a nub of ginger and cook 20 minutes more,  adding more hot stock as necessary. 

* Letting the garlic sit 10 minutes after chopping activates the enzymes, which are then heat stable, and retain most of the health benefits!

Buchweat sprouts soaking

This is my stand by fare, I tend to make it weekly (enough to last a few days), & my (grown) kids still enjoy it! Blue Zone areas - places with high numbers of centenarians, it's common to eat beans daily.  

I soak larger beans overnight with a bit of kelp, and then semi-sprout by rinsing and draining for another day before cooking.  The kombu aids digestion, and I usually add a splash of vinegar to the cooking water. 

A newer *favorite* is Ratatouille!!
After seeing the movie with the grands, I pulled out recipe books - & most found were 'summer' versions (tomatoes, summer squash, eggplant) . . . 

Roasted root veggies are a winter classic!

I begin with a stir fry - spoonful of coconut oil with a leek (white part) or onions; then add root veggies, cut into chunks, and sauté several minutes. 

Winter veggies: cut into slices or cubes, local organic in season when possible: Beets (the gold don't stain as much as red), parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, yacon, Jerusalem artichokes (I grow these - tubors of sunflower relatives!) potatoes, mushrooms (fresh or dried & pre soaked), Brussel sprouts, ...

Cut and layer as plain or 'fancy as pleases you! (I tend to mixed chunks) Season with salt and pepper, plus favorite herbs - (Italian, french, Greek, ...), garlic and ginger, a bay leaf, spring of Rosemary, winter savory and thyme, a splash of stock and drizzle of balsamic vinegar. 

* Squash can be sliced into sections and roasted seperately, then chopped and added to the roasted veggies, red beats can be roasted whole, (in with the other veg),then chopped.  

I add mushrooms and sliced Brussels sprouts the last 10 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350° layer vegetables into your oven proof Bakeware, check at 20 - 30 minutes (bake longer as needed)

In my Air fryer, I chop and stir fry in batches, then drizzle with vinegar and a bit more oil, and cook at 320° ~ 20 minutes, turning partway through. 

Toppings: some kraut or Kim chi (good way to add Greens), fermented garlic, carrot top or parsley pesto, coconut milk yogurt, chopped nuts - local if you have them (in our area, filberts or walnuts)

Again, I make enough to last several days, re-heating some on the stove top only takes a few minutes, and makes an easy side! I can do a 'quick meal' stir fry in very short order, and add fresh winter greens.

I make * vegetable Stock by saving my veggie trimmings - parsnip, celery and carrot tips & tops, leek leaves, onion skins, asparagus stems, mushroom ends, garlic husks, etc. anything that's not moldy or dirty goes in a bag or quart yogurt container in the freezer! 

(I add Greens like spinach and dandelions - but Don't include cabbage family trimmings : cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, as they will overpower other flavors; & I don't include potato peels.)

I add a piece of chopped Kombu, salt and a sprinkle of pepper, a bouquet garni - sprigs of herbs, tied together, or a spoonful from my spice jar; a nub of ginger & a bay leaf or two. These go into a sauce pan on the stove top while I'm chopping veggies, or in the crock pot for a few hours. You can use just veggies, or add chicken bones - freezing keeps things 'fresh' till you need them! 

Bone broth is a great winter option - uncooked bones are generally roasted first, then simmer 6 - 24 hours with the same herb mix plus 2-3 Tablespoons vinegar. I add veggie trimmings the last hour or 2.

Dwarf Bay as holiday tree 

I lost my large standard bay (Laurus nobilis) with its abundance of leaves and stately presence when I moved last fall, so on a recent nursery run, brought home a 'Ragu' dwarf bay to replace it. 

I learned to make veggie stock from a chef friend at our Vegetarian Retreat center Breitenbush, it's such an easy way to add flavor & nutrients!! 

You can make your own stock in minutes by pulling out some some of the frozen trimmings, topping with boiling water and simmer while gathering ingredients and chopping veggies.

When I make 'quick cook' stock for a recipe, after pouring off out what I'm using, I add more water to my saucepan, & continue to simmer it for another hour, & then refrig. it for later.  (You can freeze extra stock when you've a large batch)

Do you have favorite stand-by recipes?