Winter Recipes

Welcome to Popular Pittsburgh’s “Winter Recipes” Section!

A perfect place to find that easy to follow recipe sure to warm your home & soul on a cold winter’s night!

We will continue to add new delicious choices over time, so stop back often to see the latest!

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

A very quick, flexible recipe for those who have a hectic schedule but still want a tasty meal.

 

Ingredients

1           tablespoon unsalted butter

1           cup carrots, chopped

1           cup onion, chopped

1/2      cup celery, chopped

1           teaspoon pepper

2          cups potatoes, chopped

2          teaspoons garlic powder

1/2      teaspoon thyme

1/2      teaspoon dried parsley

4          cups chicken stock

2         cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

4         tablespoons flour

1          cup frozen peas

 

Cut the carrots, onions, celery, potatoes and chicken into uniform spoon-size pieces ahead of time so they are ready to add to your pot .

Over medium heat, sauté the unsalted butter in the stock pot.  When butter begins to melt, slowly add the following ingredients with steady stirring: Carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and dried parsley.

Stir occasionally until the carrots and potatoes begin to cook (usually 5 to 7 minutes).

Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add cooked chicken and continue simmering for about a minute.  Stir in peas.

To thicken mixture, slowly add flour, while stirring steadily, for about a minute.  Add salt to taste (if needed).

Serve over your favorite toast, crackers or biscuits.

 

Baked Cod

Yields: 4 servings

Prep:    Approx. 30 minutes from start to serve

 

Ingredients

1 – 1/2       pounds of fresh Cod

1                 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4            cup mayonnaise

2                tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/8            teaspoon black pepper

1/2            cup breadcrumbs

1 – 1/2       tablespoons melted butter (unsalted)

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Coat an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Place fish in baking dish.

Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, Dijon mustard and pepper.  Spread mixture over fish.  Spread breadcrumbs over fish.  Slowly pour butter over fish.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

NOTE: This recipe will work with haddock or grouper as well.

 

Macaroni and Cheese

From start to finish:  45 minutes

Yields:  5 – one cup servings

Yes, kids love to eat the stuff that comes in a box. The sooner you can break them of that habit the better.  This recipe is fast, easy and homemade!

 

Ingredients

4           tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4       cup flour

1            cup whole milk

8           ounces Velveeta (processed cheese)

2           cups elbow macaroni, cooked

1/2      cup shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)

1/4      cup bread crumbs

             Your favorite hot sauce (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut Velveeta into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.  Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in medium sized saucepan on medium heat.  With constant stirring, whisk in flour and cook for approximately 2 minutes.  Stir in milk.  Bring to a boil.  With constant stirring, cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.  Add cubed Velveeta.  Stir while cooking until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.  Stir in macaroni.

Spray a 2 qt. casserole dish with cooking spray.  Move mixture into casserole dish.  Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.  Melt remaining butter, whisk in bread crumbs and sprinkle mixture over casserole.  Bake for 20 minutes,

Serve with or without your favorite hot sauce.

 

Banana Nut Bread

1/2           cup Crisco shortening

1 – 1/2      cups sugar

2               large eggs

2               cups flour

3               bananas, mashed

1/2           teaspoon salt

1/2           teaspoon baking soda

1/2          teaspoon baking powder

4               tablespoons milk

1/2           cup pecans  (or walnuts or mixed nuts)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix sugar, Crisco and eggs with an electric mixer. A hand model will work well.

Add half the flour and half the bananas. Continue mixing.

Add remaining flour and bananas and mix well.

Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and milk.  Mix until batter is smooth.

Mix for 3-5 minutes or until batter is thoroughly blended.

Gently mix the nuts into the batter.

Grease loaf pan with butter or margarine. Use wax paper to spread the butter into the corners and to keep your hand clean.  Bake in loaf pan for one hour.

 

Note: While we usually look for all ingredients to be perfect, I’ve found that the best bananas to use for this recipe are the ones that go past the peak of ripeness.  I place the overripe fruit in the freezer rather than throw it away.  I thaw the bananas by placing them in warm water until they are pliable. Then I peel and mash them.

 

Curried Roasted Cauliflower

 

Ingredients

1/2      head of cauliflower

1/8      cup of olive oil

1/8      cup of lime or lemon juice

2        teaspoon curry

1         teaspoon cumin

          salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a head of cauliflower on cutting board core down. Carefully cut in half. Refrigerate the half you are not going to use at this time.

Remove half of the core from the section you are going to roast.  Break this half apart into florets. Try to keep the florets large and uniform.

Move the florets into a large bowl. Season with olive oil, lime or lemon juice, cumin, curry powder,  salt and pepper.  Move the seasoned florets onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet into a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes (check after 15 minutes to see how the roasting is progressing).

The quantities on the salt and pepper are marked to taste.  The truth is that the olive oil, lime juice, cumin and curry powder should be marked to taste  as well. The quantities given are merely a starting point. If after roasting you feel the flavors should be more intense, add seasoning as desired.

While it’s probably best served hot, you can also enjoy it at room temperature or chilled.

A hearty vegetable dish perfect for a cold winter’s night or a summer party!

 

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

This soup was served in the Westinghouse headquarters dining room during the 1980s. It is easy, delicious and perfect for a cold day.

 

Ingredients

1        package (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli

¼     cup flour

2       cups chicken stock or broth

¼     cup butter

2      cups half & half

1       lb. grated cheddar cheese

        Salt to taste

 

Cook broccoli and drain well.  In a large stock pot, melt butter and then stir in flour to make a smooth paste.  Add chicken stock, stirring constantly. Cook until thick and smooth. Stir in half & half and broccoli until heated through.  Add cheese until it is melted. Season according to taste.

 

Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields: Ten four-inch cakes

 

Ingredients

*Sift before measuring:

1     cup cake flour

*Re-sift with:

1     teaspoon sugar

½   teaspoon salt

¾   teaspoon double-acting baking powder

½   teaspoon baking soda

*Beat lightly:

1      egg

*Add:

1      cup buttermilk

1      tablespoon melted butter

 

Combine the liquid and sifted ingredients with a few swift strokes.  Spoon onto hot, greased griddle.   They will be ready to turn when bubbles appear on the top of the cakes.  After flipping, the time required to finish the cooking process will be about 2 to 3 minutes.  Take a look after a minute to see how they are doing,  Serve with butter , maple syrup and powdered sugar (optional).

A little more work than buying pancakes in a box, but a lot more flavor.

Enjoy 2 of these pancakes with butter and syrup and you’ll be consuming a whole lot of goodness and only about 520 calories.  Enjoy!

I thank my 1975 edition of Joy of Cooking for this wonderful recipe.

 

Roasted Beet Soup

 

Give it a try! I’m sure it will be one of your favorites.
Ingredients:

3    T olive oil

1    medium onion, chopped

3    garlic cloves, chopped

6    medium roasted beets, peeled and chopped

2    C beef stock

       salt and pepper

       heavy cream (optional)

 

Roast Beets. Peel and chop.  Set aside.

Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic; cook until soft but not browned (about 5 minutes).

Add beets to saucepan, stir and cook for about a minute.

Stir in stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.

In batches, add soup to a food processor, and pulse until liquefied. Heat and serve.

If desired, garnish with a swirl of heavy cream.

 

To roast the beets:

Cut off beet greens near the top of the root.

Wash and lightly scrub beets.

Place in oven safe cookware and rub beets with little olive oil.

Cook beets for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F, depending on the size of the beets.

The beets are done when a knife can easily go into the beet and be pulled out of the beet without resistance.

 

To peel the beets:

One method of peeling roasted beets is to pick up the beets with a kitchen towel (not your favorite) or a paper towel, and rub the beet skin away.

 

 

Non-Alcoholic DrinksIf some of your party guests are under the legal drinking age or if  your guests don’t want  alcohol to mix in with their holiday celebration,  you have a few choices.  Among them are:  have a few different sodas available for your guests to enjoy.  or step up your offerings by adding ginger ale and cola and Grenadine Syrup to you bartending supplies.  You can’s make a Shirley Temple of Roy Rodgers without Grenadine.

Shirley Temple

6     ounces of ginger ale

1     tablespoon of grenadine

1     maraschino cherry

       Serve over ice.

Roy Rodgers

6     ounces of cola

1     tablespoon of grenadine

1     maraschino cherry

       Serve over ice.

 

Most people don’t measure the ingredients for a Shirley Temple or a Roy Rodgers. It’s simply a glass of ginger ale, or cola, poured over a few ice cubes with a splash of grenadine and a maraschino cherry added.

Enjoy.

Sugar Cookies

 

Yields: approx. 4 ½ – 6 dozen cookies depending on the size of cutters used.

** Note: the dough needs to chill at least 3 hours before rolling. **
Dough

Cream together on high speed for 30 seconds:

2/3         cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2/3         cup Crisco

Add & beat until fluffy:

1 – ½     cups of sugar

Add at low speed:

2            cups flour

After the above flour is mixed in, add:

2           eggs (one at a time, mixing at low speed)

2           tablespoons milk

2           teaspoons vanilla

2           teaspoons baking powder

2           cups flour

             Dash of salt (less than 1/8 teaspoon)

 

After all ingredients are mixed well. divide dough into thirds and wrap in waxed paper.  Place dough in plastic storage bag.   Store in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of one of the balls of dough at a time. The rolled dough should measure 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until the edges are firm and the bottoms are lightly browned.  Cool on cookie racks.

If you wish to enhance your sugar cookies, the following recipe for Buttercream Icing is a good starting point.
 
Buttercream Icing

Cream together on medium speed:

1/2       cup unsalted butter

1/2       cup Crisco

1           teaspoon of vanilla
  
Slowly add 4 cups (aprox. 1 lb.) powdered sugar.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk ( add one tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency).   Apply icing onto cookies. Enjoy!

The above guide will help you create cookies that your friends and family will agree taste great.  Practice techniques for coloring and applying your icing, and I’m sure in no time you’ll be creating cookies that not only taste great, but look great too.

Thanks to Susan Hovanec for the recipe and the cookie.

 

Raspberry Rugelach

Rugelach is a Jewish pastry. Whether you make them for Hanukkah or Christmas,  these Raspberry Rugelach are a tasty treat.

Ingredients

Dough:

1     cup unsalted butter

8     oz. cream cheese

1     tsp. vanilla

¼   tsp. salt

2     cups flour

¾   cup sugar

Filling:

1     cup chopped walnuts

¼   cup sugar

½   tsp. molasses

½   tsp. cinnamon

½    cup raspberry preserves

Coating:

2     tbsp. sugar

1     tsp. cinnamon

1     tbsp. milk

Procedure

Dough:

Beat butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla, salt, flour and sugar. Beat until blended. Divide the dough into 4 balls and refrigerate overnight.

Filling:

Mix chopped walnuts,  ¼  cup sugar, molasses, ½ tsp. cinnamon. Divide into 4 portions.

Roll out dough from one dough ball into a circle.  Roll until dough is about 1/8 th inch thick.  Spread dough with ¼ of the raspberry preserves and filling. Cut into 12 wedges and roll into crescents, starting at the outer edge and rolling toward the middle of the circle. Repeat with other dough balls.

Mix 2 tbsp. sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Brush cookies with milk and sprinkle each cookie with the sugar /cinnamon mixture.  Place on aluminum foil covered cookie sheets and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Makes 48 cookies

 

Snickerdoodles

 

While cookies sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon may have been around for a few thousand years, the name Snickerdoodles has been in print for just over a hundred years. No one is sure, but it’s believed that this cookie first became popular in German communities in New England or Pennsylvania.  The one thing I have discovered is that there are lots of different Snickerdoodle recipes that will deliver very different results.  All good. The following recipe is based on Mrs. Fields Snickerdoodles. The end product should be soft and, of course, delicious.

 

½    cup of softened butter                     ¼    tsp salt

¾   cups of granulated sugar                 ½     tsp baking soda

2   tsp molasses                                         ¼    tsp cream of tartar

1    egg                                                               1     tsp cinnamon

½   tsp vanilla                                              2    T granulated sugar

1 – ½    cups flour

 

In a large bowl, cream together butter, 3/4 cups sugar and 1 tsp molasses with an electric mixer on high speed. Add 1 egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well.

Cover and chill dough for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

While the dough is chilling, combine 2 T granulated sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Take about 2 T of dough and roll it into a ball. Roll the dough ball into sugar cinnamon mixture and place it onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Press the dough ball into a thick disk.  Repeat for remaining cookies.
Make sure you give these disks enough room the spread. My finished cookies measure about 3.5 inches.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies may seem undercooked but will continue to bake after they are removed from the oven.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Store leftover cookies in airtight container.  Makes 16 cookies.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep & Cooking Time:  about 1 hour
4 generous servings

1     pound of fresh Brussels Sprouts

6    tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

10  cloves peeled garlic

       salt and pepper

1     tablespoon balsamic vinegar

goat cheese to grate over finished dish (optional)

NOTE:  If you are using medium sized sprouts and your cast iron skillet is ten inches in diameter, you’ll be able to roast a half pound of sprouts with 5 cloves of garlic at a time.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove bottoms of sprouts.  Slice each vegetable in half (top to bottom).  Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, place spouts in skillet, cut side down.  Add 5 cloves of garlic.  Add a little salt and pepper (you can add more later if needed).  Cook until the bottom of the sprouts begin to brown. About 5 min.

Remove skillet from range top and place in the center of heated oven.  When the sprouts are brown and tender, they are done.  The roasting should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

When the sprouts have been roasting for 5 minutes, check to see if they are browning and shake the skillet gently to move the sprouts around.

When the sprouts have been roasting for 10 minutes, check to see how the sprouts are browning and shake the skillet gently.

After 10 minutes of roasting,  check on the sprouts every 2 to 3 minutes until you consider them done.

When done, transfer sprouts to a serving dish.

When all of the sprouts have been roasted, taste and add salt and pepper if needed.  Stir in balsamic vinegar.

Grate goat cheese on finished dish if desired.

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