Hearty Meal with Salad For Winters and The Perfect Companion: The Convection Oven

Even though the heartier dishes we eat during winter are warming and delicious, it is nice to weave some variety into our meal planning. A crisp salad with citrus and avocado, or a salad with Belgian endive and radicchio is a perfect counterpart to dishes such as Crispy Braised Duck Legs, Broiled Fish, or these fabulous Mushroom Flans.

When I roast duck legs I also roast some potatoes sliced into rounds and serve the hot potatoes and duck over a salad of endive and radicchio with a mustard vinaigrette mixed with chopped chives. The heat from the duck and potatoes slightly wilts the salad making a great contrast of textures and flavors.

If you are using your oven for cooking a braise, consider cooking some oven polenta as a side dish; it requires no stirring and is just as delicious as when prepared on the cooktop. Of course, Cioppino with some grilled garlic bread makes an amazing winter meal and is so much easier to prepare using your oven. Lemons are in season now, and the Lemon Cornmeal cake with olive oil and toasted almond meal is a perfect way to use them. If you are looking for a especial recipe to celebrate Valentine's Day, check out our recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake.