Food Recommendations and Recipes for the Cold Weather

On a rainy or even a snowy season, our stomachs will feel hungry more easily. As the air is cold, we will also want food to warm our bodies. Then, what are the factors that make us feel hungry when the air is cold? Experts say that a hungry stomach in cold weather is the body’s natural response to maintain the working function of the body’s organs and reduce the risk of hypothermia. You may wonder about the foods that are suitable to warm your body in cold weather. Here are some food recommendations provided with recipes that are suitable to be eaten in cold weather.

1. Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 chicken
• 1 cm ginger, crushed
• 2 tbsp butter/margarine
• 50 g onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon powdered mushroom broth
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into pieces
• 1 red tomato, cut into pieces
• 1 spring onion, coarsely sliced
• 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped

Instructions:

• Cut the chicken in half, wash and drain.
• Boil 1.5 liters of water in a saucepan, add the chicken and reduce the heat. Boil the chicken over low heat until the chicken is soft. Remove the chicken and drain.
• Set aside the chicken stock. Shredded chicken and set aside.
• Melt the butter/margarine until melted. Sauté the onions and garlic, stirring until wilted and fragrant. Lift.
• Put it into the chicken broth, bring it back to a boil.
• Add pepper, nutmeg, salt and stock.
• Add potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Boil until vegetables are soft.
• Add back the shredded chicken, spring onions and celery. Bring back to a boil then remove.
• Serve warm.

2. Green Beans Porridge

Ingredients:

• 250 gr green beans, wash clean
• 1500 ml of water to boil green beans
• 2 pandan leaves
• 1 thumb ginger, bruised
• 1 tsp salt
• 150 gr finely combed brown sugar
• 50 gr sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 500 ml of coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Boil water then add green beans, pandan leaves, and ginger.
2. Cover the pot. Boil for 5 minutes.
3. After 5 minutes, turn off the stove. Keep the lid on. Leave for 30 minutes.
4. Boil the green beans again for 7 minutes with the pot still closed.
5. After 7 minutes, open the lid of the pot.
6. Stir, add coconut milk, salt, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
7. Stir and cook again until it boils again.
8. Serve the green bean porridge while warm.

3. Noodle soup

Ingredients:

• 1 egg noodle
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (you can use garlic powder if you want it to be more practical, but it tastes better to use fresh garlic)
• Enough water to boil noodles
• Salt to taste
• Pepper powder to taste
• Mushroom broth to taste (optional)

Complementary Ingredients (optional, according to taste):

• Egg
• Meatball
• Caisim, wash and cut into pieces
• Cayenne pepper, sliced
• cornet
• Grated cheese

Instructions:

1. Boil water and garlic until boiling.
2. Add salt, pepper and stock. Stir well.
3. Taste. If the taste is just right, add eggs/meatballs/caisim and cook until cooked.
4. Add noodles. Cook until cooked. Turn off the fire.
5. Transfer the noodles along with the sauce and accompaniments to a bowl.
6. Serve warm with chili/corned beef/cheese topping if you like.

4. Sweet & spicy roasted corn

Ingredients:

• 8 sweetcorn
• 3 cloves of garlic (mashed)
• Butter
• Hot sauce
• Tomato sauce
• Thick skewers

Instructions:

1. Make a rub by pureeing the garlic, melting the butter, and adding the hot sauce and ketchup and stirring until combined.
2. Brush all the corn with the rub using a brush and then grill it.
3. Once cooked, the spicy and sweet roasted corn is ready to be served.

5. Meatballs soup

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of chilled ankle meat (cut into small pieces)
• 100 gr Ice cubes
• 100 gr of sago flour
• 2 tablespoons Fried shallots
• 1 tbsp Fried Garlic
• 1 large egg white
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper powder
• ½ tsp Broth powder
• 1 tsp Baking powder

Instructions:

1. Heat the water for the broth, add the meat, fried shallots and garlic, then let it boil.
2. Place all ingredients into a food processor, except flour, baking powder and ice cubes. Grind until smooth then add flour and ice, then grind again. The dough should be like a paste.
3. Knead the dough with your hands until it appears between your thumb and forefinger. Use a spoon to scoop out the mixture, then put it in a pot of broth where the water is still hot but with the burner turned off. Do it to the end.
4. You can also use two spoons to round the meatballs. If the spoon sticks, simply dip it in plain water
5. Turn on the stove over low heat, until the meatballs float. When finished all, bring to a boil once again.
6. Take or lift the beef meatballs, then put them in a container filled with water and ice cubes to cool the meatballs.
7. The meatballs are ready to be used. Put the celery and green onions in the stock pot.
8. If you don’t like tendon meatballs, you can still follow this beef meatball recipe, but just change the type of meat and try not to choose fatty meat.

Hope the recipes can help you to warm your body during the cold weather!