Suggestions for vegetarian, healthy foods that will help you remain warm during the harsh winter months.
Are you bored with your local winter menu? Here are a few treats to spice things up this winter. The trick is to look outside the conventional, and not to be afraid to visit the health-food store occasionally. Seriously, I’m told the staff there rarely bites, and they are especially excited to help clueless people like yourself find your way around.
Ginger
This herb can be bought in a jar, already cut up and skinned, or in the traditional, funky root form. The only downside of ginger is its unconventional shape: it can be a drag slicing the skin off. On the good side, freshly peeled and cut ginger root is powerful and fresh. Its jar-dwelling cousin is tame in comparison. Ginger is great for tea: just cut a few strips and set them in a cup of boiling water. Stomach fixer that may immediately calm sensitive or picky tummies. Additionally, ginger may be sliced and used to stir-fries, or chopped and placed inside sushi. Both options give a warming aspect to the final product, heating the body from the inside out on a chilly day. Read more about this herb here.
Sweet Potatoes
This is the healthiest of the “easy-to-make” foods out there. Set the oven to 425 degrees, pop a washed sweet potato in the oven with a few fork-stabs in the top, and 45 minutes later you have a warm dinner. Add a bit of salad and some healthy bread, and you’re rolling. This is a winning choice for parents or other busy folks, who can’t be bothered to add spices or cut the thing into tiny pieces. In addition to being a warm, filling dish, sweet potato is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, iron, and dietary fiber. Check out detailed information about this steaming orange veggie here.
Homemade Bread
I know, I know. Just saying the word brings tears of frustration to so many eyes. That being said, there is nothing that makes a tired soul happier than a thick slice from a warm whole wheat loaf at the end of a tough day. Try this super-simple No-Knead Bread recipe to remove the mystery from the baking process. See one of the recipes here. Flour, water, and some patience are all you’ll need. The human participation in this bread is minimal. Once you mix the dough, it is set aside while the natural yeasts from the air to take root. The next day, the dough is placed inside a pot, in a very hot oven. The result: chewy, crusty, perfect bread, ready to be dipped into the nearest thick soup, or smeared with butter and tahini.
The moral of the story? We will survive the winter, and with smiling stomachs to boot. There is no reason why this frigid season needs to be swimming with chicken and beef. There are plenty of filling, enjoyable, and healthy options right past the tip of your nose. Start eating, start warming up, and you’ll begin to see a lot more friends begging for leftovers from your kitchen. Bon apetit!
