I don’t know where you live…but here in New England it has been freeEEEeezing out!!  Our oil tanks are low and fireplaces have been burning non-stop… however… we all know the best way to warm up is with some comfort food!!!  The problem with craving comfort food is that….it’s also January and a new year…and of course time to start thinking about adding some healthier foods into our weekly rotation of recipes…. right…?

So this week, I’m cooking recipes that are both – yummy comforting ….aaand healthy too!!  I’ve focused on lots of immunity boosting anti-inflammatory veggies such as leafy greens, celery, broccoli, cauliflower plus many others.  I also substituted out some of the carb and sugar heavy inflammatory ingredients for veggies that will satisfy, as well as keep our systems running better.  Most importantly, I made sure to plan for simple recipes that are easy to throw together… that way I will have plenty of time to focus on all my other New Years Resolutions (anyone else been meaning to read the “Magical Art of Tidying Up” but can find it under all their piles of SHHhhh — STUFF….???)… or even just try to pick up the pieces after TOTALLY losing our routine over the holidays – ha! ;-))

I started with a recipe I’ve posted before — crispy juicy delicious Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts served with Kale Caesar and Parmesan Crisps …. this one totally hits the goal of super yummy warming and comforting… yet actually good for you as well!  This dish comes together quickly, making it perfect for a crazy Monday night ;-))  If for the New Year you are trying out one of the low carb Keto or Atkins diets, check out my meal plan — The Sweetest Thing.  There are lots of delicious low carb recipes in there along with this one 😉

The wine pairing recommendation for this is – Rosè!! Pick a wine that is very bright and fresh to pair with the smoky salty bacon and creamy dressing. ** However… we happened to have a bottle of creamy Chardonnay open and so I tried that this time around and it paired very nicely with the bacon and the Parmesan dressing ;-))

Next up, I adapted a recipe for Pork Carnitas from a “Cooking Light” slow cooker cookbook that I snagged for myself while holiday shopping (what…? it was on sale – tee hee hee!).  This one was great for our Tuesday night meal, as it was a night where my husband was going to come flying in from picking up my daughter from gymnastics… and then have about 6 minutes to eat something before heading to a meeting… Gotta love the slow cooker for that situation!! The original recipe called for the pork to be wrapping in tortillas…  Instead, I substituted heart healthy and crunchy Boston Bibb / Butter Lettuce wraps.  So delicious!  The best thing about this recipe is that there are lots of leftovers that can be used for lunches the rest of the week, or frozen for an easy quick dinner down the road ;-))

We happily drank one of our favorite “go-to” juicy Red Wine Blends with our Carnitas…. the berry and plum hints played really well with the tomatoey salsa, and the black pepper backed the wine, paired perfectly with the spicy meat.  (well ok, technically I was the only one to drink the wine with the dinner since Bill had to run off to his meeting – hee hee hee).  SO yummmmmy!!!!

Then on Wednesday night I decided to go for another slow cooker meal – Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp, Andouille and Cauliflower “Rice”.  The cauliflower “rice” provides the perfect bed to absorb the creole spiced jambalaya sauce…  Another super comforting dish that is also chock full of immunity boosting veggies…!  The bonus is that at about 300 calories / serving, it is incredible how filling this satisfying dish is!!

A crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc is perfect to cut the heat of this spicy dish. We had a super grassy New Zealand Sauv Blanc and it was incredible!! My husband is not a fan of spice….but the wine tamed it so that he really enjoyed both the dish AND the wine!! Score for all!! Hahhaha! (The kids tamed the heat of this dish with their milk…which also worked really well – hahhaha!)

Thursday is my final meal to cook this week….on Friday we are heading skiing for the weekend to celebrate my big 4-Oh birthday…!!  Eeekkk!!  Hahahaha!  Actually… I honestly can’t wait ;-))  So to finish strong we will be having one of my favorite super easy and satisfying dinner recipes – Korean BBQ Skirt Steak with Roasted Brussels & Broccoli  The beauty of this one is that it’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner…but certainly also fancy enough for company.  This steak is definitely a “go-to” entertaining recipe in the summer time with a big salad instead of the roasted veggies…and maybe some sweet potato fries… mmmm!!

Malbec is a perfect pairing with this spicy soy laden skirt steak. The big spice and berry flavors of the wine compliment all the juicy richness of the meat and it’s super special dipping sauce. It also serves well as a contrast to the earthy roasted vegetables!

I hope you love all of these recipes as much as we did.  Would love to hear any feedback you may have…. and for you to share photos of my recipes when you try them out.  Please be sure to tag me on all social media if you do ;-)) Cheers!
~ S.O.

Meal Planning
Winter Warm Up Recipes with Wine Pairing Suggestions – Winter Warm Up – Recipes
Winter Warm Up Shopping List – Winter Warm Up-shopping list