Midwest Living
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Comfort Foods
Midwest Living January February 2020 Recipes

Midwest Living January February 2020 Recipes

By Hannah Agran

Updated January 11, 2020

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

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Gâteau au Chocolate

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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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