Ah, yes, fall! The time of year when you have to cozy up with your loved one, to start pulling out your coats and boots, and more excuses to buy overpriced fall-favoured coffees. However, the cold weather also brings the sniffles, coughing and annoying sneezes.
Medicine only works so well; however, I sometimes find myself needing that little something extra. While it’s so hard to eat when you’re sick, as you may feel too cold or too hot, one of the best ways to soothe a sore throat is to eat something warm and cozy! It has to be nourishing enough to fuel you back to health, and it needs to be HOT!
When I’m coughing and sneezing, dishes are out of the question! So, I turn to surviving on one dish to make for the next five days! These five flu season dishes are both limited-dish friendly and can assist you with a speedy recovery.
- Chilli con Chicken
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Traditionally, chilli has beef, but can sometimes feel a bit too heavy (and honestly, a little intimidating to cook). Chicken keeps it lighter— which means there’s room for seconds!
Start by chopping your vegetables (I use a large onion, one bell pepper, and one clove of garlic) and let them turn golden brown over high heat in a large pot coated with oil. As the veggies brown, add your seasonings (cumin, chilli powder, black pepper, lots of garlic powder) to enhance the flavour and smell. I like to cook this until it covers all the veggies. Then, add all your canned ingredients (diced tomatoes, red beans, black beans, and chickpeas) and let them cook and stir over high heat.
While your chilli is cooking, dice up your chicken, season it with garlic powder and black pepper, and let it cook in another pan for 5 minutes. Then, add it to your big, delicious pot of chilli. Simmer for 20, then serve!
If you’re like me, you can survive off one pot for 3-5 days!
- Homemade ‘Olive Garden’ Minestrone
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My sister cooked me minestrone immediately after my first cough. So allow me to share her wisdom. There is a lot of chopping for this one!
Chop up one large carrot, one potato, one white onion, one large zucchini, four cloves of garlic, and two medium sticks of celery. Chop chop chop, like crazy!
Toss your tremendous arm workout into a big pot with hot oil, and cook until the veggies soften (stirring often).
Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, a pinch of salt, ½ tsp of oregano, chilli flakes, and thyme, and really allow that high heat to create a wonderfully smelling soup!
As the broth is boiling, add your pasta after 15 minutes. I recommend using little shell pasta, and let the pot simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Then, serve!
A flu? What’s that? Let the power of chopped veggies and hot broth overwhelm your sick self.
- Miso Soup (Quick Prep!!)
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All you need to do is boil 4 cups of water, bring it to a medium heat, and add 3 tbsp of miso paste. Whisk the paste until it is well combined with the hot water, then add half a block of chopped tofu and two diced green onions. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then serve! Ta-Da! How easy was that!
- Karak Chai
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Okay, this isn’t food, but chai makes the heart happy and the throat less dry! The serving size is for four people, which is perfect if you are not the only victim of the flu!
In a medium saucepan, add 4 tbsp of sugar on medium heat, don’t stir. Once it turns golden brown, add 4 cups of hot water to the pot. Add 2 tbsp of loose tea or three black tea teabags, six pods of whole cardamom, three whole cloves, and three thin slices of ginger. Allow the ingredients to boil until a beautiful aroma arises, so around 5-7 minutes. Bring the pot to a simmer and add ⅔ cups of milk, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer the tea to a pot or mug using a strainer.
- Order a chocolate lava cake…
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Listen, we’re only human! You have been dying from flu season, and you deserve a little treat!
My go-to feel-better treat is ordering a hot, gooey chocolate lava cake that will arrive in 20 minutes (and will cost $ 30, including service fee and delivery tip—but I’m sick, so who cares?). You may be ill, but you still have a mouth that can chew and a card that can tap.