Try These Wintery Recipes From Arizona Chefs
Looking for something creative to cook up this winter season that is a little sweet, savory, or different? These local chefs and food entrepreneurs shared some of their favorite seasonal recipes with us, and they are a must try!
Adela of Wicked Mix Cookie Company - Cookie Champurrado Recipe
Adela from Wicked Mix Cookie Company is a “Cookie-tier”and has been baking various flavors of cookies in her kitchen for as long as she can remember. From her humble baking beginnings with an easy bake oven to having a full fledged cookie business that was started in the Local First Arizona Mesa Community Kitchen. Adela is bringing her love of baking and cookie passion to life.
Adela shared one her own personal favorite recipes, a holiday drink recipe called Cookie Champurrado. This hot drink made with cookies is the perfect sweet beverage to keep you warm and sweet this season!
Cookie Champurrado Recipe:
1 package of Maria type cookies (can be found in any Latin market)
4 1/4 cups of milk
2 cups of water
1 can of evaporated milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
2 oz of Piloncillo or other sweetener
Directions:
Put the milk, the cinnamon and the piloncillo to heat and stir constantly so that the piloncillo dissolves easily.
In the blender, add evaporated milk, water, vanilla and cookies and blend until the cookies are completely ground. You can make the Maria cookie champurrado or use other sweet cookies that you have at home. (Adela has used Oreos and says it makes the drink just a tad sweeter!)
Add the blended cookie mixture to the pot where you have the milk and heat with medium-low heat and keep stirring till it get to the temperature your comfortable with.
And voila, serve the cookie champurrado recipe in individual cups to keep warm and enjoy hot.
PHX Lechon Roasters - Recipe for Lumpias
Cook up some Filipino cuisine and serve up Lumpias this holiday season! Brian and Margita from PHX Lechon Roasters, who also got their food business off the ground at the Mesa Community Kitchen, shared their authentic and delicious Lumpia recipe that is filled with veggies and meats and wrapped in a delicious egg-wash crusted shell. Enjoy!
Margita's Lumpia Recipe:
1 medium size onion
1 medium size green bell pepper.
1 carrot
1/2 Tbsp garlic salt
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
1 lb ground pork (preferably from The Meat Shop)
1 package Lumpia Wrappers (wei-chuan spring roll shell)
1 egg for egg wash
Canola oil for frying
Directions:
Brunoise onion, bell pepper, carrots
Mix all ingredients together (except egg)
Place 1.5 oz of mixture in corner of spring roll wrapper
Tightly roll and fold in corners
Finish rolling and place a little egg wash on top corner (of wrapper) to secure the seal
Carefully pan fry in oil at 375 degree temperature
Cook until internal temperature is 180 degrees or higher
Let cool a little bit.
Enjoy!
Phoenix Food Co-op - Sweet Pumpkin Soup Recipe (Using Local, Seasonal Produce)
Phoenix Co-op is a community-owned cooperative that is on a mission to provide locally grown food across the Valley. They shared this easy-to-make pumpkin soup recipe that is the perfect recipe for eating what’s in season at farmers markets near you. Grab a pumpkin from your local market and enjoy a hot bowl of healing soup with some locally made bread!
Sweet Pumpkin Soup Recipe:
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Large Yellow Onions Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
2 15 Ounce Cans Pumpkin Purée
2 Cups Veggie Stock
2 Cups Water
12 Cup Almond Milk
Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Add garlic, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to the onions and stir constantly for one minute.
Add 1/2 cup of the veggie stock and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining veggie broth, water, and pumpkin purée stir to combine.
Turn heat to low and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
Turn the stove off and use a handheld immersion blender or transfer to a standing blender in 2-3 parts to purée the soup.
Stir the almond milk into the soup, serve immediately with warm bread if desired.