Many of us ladies are homebound, whether because children are home, or we're less adventurous to venture out into the stormy outerword.

So, I've collected a few favorite recipes that are guaranteed to really warm you up:

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas (from one of my favorite blogs)

Soup
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt, plus more if needed
Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Crisped chickpeas
1-3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Lemon-tahini dollop
3 Tbs (25 grams) tahini paste
2 Tbs (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch or two of salt
2 Tbs (30 ml) water

Pita wedges, garnish
A few large pitas, cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil, to brush pitas
Za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice-herb blend)
or sesame seeds and sea salt to sprinkle
2 Tbs flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

FOR DIRECTIONS, VISIT SmittenKitchen


A Recipe from my kitchen: 
Warm Cabbage Soup with Meat & Veggies

(start this early in the day, added benefit it will heat up the place)

1 sml head cabbage, (Kosher checked pkg)
1/2 small head red cabbage (ditto)
1 large onion
Piece of favorite slighty fatty meat (beef is best)
Black pepper, Garlic powder
1 can crushed tomatoes (or paste, or whatever you have)
2 carrots sliced 'on angle', about 1 inch thick
2 potatoes cut in large pieces
Celery leaves or parsley (washed and checked)
Olive oil
Brown sugar and few drops lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (optional)

In 5 quart heavy pot, Lightly brown meat in oil (I sprinkle 'some' pepper and garlic powder)
Add onion and saute til translucent, but don't let juice dry out
Divide cabbage in quarters, remove spine. Thinly slice three quarters of white cabbage, and half the red cabbage, while laying on cut side, so you have thin strips. (You can use the remainder of cabbage to make warm coleslaw, with oil & vinegar celery seed dressing. But that's another recipe.)
Add cabbage and carrot, saute and toss often, volume will reduce.
Add crushed tomatoes and 2 cans water, add more if needed.
Bring it to a boil, add the potatoes, and then lower to med so it softly bubbles.
Cook for 2 hours, then let sit another 2 hours.

Reheat, and now add the sugar and lemon if you want. I don't use salt in the soup, but do add 2 Tbs brown sugar and if you want a careful few drops lemon juice/cider vinegar. Taste to keep correct balance of flavor. You can adjust potatoes and carrots to your size family. If large, use all the cabbage, more potatoes, carrots, and 2 cans crushed tomatoes (or 1 crushed and 1 whole tomatoes) and of course a bigger pot. If not using meat, you might like to add some hot pepper flakes.

My 5 quart pot of soup was nearly finished with just the two of us; it was so good in this freezy weather.

Heat up again for main meal and serve with warm bread. It's all you need on a rainy cold evening.