Cook your way through the snowstorm

There is a snowstorm outside, yet again, and authorities suggest we stay inside. What better way to spend the day than cooking some delicious comfort food? Here are three meal suggestions you can prepare with the canned goods you stocked up on to occupy yourself during this forced hibernation time.

Vegan roasted carrot risotto
The recipe comes the Trader Joe’s cookbook.

Makes 4-6 servings:

1/2 lb. carrots

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 taes. balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

1 tbsp. butter (or margarine)

1 onion

1 cup of Arborio rice

4 cups of organic veggie broth

As much parmegiano as you want

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees while you slice the carrots. Mix the carrots, olive oil, balsamic vinegar salt and pepper in a large pot. Wait until they slowly tender, about 20 minutes, and then puree. In another pot, meltthe butter (or margarine) on a medium heat. Add the onion and rice. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add one cup of the vegetable broth and put lower the heat. Stir the mixture until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this for the second and the third cups of broth one after the other. Once this is ready, add your carrot puree and add the fourth cup of vegetable broth. After the liquid is absorbed, remove the pot from the fire and stir with the cheese until it is melted and looks yummy.

Extra tasty lasagna

For the lasagna:

Lasagna pasta

4 ounces pancetta

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion

Garlic

1 red pepper

4 pounds of meat (chicken, beef, pork, whatever you like)

1 teasp oregano

1 teasp basil

1 teasp parsley

Thyme

Salt and pepper

1 can of crushed tomatoes

4 tbsp of tomato paste

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk

For the béchamel sauce:

4 tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

Nutmeg

Start by preparing the sauce: heat a large pot adding 1tbsp olive oil and the pancetta. Stir on medium heat for about 5 minutes until it gets slightly brown. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Increase the heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and the meat. Let it cook for about 3 minutes without stirring it and then stir it for 5 more minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste with the oregano, basil, parsley and thyme. Add 2 cups of water, 1 cup of milk, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and let the sauce simmer until it gets thicker which will take you about 2 and a half hours.

Prepare the pasta as written on the pasta box.Once done, prepare the béchamel sauce. Take another pot in which you melt the butter on medium heat. Add the flour stir continuously for 1 minute. Pour the milk and steady stream. Sprinkle a little nutmeg and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add some cheese if you’d like to and let it cool on the side.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease a big baking dish. Layer the lasagna noodles, red sauce, a second layer of lasagna noodles and thebéchamel sauce, and so on until every pot is empty. Make sure to save some béchamel sauce to put on top.Cover the lasagna and put it in the fridge for 1 hour. After this, bake it while covered for 1 hour and bake it uncovered for another 15 minutes.

Tian, the ultimate Southern French veggie dish

For 6-8 servings:

3 zucchinis

2 eggplants

3 onions

6 tomatoes

1-2 parsnips

2 red peppers

2 yellow peppers

2 cups dried tomatoes

Olive oil (truffle flavored olive oil if possible)

Garlic

Basil (fresh if possible)

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the vegetables.Once everything is sliced, grease a big oven dish with olive oil and start putting one slice of each vegetable after the other. Try to get it done in a spiral path. Add some olive oil and spices on each layer.Once done, put it in your oven for 30-45 minutes. Take out when the vegetables are soft.Add some parmegiano on top when you take it out if you want to, or even add one can of tuna.

And now you would just have to enjoy your (tasty) hibernation time!