Midwest Living
Food
Comfort Foods
Midwest Living January February 2020 Recipes

Midwest Living January February 2020 Recipes

By Hannah Agran

January 06, 2020

Brie Passano

Find updated winter comfort foods—full of vegetables, color and fiber—from Chef Abra Berens, as well as a terrific guacamole recipe, ideas for cooking with lemons, and a dazzling French chocolate cake.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes with Olives and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Brie Passano

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The details that elevate this recipe from a typical roasted dish are the briny olives and crispy breadcrumbs. Any olive works, but chef Abra Berens, author of Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables, uses a bright green Sicilian variety called Castelvetrano.

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Gâteau au Chocolate

Blaine Moats

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This exceedingly moist and rich (but so simple!) cake is all about chocolate and butter; if you can swing it, choose top-quality brands.

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Avgolemono Soup

Blaine Moats

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This traditional Greek chicken soup made with egg, lemon and orzo is rich and velvety, but also bright and refreshing thanks to a healthy dose of lemon juice.

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Peperonata with Potatoes and Egg

Brie Passano

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This classic Italian braised-pepper stew freezes beautifully. Abra Berens suggests heaping it over potatoes (or even pasta, polenta or couscous) and topping it with a poached or boiled egg. This recipe is from her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables.

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Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils

Brie Passano

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This is a lazy Sunday—or tired Tuesday—recipe from chef Abra Berens' book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables. Don't be alarmed by cooking beans this long. Make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the Parmesan.

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Mariana's Guacamole

Carson Downing

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At Des Moines restaurant Tacos Mariana's, the classic avocado-lime-cilantro mash is doctored with cucumber, Cotija cheese, and chiles—the result is one of the best guacs we've ever tasted.

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Winter Squash, Mushrooms and Arugula with Parmesan

Brie Passano

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This dish hovers between stir-fry and salad— both light and wholesomely satisfying. Chef Abra Berens cooks squash and mushrooms in a skillet, developing great caramelization in minutes. The recipe comes from her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables.

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Tuna and White Bean Salad with Lemon

Blaine Moats

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This light and bright tuna salad tastes as fresh as a day on the Mediterranean sea. We recommend using high-quality canned or jarred tuna that's packed in olive oil—you'll taste the difference.

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Roasted Potatoes, Fennel and Lemon

Blaine Moats

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Roasting lemon mellows it out without losing its brightness. All the while, it adds a lemony taste to the potatoes, fennel and sweet shallots.

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DIY Sausage

Blaine Moats

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Want to know how the sausage gets made? Mix your own Italian, chorizo, breakfast sausage and more, and you'll never wonder again. It's way easier than you think!

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Roasted Broccoli with Wheat Berries, Blue Cheese and Cranberries

Brie Passano

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The birds fly south. The bears hibernate. Where does broccoli salad go for the winter? Right here, says Abra Berens in her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables. Enjoy it fresh from the oven and at your desk the next day.

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Green Salad with Chicken and Marinated Peas

Brie Passano

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In her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables, Abra called this recipe Green Salad with Marinated Peas and Yesterday's Chicken because she makes it the day after roasting a chicken. A supermarket rotisserie bird makes things even simpler.

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Shaved Cabbage Salad with Apples, Ham and Mustard

Brie Passano

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Ham adds just enough smoky richness to chef Abra Berens' vibrant salad to elevate a simple slaw to a lunch-worthy meal or a potluck stunner. Find other great salads in her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables.

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Midwest Living January February 2020 Recipes

1 of 13

Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes with Olives and Garlic Breadcrumbs

1 of 13

2 of 13

Gâteau au Chocolate

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3 of 13

Avgolemono Soup

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Peperonata with Potatoes and Egg

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Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils

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Mariana's Guacamole

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Winter Squash, Mushrooms and Arugula with Parmesan

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Tuna and White Bean Salad with Lemon

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Roasted Potatoes, Fennel and Lemon

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DIY Sausage

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Roasted Broccoli with Wheat Berries, Blue Cheese and Cranberries

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Green Salad with Chicken and Marinated Peas

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Shaved Cabbage Salad with Apples, Ham and Mustard

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