Many people find it fun to cook for the holidays, whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or anything else. A warm meal and freshly fallen snow always get everyone in the mood for the holidays. But what if you don’t know what to cook? What if you’re tired of making the same recipes every winter? These 6 cultural winter recipes will help you break that routine of making the same old foods, year after year. Hopefully you will be inspired to make some of these recipes, or even to search for more recipes on your own! Happy holidays, and happy cooking!
Pan-Roasted Cassava with Ginger-Peanut Stew
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday created in 1966, and contrary to popular belief, Kwanzaa has nothing to do with religion, and is instead meant to celebrate African-American culture. Fittingly, Kwanzaa typically ends on the sixth day with a feast called Karamu. This recipe is a dish eaten at Kwanzaa which consists of starches–cassava–that were found in West Africa some time ago, and have since become a vital part of the African diet, and flavorful stew. This simple recipe takes roughly an hour to make.
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened all-natural smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ½ small habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper, sliced and seeded (optional)
- Blend ingredients in food processor and add ¼ cup water until becomes smooth paste
- Add 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil & paste in Dutch oven on medium heat
- Let cook for 3-5 mins, stirring continuously, until mixture becomes dry and thick
- Add 3 cups vegetable stock to mixture, stirring continuously until fully mixed
- Turn down heat and let simmer until reduced by ⅓ and beginning to thicken (5-7 minutes)
- 1 sweet potato, finely diced
- ½ cup diced green bell peppers
- ½ cup diced red bell peppers
- ½ cup diced yellow bell peppers
- Season potatoes and peppers with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cook until potatoes are tender (15 minutes)
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat
- Add 5 tablespoons grapeseed oil and heat until hot
- 1 ½ pounds cassava, peeled and cut into rounds
- Fry cassava on all sides until golden (5-7 minutes per side)
- Remove cassava from skillet and salt
- Place salted cassava in oven at 250 degrees F to keep warm until ready to serve
- Scallion greens, thinly sliced (for garnish)
- Plate stew on bottom of dish, place cassava on top
- Garnish and enjoy!
Arroz con Leche
Arroz con leche is often eaten during a Spanish and Latin American holiday: Three King’s Day. Three King’s Day represents the day that the three wise men met baby Jesus and gave him gifts. On Three King’s Day, children set out grass and snacks for the wise men. Arroz con leche isn’t a snack that children set out, but it’s still a delicious Three King’s Day celebration meal! This recipe is meant to take 20 minutes to make.
- Get medium saucepan
- Add in rice, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk
- Cook rice mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil
- Reduce heat to medium-low
- Cook mixture, stirring occasionally (15 minutes/until mixture is thick & most of the mixture is absorbed)
- Add raisins
- Add cinnamon
- Stir in raisins and cinnamon
- Take off heat
- Enjoy!
Holiday Berry Meringue Wreath
Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December and celebrates the birth of baby Jesus. Christmas represents a day of holiness that is meant to be spent with family and friends–eating delicious foods! One of these foods is the berry meringue wreath. Below is the recipe to make all of the parts of the wreath–if you want to know how to construct the wreath, follow the link under “sources.”
Wreath:
- Add eight large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Combine in bowl with mixer (whisk) attached
- Put whisk on medium speed until foamy (1 minute)
- Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat mix until thick and opaque (1 minute)
- 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar added ¼ cup at a time
- Beat until stiff, shiny peaks form (13-15 minutes)
Cranberry Sauce:
- One 10oz bag fresh/frozen cranberries (thawed and drained if frozen)
- ⅓ granulated sugar
- Juice from ½ a lemon
- Bring ingredients to a simmer in medium saucepan
- Cook until cranberries are soft and just begin to burst and the sugar is completely dissolved (10 minutes)
- Let cool completely
- After cooled, fold in 4 cups fresh raspberries and ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form
- Add leaves from 1 bunch of fresh mint over top of meringue, whipped cream, and cranberry sauce
Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Whip until stiff and fluffy
Kasha Varnishkes
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration which honors the miracle of a single candle burning and giving light for 8 days. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting candles, praying, and eating delicious foods. A popular and comforting food eaten during Hanukkah is kasha varnishkes.
- 4 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
- Cook pasta according to directions on packaging
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- In a large skillet saute onions and mushrooms in oil until lightly browned (9 minutes)
- Remove mixture from pan and set aside
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup roasted whole grain buckwheat groats (kasha)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Combine kasha and egg in a bowl, then add to skillet
- Cook and stir continuously over high heat until kasha is browned (2-4 minutes)
- Separate kasha grains with back of spoon
- 2 cups chicken broth, heated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- Add the three above ingredients to kasha and egg mixture
- Bring kasha mixture to a boil and add in onion mixture
- Reduce heat and cover and let simmer until liquid is absorbed (10-12 minutes)
- Drain pasta, add to pan, heat
- Add minced fresh parsley as garnish
- Enjoy!
Kalakand
Diwali is an Indian holiday that is celebrated in honor of the Indian prince Rama defeating the demon Ravana. The people of prince Rama’s kingdom lit lamps to guide him home, thus beginning the tradition of lighting lamps on Diwali, and giving the holiday its second name: The Festival of Lights. This simple-to-make dessert melts in your mouth, and takes only 20 minutes to make!
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- Melt ghee over medium heat in a nonstick pan
- Add 1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- Add 1 cup milk powder
- Add ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamon
- Stir mixture continuously until it thickens and starts to leave sides of pan (8-10 minutes)
- Transfer mixture to greased tray/plate, and spread evenly
- Add chopped pistachios and dried rose petals for garnish, pressing them down so they stick
- Let cool completely or refrigerate 30-45 minutes for less messy slices
- Cut into squares, serve, and enjoy!
Sources:
Pan-Roasted Cassava with Ginger-Peanut Stew (Kwanzaa): https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pan-roasted-cassava-with-ginger-peanut-stew-13509365
Arroz con Leche (Three King’s Day): https://www.goodnes.com/la-lechera/recipes/arroz-con-leche-2/
Holiday Berry Meringue Wreath (Christmas): https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/holiday-berry-meringue-wreath-3775661
Kasha Varnishkes (Hanukkah): https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/kasha-varnishkes/
Kalakand (Diwali): https://lentillovingfamily.com/instant-kalakand/#recipe
Kwanzaa Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa