Winter Cooking Projects

I was on a real cooking kick during the cold, winter months earlier this year and was able to cross off a few things from my cooking bucket list. 

Homemade Pierogi from King Arthur Flour. I think prior to making these homemade pierogi, I've only had the frozen, store-bought kind (missing you, Wegman's pierogi). I might have higher tolerance for bigger cooking projects these days so these didn't seem too labor intensive but you do have to make the dough, let it rest and make mashed potatoes. They were super tasty but can you really go wrong with mashed potatoes and cheese tucked inside a pasta wrapper? 

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken from NY Times Cooking. I've deep-fried doughnuts a couple times this year so I thought, why not deep-fry some chicken? These spice-filled chicken bites were delicious both deep-fried and air-fried so if you prefer a healthier version, air fry these nugs. 

Aloo Paratha from Bon Appetit. More mashed potatoes inside a carby pocket? Yes, please! I've never actually had this Indian bread dish before but since I've loved Priya's other recipes, I gave this a go one day. Rolling out the dough with the potato filling was surprisingly smooth and pliable. Once cooked, the result is a soft bread that's delicious when eaten with pickled veggies and yogurt. 

Eggplant Parmesan from Alison Roman. This dish is more of an eggplant lasagna sans noodles. It is a bit time consuming to make since it requires making the sauce, roasting the eggplant, toasting breadcrumbs and then finally assembling the dish. Briny, salty and delightful. Perfect for a weekend cooking project.