snow day recipes ...

So what can I say about my snow day inspiration in the kitchen?! In general, I don't fancy myself as much of a cook - I can make do, but I don't really have the patience of a chef. With one exception. When a snow day comes along and confines me to the house, I just scream for comfort food and my kitchen is humming all day long! I thought I'd share with you three of the easy comfort foods that I made on our snow day ...

Popovers

For anyone who hasn't ever had one, this is really the ultimate snow day treat ... crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, it's a hollow, eggy, muffin-sized "bread" that pairs deliciously with anything from butter and jam to a nice hot soup on the side:

The only tricky thing about making them is the special popover pan (also called a custard pan) which looks like this:

I've heard that they can just as easily be made in a deep muffin pan, but I'm not convinced ... to me, it was worth the $18 investment in the "real" pan because I literally make popovers every time it snows (fyi, mine came from Bed Bath and Beyond, where I always have a 20% off coupon - actual price: $14.40 ). As for the recipe, it couldn't be easier:

1 cup whole milk

3 eggs

1 cup flour

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 450. Generously grease the popover cups (I use softened unsalted butter for this). Whisk together the milk and eggs, then slowly add the flour/salt (best if sifted, but not a deal-breaker). Don't overbeat, a few lumps are okay.

Disclaimer: I've heard it's best when you make the batter a day ahead, refrigerate overnight, and bring it down to room temp for about an hour before cooking. Truth be told, I've never once had the foresight to do this and it's always worked out just fine for me. Either way, here's what you do once your batter is ready to go ...

Fill the popover cups about 3/4 full and bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Be very careful not to open the oven door again - the "pop" part of the cooking process is delicate (think souffle) and you don't want them to collapse. After 15 minutes, turn the temp down to 350 (still don't open that door!) and bake them another 15 minutes or so. Once they're golden brown, take them out of the oven and out of the pan right away (mine's nonstick, they tumble right out). I've heard the tip that cutting a slit in their sides right away helps the steam to escape and ensures they won't lose their "puff" ... but I'm generally eating them so quickly that I skip that part ;-)

Like I said, they're as delicious with butter and jam as they are with a bowl of hearty soup ... enjoy!

Candied Pecans

These little treats couldn't be easier - or more addictive - yum! My sister-in-law brought these to Thanksgiving to share while we three daughter-in-law's cooked in our father-in-law's kitchen ... we scarfed them down in no time, you really can't have just one!

(before and after pics!)

Here's all you need to do:

1 bag of pecans (12-16 oz)

1 egg white

1 T water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 250 (yes, only 250) and cover a baking pan in parchment paper. Whisk the egg white and water into a frothy mix and fold in the pecans to thoroughly coat them. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to get a good even coating. Spread them out onto the parchment paper/pan and bake for an hour. That's all there is to it. Yum.

Butternut Squash Soup

This one's a longtime favorite of mine ... super hearty, super delicious, and super easy! It's a Fall and Winter favorite for sure ... I make it in large batches because it reheats so well (just cut it with some milk and reheat on the cooktop!), so be warned that this recipe serves 8 ...

2T butter

2 medium-sized leeks (or 3 smaller sized), coarsely sliced

4 oz raw smoked bacon (@ 6-7 slices), diced into small shreds

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 T tomato paste

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream (I substituted with light this time)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the diced up bacon slices until the bacon begins to sizzle and cook a bit ...

Add the leeks and cubed squash and soften for about 6-8 minutes ...

Now add the tomato paste and stir for about 2 minutes ...

Pour in the stock and the cream and cook on medium-low heat for about 30+ minutes. The soup should be at a slow simmer the whole time - the kitchen will start to smell wonderful!

Now that it's all soft after simmering for a while, a quick minute or two with an immersion hand blender like this one is all you need ...

... to make it look like this ...

I've found that you can either serve it right away or set the heat to a very low setting to keep it warm for as long as you need until you're ready to serve and enjoy ...

Bon appétit and Happy Snow Days to all!!