This series is sponsored by Project Best Life. Buffalo Rising and Project Best Life have teamed up to produce a series on wellness inspiration and advice to direct readers to the people, places, and experiences in Buffalo and beyond that will help them fulfill their health, nutrition, and wellness goals. For more information on how you can live your best life, subscribe to the Project Best Life newsletter.
Winter cooking should be comforting, warm, and enjoyable from start to finish. Soups and stews reign supreme in my household during the winter months, and one pot recipes become a staple throughout the week.
We have two dishes to share today, both are takes on an original classic. First, a creamy twist on a French Onion Soup, and the second is a hot take on a traditionally cold salad.
Cream of Mushroom French Onion Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 red onion
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 white onion
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Your preferred mushroom blend
- Mushroom stock
- Beef stock
- Heavy cream
- 1 Cup, dry white cooking wine
- 4 tablespoons of salted butter
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere Cheese
- French bread for topping
We are going to begin by cooking down all of our sliced onions, shallots, and garlic with the butter into a Dutch oven. Once those have cooked down for about ten minutes, begin to slowly add in the white wine until it is cooked off by the onions. From there, add in your mushrooms and cook for another five minutes.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper and add in three cups of the mushroom broth, and three cups of the beef broth. Add the Worcestershire sauce and increase the heat to a simmer for about ten minutes, then reduce the head and add 1 cup of heavy cream. Allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
From there you can top with sliced French bread and shredded Gruyere cheese, toss in the broiler, and have a beautiful cheesy soup!
Hearty Winter Salad with a blend of baked and fresh ingredients
For this dish you will need:
- Kale
- Spring Mix
- 1 apple
- 1 pear
- 1-2 Sweet potatoes
- A jar of artichoke hearts
- 1 Red onion
This is one of our favorite, and most simple dishes to put together. Heat your oven to 350 degrees ahead of time. On a baking sheet, add in your washed Kale and massage the pieces with olive oil and garlic powder. We are going to bake this for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly crispy. On another baking sheet, add your diced sweet potatoes, cut artichoke hearts, and sliced red onion with a drizzle of olive oil. Allow the mixture to bake for about 20 minutes.
While everything is baking, begin to dice the apple and pear. We are also going to put together a very light basil dressing that includes:
- 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
- ¾ cup olive oil
- Fresh garlic
- Crushed red pepper
- parmesan cheese
For this dressing we are just going to put everything into our blender, adding olive oil as needed to get desired consistency.
To build the salad begin with the spring mix, layer the baked kale, add the chopped apple and pear, portion on the sweet potato, onion, and artichoke mixture and top with the basil dressing.
Now that the snow is sticking here in Buffalo, try experimenting in your kitchen with these recipes. They will be sure to warm your home and body during the cold days ahead. Besides, nothing completes a snowy day quite like a warm bowl of soup!
For more tips and inspiration to help live a healthy, happy and balanced life to the fullest, subscribe to the Project Best Life newsletter.
Project Best Life
In tough times, our efforts to maintain fitness, healthy nutrition, and personal wellness can fall by the wayside as we direct all our energy into navigating our individual storm. Yet, in the face of what’s happening in the world around us, it is essential to make space for self-care and experiences that fortify our physical and mental wellbeing.
Check out Project Best Life’s personal assessment tool. Get personalized health insights and a cancer screening checklist by completing this health assessment. This questionnaire will only take you around 10-15 minutes to complete.
Podcast
Trying to manage a proper work-life balance, saving for your future while paying all your bills, all while keeping strong relationships with friends and family… We know that life can get pretty stressful, and it’s easy to forget what’s best for your health both physically and mentally. Project Best Life is here to help with our podcast: Happy and Healthy. We provide tips from experts and share stories that will inspire you to live your best life, whatever that means to you. Listen now on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google
For more on Project Best Life, Like or Follow Facebook | Instagram |
Written and Hosted by Alyssa Nicotera
Photography and Editing by Vin Berbano
Produced by Jessica Marinelli
Special Thanks to Artisan Kitchen & Bath
The products and services listed in the above article do not constitute an endorsement or approval by Project Best Life by Roswell Park or Buffalo Rising. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.