[Guest Post] International Flare: Quick Easy Dinner Ideas for the Winter Table

Hey everyone! I was recently contacted by a reader about writing a guest post for the site - of course I said yes! Please welcome Melissa C, she writes about about food for the Blog Content Guild. Enjoy her post!

Winter is finally here and nothing comforts like a warm plate of hearty root vegetables. This season let them shine as a main course and not just a side dish by giving them some international flavor with this quick easy dinner recipe.

If the house is a little nippy and you want to make it toasty, roast root vegetables in the oven with herbs and oil for a lovely vegan side dish. If you have extra time, though, slow cooking in a crock-pot is a great way to yield the perfect consistency and robust flavors of your ingredients. And, as a bonus, they both save for leftovers nicely.

Maybe you’re planning something special and you want to incorporate an exotic zing, try this recipe for winter root vegetable curry.

Note: This image is not a replica of the recipe below. Image source.

Winter Root Vegetable Curry
6 cloves of garlic
1 (2-inch) chunk, peeled fresh ginger
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
4 tbs. coconut oil
2 tsp. Madras-style curry powder
1 c. canned, diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. plain coconut yogurt
1 c. water
2 turnips, cubed
2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 butternut squash, seeded and cubed
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serve with favorite rice, maybe Basmati or Jasmine

Puree the garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle or mini food processor and set aside. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet and add onion, stir till golden and translucent. Stir in bay leaf, curry powder, cinnamon, ginger-garlic paste and let combine for about a minute then add tomatoes and yogurt. Let this cook, while stirring for a good 7-9 minutes. Now it’s time to add the vegetables, water and salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then cover and lower a tad to a simmer, stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes. Go ahead and add the chickpeas, bring to a boil again and season the dish with curry and lemon juice. Serve over cooked rice and enjoy!

There are any number of variations you can make to this dish with different winter veggies based on availability. Just note to add them for the appropriate cook time. Quick easy dinner recipes like this one are fun and great crowd pleasers; try this one tonight!
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Thanks again, Melissa!

I think the idea of hosting guest bloggers is a fabulous idea, and recently I have been under so much stress from school that I have barely had time to keep up with the site. Because of that, I am currently looking for some people to write some guest blogs for me! Topics can be anything you want, although seeing as it is nearing Christmas, holiday/seasonal posts would be great! Please email me if you are interested in writing! Thanks so much!

Much love,