Three Square
Cozy cabin meals for cold weather: root vegetable hash, tomato soup with grilled cheese, and short rib goulash
Root Vegetable Hash
Winter is the time for root veggies like turnips, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. These hearty vegetables are usually harvested right before the fall frost and keep well throughout the winter. With plenty of them at your local grocery store, it’s just a matter of figuring out what to make with them.
Potato hash is one of our go-to breakfasts most of the year, but during the winter we enjoy mixing it up with a root vegetable medley instead. The different colors, flavors, and textures make each forkful an adventure. Push the hash to the outside of the skillet and drop two eggs in the middle, so even if it’s dumping outside, you can still have a sunny-side up kind of morning.
- 1 large parsnip, cut into ¼-inch dice, to yield 1 cup
- 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice, to yield 1 cup
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice, to yield 1 cup
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 eggs
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm the oil. Add the parsnip, turnip, and sweet potato and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
- Add the shallot and salt, stir, and cook 5–7 minutes more, stirring as needed.
- Once the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, move them to one side of the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cover, allowing them to cook 2–3 minutes (this will yield eggs with whites that are set but the yolks will remain runny). Serve immediately.
Coconut Tomato Soup + Sautéed Mushroom Grilled Cheese
Heartwarmingly nostalgic, few lunches are as comforting as grilled cheese and tomato soup. Especially on a cold day, there’s just something about the combination of crispy bread, melty cheese, and creamy tomato that hits the spot. While this meal might evoke childhood, we’ve made a few adjustments to appeal to your adult palate.
For the tomato soup, instead of dairy milk we opted for coconut milk. Not only does this give the soup a rich consistency, it also adds another layer of flavor that counterbalances the tomato. Another semi-secret ingredient is honey. Cooking down tomatoes often brings out their acidity. While many tomato soup recipes call for you to add plain white sugar, we found that adding a little honey gives the soup a unique yet subtle flavor.
For the grilled cheese, we stuck with the classics: crusty bread, Gouda cheese, and a whole lot of butter. But to elevate the sandwich a bit, we added some sautéed mushrooms. We cooked these while the soup was simmering and added a touch of soy sauce to give them an irresistibly savory taste.
- Coconut Tomato Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Sautéed Mushroom Grilled Cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos (can substitute with 1 teaspoon salt)
- 8 slices thick, crusty bread
- 4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
- Butter for grilling
- Coconut Tomato Soup: Heat the butter or oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onions and salt and sauté 15 minutes until they are very soft and just beginning to turn golden. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Increase to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat. Add the coconut milk and honey. Blend the soup until smooth and creamy; an immersion blender is perfect for this task, or you can do it in batches in a stand-up blender.
- Sautéed Mushroom Grilled Cheese: Heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms (and salt, if using instead of soy sauce/aminos), stir to coat with the melted butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the soy sauce or aminos and cook an additional 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and set the mushrooms aside in a small bowl.
- Butter one side of each bread slice. Place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Set two slices of bread, buttered side down, next to each other into the skillet. Layer 1 ounce cheese and ¼ of the sautéed mushrooms on top of each slice, and top each with a second slice of bread, buttered side up. Once the bottom slice of bread is golden brown and crispy, about 3 or 4 minutes, carefully flip the sandwiches and toast the other sides for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until golden. Remove and repeat for the other two sandwiches.
Short Rib Goulash
First prepared by 9th century shepherds in the mountains of central Europe, goulash is a paprika-forward, meat and vegetable stew. While it was originally a rustic country meal, prepared with whatever ingredients were available, it has since matured into the much-beloved national dish of Hungary. Hearty, warming, and with a slow-building spice, goulash is exactly what you’re looking for after a long day out in the cold.
The key to cooking a great stew is time. The longer you let the ingredients simmer together, the longer the flavors are able to build. Besides, there’s nothing quite as homey as the fragrant smell you get from a stew that’s been simmering all day. This meal is perfect if you’re planning to spend a low-key afternoon around the cabin, since you’ll want to start cooking right after you finish lunch if you’re using a conventional oven. Conversely, if you’re looking to get out for the day, then you can stick the whole thing in a crockpot and come home to the same savory goodness.
- 3 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ pound carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces and then halved lengthwise
- 1 pound baby Dutch or fingerling potatoes, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Sprinkle salt over the meaty sides of the short ribs and allow them to come to room temperature.
- On the stovetop, heat the oil in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the short ribs on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the short ribs to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the Dutch oven. Sauté for 5–7 minutes, until the onions are soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and flour and sauté 1 minute more.
- Add the broth, stirring to incorporate the flour and to lift the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the carrots, potatoes, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then set the short ribs on top of the vegetables.
- Transfer to the oven and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. After 2 hours, remove the lid and cook an additional 1 hour.
- Once the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours total cook time, remove from the oven. Remove the bay leaf and skim the fat off the top using a large spoon or ladle and discard.
- Serve over polenta, noodles, or rice.
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