cdkitchen > cooking experts > amy powell
Is everyone you know on a juice cleanse right now? In my world it seems that way. I understand the desire to come clean after the holiday season of indulgence. But the notion of consuming nothing but juice concoctions seems in direct opposition to what the weather calls for this time of year: hearty, stick to your ribs, slow-cooked, comfort food.
So while I’ve been bemusedly following friends’ juice fast progress reports on Facebook, and nodding sympathetically while listening to the diet trials and tribulations of colleagues, my brain has been simultaneously wandering away from the juicer and over to the stove where an imaginary pot of something delicious is on to simmer.
Since the start of the new year I have simmered pots of chickpeas with greens, boiled nuggets of potato gnocchi, stewed short ribs with star anise and lemongrass, and simmered ground beef and veal into a fragrant Bolognese. I’ve chopped, minced, sliced, seared, sautéed and diced. And I have stirred, have I ever stirred.
Yes, these projects take work (far more than dumping some fruits and vegetables in a machine to liquefy), at least initially. But put in the time on a lazy Sunday or early weeknight, and this kind of cooking pays dividends later on.
Take gnocchi. The process from start to finish is lengthy, encompassing the roasting of potatoes, blending with eggs and cheese, the slow addition of flour, not to mention the rolling, cutting, shaping, and drying. But, if given the time to take this recipe at a leisurely pace, you could turn out a mighty batch of gnocchi that freezes up quite well. Then, come a mid-winter craving, all you would need to do is defrost and toss with a favorite sauce.
Short ribs and other long stewed red meat dishes benefit from advanced prep. The searing of the meat and chopping of the aromatics is involved, but once it goes in the pot there is little left to do. Eat some that night and save the rest. Once in the fridge the flavors will deepen and the fat will float to the top, all the easier to skim off and discard.
In my opinion a big pot of Bolognese should be in everyone’s winter cooking repertoire. Ground beef, veal, and pork simmering with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and wine fills the kitchen with delicious smells for hours. It tastes great fresh from the pot and just as good reheated from the freezer weeks down the road. Not to mention that Bolognese does not have to be unhealthy! A pound of ground meat can easily stretch into sauce for six people. It’s no juice fast, but a sixth of a pound of meat for dinner never sent anyone into cardiac arrest.
Days of juicing might temporarily ease a conscience from the ills of a hedonistic holiday, but a glass of liquid salad never warmed a body suffering from winter blues. A good long cooking kitchen project, the kind that can be frozen and reheated when a future craving arises is just the ticket, in my book at least, to get a new year of eating off to healthy (if not entirely wholesome) start.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1327-hardy-winter-meals/
Winter Blues? Think Bolognese.
Is everyone you know on a juice cleanse right now? In my world it seems that way. I understand the desire to come clean after the holiday season of indulgence. But the notion of consuming nothing but juice concoctions seems in direct opposition to what the weather calls for this time of year: hearty, stick to your ribs, slow-cooked, comfort food.
So while I’ve been bemusedly following friends’ juice fast progress reports on Facebook, and nodding sympathetically while listening to the diet trials and tribulations of colleagues, my brain has been simultaneously wandering away from the juicer and over to the stove where an imaginary pot of something delicious is on to simmer.
Since the start of the new year I have simmered pots of chickpeas with greens, boiled nuggets of potato gnocchi, stewed short ribs with star anise and lemongrass, and simmered ground beef and veal into a fragrant Bolognese. I’ve chopped, minced, sliced, seared, sautéed and diced. And I have stirred, have I ever stirred.
Yes, these projects take work (far more than dumping some fruits and vegetables in a machine to liquefy), at least initially. But put in the time on a lazy Sunday or early weeknight, and this kind of cooking pays dividends later on.
Take gnocchi. The process from start to finish is lengthy, encompassing the roasting of potatoes, blending with eggs and cheese, the slow addition of flour, not to mention the rolling, cutting, shaping, and drying. But, if given the time to take this recipe at a leisurely pace, you could turn out a mighty batch of gnocchi that freezes up quite well. Then, come a mid-winter craving, all you would need to do is defrost and toss with a favorite sauce.
Short ribs and other long stewed red meat dishes benefit from advanced prep. The searing of the meat and chopping of the aromatics is involved, but once it goes in the pot there is little left to do. Eat some that night and save the rest. Once in the fridge the flavors will deepen and the fat will float to the top, all the easier to skim off and discard.
In my opinion a big pot of Bolognese should be in everyone’s winter cooking repertoire. Ground beef, veal, and pork simmering with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and wine fills the kitchen with delicious smells for hours. It tastes great fresh from the pot and just as good reheated from the freezer weeks down the road. Not to mention that Bolognese does not have to be unhealthy! A pound of ground meat can easily stretch into sauce for six people. It’s no juice fast, but a sixth of a pound of meat for dinner never sent anyone into cardiac arrest.
Days of juicing might temporarily ease a conscience from the ills of a hedonistic holiday, but a glass of liquid salad never warmed a body suffering from winter blues. A good long cooking kitchen project, the kind that can be frozen and reheated when a future craving arises is just the ticket, in my book at least, to get a new year of eating off to healthy (if not entirely wholesome) start.
Basic Bolognese With Beef And Veal
Made with red wine, olive oil, ground beef, ground veal or pork, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme
Made with red wine, olive oil, ground beef, ground veal or pork, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme
Serves/Makes: 6
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground veal or pork
- 1 medium onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 1/2 cup red wine
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes with basil
- 2 cups water
- salt and black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pot over medium high heat. Add beef and pork. Stir to break up. Saute for several minutes until browned.
Meanwhile, finely mince onion. Peel carrots and cut into a small dice. Dice celery. Crush garlic. Mince rosemary. Once meat is browned add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 10 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
Stir in rosemary and thyme plus red wine. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add tomatoes and water with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot ajar. Let simmer over medium low heat stirring occasionally for about an hour and a half until thick. Add more water if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper at the end.
Serve the beef and veal bolognese with pasta or polenta.
share this article:
related articles
Write a comment:
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1327-hardy-winter-meals/