We’re deep in the winter season and if you live in the Northwest, you might be feeling what I call the ‘culinary winter blues’. It can be easy to settle into the same dishes every night this time of year and by mid winter you might be less than excited about the local produce you’re using. We are here to tell you that there is so much you can do to refresh your winter repertoire and keep things interesting through Spring. I compiled this guide as a part of my own journey in refreshing my cooking and to give you some inspiration as we eagerly wait for spring.

Spice it Up

Roasted chicken and roasted veggies are year-long staples which offer nutritional value but can lack in novelty if you prepare them the same. Why not change things up by adding new spice blends to your meals? MarketSpice offers one of the largest spice selections in the city and their store boasts a wide variety of teas as well. One of my favorite spice blends is their Healthy Heart blend which goes well with nearly anything (I personally love it on King salmon). If you’re unsure of what you’re looking for, their staff are extremely knowledgeable and happy to impart their advice based on what you’re cooking.

Find a New Winter Ingredient

Butternut Squash is a favorite seasonal ingredient. Roasted on its own, blended into soups, incorporated into ‘pumpkin pies’, there’s no escaping this squash’s ubiquity! However, with its high use it can be easy to overlook the selection of other squashes that are also available. A personal favorite of mine is Delicata Squash, so named after its delicate and edible skin. You might consider trying spaghetti squash; its neutral, slightly sweet flavor and stringy texture can easily substitute for pasta noodles. Other lesser-used winter ingredients include pears, fennel and leeks. Give yourself permission to try something new this winter and you might find yourself with a new favorite you’ll crave as the warmer seasons phase in.

Branch Out

I use Pike Place Market as my ‘shortcut’ to find extra ingredients that pack a punch in my cooking. If you’re looking to elevate your dishes you’ll want to stop by Truffle Queen to pick up one some high quality truffle oil or one of their signature black truffle parmesan spreads. To reinvigorate your salads, be sure to stop by Simply the Best for their dried sour cherries or cranberries. Both add a pop whether you’re adding it to a quinoa or kale salad. By picking high quality ingredients for your dishes, you can completely reinvigorate your day-to-day home cooking!

Change up Your Prep

By now, you may have had more than your fair share of raw cauliflower and steamed cauliflower. What about riced cauliflower or cauliflower mash? Once you’ve gotten into the habit of eating foods in certain ways, it can be difficult to get out of the rut and try a new type of preparation. Even though you may not technically change what you’re putting into your food, you’ll experience a different flavor profile… I used to hate brussels sprouts until I realized that by roasting them properly you can create a delicious flavor profile completely polar to what I would get by steaming them.

Ask a Chef

Join us on an Eat Seattle Food Tour or in one of our seasonal Cooking Classes! We keep our groups small so that you have the opportunity to ask your chef questions and for practical home cooking advice that takes seasonality into account. As chefs, we pride ourselves in offering high quality foods to all guests while taking into account seasonality, dietary restrictions and incorporating our own personal flair. Our approach to restrictions is an exciting challenge that gives an opportunity to show off our creativity. Many of our favorite Pike Place tour stops share this perspective with us. When you join us for our food tour, we have a killer coconut curry chowder that rivals its seafood versions at Pike Place Chowder.

Do you have any advice for keeping things interesting during the winter season? What are you excited to come into season this spring? Best of luck to your winter cooking adventures!

Heather for Eat Seattle site.jpg — Heather Mabson